NEW YORK (Press Release)–Leaders of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations decried the latest YouTube video attributed to the terrorist organization Hamas that threatens the life of Israeli prisoner Gilad Shalit. The 24-second video shows two masked gunmen standing on either side of Gilad Shalit. As the video fades to black, the words “Is the mission completed?” in Arabic appears on the screen to the sound of gunshots.
“This video is a declaration of war on the conscience of humankind. It goes to an extreme that is unimaginable to sane, decent people. The pain it causes his family has no justification. Hamas is toying with the suffering of parents whose son was kidnapped more than four years ago. While Hamas may have denied a connection to this video, as the captors of Gilad, they are linked to anything and everything that threatens Gilad’s life and safety. They continue to hold him incommunicado, with no access even to the Red Cross or other humanitarian relief organizations, in violation of international law. Hamas fosters a complete and utter disrespect for humanity that resulted in this video. Hamas should give the Red Cross and other humanitarian organizations access to Gilad and stop denying him his most basic rights. After more than 1,500 days of captivity, Hamas must release Gilad Shalit,” said Conference of Presidents Chairman Alan Solow and Executive Vice Chairman Malcolm Hoenlein.
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Preceding provided by the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations