Gilad Shalit: a bargaining chip
How one Israeli soldier became a bargaining chip in a much larger political game.
In December 2009, People & Power first broadcast an investigation by Al Jazeera’s Zeina Awad, which followed the story of captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit and the attempts by Israel and Palestine to negotiate the terms of his release.
Israel swore to secure his freedom ever since he was taken into captivity by Hamas five years ago. Palestine demanded that most or all of the 10,000 Palestinians held in Israeli prisons first be let go.
Now it looks as if a deal has finally been reached between Hamas and Israeli officials: in return for Shalit, Israel will release 1,027 Palestinians.
People & Power examines how one Israeli soldier has become the bargaining chip in a much larger political game and how the proposed swap has brought years of controversy to the troubled region.
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