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Last update - 21:35 07/07/2009
Gilad Shalit's namesake moves to Israel
By Cnaan Liphshiz , Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: Israel News, Hamas 

Even Gilad Zuller's parents are sometimes saddened to see how much he's grown in the three years since his birth. Others are sorrowed too, when they hear the story behind the boy's name.

"Each birthday's a stark reminder of how long Gilad Shalit has been in captivity," the toddler's father, Yehuda Zuller, explained on Tuesday. His youngest son was born exactly five days after Hamas abducted Gilad Shalit, and Yehuda named his son after Gilad.

On Monday, Yehuda and Aviva Zuller and their four children immigrated to Israel, along with 226 other new immigrants from the U.S., who made aliyah aboard a flight organized by the immigration assistance group Nefesh B'Nefesh and the Jewish Agency.
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The connection between the Zullers, originally from Brooklyn, and the Shalits goes beyond the namesake. In the past three years, Yehuda and Aviva Zuller have become personal friends of Noam and Aviva Shalit.

Yehuda, who works in the printing industry, hosted Noam and Aviva Shalit in New York last month and set up meetings for the Israeli couple with politicians and Jewish leaders.

"I remember seeing Noam holding the hand of my son, Gilad, and I thought to myself about how sad it is that Noam can hold my son's hand, but not the hand of his own son," Yehuda said. "I hope that very soon the two Gilads will be able to meet."

Looking at how the Shalits have changed over the past three years, Zuller says he is "proud" of how Noam and Aviva are fighting for their son's release. "I first met Noam Shalit three weeks after the abduction, when he barely spoke English. But since then they have been everywhere and tirelessly met with world leaders. It was inspiring."

The American couple, both 38 years old, plan to settle in Ma'aleh Adumim together with their oldest daughter, Nava 14, Binyamin, 10, Kayla, 7, and Gilad.

The flight that brought the Zullers to Israel is the first of 16 charter flights that will bring approximately 3,000 new immigrants to Israel this summer. Their arrival caused a 15 percent hike in immigration to Israel this year
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  1.   kol haKavod! -welcome home 21:01  |  danny 07/07/09
  2.   What "natural growth" really means 21:16  |  Axel 07/07/09
  3.   Does this mean new colonizer to the W.Bank? 21:21  |  Tony Silver 07/07/09
  4.   Let us hope that they stay there! 21:23  |  American 07/07/09
  5.   More Settlers 23:29  |  paddy 07/07/09
  6.   These Immigrants Should be Stripped of their US Citizenship 00:18  |  Monitor 08/07/09
  7.   The true face of "natural growth" 00:21  |  Axel 08/07/09
  8.   I suppose this is what Israel calls...... 00:22  |  Deborah 08/07/09
  9.   All that is needed now... 00:55  |  Maureen Ann 08/07/09
  10.   Natural growth 01:12  |  Conor 08/07/09
  11.   Ma`aleh Adumim not in Israel 01:19  |  Born Free and Equal 08/07/09
  12.   Cool..in a settlement 03:17  |  Davide C. 08/07/09
  13.   From Brooklyn to Occupied Territory 04:02  |  J. 08/07/09
  14.   emigration 04:24  |  flo 08/07/09
  15.   From Brooklyn to Occupied Territory 07:07  |  Marvin I. Wolfe 08/07/09
  16.   All Australians change their names to Aborigine names ... 12:44  |  faithship 08/07/09
  17.   These people have no heart. How dare they steal land from pals 12:45  |  ZED 08/07/09
  18.   The truth about "natural growth" 12:47  |  Axel 08/07/09
  19.   flo -- give back USA to native Americans 12:50  |  faithship 08/07/09
  20.   Occupation? 16:56  |  Yakov 08/07/09
  21.   And the American taxpayers are paying for it 22:32  |  Miggy 08/07/09
  22.   # 15 faithship 23:57  |  Axel 08/07/09
  23.   Israel OR Palestine 19:10  |  Janet 09/07/09
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