Father of Israeli P.O.W. expresses concern over son’s fate

Friday November 09, 2007 18:59 by Maisa Abu Ghazaleh - IMEMC News

Na'om Shalit, the father of captive Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, on Friday expressed fears that internal unrests within the Palestinian territories would affect negotiations for his son's release.

During a meeting with Sheikh Ibrahim Abdullah, head of the Islamic movement inside Israel and a member of the Israeli parliament, the two men are thought o have discussed the importance of a prisoner swap deal, with both agreeing that all prisoners should be treated equally, regardless of their nationality, and Sheikh Abdullah adding that the ball lay in the court of the Israli administration.

"The ball is in the Israeli government's court. The Israeli government could easily arrange for the release of the captured soldier immediately, by dealing face-to-face with the resistance groups that are holding Shalit. This could be a confidence-building measure in the lead-up to the Annapolis conference. Neither the Palestinian nor the Israeli side truly wish to continue the tragedy of the 10,000 Palestinian political detainees being held by Israel, nor the one Israeli held by the Palestinians,” Sheikh Abdullah stated.

Abdullah pledged to involve himself, in collaboration with Egyptian authorities, in any future mediation effort, in order to bring closure to the issue.

Shalit was originally captured in 2006 during an attack on an Israeli military post in the southern part of Gaza Strip, and has been held in an unknown ever since. No video or photos of Shalit have been released in the fifteen months since his capture, leading some to believe that he is no longer alive.

Translated by Manar Jibrin, edited by Saed Bannoura

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