Shalit family receives new Gilad photo
Vadim Lidin recently discovered that a random photo he took during his 2006 military service featured the Hamas-held soldier
Aviva Shalit on Monday looked at a new picture of her son Gilad Shalit, the IDF soldier abducted by Hamas and held in the Gaza Strip since 2006. The photo shows her son in military uniform, while he was still free – the same beloved son she knew before he was captured 1,570 days ago.
"Where was the picture taken, and when?" asked his father, Noam. Aviva merely gazed at the photo in silence.
Gilad's parents have been sitting in front of the Prime Minister's Jerusalmen residence for 16 weeks already, while the stream of visitors becomes a trickle. Politicians haven't visited for a long time. But on Monday an unexpected visitor arrived bearing this unexpected gift.
Vadim Lidin (25) from Ashdod joined the army in August 2004 and fought with the Tzabar Brigade. He didn't know Gilad Shalit, and doesn't remember ever talking to him. However, he does photograph anything that moves.
"Anything it was permitted to photograph, I photographed," he says. "The camera was always with me."
Gilad a month before his abduction (Photo: Vadim Lidin)
On May 17, 2006, he returned with his division from a night operation in the Gaza Strip, while Gilad returned with his armored corps. Lidin pulled out his camera and began taking photos. In one photo he captures a tired soldier, walking towards a tank.
'Didn't realize photo's value'
"I don't remember if we talked, but I remember the moment of taking the photo," Lidin says. "He caught my eye and I simply took a photo. He looked very tired. I didn't think it was an important photo, I didn't realize its value."
A month later, on June 26, 2006, Shalit was abducted. For four years the photo remained on Lidin's computer. Only about a year ago, while looking through photos, he came across the photo by chance.
"I didn't think I should take the photo to his parents," he says. "I didn't want to make them crazy, I knew many people were visiting them. Now I realize that this photo is a rare thing for them. I am happy to do this, even if it is four years late."
Lidin passed the photo on to Yedioth Aharonoth, and with the newspaper's assistance contacted the family. On Monday he came to give the photo to Noam and Aviva.
"Many people who were with Gilad in the army bring us all sorts of things," Noam said Monday. "We aren't in the business of collecting souvenirs, we want Gilad home. Anything that reminds us of him is important, but that's not the main thing."
Hamas meanwhile is refusing to pass on letters to Gilad, or to transfer letters from the abducted soldier to Israel. The organization reiterated Monday it would not allow any contact at all with him – until Israel meets all Hamas' demands.
Roni Shaked contributed to this report
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