Gilad Shalit

I found out about the story of Gilad Shalit because of the white and blue bumper stickers everywhere here. As you can see, there's an image of his face, the Israeli flag, and the words, "Welcome to the next millennium." The stickers came out 1000 days after the capture of Gilad, a means of reminding the country of his absence and the likewise hope for his return. The country has not forgotten...there is practically daily news about him in the papers and in TV.

Gilad Shalit, an Israeli soldier who is now 23 years old, was captured by Hamas in 2006 and taken into Gaza. For almost 4 years, the country has been waiting for some sign of his well-being, his life. On Sept. 30th, Israel said that it would release 20 Palestinian women accused of attempted homicide in exchange for a videotape of Gilad as proof that he was alive. The video was released to the public last Friday, October 2, around 4 PM. Those 20 women have subsequently been released.

Around that time, Matan, our friend Kesem and I were sitting at Art d'Coco, a pretty nice restaurant known for its massive assortment of desserts. A flatscreen TV was playing scenes of chocolate-making, while the waiters buzzed around serving big salads and beautiful cakes and mousses. Suddenly, before I fully realized what was happening, the TV was switched to the local channel, the volume turned all the way up. The music playing in the restaurant stopped, along with the whirring of blenders and kitchen preparation. Everyone in the place turned towards the TV, twisting to watch the clip. Mothers shushed their kids. The video played, mere minutes. But everyone was visibly touched; you could sense the somber atmosphere, mixed with some relief and suspicion as well. The video is from September 14, two weeks before.

It was a moment I will always remember because it illustrates one of Israel's strongest traits so well...the respect, value, and worth they hold for their soldiers, for their people. It was touching to witness it: collective anticipation, followed by hope. We had some great conversation that afternoon about war, the army, views on life and death, morality and ethics. I admire Kes' ability to see the bigger picture, so to speak, to serve her own country while remembering the importance of human life for all.

I encourage you to watch the video--here's a copy with English subtitles. 2 minutes 51 seconds...and then much more to ponder in your own head. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edwwLIjSWR8