This week The Jewish Press of the Florida Gulf Coast republished a picture from my visit to Kibbutz Be’eri. Yes, it’s a classic pose. I am wearing a helmet and a ceramic vest. Quite jaunty. It was taken the first day of our solidarity mission and we were visiting places inside the military restricted zone of Otef ‘Aza, the area immediately outside the border with Gaza where over 1200 people were killed in the most brutal manner imaginable. We were told the equipment was necessary for “insurance purposes.” Whether or not insurance was the motivating factor, it seemed laughable that this equipment would or could keep me safe. The magnitude of the firepower and its capacity for destruction is so oversized. It is way beyond human scale and frankly, beyond my comprehension.
I knew my protective equipment could only provide minimal protection at best. The ground shook with each explosion just a few kilometers away. We were told it is not on ‘our’ side. These explosions are just a part of the ongoing military operation. We were told, no worries unless you hear helicopters headed our way. If sirens sound (since we are surrounded by destroyed kibbutz buildings) it is best to lie flat in the ground and cover our faces. Just wait at least 10-15 minutes to avoid being wounded by shrapnel. All so matter of fact.
Then Michael from Chattanooga asked our guide how could he be so calm with the constant explosions. Lotan’s response was that it is not serious unless Apache helicopters are seen. Right then two Apaches flew directly overhead and we all pointed it upwards to the sky. Lotan cracked a brief smile and clarified, oh not this time, this is all okay, you just know.
Quite existential. It’s all okay, just quotidian until it’s not. Later that day texts started to arrive that an attack had occurred in the town of Ra’anana, in the center of the country, well within the so-called “green line,” the armistice line that was established after the 1948 War of Independence. Innocent people including many children were attacked by a terrorist from the West Bank in a car ramming and stabbing spree. Seventeen people injured and one murdered. It was just an ordinary school day, people waiting at the bus stop, living an ordinary life.
My Israeli partnership friends looked like their faces were drained of color when they learned of the attack. Whenever there’s a terrorist attack, and this has been the case for decades, people search their phones hoping all their family and friends are accounted for. Then, learning that “nothing” has happened, people take a deep breath of relief. To be spared personal tragedy but at the same time with each news alert fearing the worst, is like a punch in the gut.
Israel is such a small country geographically. Look it up! Every loss feels personal. Everyone know someone who…….Over these recent months Israelis almost daily learn of more attacks, lost lives, people wounded and traumatized. They manage. And people reflected frankly with me that it is a daily struggle.
The resiliency of Israelis is evident every time they show up to volunteer, or go work to keep the country going, or to bravely send their children to school each day. I saw acts of heroism all around but unlike a movie it is totally real. I saw so many tears and gave and received so many hugs.
The universal truism is that Israel has no choice about this war. It is ongoing and in a very real sense, it has been ongoing since 1948. The October 7th attack made the situation perfectly clear, safe borders are not negotiable.
I learned on this trip that ‘safety’ can be a subjective feeling. Feeling safe means being able to sleep without nightmares. Feeling safe means shopping in a crowded market or going on a public bus without fear. These are exactly the settings that terrorists continue target.
Feeling safe means no need for safe rooms.
Feeling safe can only realistically be achieved when radical jihadists stop being intent in Israel’s destruction. By the way, the Western “liberal” media, the screaming demonstrators, and the cynical, corrupt forces at the United Nations ABET THESE AGENTS OF TERROR.
Let’s be honest. Many, perhaps most American Jews are afraid that if they set foot in Israel they’ll be blown to smithereens. This fear is nothing new. In my opinion it’s time to take the bull by the horns. Admit there’s no absolutes safety anywhere in the world, perhaps much less in our communities here in the West. I’m not talking about antisemitism. I’m talking about highways, street corners, random and not-so-random shootings. You go out your door you meet potential danger. Believe me Israel is no more dangerous than most of the places I’ve lived in the United States.
Aside from all the warfare and random terror in the heart of Israel you might ask: Did I feel safe during my recent? My answer is an unqualified “yes.” I felt totally safe in Israel.
I’m no chicken
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