Everybody’s Son

The most sensible — I almost wrote “the only sensible” — sentence uttered this week sprang from the lips of a 5-year-old boy. After the prisoner swap, one of those smart-aleck TV reporters asked him: “Why did we release 1,027 Arabs for one Israeli soldier?” He expected, of course, the usual answer: because one Israeli … Continue reading “Everybody’s Son”

Two Sit-Ins

At this moment, two sit-ins are taking place in Jerusalem, two kilometers apart. In West Jerusalem, the Shalit family is sitting in a protest tent in front of the prime minister’s residence, swearing to remain there until the return of their son. In East Jerusalem, three members of the Palestinian parliament are holed up in … Continue reading “Two Sit-Ins”

Shalit Debacle Shows Netanyahu’s Incompetence

I am composing these lines while looking through the window at the blue waters of the Mediterranean Sea and thinking about the young man who is being held not far from this sea, a few dozen kilometers from here. Can Gilad Shalit look out on the same sea through his window? Does he even have … Continue reading “Shalit Debacle Shows Netanyahu’s Incompetence”

The Betrayal of Gilad Shalit

  Saturday was the 1,196th day in captivity for the soldier Gilad Shalit. A prisoner of war must not be left in captivity. A wounded soldier must not be left in the field. The state signs an unwritten contract with every person who joins the army, and most definitely with everyone who serves in a … Continue reading “The Betrayal of Gilad Shalit”