Gilad in Sydney
A STANDING ovation greeted Gilad Shalit as he took to the podium, in Sydney in aid of the United Israel Appeal NSW Women’s Division, last Wednesday night.
A STANDING ovation greeted Gilad Shalit as he took to the podium, in Sydney in aid of the United Israel Appeal NSW Women’s Division, last Wednesday night.
Guest of honour Shalit only spoke for a few minutes, but attendees at the sold-out function – who were also earlier treated to a fascinating and wide-ranging analysis of a number of Israel-related issues by veteran Israeli journalist Alon Ben-David – hung on his every word.
A softly spoken Shalit thanked the community for their support during his five-and-a-half years as a Hamas captive.
“Despite the loneliness I experienced during the years of my captivity, I draw strength from the knowledge that the Jewish people throughout the world were with me and were working to secure my release,” he said.
“And it is because of this strength, and the strength of this community, that I’m here today.
“I want to thank all of you for keeping me in your hearts during those long and difficult years … Each day is a new day and I look to the future with all the happiness.”
Ben-David said he was “extremely delighted” to be in the presence of Shalit, whose story he had been reporting on for more than five years.
He said Shalit’s release contained a lesson for Israel’s neighbours about the value of a life.
“For many years, our neighbours used to laugh at us Israelis, saying that we love life too much, we care too much about life, we’re not willing to sacrifice,” he said.
“It was interesting that after Gilad was released, I suddenly heard different voices – coming from Lebanon, coming from the Palestinians – saying, ‘Look at the Jews, how much they are willing to pay to get one of their own back home. Why don’t we care so much about our people?’
“So I think that they learned something.”
Ben-David also talked at length about the Prisoner X affair, the threat posed by Iran’s nuclear program, the Arab Spring and Israel’s recent election.
He said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was “quite eager” to launch a strike on Iran.
“He is genuinely, profoundly committed to this idea – this is not political manipulation. He really believes that history placed him at this specific time to relieve us, the people of Israel, from the threat of elimination by a nuclear Iran,” he said.
But he said Israeli military chiefs had cautioned Netanyahu against a unilateral strike, citing that everyday Iranians were starting to feel the bite of sanctions.
He said a strike remained a last resort, but the price in the form of retaliation from Hezbollah would “be enormous”.
Ben-David also touched on changes in the region, and the situation in Syria in particular, which he said was being flooded with terrorists from Iraq.
“Those people are moving now into Syria, they’re fighting against Assad, and they are already marking their next target, which is King Abdullah of Jordan,” he said.
“Israel is doing everything it can to support the King of Jordan, [because] he is the barrier between us and all those terrorists.”
With an impressive array of speakers, plus the drawcard of Gilad Shalit, attendance at UIA campaign functions this year has more than doubled.
UIA’s major campaign period is still on. To enquire about attending a function, call Sydney (02) 9361 4273 or Melbourne (03) 9272 5533.
GARETH NARUNSKY
Gilad Shalit (Photo: Henry Benjamin)
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