B Ha’aretz
A video of captive Israel Defense Forces soldier Gilad Shalit was broadcast on Israeli television on Thursday, showing the gaunt soldier holding a Palestinian newspaper dated September 14, 2009.
In the video, Shalit is seen saying that he was feeling healthy and being treated well by his captors.
In the video, which Israel received from Hamas Friday in exchange for the release of 20 female Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails, Shalit says that he had been reading newspapers in search of information regarding his situation.
He adds that he has been waiting a long time to be released, and expresses his love for his family. Shalit then recounts a personal anecdote from before his abduction, when his family visited him at his IDF army base.
Earlier Friday, Shalit’s family approved the broadcast of video footages of their son, saying that Hamas could do what they wanted with the footage, and that they rather control its release rather than Gilad’s abductors.
A spokesman for the family told reporters that the family had contacted the Prime Minister’s Office, officially permitting the release of the footage to the media.
Prime Minister Benhamin Netanyahu watched the video of Gilad in his office on Friday. Netanyahu then spoke with Gilad’s father, Noam Shalit.
Netanyahu said that the road to freeing Gilad is a long and hard one but the fact that he is healthy is encouraging to everyone.
The video is the first of Shalit since his capture in June 2006.
i feel bad for hes mom and dad and exspeshuli him
ad mosai hashem
i think that the arabs are lying and forcing jimto say this
netanyahu shouldn’t have released this video in thge first place for 20 arabs ,its not even like were actually getting him back if israel continues this way the arabs will chas vechalom kidnap much more jews just to get the arabs back.israel has to ba strong!u could see the pain & sorrow in his eyes but it could also be someone els faking,noyice he is wearing long sleevs & pants there could be bruses under or even cover up on his face,who knows what they did to him after this video .we have to daven to hashem & have emuna… Read more »
Yes #7,it could be a totally diffrent guy, or #21, it could be from a few years ago, and just computerized, or maybe if those dumb Arabs decided to have an drop of rachmonos and it is Gilad. But even if it is Gilad, he was surely forced to say that and he decided to make it a little obvious that there is a paper,(see video there is a white sheet of paper flapping from behind the newspaper) so people will realize or, Chas V’Sholom(!) they did something to him after recording the video.
Perhaps they recorded this a few years ago, and planned ahead of time. We don’t know what could be now… Let us hope for the best.
Only the one who has experienced captivity and being separated from own tissue has enough literacy to read the message between the lines, written by pain and suffering because of lonesomeness. I am happy to believe it is him and is O.K., as much as possible in his position.
of course it is him. how can they release 20 terrorist if not for theis video grow up and daven stop denying the truth.
He looks absolutely terrified! Give us Gilad himself, not just a video of him you forced him to perform for!
Israel must not fall for the tricks of Hamas. Thaey are playing mind games and getting Terrorists released despite goving nothing in return.
This cycle must stop ro the Arabs will always take advantage of us.
of course he was forced to say what he said!!!
i agree with you. it’s not him
“probably”?!?!
OF COURSE THEY DID!!!
they forced every word out of him.
Take notice that he isnt looking at the camera but at the blank paper over his newspaper written by hamas talling him what to say.
its so painful to see his face, I do beleive the Hamas did threaten him to say he is fine, his eyes and voice say a whole other story and you must be blind not to realise…;o(
im in pain for my own jewish brother…
did u not see the paper he was reading from behing the newspaper—- they forced him to say what he said!
obviously he was forced to say that he is in good hands well i wonder why he had people from hamas forcing him to do so
well i hope and pray that Hashem will help and get him out speedily!!!
that he was forced to do this!
I want to personally and publicly apologize for not doing enough to help free your son.
Every Jewish soul is responsible to free his brother from our enemy, no matter what the reprocutions.
After seeing this video I let out a long sob b/c in Gilad I saw my brother, my uncle, my cousin….I saw another Jew.
I am so sorry and I will try to do more.
Shana Tova
propeply not even him
if its real or not we all know think good and it will be good.
so let’s do that!!!
with hashem’s help he will be with us one’s agin!!
they probably forced him to say what he said!!!!!!!!!
how can he be doing fine in the hands of hamas??
They are sure its real and he is alive now?
how can anyone be so denced?!?!?
of course they forced him to send it and could VERY well have done s/t after.
who knows wat they threatened if he didnt act well?!?
do you know who hamas is?
we need some smart planning like in Entebe!
and hashem’s help!
He looks like he is in a Nazi concentration camp.
When we see the video we cry in relief and we want to do anything just to be able to get him back and hold him in our arms, But we must take a steep back and think rationally. Our twisted enemies know about our love for our brothers, and they play on our emotions to get us to make disaster es decisions that will cost us in Hundreds more casualty’s.
Watch the video, shed a tear but BE STRONG.