Israel blocks French diplomats from Bastille Day celebration in Gaza

"To celebrate the holiday marking freedom in a place where French-Israeli citizen Gilad Shalit is detained since 3 years is an insult to the symbol of this national holiday and a provocation towards his family."

The umbrella group of Jewish organizations in France, CRIF, said Wednesday it was "stunned" to learn that French diplomats at the Consulate in Jerusalem have planned to take part in a Bastille Day celebration, France’s national holiday, in Gaza.

"To celebrate the holiday marking freedom in a place where French-Israeli citizen Gilad Shalit is detained since 3 years is an insult to the symbol of this national holiday and a provocation towards his family," CRIF said in a statement.

Israel objected to France's plan to hold a Bastille Day celebration in Gaza particularly in light of the fact that Shalit, who was abducted in a 2006 cross-border raid, has dual French-Israeli citizenship. During a Bastille Day celebration at the French embassy in Tel Aviv, France’s ambassador Jean Michel Casa declared that Shalit must immediately be freed, a sentiment shared by President Nicolas Sarkozy. The French Consulate in East Jerusalem serves as liaison with the West Bank and has a small delegation in the Gaza Strip.

Source: article by Joseph Byron in EJP

European Parliamentarians call upon the Red Cross on behalf of Gilad Shalit

Source: European Friends of Israel

"Today we simultaneously mark the 900th day since Gilad’s abduction and the 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Although the latter is being internationally commemorated, rightfully so, European Friends of Israel have determined not to neglect Gilad, whose health and whereabouts have remained concealed for over 900 hundred days, in total negation of his basic Human Rights.

Thus, in almost all of the EU-27 countries, Parliamentarians friends of Israel have contacted local Red Cross representatives, the international and impartial guarantor of human rights, to request that more action is taken to secure Gilad’s human rights, such as his visitation rights and the right to proper medical treatment, which have been continuously denied.

EFI wants to keep awakening the conscience of the world, to display to Gilad’s family that Europe has not abandoned their son, and to determine what more can be done.

EFI thanks all dedication of the Parliamentarians to this cause. We see this initiative as a symbol, both of that aspiration and of the very purpose of EFI to achieve more together than we can do alone."
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João Rebelo, Chair of the Portugal-Israel Parliamentary Friendship Group, reported to the EFI on his meeting with the representative of the Portuguese Red Cross, Luís Barbosa. The meeting took place in the Assembly of the Republic, São Bento Palace, on 12 December 2008. Mr Barbosa was made:

"aware of the presence of the Portugal-Israel Parliamentary Friendship Group in the EFI Policy Conference, that took place in Paris in November 2008, in which Gilad Shalit’s father called upon the European Union and the international community to pressure the Hamas movement, in order to the ICRC be allowed to visit Gilad Shalit. Afterwards, the President of the Portuguese Red Cross submitted some elements on this matter, such as:

- The ICRC has to maintain itself very discreet on this matter, since they cannot speak too much about this matter, given the need to keep their neutral statute;

- The ICRC has made continuous attempts to approach Gilad Shalit, but so far has been unsuccessfull;

- The Carter Center informed ICRC that Gilad Shalit is alive;

- The ICRC stresses that the right to visit is a crucial element of the international humanitarian law;

- The ICRC will release an announcement, this month possibly, on the process of attempt to approach Gilad Shalit. However, there are details in this process that may not be disseminated, under penalty of affecting the ICRC neutrality;

- Reciprocity has not occurred in this process, considering that visits to Palestinian prisoners in Israel have been possible, while the same does not occur with Gilad Shalit, in Gaza Strip;

- This process involves elements, as possible terms of exchange (about 3000 Palestinian prisoners for Gilad Shalit), which can turn into a serious difficulty to solve this case;

- The ICRC regulates its conduct through the maximum prudence and unquestionable neutrality, considering that a human life is in danger, bearing in mind the fundamental role this institution played recently in Colombia, Afghanistan and Myanmar."

French support group organizes 'Running for Gilad Shalit’ near Paris

Has any of the French NGOs which operate in Gaza taken this opportunity to express support for this initiave ? It would have been a good opportunity to publicly put pressure on the Hamas to give them access (after 888 days in captivity) to 22-year old Gilad Shalit.

"A recently formed French support group calling for the release of Gilad Shalit, the Israeli soldier detained by Hamas in Gaza since June 2006, [organized] on Sunday in Neuilly-sur-Seine, near Paris, its first action aimed at recalling the fate of the young man.

"We call on French citizens to mobilize and to run for Gilad next Sunday," the "Collectif Liberté pour Gilad", which was created at Shalit family’s initiative, said in a statement.

Gilad Shalit, who was kidnapped by Palestinians during a cross-border raid on an Israeli army base near Gaza on June 25, 2006, has also French citizenship. "Running for Gilad" is co-organized with the Mayor of Neuilly-sur-Seine, Jean-Christophe Fromantin.

Participants [wore] a white t-shirt in order to show their peaceful intent. The action is supported by several French personalities who will take part in the running, including singer Patrick Bruel, philosopher Bernard-Henry Lévy, writer Marek Halter, actors Dany Boon and Yvan Attal, and comic Gad Elmaleh. Film director Elie Chouraqui made a short film (http://www.guiladshalit.com/) titled "Je suis Gilad" (I am Gilad) which appeals for the release of the young man.

Last month, during a press conference in paris, Noam Shalit, Gilad's father, called on the French citizens to mobilize for his son "like you did for Ingrid Betancourt". "There is still a French hostage to save," he said. Betancourt is a French-Colombian former hostage who was freed in July by the Colombian army after being held in the jungle by the Marxist FARC guerrilla for more than six years."

Source: EJP - Photo: Erez Lichtfeld
- Hundreds rally to show support for Gilad Shalit (London)
- Ingrid Betancourt pays tribute to Gilad Shalit at the European Parliament

Gaza: will Oxfam UK also make an appeal to Gilad Shalit's kidnappers ?

This morning, Michael Bailey of Oxfam UK made an urgent appeal on the BBC on behalf of the the 1.5 million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

Sadly, Mr Bailey forgot one human being, 21-year-old Gilad Shalit, who has been held in captivity in inhuman conditions in Gaza and with no "humanitarian aid" at all for 877 days - NGOs just don't make their work in the Gaza Strip conditional on having access (even for the briefest of moments) to Gilad Shalit.

More on Oxfam UK's curious methods (Source: Blue Truth)

"More Unattributable Gaza Updates from Oxfam

Last month, we published the curious story of Oxfam and its e-mail updates on the situation in Gaza; recipients were explicitly warned that any information in those e-mails was not to be attributed to Oxfam as it could not be verified (though obviously it was good enough for Oxfam to distribute to its recipient list).

Not surprisingly, in the through-the-looking-glass world that is the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, this story even "curiouser and curiouser". It turns out that Mr. Mohammed Ali Abu Najela, listed on Oxfam's e-mail alerts as "Advocacy and Media Researcher, Oxfam GB, Gaza Strip - Occupied Palestinian Territories" probably has a great deal of experience in advocacy and media. He has been a guest on "progressive" radio stations, on programs with titles such as "Palestinian Resistance against Zionism and US Imperialism"(Canadian radio station CFRO, April 2006). (Hat tip to Lurene for recognizing his name). It's not that surprising that NGOs like Oxfam would rely on local activists in Gaza, since kidnappings of journalists and aid workers have made it a dangerous place for infidels. But then of course one must recognize that staged news photos or NGO reports (whether attributable or not) become just another part of the Palestinian propaganda war against Israel.

Then today I received another e-mail from Michael Bailey in Oxfam's Jerusalem office. This e-mail, however, made no mention of Oxfam at all - it was a press release directly from the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights regarding the border closing between Gaza and Israel. Not surprisingly, this document made no mention at all of the fact that the border was closed as the result of fighting that developed when Israeli soldiers went a few hundred yards into Gaza to destroy a tunnel being built under the border between Gaza and Israel. (That tunnel would of course have no use other than to allow terrorists to infiltrate Israel.)

So now it appears that Oxfam's e-mail list is being used to circulate information directly from other Palestinian NGO's. The fact that the agenda of PHCR equates Palestinian "human rights" with the elimination of the Jewish state of Israel doesn't seem to bother Mr. Bailey. PHCR states on its website that "the Oslo accords failed to address the essential elements of the Palestinian question -- the right to self-determination, the right to an independent Palestinian state with its capital in Jerusalem, the right of return for Palestinian refugees and the removal of Israeli settlements from the OPT." Of course, calling for so-called "right" of return (a right that does not, in fact, exist for descendants of 1948 refugees) is Pal-speak for calling for the demographic elimination of the Jewish state.

Oxfam UK claims that it "recognises the right of the State of Israel and a viable, independent, Palestinian state to exist within secure borders where all citizens can live in security and dignity." So why is it now using its Jerusalem office as a mouthpiece for a group that opposes this?

Once again, Michael Bailey can be reached in Jerusalem at 2 656 6234 ext 223. He has not responded to an e-mail request for his comments on the previous piece."

- Jeremy Hobbs of Oxfam UK also made an appeal for the 1.5 million Palestinians of Gaza, but sadly failed to include Gilad Shalit:
Blockaded Gaza 'faces disaster', BBC
- History of the Oxfam Belgium poster:
Oxfam anti-Israel campaigns taste bitter: the "Unattributable Gaza Update"

In stark contrast to NGOs, former Colombian hostage Ingrid Betancourt campaigns for Gilad Shalit's release

Ingrid Betancourt pays tribute to Gilad Shalit at the European Parliament

Ex-hostage Ingrid Betancourt calls for Gilad Shalit's release

Ingrid Betancourt pays tribute to Gilad Shalit at the European Parliament

Source: EJP

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"In an emotional address to the European Parliament in Brussels, Ingrid Betancourt, a former Colombian presidential candidate who was freed in July after six years in captivity, spoke about others around the world incarcerated against their will, including Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit captured by Palestinians in 2006.

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Along with 14 other hostages, Betancourt was rescued by Colombian security forces in July after having been held a total of 2,321 days in captivity by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), Betancourt's key message on Wednesday was one of the power of discourse; "the only weapon we can believe in, is the force of words, there is nothing stronger than words."

Betancourt, who is also a French citizen, expressed her thanks to the European Parliament's efforts in creating a public consensus for her plight.

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She moved to remind Parliament and its audience of the continuing struggle in Colombia and those who are still incarcerated: "Parliament became aware that more than 3,000 of my countrymen are still suffering. 15 comrades and I were able to rediscover freedom and fight for the release of those others in captivity."

I would like to read out their names - please indulge me for a minute. When they hear their names in this House they will respond with a speeding up of their heartbeat within the tomb of the jungle."

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Betancourt read the list of names with tears in her eyes.

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She paid also tribute to the Burmese leader Aung San Suu Kyi and Corporal Gilad Shalit, who has dual French and Israeli citizenship.

Betancourt has recently launched a campaign for the release of Shalit.

"People all over the world should work for the release of Gilad Shalit. If we adopt globalization for financial goals, the struggle for the release of kidnapped people should also be global," she told last month Israeli daily newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth.

"If people all over the world work for Gilad Shalit's release, he will be freed," she added.

"Gilad's case affects us all. I understand what Gilad's family is going through. Many people express their sympathy but cannot really understand what a kidnapped person's family goes through. It should be a comprehensive global struggle," the famous captive said."

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- Ingrid Betancourt is freed and praises the Israeli army

- At Paris rally, ex-hostage calls for release of Gilad Shalit