The Hamas thugs who kidnapped Israeli Cpl. Gilad Shalit have released an audiotape; and the craven Western media are universally shying away from the word “kidnapped” (the truth) in favor of “captured” (the terrorists’ preferred word): Hamas releases audio of captured Israeli.

BBC reporter Alan Johnston, however, was “kidnapped.”

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip - Hamas militants posted an audio message on Monday from an Israeli soldier captured a year ago at an army base near the Gaza Strip, the first sign of life from the young serviceman since he was seized.

In the message, posted on the Web site of Hamas’ military wing, Cpl. Gilad Shalit sent greetings to his family and said his health was failing. He also expressed disappointment in the “lack of interest” of the Israeli government in his fate.

“I have spent a full year in prison, and my health is still deteriorating, and I need a prolonged hospitalization. I regret the lack of interest on the part of the Israeli government and the Israel Defense Forces in my case and their refusal to meet the demands of the al-Qassam brigades,” he added. …

“Just as I have parents, a mother and father, the thousands of Palestinian prisoners have mothers and fathers to whom their sons must be returned,” he said. “I have a great hope from my government that it show more interest in me and meet the demands of the mujahideen (captors).” …

Shalit’s father, Noam, listened to the tape on Channel 2 television, asking the station to play it a second time for the soldier’s mother. He said it appeared that the statement was coerced.

“I imagine that it’s the same as the letter they dictated to him and doesn’t reflect his real state,” he said. “We want somebody independent to see him, to examine him and the conditions under which he is held, his medical condition of course and his mental (state).”

The Israeli human rights group B’tselem accused the captors of war crimes, noting their refusal to allow Red Cross workers to visit Shalit. But the militants holding the soldier insisted he was in good health and treated well.

B’tselem, with their appeasement and surrender philosophy, are one of the parties indirectly responsible for the situation that allowed Shalit to be kidnapped. Their complaint that the mujahideen haven’t allowed the Red Cross to see Shalit (!) is ludicrous beyond belief.

UPDATE at 6/25/07 8:23:19 am:

At Huffington Post, they had to turn off comments on their entry about the Shalit tape, so their vicious Jew-hating readers wouldn’t embarrass them again: Comments for Israeli Soldier Captured A Year Ago Heard On Audio Tape.

UPDATE at 6/25/07 8:53:13 am:

They haven’t turned off the comments after all; they just didn’t show up when I first visited. And the vicious haters are turning out in force. A representative comment:

Boobaloo

I agree with you giginthesky. My point is we should not care about what happens to a jewish soldier … he’s probably killed many innocent people in the name of Israel, he’s not innocent in any way. The only innocents are the civilians. Frankly, I dont think anyone does care about him, its just the media which has become a passive conduit for propaganda by pro-isreali and zionist lobbies.

If Israel actually wanted peace, there would’ve been peace a long time ago but, what Israel wants is all of Palestine and all of Lebanon. They can only have this via two methods: Genocide and constant war.