Gilad Shalit, is an Israeli and French national and an IDF soldier who was captured on June 25, 2006 by Hamas militants in a cross-border raid. He was just shy of his 20th birthday when he was captured. Shalit was abducted in Israel, near the Kerem Shalom crossing, and has been held hostage at an unknown location in the Gaza Strip by Hamas, and deprived of all International Red Cross medical care and visits, since his abduction. After more than five years in isolation, on October 11, 2011, it was reported that a deal has been confirmed to secure his freedom.
The release is set to take place October 18, 2011. In exchange for Shalit's freedom, Israel is releasing 1,000 prisoners. Many Israelis, while happy for Gilad's freedom, are angered by the swap, including those who lost family members in terror attacks attributed to the soon-to-be-released prisoners.
Four petitions were submitted to the High Court of Israel, filed by the Almagor Terror Victims Association and relatives of Israelis killed in Palestinian attacks. In her verdict rejecting those petitions on Monday, Supreme Court President Dorit Beinish wrote that Monday's High Court session was "one of the most loaded and unnerving debates to come before this court."
Below are a variety or resources that explore the Gilad Shalit story from multiple perspectives and may be useful for preparing classroom lessons or conversations about this momentous event in Jewish history.
Questions? Looking for more information? Feel free to contact our Israel education team at BJE, including:
Ilan Vitemberg, Israel Education Director
Michal Morris Kamil, BASIS Director
