will this ever end? When will Israel say 'enough is enough?' I feel so sorry for the family- they must be going through hell. Unfortunately, the government of Israel has not shown any will or strength so far, to end this deal.

Those of us who have followed this sad saga from the beginning recall that the initial demand was for young and female prisoners. That was followed by a half-hearted assault on Gaza that accomplished nothing. Then, for the last three years, we've heard Israeli leaders repeat how willing they are to pay a "high price" to get Shalit back. Surprise, the price goes up! Then Israel does a deal surrendering Kuntar and other murderers for dead soldiers. And - yet another surprise - the price jumps again! Israel is negotiating like the naif who walks into a shuk and says, "I want that and I don't care what it costs."

When you agree to their terms, they add more. Force is the only way!

Maybe Israel should put a freeze on releasing detainees (even those who were scheduled to be released) until a deal is agreed upon. Then the media must interview the families of those Arabs whose release has been put on hold indefinitely (because of the Freeze that Israel would enact due to the Shalit affair), in order to put pressure on Hamas to make a deal with Israel. Maybe that would work.

Thanks to Olmert, Barak & Livni the price for Gilads release keeps going up and up. First there was Kuntar for corpses something even Hizbullah never expected even Olmert to accept they were amazed their demand was met. The final humiliation of Lebanon like the war itself badly handled. Then we have been reguarly releasing hundreds of terrorists as good will gestures rather than see this as peace making the arabs laugh at how weak we are and increase their demands because there is no price to high in Israel. Livni and Barak both voted with Olmert on these issues. Israel today is weak and pathetic and the enemy knows it and unless policies start changing and we start playing tough instead of trying to apologise for existing then Ahmadinijads words about Israel being destroyed will turn out to be true because there is no desire in Israel itself to save the country. When your not willing to fight for your country anymore do you even deserve to keep it? The paletinians want to take `israel from the jews and to do that they are willing to blow themselves up but Israel responds not by using its full capabilities to fight back but to make concesion after concesion and even going as far as replacing zionism nakba propoganda in the name of peace making. WHO DESRVES ISRAEL MORE RIGHT NOW THE JEWS WHO LIKE TO SURENDER OR THE ARABS WHO FIGHT FOR WHAT THEY WANT? Thanks to this weakness Gilad Shalit is still in terroist hands and we continue to accept each new price rather than using Israels recources to take him back by force. Lets stop spending billions on the IDF we are not willing to use all these toys we buy to defend the country & its citizens surender is the policy of choice so why not give all those billiions to other sectors that way we can surrender without watsting money.

Im sure Shalit wouldnt mind spending another 5 years in captivity knowing we brought 2 corpses home for burial. Yes of course Im sarcastic. But this is a direct result of the last deal and we all know it. It was irresponsible and now Shalit will pay the price inspite of all the statements made by Goldwasser parents in trying to clear their own consiences. And whos forgetting Israels culpability in Pollard still rotting in jail now in his 23 year for a 2-4 yr sentence.

They can't even provide evidence that he is even alive!

.............the negotiations about Shalit are stuck. At the very moment that Israel agrees to free 4500 Hamas prisoners with blood in their hands, Hamas refuses the deal upping it to 14500 prisoners.

you ain't in vegas yet! ps: happy new year, gilad.

Barak, the genius, promised that ending the seige of Gaza would be what's needed to soften the palestinian stance on releasing Schalit. When will people learn: appeasement doesn't work with those who salivate at the thought of another jewish holocaust.

No delivery, and no care for ANY humanitarian case. Prisonners in Israel should stop getting Red Cross visits until we have some news from Guilad. What is "acceptable" for Guilad must be accepted by palestinians. Shana tova for Guilad? Hamas doesn't care about ONE prisonner, while we freed thousands as gesture for Ramadan WE israelis are STUPID by beeing too much "human"

Kill the Kidnapors.

Olmert and the Israeli government are the reason Shalit is still a captive. When you keep releasing terrorists and continue to get nothing in return the price always goes up. The only way to get Shalit back is to wage a war so fierce that the enemy offers Shalit back as a way to stop the Israeli war machine. But shamefully Israel's leaders are so weak that this scenario will never happen and the cost to Israel for his release will be hundreds more killed by already released terrorist's bombings. Israel has created this sad affair all by itself.

TZIPI LIVIVNI is 100% responsible for the "release" of Shalit. SHE and only SHE signed the stupid UN agreement. The woman is totally overrated and should not be and is not prepared to be PM of Israel. WAKE UP PEOPLE!!!!!!!!!! the woman is dumb, overrated and not capable of doing anything except combing her hair. to put her hands in our future is simply suicide. she is just as GOOD as Condolica Rice - she has turned out to be a total failure.

Why don't we send a firm response by assassinating Mashaal, Haniya and all the upper echolons of Hamas and if that doesn't work, give the residents 24-48 hours to leave Gaza before it is carpet bombed. This is the only language our enemy understands. We need to make the marrow in their bones shake with fear.

at last, one israeli who speaks truly !!! we need that, carpet bombing and napalm for the palestinians

I hate to be negative,but is he even alive? There's been no contact for 2 years,the Red Cross has not been allowed visits....why not?

Or, per an old Arabic proverb, "A falling camel attracts many knives."

When the Israeli Govt realizes that you can not negotiate with the ideology of Hamas, that they will never apease Hamas, and that the full might of the IDF must be unleashed, then Shalit will come home. Another option is to agree to free whoever is to capitulate knowing a war is a brewing and once that starts Shalit will never be returned. Am Yisrael Chai

Everything olmert touches and talks about turns out rotten for israel: 1) do something about iran-nothing 2)bring the captives back form lebanon and gaza-nothing 3)George Bush is so courageous-forget about it 4)US will attack iran-forget about it 5) give back Golan, E. Jerusalem, West bank-forget about it-get more terror in return 6) Innocent in accepting envelopes from talanksy and charities doublebilling-he is guilty as sin. 9) Appoints a sex predator as negotiator and justice minister ramon -what an idiot 10)appoints a hack to screw mazzuzz and the supreme court-what a screwball 11) Runs after assad in Paris in a sickening display-how pathetic! 12) Got his younger son to run to france to avoid idf-this is a real patriot? 13) What exactly do the arabs give israel-according to hamas, hezbollah and iran-they want israel to disappear. So what does a deal with abbas do for israel?-Nothing! If israel, like the jews in europe in world war ll do not control their physical security, then all is lost and holocaust ll will happen. Professor sternhall should reflect on it. Arans, to give them their due, they want the jews out of their palestine, all of it and period. They don't want Ayalon, Beilin, ben Amir, Olmert, Ramon, turgeman, Livni, Barak, they don't want 1 jew to remain in their palestinge. get it!

an organization that's dedicated to the destruction of a nation promises more terror, kidnappings and chaos, is to be appeased as a "gesture" of reckless national self-loathing

If Livni cant get a coalition together then Gilad will be home during the election campaign because she will tell Hamas no price is to high if you return him when I am ready. On election day Livni she wants claim she got him back so she should be elected becase Natanyahu didnt do anything to get Gilad back that was all her. If she can get a coalition she wont rush into anything she will take her sweet time about it.

and ohlmert finds the need to travel to russia. clean up the mess you made here, go to jail and then maybe start enjoying life. i do not know how you look in the mirror every morning. you are a total failure. you ruined jerusalem as mayor and you certainly have ruined israel as prime minister.

Israel should eliminate the Hamas political leaders one by one until Gilad Shalit is freed. We will make it clear that if any harm befalls him, the entire political elite will be eliminated – with no exceptions. If the head of the Hamas is directing the negotiations for Shalit's release, that means that he is responsible for the fact that he is still in captivity. This fact means that he deserves to die. More over the problem of kidnapped soldiers at : http://xrl.us/em3de