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Tami Arad Talks
th
On October 16 , 1986, Captain Ron
Arad‟s plain crashed in Lebanon and he

fell captive to terrorists in Lebanon.
This was also the moment when Tami
Arad, his wife, was born as our most

concealed icon.
This weekend Tami Arad breaks a long

silence, after 16 years in which she has
not been interviewed. In a rare personal
interview the missing navigator‟s wife

tells about the crises, the longing and the struggles. Tami Arad also talks
about Karnit Goldvasser, Gil‟ad Shalit, about the love in her life – and

about the new novel she has written.
At the end of a long silence she says today: we have to pay any price

necessary so Gil‟ad won‟t turn into Ron number two. “Let‟s say that in
three years the price would come down to 380 prisoners – is it worth it?”

she wonders.
The captive navigator‟s wife emphasized in an interview to „Galey
Tzahal‟ that the time factor in Gil‟ad‟s matter is critical and that “He is

not to be toyed with”, especially right before the forming of the new
government: “It takes a quick and short decision, and that‟s what‟s going

to get Gil‟ad back home. Every day he remains in captivity works against
us, and I‟m not paraphrasing”.

“An act of desperation”
Arad criticizes the government‟s conduct, claiming that it does not share

enough with the public regarding the talks to release the soldier. “The
easiest thing is to declare „we are dealing with it night and day‟” Arad
claims. “But this silencing is not beneficial – and the measures taken by

the Shalit family, sitting in a protest tent, is an act of desperation”.
In light of her many years of experience, the captive navigators wife

explained that she has no dilemma regarding the release of the kidnapped
soldier. “If there had been another alternative – Gil‟ad would be here
today. For who‟s promising that there would be anyone to bring back in

three years?”

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