(Prime Minister's Office) Prime Minister Netanyahu said Tuesday: "As an IDF soldier and commander, I went out on dangerous missions many times. But I always knew that if I or one of my comrades fell captive, the Government of Israel would do its utmost to return us home....Mutual responsibility is no mere slogan - it is a cornerstone of our existence here." "But I also see an additional need, that of minimizing the danger to the security of Israel's citizens. To this end, I enunciated two clear demands. First, that senior Hamas leaders, including arch-murderers, remain in prison. Second, that the overwhelming majority of those designated for release either be expelled or remain outside Judea and Samaria, in order to impede their ability to attack our citizens. For years, Hamas strongly opposed these demands. But several months ago, we received clear signs that it was prepared to back down from this opposition." "In recent days, we have all seen national unity such as we have not seen in a long time. Unity is the source of Israel's strength, now and in the future. Today, we all rejoice in Gilad Shalit's return home."
2011-10-19 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive