JERUSALEM (JTA) — The father of a kidnapped Israeli soldier has left for the United States to meet with Jewish leaders and government officials.
Noam Shalit will ask the Obama administration to condition Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations on the release of Gilad Shalit, who was captured by Hamas in a cross-border raid in June 2006.
Noam Shalit is scheduled to meet with U.S. Senate and House representatives, as well as representatives for President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. He also will criticize the Red Cross for its failure to visit his son in captivity.
Ofer Dekel, who resigned last week as chief negotiator in the Shalit case, told Army Radio Monday that public protests weakened Israel’s negotiating position for Shalit and other captured soldiers.
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