July 18, 2007

Thousands of people gathered near the United Nations in New York on Monday in a show of solidarity with the families of three abducted Israeli soldiers and to call on world leaders to enforce a UN resolution demanding their immediate release.

The rally marked nearly one year of captivity for Gilad Shalit, Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev, Israeli soldiers kidnapped by the terrorist organizations Hamas and Hezbollah.  Afterward, participants delivered a petition to UN officials that more than 50,000 people have signed, calling for the soldiers’ immediate and unconditional release.

“Your pain is our pain, and our hope should justify your own,” Nobel Laureate Elie Wiesel told members of the soldiers’ families attending the rally, as he called on the United States, France and Great Britain to unite to enact United Nations Resolution 1701. “I appeal to the United Nations to perform its duty. Human beings are not to be treated like objects.”

The rally was co-sponsored by United Jewish Communities/the Federations of North America, UJA-Federation of New York, the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, the American Zionist Movement, the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York, and the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations.

The rally was also part of UJC's Free the Soldiers initiative, (www.freethesoldiers.org), a continental advocacy and awareness campaign on behalf of all eight Israeli soldiers who are still missing. The campaign is a joint initiative of a broad coalition of Jewish federations and organizations rallying together to help free the Israeli captives. 

Wiesel joined members of Congress, Israeli consular officials, state and local legislators, religious leaders, and members of the African-American, Korean, Latino, Russian and Turkish-American communities, all of whom protested as inhumane the continued captivity of the soldiers and the barring of access to them by international observers.

Adding his support for the soldiers was UJC's President and CEO, Howard M. Rieger. "Jews around the world and all who stand for human dignity and justice call the world's attention to the unacceptable continued captivity of these young Israelis, abducted a year ago," Rieger said.

 "We call on the member states of the United Nations to do what they must to ensure their immediate and unconditional release.  Until that happens, our voices for freedom will not go silent.”

Representing the soldiers’ families were Karnit and Miki Goldwasser, wife and mother of kidnapped soldier Ehud Goldwasser. “This is the second time we are standing here with you,” Karnit Goldwasser said, referring to a similar UJC co-sponsored rally at the United Nations a year ago to demand the soldiers’ release. “We hope it will be the last time."

U.S. Rep. Jerrold Nadler of New York also urged continued pressure by the UN on Syria and Iran, which the United States and Israel, among others, say are states supporting terrorist groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah. “We must persevere as long as necessary," Nadler said.

Throughout the rally, cries could be heard of "Bring them home!" and "Free them now!"

Freethesoldiers.org helped gather the petition to the UN, and has generated other publicity for the missing Israeli soldiers. Earlier this year freethesoldiers.org produced a video that was posted on YouTube and which drew more than 4,000 viewers; has generated thousands of page views according to google; and coordinated a continental federation campaign to distribute dogtags with the three missing soldiers names as a reminder of their captivity.

Recently House leader Rep. Nancy Pelosi brought new focus to the dogtags, by wearing one and calling for UN action on the soldiers. In a meeting last March with Syrian President Bashir Assad, she presented him with the dog tags and called for him to help secure the soldiers' freedom.

Karnit Goldwasser said that, despite all of the positive efforts to-date, she has seen no sign of her husband.

"So now," she said, " I’m asking you to speak out."