Life After Release and Rehabilitation Process
Towards Shalit's release, the Israeli Defense Ministry decided, as precedent, that Shalit will be recognized as a disabled veteran with at least 20% disability, immediately upon his release from captivity. Shalit was a Corporal when he was abducted, and during his captivity he was promoted to Sergeant.
After his release from captivity Shalit returned to his parents' home in Mitzpe Hila. His release, the focus of attention in Israel and abroad, attracted many media outlets and ordinary citizens to Mitzpe Hila. Out of courtesy to Shalit, and given the sensitivity of the issue, many Israeli media outlets pledged to avoid intensive coverage that may harm the privacy of Shalit. Nevertheless, during the days after his release, many reports appeared about him. Shalit was also visited at his home in Mitzpe Hila by Israeli President Shimon Peres and French Ambassador Christophe Bigot.
After returning from captivity Shalit started medical treatment for his injuries. On 4 November, he underwent surgery at Rambam Medical Center in Haifa to remove pieces of shrapnel that had been lodged in his arm during the abduction. During the two-hour operation, doctors found and removed seven pieces of shrapnel from his elbow and forearm, two of which were pressing on nerves.
The defense establishment decided to enable Shalit to acclimatize first, after captivity, before they begin the questioning process, commonly undertaken immediately upon the arrival of Israeli POWs and captives.
In January 2012, Noam Shalit, his father, announced his intention to run on the Israeli Labor Party's candidates list during primaries for the Knesset.
On 18 April 2012 Shalit was released from the IDF with the rank of Sergeant Major
After returning home from captivity, Shalit met with people who supported his cause in order to thank them, including Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu and French President Nicolas Sarkozy at his residence the Élysée Palace, and he is often followed by the media into sports and other events, in which a public figure is photographed with him.
In June 2012, Shalit, an avid sports enthusiast and fan of Maccabi Tel Aviv B.C., found a job as a sports columnist for Yedioth Ahronoth. He will cover Israeli and European basketball in a regular column. His first assignment was in the United States, covering the 2012 NBA Finals in Oklahoma City.
Read more about this topic: Gilad Shalit
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