It’s Too Early To Criticize Gilad Shalit
That didn’t take long. Gilad Shalit is now fair game for criticism, so it seems. Shas Minister Meshulam Nahari publicly condemned Shalit for going to the beach on his first Sabbath out of captivity, instead of going to synagogue. So reports Ynet.
Well I don’t know about you, but I’d say it’s fair that after five years in captivity, Shalit do what he likes on his first free Sabbath.
I’m troubled by this jumping-to-conclusions on the part of the Shas man. He says that Shalit should have gone to say the prayer for people who have been in dangerous situations. Well excuse me, Mr. Minister. He walked free on a Tuesday, meaning that if he wanted to recite the prayer on a day when there is a Torah reading in synagogue, he may well have done so on the preceding Thursday (the Torah being read on Mondays, Thursdays and on the Sabbath). Or he may have gone to synagogue before heading to the beach.
What is it again that Jewish tradition teaches us about judging people favorably and giving them the benefit of the doubt?
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning journalism this Passover.
In this age of misinformation, our work is needed like never before. We report on the news that matters most to American Jews, driven by truth, not ideology.
At a time when newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall. That means for the first time in our 126-year history, Forward journalism is free to everyone, everywhere. With an ongoing war, rising antisemitism, and a flood of disinformation that may affect the upcoming election, we believe that free and open access to Jewish journalism is imperative.
Readers like you make it all possible. Right now, we’re in the middle of our Passover Pledge Drive and we need 500 people to step up and make a gift to sustain our trustworthy, independent journalism.
Make a gift of any size and become a Forward member today. You’ll support our mission to tell the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
Our Goal: 500 gifts during our Passover Pledge Drive!
