JERUSALEM (AP) — Nine months after he was freed from Hamas captivity in a lopsided prisoner swap, Gilad Shalit is emerging from the shadows — showing up at parties, sporting events and even writing a newspaper column.
Even so, the former Israeli soldier remains an enigma. He has refrained from giving interviews and has shared few details about his 5 1/2 years of captivity in a Gaza basement. But he hasn’t vanished from sight — quite the opposite.
The slender 25-year-old has morphed into a celebrity from an awkward, anonymous teenager whose plight inspired a nationwide campaign. While he still enjoys widespread public support, some Israelis are beginning to question whether his tragic ordeal has been converted into undue hero status. More
