Gilad Shalit is home. After 5 years and 4 months in captivity in a dungeon in Gaza, he is home. His first words: “I missed my family.” And so it is done, 1027 terrorists were exchanged for one boy. That is the strength of the State of Israel, as a nation and as a people. Gilad is everyone’s son. One might ask was it worth it? 1027 terrorists, some of them serving over 40 life sentences for murder – for one boy, now a man? Make no mistake; this was a horrific deal for Israel. Israel will be releasing hundreds of murderers, some of whom  were serving multiple terms of life in prison (Israel does not have the death penalty) as well as hundreds of terrorists serving prison sentences for terror and murder – all for one Israeli soldier. That is just the way it is done. Hamas will claim a great victory, and the people of Israel are thrilled to see Gilad home after five and a half years in solitary confinement in Gaza.

There has been criticism of this deal from those who opposed it for security reasons, and so it is a bittersweet victory for Israel and the Shalit family. Having said all of this – it was the right thing to do. I would like to thank the Prime Minister of Israel for taking the deal in the hopes that it will perhaps lead to a more stable environment in the Middle East. There is a point when the life of a prisoner of war is no longer valued as a pawn, and Gilad was fast approaching that point, so we cut the deal. Most political analysts saw this as a window of opportunity. Syria is in the midst of a civil war and can no longer support Hamas as it has in the past. Egypt may be falling into utter chaos, and we may no longer be able to depend on them to help broker a deal as they did here.

So today all of Israel held its breath and returned the terrorists in the hope and the belief that if we need to, we will know how to react. Today I am humbled and proud to be an Israeli. In just two weeks from now, 22 NCJW women will be joining me here in Israel to see the beauty of the country, the energy of the social change activists, the strength of its people, the empowerment of its women, and its hope for the future. They will join me in being proud of its amazing spirit of Klal Yisrael, Jewish peoplehood. There are whispers of hope that this may be the opening that we have been looking for – the beginning of some kind of understanding on all sides that human life is fragile and that it is in everyone’s best interest to work for peace. So many lives have been lost and so many lives have been ruined, let us all take this moment to contemplate a better world for all.

Bruchim Habayim, Welcome Home Gilad! We missed you.