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French President Sarkozy met with Noam (L), the father of Gilad Shalit (R) who has dual Israeli-French citizenship.
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JERUSALEM (EJP)---French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who is concluding a three-day state visit to Israel with a visit to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Bethlehem, met Tuesday Sarkozy later met with the parents of Gilad Shalit, the Israeli soldier kidnapped by Palestinians near the Gaza Strip two years ago.
Shalit has also the French nationality.
"Gilad must be released," Sarkozy, who was updated on the case, told members of the French community after the closed-door meeting.
"One does not build peace by holding hostages."
Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak discussed the Shalit case in Paris last week with French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, who said that "France hopes the cease-fire in Gaza will bring a breakthrough in the release of Gilad Shalit."
