Amos Levitov, an Israeli Air Force navigator who was captured during the 1967-1970 War of Attrition with Egypt, recently spoke about his experience as a prisoner of war for three and a half years. Speaking with Israel’s Channel 1 television , Levitov explained that one of the most difficult ordeals during captivity was the loneliness. “It was a very difficult world,” he stated. Levitov was a combat navigator in the Israeli Air Force. During the War of Attrition, his plane went down in Egypt and he was captured and held captive for three and a half years. What kept him going? “I started to believe in G-d,” Levitov explains. “I asked him for helped and I somehow got the aid I needed.” In addition, Levitov indicated that optimism significantly helped him too. “You have to be optimistic and then challenges become are easier to deal with. The most encouraging factor is the belief that your state and army stands behind you, and they will do everything to bring you back home.” According to Levitov, Gilad Shalit will need much warmth and love when he returns home. Levitov’s experience during his captivity has found expression in a series of lectures and workshops he has given in the past few years. He believes that his ability to withstand intense pressure was a skill he was able to attain as a prisoner of war. Levitov’s motto for life continues to be, “where there’s a will, there’s a way.”
