Gilad Shalit Is Coming Home

Gilad Shalit is coming home.

I have no way of knowing if it is a good deal or not, what kind of terrorists are being released, what the conditions of their release are or any other aspect of the deal.

Noam and Aviva Shalit are visibly
happy about the news of a deal

Truth is, now that the deal has been signed, I don't care about the details. I am happy Gilad Shalit is coming home. I hope the government will be able to provide the necessary security to protect us against potential threats caused by the release of the terrorists. It is their responsibility to do so, as providing us with security has always been the government's responsibility, along with the IDF.

Israel news is reporting that Shalit's route back home will take him via Egypt and Germany on his way to Tel Aviv. I don't know why this has to happen. Tel Aviv is about a 1.5 hour drive from Gaza. By helicopter it is probably in the range of 15 minutes. Why does he have to go via Egypt and Germany? Send him out via one of the hundreds of humanitarian aid trucks crossing the Gaza borders every day.

I suspect it is so each party that was involved in getting the talks done can have their day in the sun. I consider that cruel. Let him go directly home, and then after a few days or weeks of rest and rehabilitation with his family he can go to these countries to say thank you, or make announcements from his front lawn even the same day.

But at the end of the day, none of it matters. Just get him home.