Gilad Shalit to Be Released – Part II

Israel Update

17 October 2011

Gilad Shalit to Be Released – Part II

 

Dr Jonathan Mirvis

International Director of the Florence Melton Adult Mini-School

The Hebrew University of Jerusalem

In Israel, with Gilad Shalit’s pending release tomorrow, the media is in frenzy.  All three national TV channels have established headquarters at Mitzpe Hila, the Shalit family’s home, and in addition to the TV stations the national radio stations are broadcasting non-stop programs dealing with his release.  This story has three dramas with the media dealing intensely with multiple aspects of these three dramas.

 

The Human Drama

Gilad’s release is a very dramatic event.  This is the first time that an Israeli soldier will be released after spending five years in captivity.   The interest in his wellbeing has become a primary focus.  How has he managed to survive five years of solitary confinement in the Hamas cells?  What is his mental and physical state?

A second aspect of the human drama is the role played by his parents, Noam and Aviva Shalit.  They were responsible for ensuring that Gilad would not be forgotten by the Israeli public and that his release would be high on the Government’s agenda.  The Shalits are very private people and initially resisted a public campaign for the release of their son.  When they realized that there was a danger that the lot of Gilad would be similar to that of Ron Arad who fell into captivity exactly 25 years ago, they mounted a major campaign ensuring that Gilad’s captivity would not only be their concern but that of every parent in Israel.  For over a year they camped on the street outside the Prime Minister’s home, spoke to hundreds of thousands of people, pleaded their case before Ministers in Israel, and Prime Ministers and Presidents of other countries. As a result of this campaign recent polls show that 80% of Israelis support Gilad’s release.

A third aspect of this drama is the response of the families of the victims of terror.  According to Israeli law terrorists need to be granted amnesty by the President in order to be released.  Prior to his granting of amnesty, the Israeli public has the option to lodge an appeal to the Israeli High Court against the decision.  The names of those to be released were circulated yesterday and today a few of the families of the victims will be pleading their case against the release of those who murdered their loved ones.  At these hearings Noam Shalit will plead his case as well and the judges in the High Court will be asked to make the impossible decision.  The mother of Sharon Edri, shot by terrorists who gave him a ride up from the Tzrifin army base in the center of Israel, cannot sleep at night.  The murderers came from the village of Tzurif which is about a few miles from her home.  There are workers from Tzurif in her area and she is petrified that very soon she will meet the murderers of her son face to face outside her home.

The Jewish Drama

Gilad’s release is a major Jewish drama taking place during Sukkot, a festival of rejoicing.  This Sukkot will be remembered as the festival of extreme rejoicing.  Sukkot in Israel is a week of vacation during which families come together in a festive spirit.  On this Sukkot there is a sense that the Jewish family is coming together in the most extraordinary manner to celebrate Gilad’s release.

The code name given to the operation is ‘Beit HaSho’eva’.  This code word was chosen as it was the water drawing ceremony which was a highlight of the celebration of Sukkot during the time of the Temple.  According to Talmudic sources he who did not witness the rejoicing at the ‘Beit HaSho’eva’ celebration, never experienced real joy.  Tomorrow we will experience real joy and thus the applicability of the code name.

A second aspect of the Jewish Drama is the feeling of ‘arevut’ – mutual responsibility.  ‘Arevut’ has both a religious and a national dimension.   The feeling of responsibility is an innate Jewish trait, part of the Jewish DNA.  It is this DNA which is the building block of Jewish Peoplehood.  The religious dimension is its translation into ‘pidyon shvuyim‘, i.e. the release of captives which has always been an important value in Jewish tradition.

The Political Drama

Negotiations between the Israeli government and Hamas in securing Gilad’s release have created a high level of political drama.  Netanyahu promised never to negotiate with Hamas and Hamas promised never to negotiate with Netanyahu.  Both sides maintained maximal positions, Netanyahu demanded a unilateral release of Gilad and Hamas demanded the release of all its prisoners in Israeli jails. In forging this agreement both sides crossed lines that initially were thought to be unacceptable.  Hamas agreed that 25 senior terrorists would remain in Israeli jails and Netanyahu agreed to release terrorists who were spending multiple life sentences for the murder of thousands of Israelis.

The drama of this negotiation is not only the known but also the unknown.  Are there understandings which go beyond the release of Gilad affecting the balance of power in the Middle East? This release has been a major blow to Abbas and the PLO, especially with the decision to keep Marwan Barghouti, the PLO leader’s potential successor, behind bars.  Initially, as was reported in the previous update, it was expected that he would be released as this was promised to him by Hamas all through the negotiations.  However, Hamas made a strategic decision to keep Barghouti imprisoned, a humiliation for both him and Abbas.  In the Middle East there is a growing sense that the Islamic radicals may be partners to a future settlement.  The Egyptian government has commenced negotiations with the Muslim Brotherhood regarding its future; are Israel’s negotiations with the Hamas part of this trend?

All three dramas present major questions.   In the previous update many responded personally.  We invite you to respond to the blog which will appear