I’ll be in London on Sunday for the final day of the Gilad Shalit vigil. The vigil will run from 10am to 6pm, opposite Downing Street. The FZY organised it and I once again applaud them for doing so, while some other relevant organisations in the UK basically ignore Gilad’s plight.
Please come along on Sunday if you can. I’ve been on it twice this week and the reaction it is getting from passers-by is so encouraging. It would be great to finish the vigil with an extra large turnout for Gilad.
On an unrelated note, I’ve really enjoyed watching this rare colour video of London in the 1920s. It truly is amazing to see this footage. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
Great Chaz
There can be no justification for the imprisonment of Gilad Shalit. I do not approve of all Israeli policy, yet I approve of Hamas even less. Free Gilad Shalit.
Off-topic, but I’m pleased to say there’s a big News Of The World feature about my forthcoming Justin Bieber biography in tomorrow’s edition http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/showbiz/872459/Justins-Bie-ography.html
Hi Chas,
When you’ve been at the vigil, do you get many anti Israelis coming up and arguing?
Congratulations on the publicity from the News of The World. Thats going to help shift a load.
On a separate note – I see that you have wrote quite a few books. How many hours a day do you spend writing?
On the two days I have been there the positivity of responses has been very heartening.
It shows that the everyday idiots who shout so loudly and vindicatively against Israel are less representative than the volume of their bigotry suggests.
I work hard with writing. I couldn’t estimate a particular amount of hours per day, it varies wildly.
Thanks!
PS – There was one idiot who have a ‘Nazi salute’ as he drove past, and another who shouted angrily about ‘illegal occupation of Gaza’ but ran off when we attempted to reason with him.
I’ve just returned from the final day of the Gilad Shalit vigil. Maximum respect to the FZY for arranging and running such a successful venture.
I was pleasantly surprised all three days I was there by how positive the response of passers-by was. Thousands of signatures were gathered for the petition, and thousands more people took leaflets and stopped to ask questions.
That’s a whole lot of new people who have become aware of Gilad’s plight. Very important.
One of Gilad’s relatives came along for at least one of the days. Two of my friends in Israel know relatives of Gilad’s out there. Those relatives were given news and photos of the vigil and were deeply touched. For me, that alone made all the effort worthwhile.
I’d like to say hi and thanks for those at the vigils who were kind to me about my blog. It was lovely to meet you all and I appreciated the praise. Please keep reading!
The vigil was a huge success. That said I’m still surprised that more people did not come. I see so many people talking the talk about Gilad’s plight online. It would have been great to have seen more of them walk the walk by turning up.
But as I say it was a huge success. So a final kol hakovod to the wonderful people of the FZY for making this happen.
Free Gilad Shalit. Free him unharmed and free him now.
Duvidl went to the vigil on Tuesday and found it an extremely rewarding and instructive experience, especially meeting Chas. Very well organised by FZY and well done to all involved.
Chas was overjoyed to meet Duvid! I was the envy of many friends and readers when they discovered I had met you. You’re a legend and I thank you so much for all your contributions to this blog. I hope to meet you again at some other such event. Or perhaps for coffee with you and your ladyfriend!
Hi Chas. What an honour for li’l old Duvidl to be described in this way. You are a legend yourself and, as Melanie Phillips opines, a doughty defender of Israel. I’m just listening to Matisyahu at the moment on your recommendation.
Perhaps you’d care to come over for coffee, beigels(not bagels) and loks at my crib in London. Do send me your iphone number at my email address and we’ll arrange it. Kol Hakavod.
It was good to get down there yesterday, and great to meet you Chas.
Well done to The FZY for organising it – as I said, I think the personal focus on Gilad led to an overwhelmingly positive reaction from passers-by; it’s hard to argue that someone should be denied visits from the Red Cross, isn’t it?
Hopefully people who took leaflets will remember him the next time someone starts banging on to them about “Israeli apartheid” and know that the situation is far from the clear cut Israel = bad, those opposing Israel = good.
It was great to meet you, Neil. The final day was a bit quiet, so thanks for the interesting chat. Good luck with your v interesting dissertation.