JERUSALEM (JTA) — Noam Shalit said he would not involve his son, freed soldier Gilad Shalit, or the rest of his family in his run for the Knesset.
Shalit held a news conference Tuesday, a day after announcing that he would run for a spot on the Labor Party’s list for the next election.
Labor Party leader Shelly Yacimovich at the news conference at the party’s headquarters in Kfar Saba told reporters that she had asked Shalit to run after they had discussed the possibility for the last month.
Some politicians and organizations who worked with Shalit during his son’s five-year captivity in Gaza have criticized him for capitalizing on the ordeal to build a political career.
"The voters can decide whether or not what I’m doing is right,” Shalit said. “I understand the criticism, which was expected and is legitimate. The timing of my decision is a result of the current political situation, which created a window of opportunity to run that may not have existed in a year or two.”
Shalit laid out his political views, including two states for two peoples.
Shalit said that Gilad is "recovering" from his ordeal and is "looking forward to his future."
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