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Saving Lives

By: Moshe Feiglin

I wrote the following column, which appeared on Maariv’s NRG website, on Friday, July 2. In the meantime, thank God, my son, David Yosef, has moved his arms and legs. He is currently heavily sedated and on a respirator. Please continue to pray for David Yosef ben Faige Perel.

My dearest son David lies unconscious in the hospital with a serious head injury. His friends, the fire department volunteers, saved his life – and now the doctors continue to save him. If you would like more insight into this incredible kid, see the column I wrote a few months ago, “Sweet Defeat on the Hermon.” (See the March 26, 2010 Jewish Press.)

Since David’s accident last Monday, I have practically not left the hospital. The last thing that I planned was to write columns for publication.

My wife, family and I are focused only on our David. Not on the newspapers, the radio, television, or the Internet – none of it. I had no idea what was going on in the world, as it did not interest me. Many people have tried to call to wish us well. I thank all of them from the bottom of my heart, and apologize for the fact that my phone is off.

Now it is Friday, and I came home to bring clothing to the hospital for Shabbat. I decided to turn on the radio as I drove home to hear the news. I also saw the headlines of the newspaper at the grocery store, and I understand that extreme pressure is being applied on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to have Gilad Shalit released at all costs. I decided to write this column in a simple attempt to save lives.

Every day, I pray for two captives: Jonathan Pollard and Gilad Shalit. I have the utmost respect for Shalit’s parents, Noam and Aviva Shalit. It is impossible not to be impressed with them. It is also inappropriate to argue with them. I think that due to my current situation, I can now identify with their pain even more.

But I ask all the people marching and pressuring Netanyahu to please stop. The prime minister is simply right. I know that you are motivated by warmth and love, and that you want only the best. But there is no such thing as “at all costs.” The statistics do not lie: most of the terrorists murder again. There are those who argue that just because the sun set yesterday does not mean that it will set again tomorrow. Logically there is truth to that argument, but practically, it is totally unacceptable.

Please understand that for all practical purposes, you are demanding that the prime minister allow an unknown number of soldiers and citizens to be murdered in exchange for Shalit. The question is not if they will be murdered, just how many will be murdered.

I am returning to the hospital. I will continue from there to pray for Gilad Shalit, and I ask everyone who can to pray for the complete recovery of my son, David Yosef ben Faige Perel. Thank you.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, July 21st, 2010 and is filed under news.

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