(BLOG) Beloved Emblem Of A Conflicted Israel

"Gilad Schalit, ‘The Jerusalem Post’ person of the year, 5770. In many ways, Gilad Schalit has become a metaphor for Israel, and for Israel’s condition.

Our dear, sweet Gilad: Abba and Ima, Yoel and Hadas very much want to hear from you and hope that you are healthy and are feeling well, as well as is possible in your situation.’ Who among us could have imagined, back on June 26, 2006, as a rapt Israel listened to the radio and heard those words and the letter from Gilad Schalit’s parents that followed, that more than four years later he would still not be home? That some 1,540 interminable days and lonely nights later, his captors would still not have permitted him a single visit from the Red Cross. Or that with five birthdays now marked in captivity, that boyish face with the innocent grin would have united us, moved us, haunted us and inspired us the way he has."