VIDEO: Standing for Gilad

Last week I was rushing to get ready for my trip to the US. I had just spoken to a tour group the night before in Jerusalem so my wife and I decided to stay overnight. In the morning I had rush to Tel Aviv to pickup my new passport and then back home to Ra’anana to pack.

It was 11 AM when I turned onto the main road to Ra’anana. Suddenly traffic stopped. I pulled over and stood by my car. There were people with signs and pictures. When cars who were not aware of what was happening drove by, they would make their signs visible, asking them to stop. And they did.

Why?

For almost five years Gilad Shalit has been held hostage in Gaza by Hamas terrorists. Organizers asked Israelis and those who love Israel around the world to stand for five minutes—one minute for each year of his captivity.

Gilad was serving in the Israeli Defense Forces, when Hamas terrorists ambushed his unit. Several soldiers were killed and Gilad was taken hostage. They were able to get into Israel by digging a tunnel from Gaza.

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On March 15th Israelis stood. They got out of their cars, left their offices and walked outside of restaurants in order to stand for Gilad. Personally, I was reduced to tears. Mostly from the frustration of not being able to secure his release. Secondly, from the understanding that I am part of a country that will never forget me.

Israel in the past has traded living terrorists, sometimes in the hundreds, for the dead bodies of our soldiers. Islamic terrorists strap bombs to their youth and pass out candy in the streets when fellow terrorists murder innocent civilians—as in the case two weeks ago with the Fogel family. (see pictures)

Five Jews butchered to death and the next day they are passing out sweets in the streets.

In other words, it would not be untrue to say, that Palestinian culture celebrates the death of Jews more than the lives of their own people. While Israel has never had a parade celebrating the death of a terrorist, the whole country stops to remember Gilad Shalit.

Will you remember Staff Sargent Gilad Shalit?