On my way to the Great Synagogue seder yesterday, I passed this.
Just beyond the wall is the official residence of the Prime Minister of Israel.
The protest tent has been there for a long time. I myself have been posting, here and here, about the movement for too long a time. There seems to be no end to Gilad Schalit's captivity.As the sign says, our young kidnapped soldier has been held prisoner for 1,373 days and nights.
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Activists fighting for the release Gilad held a mock seder on Sunday night (one night before the actual holiday of Passover). This is the fourth year that they have held the seder to protest what they call government inaction at securing Schalit's release from the Hamas militants who have kept him captive since their 2006 cross-border raid from the Gaza Strip.
The all-too-realistic cutout of Gilad wears a sign asking the traditional question from the Hagadah of Pesach: What makes this night different from all other nights? Literally the sign asks: What has changed? The answer is sad in his case; the sign says: Nothing..
The seder plate at a real seder has several symbolic foods. Gilad's table has only maror, the bitter herb.
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Two other worrying changes:
Once the signs and stickers (which appear all over the country) said "Gilad is still alive." Now a question mark appears at the end.
And the face of Ron Arad has been added to the banners. The Israel Air Force navigator was captured in southern Lebanon in 1986, held prisoner for two years, and then disappeared. The new signs suggest that Schalit may also go missing unless a deal is quickly struck with Hamas.
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Gilad Schalit's parents asked that everyone leave an empty chair and plate at their seder table.
That's how it is in a little country where everyone feels like family.
For That's My World, that is my world, in joy and in sorrow, always mixed together.
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Lo bseder is right. How very sad and such a powerful demonstration for Galit. My prayers are with you all on during this Passover time.
ReplyDeleteIt is hard to believe it has been that long. I remember when he was captured. Unfortunately, Israel has to act with a measured response because of world opinion, and even then they can't catch a break. If I was in charge, my ratio would a 100 to 1. They take one Israeli, we take 100 Hamas. They kill ten Israeli, we kill 1,000 Hamas. War and Jewish survival is not a game.
ReplyDeleteHow horrible to have a child missing. May God release him soon, may he be alive and well return to his parents. May there be soon be peace.
ReplyDeleteInaction by the government in the captivity of Gilad Schalit is inexcusable. This only encourages the Islamic radicals who captured him.
ReplyDelete«Louis» will stop now before he goes into a rant...
Gilad Schalit and his family are in my prayers; I really hope he will be released soon.
ReplyDeleteInteresting thanks for the info. Enjoyed reading your post.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing this story. Communities can make a very big difference for families that have experienced tragedy. I'm glad there is support for this family, and I too hope that they will be reunited soon.
ReplyDeleteA moving tribute to an unlucky soldier. Not easy to answer to this question between the life of a man and the realpolik. I hope something good in that sense will happen soon.
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