The Gilad Shalit Protest Tent, Up-Close

Much of my life is spent digitally, but my recent trip to Israel reminded me of the power of seeing things up-close, and in person. On a fundamental level, there is no substitute for this.

Today I received a New York Times news alert about Israel considering a proposed deal to free soldier Gilad Shalit. My visual memory went immediately to the makeshift tent where Shalit's family camps out. I saw it by taxi cab in Jerusalem, this past August.

Palestinian prisoners (plural...number as yet unknown) vs. 1 Israeli soldier. I don't claim to have the answer, but seeing the protest tent up-close and seeing Shalit's family sitting there — in so doing, demanding that the prime minister and the people not forget, five+ years later — brought the news alive in a way that newspapers, television, the web, and mobile alerts just hadn't. At least for me.