Missing... But Not Forgotten.

The article that I choose to read had a huge affect on me as I was reading it. The article was about a young Israeli solider named Gilad Schalit. Gilad has recently been named Jerusalem Post’s person of the year and stands as symbol of sacrifice for many Israelis. His story however, does not have a happy ending thus far. About four years ago on June 25, 2006 Gilad was taken hostage by Hamas during a cross boarder raid. His parents pleaded for his safe return the very next day June 26, their desperation was felt across all of Israel. Hama’s however made it very clear that Gilad would not be released unless Israel’s government agreed to release every underage female Palestinian prisoner, as well as, one thousand other prisoners; many of whom where being held in Israeli prisons on terror charges. Since that horrifying day four years ago Gilad’s parents Noam and Aviva Schalit have bargained and begged the Israeli government to take action in their son’s safe return. Though no action to have Gilad returned has yet been taken, Noam and Aviva have never spoken an unpatriotic word about Israel, and even encouraged their younger daughter to enroll in the army also. Their undying patriotism and strength gives many Israelis hope and encouragement. Many look up to Gilad as a symbol of strength and patriotism, and think about him as they send their own children off to join the army after high school. Gilad’s whereabouts are currently unknown, and he has had no medical care since he has been taken hostage in 2006. And the terms of his release divide many Israelis, faced with the option of freeing thousands of potentially deadly prisoners… for the return of one of their own sons, a young solider who was standing up to defend the country HIS country, THEIR country.


Gilad’s story affected me on many personal levels. It is hard for me being an American, growing up in a safe and sheltered environment, to put a face on war. Reading about Gilad made me realize how real war really is. It made me realize that he was not that much different then myself. And that he too did not imagine this to be his faith. I felt the frustration in the words that the Daniel Gordis the author of this article wrote. His undying passion and anger about how long Gilad has been prisoner is clearly felt. It was almost as if Gilad was apart of Gordis’s own family. In fact more then once he mentioned “Gilad has become OUR son.” A son of Israel, someone whose name is mentioned in thousands of synagogues around the world, a son who has become a house hold name and hero to millions of Jewish people around the world. As I read the article I could feel the emotion that was put into each line of this memorable story. I began to want to know more about Gilad and how he ended up with this unimaginable faith. As I looked on the internet I found pictures and even a video of Gilad. As I watched this video I felt like each of us should take the time to watch it, and put a face to war. To see that Gilad Schalit is not that different from each of us, he is young, smart, and has his whole life in front of him. But he has not been free for the past four year. He cannot go out and live his life, and purse his dreams, fall in love, or even see his family. He is trapped-waiting for an ending to this nightmare, which has not come for four years.