Friday, August 04, 2006

It has to start somewhere...









In response to Mash's request, here is a re-print of his Thursday night's August 4th post:

"Tonight on Larry King Live, Ehud Goldwasser’s father and wife appeared to plea for his safe return. Ehud Goldwasser is one of two Israeli soldiers captured by Hezbollah on July 12. It was the precipitating event of this spasm of violence.

Karnit Goldwasser, Ehud’s wife, made an emotional plea to the wives of Hezbollah for information about his health and safety. When Ehud’s father, Shlomo Goldwasser, spoke about his efforts to free his son, his voice trembled with the quiet anguish of a parent:

KARNIT GOLDWASSER, WIFE OF KIDNAPPED ISRAELI SOLDIER: First of all, I want to thank the people who brought us here to speak to you. I ask the wives of Hezbollah to help me to get a sign that Ehud and Dan are still alive and to know if something happened to them, if they are injured or not.

KING: Shlomo, you’ve heard nothing?

SHLOMO GOLDWASSER, FATHER OF KIDNAPPED ISRAELI SOLDIER: Nothing. It’s now the 23rd day since Ehud was kidnapped. We’ve heard nothing.

KING: Shlomo, what are you doing in the United States?

S. GOLDWASSER: You know, there is no school in the world to teach you what to do when your son is kidnapped. And I was thrown into this situation in the fraction of a second on the 12th of July. And judging what to do, what are the tools to bring him back, I found that there is not so many tools in my hand, and the only one that is in my hands, with the help of you, is the media. I am using it and I’m going everywhere, everywhere that I can raise my voice and have some people to hear me. And you’re doing a great job.


It seems to me that there has been too much death already in this war. Too many parents have lost their children. There has been enough death. Enough.

I still believe if both sides of this conflict could start to see each other as human beings, as mothers and fathers, as brothers and sisters, as sons and daughters, this madness that is destroying generations would come to an end. The beginning of the end can start here. It can start with the safe return of Ehud Goldwasser and his two brothers in arms.

I ask all bloggers who read this post, as a gesture of peace and good will, to repost this plea on your blogs. Ask the same of those who read your posts. Let this plea spread across the blogosphere. Perhaps this plea will be posted on the blogs of our Arab and Lebanese friends. Perhaps this plea will make a difference in saving at least one life.

Regardless of which side of the conflict you are on, let us come together on the shared belief in the sanctity of life. Arabs, Israelis, Lebanese, Palestinians, Americans, Jews, and Muslims will still have to live together after the guns fall silent.

This may seem like a naive plea while the bombs and missiles continue to take their deadly toll, but the bombs aren’t working too well - perhaps its time to find some humanity in this madness."

Click on interview for the full transcript! And please, let's get a domino effect going...

Update! Please re-post this on your own blog as per Mash's request. You can link to whomever, it does not matter. Just encourage your own readership to repost repost and repost.. Also, provide the link to the full CNN transcript. This started with Mash, then with Zeb and me and now you. Keep the dominoes falling!

5 Comments:

Blogger Ingrid said...

Mash, I could not ask people to link to me. You're the one who started it and I think people will figure out to do the cut and pasting like I did! It is your piece and yes, it's about getting the idea out of 'now would be a good time to stop'.. but..this is your piece and I want to give you full credit. However, I will update and encourage people to link (to you) and the transcript..
Ingrid

4:10 PM  
Blogger zazou said...

Ingrid,

this is a great idea! But I will probably add that it would be a good idea if Israel frees the Lebanese it has kidnapped as well.

1:19 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I have also 'domino-posted' it.
As an Israeli, its obvious that I want the release of the kidnapped soldiers.
Nice initiative.

2:46 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

i don't know why one would have to be Israeli to want the release of the soldiers. surely one just has to be humane!

i thought it was so tragic that Ehud was on the last day of his service and looking forward to being back with his wife and back to being an environmental engineer. if any of us were in his shoes I think we'd all be feeling horrible and wanting to be released. No human being would want to be in his shoes or hers, or for that matter any person who's having to deal with violence.

i feel very lucky to be able to sit here safely and say this.

4:09 PM  
Blogger Ingrid said...

Yohay, naturally all Israelis are anxious about him and also Cpt Shalit. And hey, he's a goodlooking guy too. Have we heard much about Cpt Shalit? I rest my case. I am still hoping that he is alive and well, he's such a young guy. Cpt Shalit I mean. (what?what??)
Sonia! Welcome! It is fun to 'follow' others back to their site and see new blogs. As my list of blogs to read gets longer and longer, I end up checking in every couple of days with some sites. Too much to read, too little time.
Thanks for stopping by. Feel free to copy any or all of this. The idea is really not just the release of Ehud, but also to acknowledge some on the Lebanese side. Which ones, that will remain to be a question (see this saturdays' post).. some might warrant release, others, you cannot just expect a blanket 'arriverderci'. We'll see what happens..
Ingrid

4:21 PM  

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