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August 28, 2008
Where were you when you turned 22?
Today is Gilad Shalit's 22nd birthday, his third birthday in the hands of Hamas terrorists.
Gilad Shalit was raised, the middle of three siblings in a small community in the rolling hills of northern Galilee, near Israel’s border with Lebanon. His father, Noam, is a manager at the Iscar machine tools company; his mother, Aviva, works at the Society for the Protection of Nature. His brother is a college student and his sister is at high school.
Friends describe Gilad as studious, good at physics and a little shy. But they say he is quite determined in his own quiet way, and that when he was called up a year ago he volunteered to join a combat unit. His elder brother, Yoel, 21, is a student at a polytechnic in the northern Israeli port of Haifa. He has a younger sister at high school.
Gilad was kidnapped on June 25, 2006 by Hamas terrorists who attacked an Israeli army post on the Israeli side of the southern Gaza Strip border after having crossed through an underground tunnel near the Kerem Shalom border crossing. During the morning attack, two IDF soldiers were killed and three others wounded.
His kidnapping was the catalyst for Israel's subsequent attack on Gaza in a failed attempt to gain his freedom.
Today, no one knows where Gilad is, or even whether he is still alive. Hamas acknowledges they have him, and they taunt his family and his country with reports of his failing health. The IDF claims they know where Hamas hold Gilad, but they do nothing, no, they do less than nothing, while the Israeli Government continues to reward his kidnappers by releasing prisoners in exchange for less than nothing and the international community (including the United States of America) rewards his kidnappers by giving them more and more cash money to fund more and more terrorist attacks.
It's so hard to write about Gilad, my heart just hurts. How can the world accept what has happened to him and expect Israel to work with these animals?
Israel gave up the Gush as a "show of good faith" to her "Partners in Peace." And in return, Israel's "Partners in Peace" sent thousands of rockets raining down on Israeli civilians, women, children, schools.
Israel should have fought until Gilad Shalit, Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev were released or until every single square inch of Lebanon and Gaza was buried under rubble. Hezbollah, Hamas, and Fatah should have been destroyed, completely destroyed, along with every single one of their supporters. The world would be a better place. Instead, Israel gave up and accomplished nothing, and now, Israel has again this week released even more palestinian terrorists from its prisons in exchange for nothing, calling it a show of good faith to the evil bastards who hold Gilad captive.
How would you like to spend your 22nd birthday in the hands of terrorists, knowing that your country, and the entire world has abandoned you?
Posted by LindaSoG at August 28, 2008 06:43 AM
Comments
Good post, good question
Hamas acknowledges they have him, and they taunt his family and his country with reports of his failing health.
Where are all of the Human Rights crowd that makes such a noise over GITMO?
Israel should have done more and should not be listening to all of the goody two shoes who blame her for all of her problems. It has been made crystal clear that you can't trust or negotiate with Islam and terrorists. They have painted Islam with a brush saying it is nothing more than a cult of death and evil bent on destroying the west.
Posted by: Bob A at August 28, 2008 11:00 AM
22 years old and believing his country has forgotten him. I can't even pretend to imagine how that must feel. He's still so very, very young. And should be celebrating his youth.... Beyond sad............
Posted by: dammitwoman at August 28, 2008 02:04 PM
Love you Linda, hope you are feeling better. Thank you for keeping this at the forefront. Can relate!!! At 22 I was in the Mojave desert, the Arab-Israeli war had just concluded and we were put on stand down, not fully released from that obligation, on my 24th birthday I was at some shithole along the DMZ fearing just what happened to Gilad Shalit, Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev. Capture and imprisonment by the enemy without anyone even trying to secure a rescue or repatriation is a fate worse than death. The irony is not only are these fine Israeli 's forgotten, but our very own troops have been forgotten too!!! Especially from wars "we didn't win". Look at the stance of Senator Kerry and Senator McCain toward POW's. As long as they are free, screw the rest of them. It bothers a couple neighbors but my POW flag flies 24/7 as a conscious reminder to all that not all came home and that not all of them give a rat's ass either. I'll pose one question, how many POW's have been returned unharmed from the Islamists?
Posted by: Jack at August 28, 2008 06:44 PM
Shema Israel!
Posted by: CR Mountjoy at August 30, 2008 09:41 PM
22 - Brooklyn - Ft. Hamilton
20 - Stuttgart Germany (8/27 is my B'day - they held me one more day!)
19 - ROK DMZ
18 - ROK DMZ
1969 - 1972
Posted by: Gbear at August 31, 2008 06:27 PM
I was in the Army, and spent the day doing Denver.
Posted by: Rodger Schultz at September 1, 2008 11:14 PM
^^^^^
Rodger, my first (admittedly smart-ass) remark is:
"Who is Denver?? -- That sounds like a boy's name!"
But I'll refrain... ;-)
J/K
Posted by: ProphetJoe at September 3, 2008 10:57 AM
In all seriousness --
"How would you like to spend your 22nd birthday in the hands of terrorists, knowing that your country, and the entire world has abandoned you?"
Linda, you are living, breathing proof that the entire world has NOT abandoned Gilad Shalit!
Keep up the good fight -- Semper Viglans!
PJ
Posted by: ProphetJoe at September 3, 2008 10:59 AM