By GREER FAY CASHMANperes with students 248 88(photo credit: Courtesy of the president's bureau)
President Shimon Peres on Monday told students of the Manor Kavri High-School, where captive IDF soldier Gilad Schalit studied, that Israel was making every effort to bring about Schalit's release, and blamed Hamas for stalling the prisoner-exchange negotiations.
The problem is not an Israeli one, Peres emphasized, but the fact that Israel is faced with an organization with which it cannot negotiate because that organization does not conform to universally accepted rules and regulations.
"The State of Israel, now and in the past has done everything possible to bring home her kidnapped citizens. Every Israeli soul is a world unto itself. Schalit is one of our sons and one of our soldiers - and we will do everything in our power to bring him home," said the president.
Peres, who has been in frequent contact with Schalit's family, told the youngsters that he was no less concerned than they were about Schalit's fate.
What was very important to take note of in this case he said, is that Israel has to contend with a murderous terrorist organization that has no respect for international law.
Whoever doesn't understand that, Peres continued, just has to look at the terms that are demanded for the release of one of our soldiers.
"They want us to liberate hundreds of terrorists in return for Gilad Schalit," he said.
Peres visited the school and addressed 600 students in the course of a tour of the Mate Asher Regional Council in the Western Galilee.
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