Sunday, August 31, 2008

Gilad is 22...and still in captivity

Who could have imagined that Gilad would spend yet another birthday in captivity?

Just last week, Israel released almost 200 terrorists, criminals, security prisoners. For what? Nobody I know in Israel understands this action. Not a single one. Hamas is still demanding the release of 1,000 prisoners in exchange for Gilad. Hizbollah says it doesn't know where Ron Arad is. Syria says it doesn't know where Eli Cohen is buried and so can't return his body.

And in the meantime, Gilad has spent another birthday in captivity. As the mother of an Israeli soldier, it sickens me, it saddens me, it worries me. I cannot imagine a week without speaking to my son, let alone a year. I cannot imagine a month in which I can't at least give him a kiss, a hug, a touch, let alone a year. How is it possible?

What words of comfort can we offer Gilad's parents? What words of hope?

Two weeks after Gilad was captured, our government and army failed to prevent the same thing from happening in the north. Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev were taken. They were finally returned to us. Heartbroken, we watched them come back in coffins while Lebanon danced and celebrated the return of a child killer.

What words of comfort can we offer Gilad's parents? What words of hope?

The sad fact is that there is none and so long as this government has other priorities, there is not likely to be any.

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