Five Years and Four Months Later, A Homecoming

If you’re a regular visitor to my blog, you’ll certainly have noticed the banner over there in the top right corner of my blog’s sidebar. Sargent Gilad Shalit was kidnapped by Hamas on June 25th, 2006, when he was a 19 year-old corporal on active duty in the IDF. In Israel army service is compulsory for all young men and women and their tour of service ranges from 18 months to 3 years, followed by a lengthy reserve duty.

Gilad was not in Gaza when Hamas kidnapped him, he was within Israel’s borders at a military base. The terrorists who took him wounded from his tank were members of Hamas’ military wing. The other 2 troops in Gilad’s tank, including his commander, died, 5 others were wounded in the attack. Over the five-year period of his captivity, there were no visits from the Red Cross to ensure that his humanitarian rights were upheld, no routine proof of life given.

Until now, all the efforts to secure Gilad’s release have failed. In exchange for his return this upcoming week, Israel has agreed to release more than a thousand Palestinian prisoners, including some 450 terrorists who have directly caused the deaths of both Israelis and foreigners. They include Nasser Batima, jailed for planning a hotel bombing in Netanya during Passover in 2002 in which 30 Israelis were killed as well as Ahlam Tamimi, the Palestinian woman who drove the suicide bomber who attacked a Jerusalem pizza restaurant in 2001, killing 15 people. Also included on the list of those to be released are those who participated in the 2000 “lynching” in Ramallah of two Israeli reserve soldiers and those responsible for the abduction and murder of soldiers Nahshon Waxman, Avi Sasportas, Ilan Sa’adon and Shahar Simani.

There is not an Israeli who does not understand Aviva and Noam Shalit and the anguish they have suffered during their son’s 5-year captivity. And yet, while we rejoice with them in Gilad’s hopeful return, we cannot but wonder how long before someone else’s son or daughter becomes the next kidnap victim or the next victim of a terrorist act at the hands of one of those released in the exchange.

So while Hamas will be joyful and welcome their sons and daughters home with a hero’s welcome, Israelis will remain subdued. We have too much experience with the promises of terrorists to do otherwise.

Hoping that people and the media can give #giladshalit the space and time he needs to recover. Let him be #Gilad again before anything else.—
JenniferT (@wysiwygjt) October 12, 2011

Related:
News of Hamas-Israel prisoner deal met with apathy in Ramallah
Bereaved families petition High Court against Shalit deal

Update October 18, 2011:
09:10 – The news media have been talking non-stop since early this morning and as of now the pace has picked up to a frenzy. Still no sight of Gilad other than reports of his having been transferred to Egypt and the Rafiah border crossing. Celebrations in Ramallah, Um el Fahum and Gaza. Reports of calls for another kidnapping. Haniyeh confused why the world is celebrating the return of Shalit but not the Palestinian prisoners. East Jerusalem residents are demonstrating in the streets with Hamas flags.
09:30 – Two female terrorists, one mentioned above, have refused to leave the Red Cross bus so that they are not deported to Gaza.
09:45 – IDF confirms that Gilad has been transferred to Egypt.
09:55 – Thanks to the intervention of Egypt, one of the female terrorists will be deported directly to Egypt rather than Gaza. Not clear what is the fate of the 2nd female terrorist.
10:05 –  The prisoner exchange continues and you are invited to follow the developments on Ha’aretz’s Live Blog.

ANNOUNCEMENT: Sergeant First Class Gilad Shalit Enters Israel – ow.ly/70Ab9 #giladshalit—
IDF (@IDFSpokesperson) October 18, 2011

Can we get #GiladShalit to his home so we can get some good food in him. #JewishMothers—
Carol Warady (@carolw) October 18, 2011

AMEN! and later today, after so many, many days, my #giladshalit banner comes down.

Israeli grand slam in the Marcel Bezençon Awards 2010

Harel Skaat, Israel-photo by aktivioslo on flickr

While certainly not a dedicated Eurovision fan like Laurie (make sure to check out her Eurovision page), I enjoy watching the contest not only for the talent, but also for the cheese. This year again had plenty of both.

Israel was expected to do well this year, but ended up in 14th place, still better than some icons of the Eurovision Song Contest who ended up in last place. After surviving two tortuous hours, my two picks were Germany and Belgium and at least I was right on one account.

But even before the contest final itself, the Eurovision entries are judged for the Marcel Bezençon Awards which include three categories: the journalists’, the composers’ and the commentators’ award. In the eight years that these awards have been running, this year was the first time that a single entry took all three prizes, and that was Israel.

In hindsight, had the date of the ESC or the Bezençon Awards been delayed by a day or two, I have my doubts that the voting would have gone this way no matter how talented the Israeli delegation was. But that is something best left for a post of its own.

via Israeli grand slam in the Marcel Bezençon Awards | News | Eurovision Song Contest – Oslo 2010.

Image credit: aktivioslo

Happy Belated Inauguration!

It’s been a crazy, amazing, and hectic two weeks during which the US has welcomed a new president, Israel ran an unsuccessful bid to oust an embedded terrorist regime in our backyard, and I found two friends from my high school and college days, one of whom lives only an hour from me. We’ve been oblivious to each other’s being here for over 30 years. Wow.

Warning! Don’t click that “play” button if you are easily offended. Not PC, totally irreverent and relevant as only Robin Williams knows how.

If you enjoyed this post, why not share it?

Yes, We Can and We Did!

via CNN.com as of 11:55 p.m. EST

Personally, I find the Electoral Vote map and the House and Senate sweeps most interesting.

UPDATE: November 5, 2008: On the home state front, it’s neck and neck between Norm Coleman and Al Franken. Go Dems, Go! Remember the ghost of HHH!

UPDATE: November 8, 2008: It’s getting ugly.

So, now that the US elections are (almost) behind us, for me it’s time to start thinking about our municipal elections on November 11.

The town where I live has been run in recent years by an upstart maverick who kicked out the former old boy mayor and cohorts and then tried to right the many wrongs done during the old boy’s terms in office. Since becoming mayor, this maverick (I’m liking this word) accomplished quite a lot, and then proceeded to impose a number of changes that radically altered for the worse the quality of life of those of us who live in or near the town’s center. Unfortunately, as with the previous elections, the majority of the other mayoral candidates running against the maverick are contractors.

With one small exception, the amount of open space in and around our town is quickly disappearing to new high-rise condos. Instead of being built for young families, these condos are being snatched up by landlords wanting to plug in to the lucrative rental market, being as these are right next to a high-profile educational institution. So, needless-to-say, the prospect of having our municipality run by a contractor is repugnant.

Back to reading up on the candidates. Otherwise, on the 11th, I will be voting again for the maverick if for no other reason than to block the contractors.

The Zombielections Are Coming!

This whole US election campaign season has been nightmarish. Presidential candidates from the Black Lagoon, Ghoulish VP choices, Zombie Hordes chanting, “Yes, we can!” Makes me want to run and hide in the deepest, darkest mausoleum. Hopefully we’ll wake up on November 4th with our eyeballs still in our skulls and skin still on our faces!

(What? You were expecting serious discussion of the US elections on Halloween? And while I’m not even going to touch the Israeli elections, though the fodder is overripe, I will say that it should be clear by now that our PM is a member of the Undead. It’s “The Tell-Tale Heart” all over again.)

Geeky WP Halloween fun!

(via Matt)

In further news, the MarsPhoenix lander is holding a contest to pick its own epitaph. R.I.P.