Community urged to continue campaign for Shalit’s release
AUSTRALIA's Zionist community has expressed hope that kidnapped Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit will be released alive following a video delivered by Hamas last week.
DALIA SABLE
AUSTRALIA’s Zionist community has expressed hope that kidnapped Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit will be released alive following a video delivered last week by Hamas.
The video, released last Friday, shows Shalit in good physical health, holding a newspaper dated September 14, 2009.
He is recorded as saying he is being well looked after and that he yearns to be reunited with his family. He calls on Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to waste no opportunities in finalising a deal to secure his release.
President of the Zionist Council of Victoria (ZCV) Dr Danny Lamm said: “Since June 25, 2006, his family has lived in limbo, not knowing his fate or the state of his physical or mental wellbeing. The videotape is a sign of life.
“Gilad’s parents, his family and friends, Israelis and Jewish communities all over the world have been waiting for this sign and we know now that Gilad is alive.”
The executive director of the State Zionist Council of NSW (SZC), Aviva Kogus, said Shalit’s capture from within Israeli territory was a blatant contravention of international law.
“Though we are encouraged by this video, we also recognise that this is only the first step towards his release,” she said.
“The SZC once again calls upon the Israeli government to redouble their efforts to ensure the safe return of Gilad Shalit to Israel.”
SZC president Frank Levy commended the NSW Government for its recent unanimous passing of a resolution calling for Red Cross access to Shalit — something that has been denied since his capture — as well as his safe return home to Israel.
Dr Lamm also called on the community to continue to campaign for Shalit’s release, urging people to utilise “the power of Gilad’s taped image to strengthen the campaign”.
His organisation has run a “blue ribbon” campaign since Shalit’s capture, which encourages the community to wear a blue ribbon to raise awareness of his kidnapping.
“Talk about Gilad to your family and friends and keep up with the blue ribbon campaign that the Zionist Council of Victoria initiated back in June 2006,” Dr Lamm said.
“The blue ribbon campaign will go on until Hamas releases Gilad and he is back home in Israel with his family.”
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