After 1,941 days in captivity, Gilad Shalit’s finally on his way home.
It’s a bittersweet day.
- No prisoner swap can bring back Lt. Hanan Barak or Staff Sgt. Pavel Slutzker — the two soldiers killed as Shalit was abducted during that early morning attack on an IDF position at the Kerem Shalom crossing.
- The six families of Israel’s other MIAs — Staff Sgt. Zecharya Baumel, Staff Sgt. Zvi Feldman, Staff Sgt. Yehuda Katz, Major Ron Arad, Guy Hever and Majdy Halaby are yet to have closure on their situations.
- Among the 1,027 Palestinian prisoners being released are notorious terrorists responsible for an awful lot of death, carnage and cruelty.
But the return of any abducted soldier is like the return of long lost family. Shalit was a conscripted soldier defending me. Hamas says more kidnappings will come, so who’s to say the next abducted Israeli won’t be someone close to home? As Israelis, we’re all in this together. Period.
Welcome back, Gilad.
© Divuach Ne’eman R”A, 2025
