An effort to issue an interfaith call for the release of IDF soldier Gilad Shalit from Hamas captivity has failed.

A former senior Foreign Ministry official with the appropriate contacts turned to Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi Yona Metzger, a high-ranking catholic official in Europe and an Islamic leader with 50 million followers, calling upon them to sign a letter to be given to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon seeking the release of Gilad Shalit.

The effort exploded when Rav Metzger would not agree to the demands of the Islamic cleric who insisted the letter contain a clause demanding Israel “release all Palestinian prisoners”.

They hoped that Ban Ki-moon would apply pressure on Hamas leader Khaled Meshal, based in Damascus, and thereby bring about the release of Shalit. At the very least, they hoped a representative of the International Red Cross would be granted permission to visit the soldier who has been held captive for over 800 days.

In the meantime, colleagues of Shalit are planning to visit Kfar Maccabi on Thursday. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and his Kadima Party colleagues will be meeting for their annual Rosh Hashanah toast. Shalit’s colleagues have other plans, telling the media, “While Gilad rots in prison, they are holding toasts!”

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)