At lunchtime on Thursday 7th June, ISoc had the pleasure of hosting Oded Gvaram from The Jewish Agency, who presented a poignant and thought-provoking session on Gilad Shalit, who was one of his trainees in the army. Gilad Shalit is a former IDF soldier who was captured by Hamas terrorists in a cross-border raid in Gaza in 2006, using one of their infamous terror tunnels. Oded led attendees on a moving journey through Gilad’s captivity via letters that evoked true emotion and facilitated a better understanding of the torment of Gilad and his parents during his captivity. Oded explained the instant reaction of shock and panic to the news of Gilad’s kidnapping, followed by persistent protests and campaigns until his release over five years later. In a letter from Gilad to his parents in June 2008, he had written ‘’I hope’’. This unexplainable sense of optimism was mirrored in Israel through lobbying and demonstrations, the most notable being a twelve-day march from Gilad’s hometown of Miztpe Hila in the Galilee to the Prime Minister’s house in Jerusalem. The purpose of this march was to persuade the government to exchange prisoners in order for Gilad to be released. The audience learnt that Israeli society was divided on this sensitive topic. The majority of Israeli citizens, believing in the sanctity of life, supported the government’s concession of releasing 1027 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for Gilad’s release. Opposing the prisoners deal was a vocal minority camp, consisting of many families of terror victims who claimed that by releasing terrorists Israel exposes itself to future terror attacks and rewarding the murderers. Whilst the audience debated the morality of the decision taken by the government, there was a mutual acknowledgment of the highest value Israel has for the lives and safety of its citizens. ISoc is grateful to Oded for his excellent session and looks forward to welcoming him back in the next academic year.

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