BREAKING NEWS

Schalit thanks Germany for efforts to secure his release

Gilad Schalit met Germany's ambassador to Israel Andreas Michaelis on Wednesday and thanked him for Berlin's efforts in securing his release.
Schalit, who went to Germany's embassy in Tel Aviv with his father Noam, presented Michaelis with a letter of thanks to give to German Chancellor Angela Merkel.  German mediators were intimately involved for years in the efforts to put together a deal with Hamas for Schalit's release.
"We are happy Gilad is free," Michaelis said, "and also happy he came to us today."