Welcome Home

By MARC GOLDBERG
 I don''t believe that it is possible to watch the return home of Gilad shalit and not feel a sense of triumph.
Though our brain''s understand that it makes no sense to exchange over 1,000 terrorists for a single soldier, our heart''s have overruled our brain''s and brought home our lost son and thank G-d that they did.
It is impossible to imagine what Gilad has had to endure for the past 5 years. Israel has overwelmingly stated that we will do our outmost to help every citizen and soldier in need regardless of the sacrifice that needs to be made. Israel is a nation that stands perpetually prepared to both fight and negotiate, to cajole and intimidate in equal measure in order to fight for the rights and needs of every one of the citizens of our country. 
Despite the price that we will inevitably have to pay, in addition to that which we have already paid, we stand ready to do what is necessary to secure the release of our people.
Undoubtedly we will face more tests of our resolve and the enemy will attempt to exploit that which they call weakness. What they fail to grasp is that what they percieve as weakness we percieve as strength, our compassion and willingness to do what is necessary for our people. Though we cannot allow ourselves to be held to ransom in the future it is for greater minds than mine to prevent somethign like this from happening again in the future.
Tomorrow will bring many challenges to Israelis but today we will join the Shalit family in celebrating the return of our son.