30 November 2006
EJC president Pierre Besnainou addressing the rally in Brussels photo: Serge Weinber
Around 3,000 to 4,000 people have demonstrated outside the headquarters of the European Union institutions in Brussels to demand the release of three Israeli soldiers kidnapped by terrorist groups. Wednesday's protest, organized by a coalition of Jewish organizations, was attended by several members of the European Parliament and members of the families of the three soldiers. "Our fight will not stop until the soldiers will be released," said Roger Pinto, head of the French Siona organization, which initiated the rally, in a speech opening the event. "Europe has a particular responsibility to make that UN Security Council resolution 1701 be applied," he said. Several speakers, including the president of the European Jewish Congress, Pierre Besnainou, criticized the fact the International Red Cross was unable to give the families any information about the whereabouts of their sons as "unacceptable". Besnainou also said that EU aid to the Palestinian Authority and the Lebanese government should only be granted if the two authorities cooperate fully to secure the immediate release of the soldiers. Many of the protestors had come from France and Belgium, as well as from other European countries including Germany, the Netherlands and Italy. They gathered and shouted slogans such as "Free our soldiers", "Bring them home" and "Save the hostages". Chanting "Am Yisrael Chai" ("The people of Israel lives"), they appealed to the European Union for help in securing the release of Gilad Shalit, Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev. So far the three men are still held by Hamas and Hezbollah and the families have not received any sign of life until now. Goldwasser and Regev were abducted on 12 July 2006 by Hezbollah, an incident which sparked off the 34-day conflict between Israel and the Lebanese terror group. Gilad Shalit was kidnapped by a group of Palestinian gunmen that included members of the ruling Hamas faction in cross-border raid from Gaza in June 2006. Members of the soldiers' families called on the EU to use its influence in Lebanon and with the Palestinians to obtain the release of the three men. "We call on the European countries to help us obtain a sign of life from our children," said Miki Goldwasser, Ehud's mother, who thanked the Jewish communities for their support. "Don't let them be forgotten and help us bring them home".
