“We did not decide which terrorists to release and we did not stand behind the list of those who were selected” stated Mr. Noam Shalit, the father of Gilad. The father of the former Hamas captive released the statement after the news of the arrest of the terrorist responsible for the murder of Israel Police Chief Superintendent Baruch Mizrachi HY”D on erev Pesach. That terrorist was released with over 1,000 others in the Shalit deal.
A friend of the Shalit family told Yisrael Hayom “It is not fair to try to judge them. Every family would have done the same thing to get their child back”.
1,027 terrorists were released in the Shalit deal; 600 to PA autonomous areas throughout Yehuda and Shomron. 76 of them have been re-arrested prior to the abduction of the three youths from Alon Shvut Junction. 57 more were arrested in Operation Brothers Return. One of those arrested again has since been released.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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10 Responses
Shalit was released according to the system, don’t blame the Shalit family , blame those who set up a self destructive system which does not even have a diplomatic value , it is not a TORAH KOP its a PUSTA KOP that has no human value.
It would be nice though if. He startef living like a Jew
Shameful man should stop denying the fruits of his selfish labor
Very distasteful that he ran for MK office after the sacrifice the country made to release the terrorists. You would think he’d just be happy and satisfied to have his son returned to him. It’s almost like he took advantage of his son’s plight.
At the same time, what his family endured is unimaginable so maybe he lost his mind in the process.
Please Mr. Shalit, just keep quiet now. You led the campaign to pressure the government, and we understand why – it was your son, and you felt you had to do everything possible to get him released. Now that the blowback from that trade has impacted another family, at least have the grace to be quiet – there’s no need for you to hide behind “It wasn’t our decision whom to release”. You’re right that you didn’t decide to release this particular murderer – but in your view (which is understandable), the fact that there was a high risk that someone released for your son would go on and kill someone was not sufficient reason to stop the trade.
Tell me, though, Mr. Shalit – if you knew that Cmdr. Mizrachi HY”D would be killed as a result of your son’s release, would you have changed the way you acted in advocating for such release? If not, then your explanation rings hollow – you’d be better off just staying silent. “Syag leChachma, Shtika”.
an Israeli Yid
I don’t buy their argument….it was obvious that to gain the release, hundreds of known terrorists, some with blood on their hands, would be set free. They knew that reality yet continued to push the government to make it happen. No, they didn’t sit their with a list of names deciding Terrorist A versus Terrorist B but I really don’t think that matters. The Shalit release, either directly or indirectly, was the key factor why these 3 bochurim were kidnapped and are being held to ransom more terrorist or c’v possibly murdered. If the Shalit family wants to now pretend their hands are clean, I don’t think anyone will buy that. To say that “anyone in the same place would have done the same”, simply isn’t true. Some would have looked beyond the moment and thought about the implications of their selfish behavior on the lives of untold numbers of others. They transferred their pain to the hearts and shoulders of other parents.
Commentators are advising the Shalits to keep quiet. Truth to be said, they should keep quiet.
But it would be only fair for anyone who wasn’t in their shoes not preach to the Shalits what they should have done. They also should keep quiet.
sof sof the mishna taught us : al tadoun et chavercha ad shetagia limkomo (chass veshalom)
any comment?
#6 I don’t think ANYONE would’ve said no to releasing terrorists in order to get their son back
Even though I am a descendant of the Maharam m’Rothenburg who refused to let himself be ransomed out of jail in the 1280’s and sat in jail until 1293, Notwithstanding:- How dare anyone who has not been in the shoes of the Shalit family dare open their mouth.
Only comment I have is why in the Shalit case do we only hear about the father? whereas in the current case we only hear about the mothers?