Gilad Shalit’s first interview is being shown on the Egyptian TV Gilad Shalit’s first interview is being shown on the Egyptian TV, where he is wearing a checked blue shirt and looks very thin but well. \"It has been a very long five years. I always knew I could go home,\" he said .
In his first interview since being release, Gilad Shalit was very coherent and calm and spoke of his desire to see peace between Israel and the Palestinians. He said he would be happy to see the release of more Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails.
Gilad Shalit\'s first words after his release:
“Obviously I missed my family a lot and also all my friends. I missed meeting normal people and there is now so much to do now that I am out. “
“It is possible to learn an important lesson from this - that it is possible to conclude deals to free prisoners. “
“When asked whether he would campaign for the release of 5,000 Palestinians in Israeli jails]: I will be happy if all these prisoners are free, so that they can go back to their loved ones, their territory and their families. I will be very happy if this happens.”
“I hope this deal will help the conclusion of peace between Israel and Palestine and that cooperation between the two sides will be consolidated.”
“This collective willingness to expose ourselves to the risk of a future terrorist attack, if necessary, to secure Schalit\'s release speaks volumes about Israelis\' strong sense that we are all in this Zionist project together, in good times and in bad. It\'s not that we are insensitive to the feelings of past terrorist victims\' families and loved ones.”
“Nor are we unaware that many, even most, of those who will be released will return to violent terrorism – and that by paying a ratio of 1 to 1,027 we are encouraging future kidnappings. It\'s just that none of these potential future dangers seems to be able to trump the fact that right now an IDF soldier\'s life is being saved.”
who has been held in captivity in Gaza for over five years, has arrived back in Israel, Israel\'s private Channel 2 television reported.
There was no immediate confirmation of his arrival from Israeli officials, but the station ran the strapline \"Gilad Shalit is in Israel\" over the images taken from Egyptian state TV showing the soldier wearing a black baseball cap.