Page 46 THE JEWISH GEORGIAN November-December 2011 What the release of Gilad Shalit means to Israel By Omer Dar Gilad Shalit, 25, is now free. After Gilad spent almost five and a half long years in Palestinian captivity, Hamas and Israel struck a deal on October 11 that allowed him to come back home. As an Israeli studying in Atlanta, I have been asked many times about the price Israel is willing to pay to release one soldier. <strong>The</strong> price that Israel paid for Gilad seems unreasonable: 1,027 terrorists for one soldier. Among the 1,027 Palestinian terrorists are hundreds of convicted murderers responsible for the death of more than 1,000 Israelis. <strong>The</strong>re are many arguments for and against the deal; however, I want to focus on the <strong>Jewish</strong> aspect of the deal and explain it through the lens of our roots. Pidyon Shvuyim (redemption of prisoners) is considered one of the most important commandments in the halacha (<strong>Jewish</strong> law). <strong>The</strong>re are countless examples throughout <strong>Jewish</strong> history of fulfilling this commandment and releasing <strong>Jewish</strong> prisoners. Israel, the only <strong>Jewish</strong> state, was established on those <strong>Jewish</strong> values. <strong>The</strong> Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and other security organizations devote much of their resources to tracking POWs and kidnapped civilians. In Entebbe, Uganda, in 1976, the Gilad Shalit salutes Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu whole world was astonished by the heroic action of the IDF, when troops of Israel’s elite unit stormed Entebbe’s airport terminal, 2,500 miles away from Israel, to release those who were kidnapped by Palestinian and German terrorists. Eighteen years later, the same unit attempted and failed to release the kidnapped soldier Nachson Vaxman from a house in Bir Nabala, just a few miles from his parents’ home in Jerusalem. One of the elite unit soldiers, Nir Poraz, was killed in that operation. <strong>The</strong>re are other examples that indicate the price Israel is willing to pay for the return of its soldiers or civilians. In the Jibril agreement (1985), 1,150 Palestinians were exchanged for three Israeli soldiers. In the Tenenbaum agreement (2004), an Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, Gilad Shalit and his father, Noam Shalit civilian and the three bodies of soldiers were exchanged for over 400 Arab prisoners. <strong>The</strong> only case that wasn’t solved and is still an open wound in Israeli society is the case of Ron Arad. A weapon-systems officer, Arad was on a mission in Lebanon with fellow pilot Yishai Aviram when a system failure caused both to eject the aircraft. Aviram was rescued a few hours after the incident, while Arad was captured by Amal, a Shia militia. During the years Arad was in captivity, few pictures were received, and all efforts to release him failed. He is now widely presumed dead, and the location of his grave is unknown. <strong>The</strong> trauma of Ron Arad was tearing apart Israeli society. One of the core values of Israel and the Israeli Army is that you never give up on your fellow soldiers and will pay almost any price to bring them home, alive or dead. When Gilad was kidnapped, Israelis were not willing to accept another case like Ron Arad. Gilad became the son of all families, and the concern for his well-being spanned the political spectrum. Enormous pressure was put on the government, and civilians went to the streets to protest its inaction. Although many fear the aftermath of a deal between Israel and Hamas, a greater value stands in front of their eyes: the unconditional dedication of Israel as a <strong>Jewish</strong> country to its civilians and soldiers. Throughout their history, Jews and Israelis have had much experience with hard times. It is certain that the release of the Palestinian terrorists will bring a new wave of bloodshed; hoever, it is the essence of our strength as a society and a nation that will keep us united, strong, and undefeatable. Our enemies think that they won the negotiation and exposed our weakness, but they don’t realize that the release of Gilad Shalit only symbolizes our dedication to our community and our strength as Jews. <strong>The</strong>y can’t and don’t understand that Jews have survived because they hold Kol Yisrael Haverim (All Jews are friends) as their core value, and that is what will ensure our survival as a society for generations to come.
November-December 2011 THE JEWISH GEORGIAN Page 47
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