It was inspiring to be on the vigil for Gilad Shalit outside the Red Cross last night. I will write a full report of last night’s event in London (and a similar event in Manchester) in a few days. For now, I wanted to give my thoughts on some of the objections that people on our side have expressed about events like last night’s.
The first one is that nothing good comes from such vigils.
Well, obviously, nobody going to these vigils believes for a moment that Hamas will suddenly release Gilad because they hear of a demonstration in London. However, these initiatives serve as an excellent way of introducing the public to Gilad’s case and therefore some wider truths about Israel.
Last summer, I spent several days on a vigil for Gilad organised by the FZY in London. We leafleted and engaged with passers-by, and I was pleasantly surprised at how supportive and sympathetic most were. Several of those I spoke with went through palpable paradigm shifts in their perception of Israel as a result of learning about Gilad. It was the same last night. I spent a little time leafleting and collecting petition signatures from passers-by. I was inspired by how keen people were to learn more about Gilad and Israel.
We all complain about the unfair perceptions many in Britain have of Israel. It’s good to get out there and do a bit to address this.
That is not the only benefit of such vigils. When I met Gilad’s father Noam in Israel last summer, he was cheered by the photographs of the London vigil I showed him, and the stories I told him about the interest and support we had generated. It was a privilege to be able to share something positive with him.
It is also said that vigils like last night’s play into Hamas’s hands. It is claimed that every demonstration for Gilad Shalit causes Hamas to raise its price for his release. In fact, on the 1st of July 2006, a week after Gilad’s kidnap, Hamas demanded the release of 1,000 prisoners in return for his freedom. The last time I checked, the number was the same.
It is possible that the identities of the 1,000 might have changed, I’m not privy to such details. In any case, we should never conduct our lives out of speculative fear of what Hamas might or might not want us to do. Instead we should do what we believe is right and moral, regardless of Hamas. To stand with the Shalits is right and moral. I won’t let Hamas get in the way of that.
I believe Golda Meir was right when she said Israel will have peace when its enemies ‘love their children more than they hate us’. I am guided by a similar equation when it comes to Gilad. However much we deplore Israel’s enemies we should love Israel more. However much we hate those who hold Gilad, we should love Gilad and his family more. Otherwise we’ve lost something important.
On a wider note (and this has nothing to do with last night’s vigil which took no position on this issue) it would easy for me to dodge the question of whether I believe Israel should negotiate for Gilad’s freedom. After all, either option sucks. To leave Gilad in Hamas’s hands? Unthinkable. To negotiate with Hamas and release murderers? Unthinkable too.
On balance, and with a heavy heart, I support a negotiated release of Gilad. A few different considerations sway my decision. One is that Gilad’s incarceration is a certainty. None of us know for sure what bad things might or might not happen if Israel releases terrorists in return for Gilad. But we do know what will happen if Israel does not – Gilad will die in a Hamas dungeon. Therefore, I believe Israel should act on the known threat to Jewish life, not the speculative one.
To those who say such a deal would encourage Hamas to take more hostages, I ask this: do you think Hamas has any sense of restraint? Do you think a group whose charter calls for the death of all Jews could get any worse?
I was finally swayed to support a negotiated release when I learned of an interesting fact about my favourite Israeli, Menachem Begin. When Palestinian hijackers were holding Jewish hostages in Entebbe in 1976, Begin was the leader of the opposition in the Israeli Knesset. There have been few more steadfast politicians in Israel’s history than Begin, yet before the dramatic rescue mission was proposed, he decided to support a government plan to release terrorists in return for the Entebbe captives.
“Who knows better than me what it means to take a stand on a matter of principle,” he said. “One of my principles is not to negotiate with terrorists. But when Jewish lives are at stake every principle must go by the board. We must rescue our brethren.” He added: “We…share in the public responsibility for the decision to open negotiations with the terrorists.”
What Israel does or doesn’t do on the issue of Gilad is not my business. It is the business of the Israeli government and people. I’m just offering my feelings. As I said, last night’s vigil (and similar initiatives) took no position on the negotiations question. We were raising awareness of Gilad’s plight, and encouraging the Red Cross to re-double its efforts to secure basic humanitarian rights for Gilad.
The photograph below was taken last night. (Left to right, Jonathan Sacerdoti; Gili Brenner of StandWithUs Uk; me; His Excellency, Israel’s Ambassdor Ron Prosor.)
What infuriated me about last night was seeing people – including the great and the good – standing around chatting to each other when they should have been on the street hustling and leafletting passers-by to get them to sign the petition. They looked for all the world like guests at a Reception awaiting the fishballs. As far as the cause was concerned, wearing a yellow ribbon and holding a candle and chatting to one’s friends was totally pointless.
The above won’t make me popular but so what.
You’ve definitely got a point. The leafleting, petioning and hustling was the most valuable aspect of last night. It’s about educating the public and raising awareness. I was pleased at how many great responses I got from passers-by. Some of them even asked for extra leaflets to give to friends, etc.
PS – you were a legend last night.
Reminds me of my late mother’s shiva (alava shalom), when an erstwhile friend of mine used the opportunity to obtain the telephone number of a former friend of my sister’s for a date.
Reminds me of the story about Kingsley Amis. One night he and his wife went to a dinner party which was being thrown by Kingsley’s (married) mistress. During the party he quietly made a date with a third woman.
Jonathan. You’re right and that’s what counts. Kol Hakavod!
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Little point blaming those who were at least there – where was everybody else? These events need much better publicity; I only found out through this excellent blog.
Jews don’t do screaming and hysterics (not outside the house anyway); maybe we should have been standing right outside the Red Cross blocking the front door, not allowing ourselves to be relegated out of sight “under the arches”. We are so very polite & civilised and thus just accept these things, unlike certain other groups.
Chas, it was a pleasure and honour to shake your hand.
The pleasure and honour was genuinely all mine. And thanks for showing me the print-out of my blog – I’d never seen it on paper before!
Chas, thank you for bringing people’s attention to Gilad.
The problem is that there is no pressure on Hamas.
There is another option, closing the border to Gaza, stopping the transfer of Shekels to Hamas and end the trade of food and products. Hamas likes to pay their people salaries and feed them with Israeli food. They don’t like Egyptian currency or toilet paper (apparently it’s not as delicate). And if that doesn’t do it, shutting off the electricity that comes from the electrical plant they love aiming their rockets at.
” do you think Hamas has any sense of restraint?”
Yes, they are a popular movement, when their popularity sinks, just like with the Hezbollah body snatchers, they’ll make a deal.
Chas,
Great to meet up with you again last night and as always, thanks for your continuing support and your down to earth and friendly approachability.
As to the vigil, I wonder if standing as we were, tucked away from the sight of most City workers was the best place to be, even if it was outside the Red Cross building. On a Thursday night with late night shopping, perhaps Oxford Circus or Piccadilly Circus might have given us an opportunity to connect with the consciences of a lot more people, and perhaps even get a bit more msm coverage.
WRT to negotiating Gilad’s release, Hamas have no restraint when it comes to Israelis. Negotiating or not won’t make any difference to their actions and as we have seen over the past few years they have made a number of attempts to snatch other hostages, by tunnelling into Israel or trying to blow a hole in the fence separating Gaza from Israel.
Let’s all do our best to get him back, and then await Hamas’s next appalling act.
It was great to see you again, and to meet your lovely wife. I hope you had a wonderful dinner with your daughter.
Chas, I agree that negotiating for Gilad Shalit’s release is the right thing to do – and prisoner releases have been a regular, if reluctant, feature of Israeli policy in recent years.
Interesting quote from Begin. I wonder if his attitude to negotiations was affected at all by his own past. The Irgun were enthusastic kidnappers of British soldiers in Mandate Palestine, and in 1947 they murdered two British sergeants they had taken hostage.
@Chas
Thanks for providing this report and your views on negotiating the release of Gilad and above all for your steadfast support for Israel.
I must say that it is tragic that there is a need to defend the vigil in the first place. Such thing should be self-explanatory – or as we say in Hebrew “moovan me’elav”. I find it difficult to believe that such a vigil would be questioned in the same manner if held in New York.
Chas, I notice that those in the photo are wearing yellow ribbons. If you don’t mind me asking, where did they get them and can I get my hands on a few?
My thinking here is that support for Gilad’s release might be facilitated just a little more if the ribbons or some kind of lapel badge were available on an on-going basis. Preferably with his name on it. It isn’t easy to collar people and start up a conversation about Gilad’s plight but it may be the case that a ribbon/badge will pique someone’s curiosity enough to ask the question and in doing so, raise awareness.
All I’d suggest though, is that in the run-up to the local annual elections, the yellow isn’t mistaken for a campaign ribbon for the LibDems!!
Hi Penny! Yes, the ribbon has ‘Free Gilad Shalit’ printed on it. The ribbon and Gilad badges are available from the Zionist Federation. I cannot get the link to work right now (I recently ‘upped’ security levels on my computer). Will find a way to post it later!
Thank you, Chas.:-)
Hi Chas, and I do remember meeting you when I was at the August Vigil outside Downing Street last year – there we really DID get out lots of leaflets, and although I was at the February one, all I was given was a largeish poster to hold up for phtoographs. I am passionate about supporting Israel, and even more about seeing the release of Gilad – wow, I have 3 sons and would not be able to live if that happened to any of them. I am a Christian lover of Israel, and hope that your people realise just how many of us these days DO love and support Israel, and indeed, pray for her each and every day. Even if Jewish blood does not run in my veins, I am a fellow human, and feel for you with such an empathy. God bless Israel, and “Do not forget Jerusalem – pray for the peace of jerusalem” psalm 122:6