City Councilman Paul Koretz presented Consul General of Israel Jacob Dayan with a resolution honoring an Israeli solider held captive by Hamas for the past four years on Wednesday afternoon, June 30, at Los Angeles City Hall.
Last Friday, June 25, was declared “Gilad Shalit Day” in Los Angeles as the result of a unanimous vote in the City Council. Dayan will present the proclamation to Shalit’s family when he travels to Israel in the upcoming weeks.
In the brief ceremony, Koretz, Dayan and seven other speakers condemned the actions of Hamas and called for the immediate release of Shalit, now 23, who has been denied humanitarian visits and aid while in captivity.
“I cannot fathom the anguish the Shalit family has gone through—not even for one minute, let alone four years,” Koretz said.
Speaker Eli Lipmen, a communications strategist for the American Jewish Committee, juxtaposed developments in the past four years, such as Facebook and Twitter, with the stagnant condition of Shalit.
“Since Shalit’s capture, many dramatic changes have occurred in what seems like a very short amount of time,” he said. “For Shalit, though, nothing has changed, and he has lived in a never-ending, drawn-out nightmare as a captive of the terrorist organization Hamas.”
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa was out of town at the time of the press conference, but expressed his support for the release of Shalit in a written statement.
Los Angeles followed the lead of cities such as New Orleans, Miami, Paris and Rome in formally petitioning for Shalit’s release.
“It was imperative for the City of Los Angeles to join this chorus,” Koretz said.
