Photo: Israel Defense Forces / CC BY-SA 2.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Gilad Shalit is a name I approach with care, because his fame came not from achievement but from circumstance. Captured in 2006 and held for over five years before his 2011 release in a prisoner exchange, he became a symbol far larger than himself, a single soldier whose name moved a nation. The long list of honorary citizenships, from Paris and Rome to Miami and Baltimore, shows how widely his story resonated. What I find meaningful is that he later built a quieter civilian life as a sports columnist and writer. To me his return to ordinary work reads as its own kind of quiet triumph.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Gilad Shalit
- Name (Japanese)
- ギルアド・シャリート
- Reading
- ぎるあど・しゃりーと
- Born
- August 28, 1986 (age 39)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Virgo / Tiger
- Origin
- Nahariya, Israel
- Occupation
- sports columnist / military personnel / journalist / investment advisor / writer
2. Background
- University
- Reichman University
Awards & achievements
- 2008 honorary citizen of Paris
- 2008 honorary citizen of Rome
- 2009 honorary citizen of Miami
- 2009 honorary citizen of New Orleans
- 2011 honorary citizen of Baltimore
- 2011 honorary citizen of Pittsburgh
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was Gilad Shalit born?
Born August 28, 1986 (age 39).
Where is Gilad Shalit from?
Gilad Shalit is from Nahariya, Israel.
What does Gilad Shalit do?
Gilad Shalit works as sports columnist, military personnel, journalist, investment advisor, writer.
Military personnel — see all → · More people from Israel →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.