Peace for Israel

Israelis and Israeli culture is similar yet strikingly different to the East coast American culture I’ve experienced in my life. The biggest difference between Israel and America I’ve noticed, culturally, is the attitude of the people and the differences in maturity. In Israel, everyone—male and female—goes to the army after high school. Women serve two years; men serve three. Because of this it seems—to me at least—that Israelis my age have reached a different level of maturity than many young people in America have by now. Being forced to leave home and even potentially risk your life for your country has a certain effect on how you grow up and perceive the world. In addition to maturity, Israelis tend to have a different kind of humor. They’re very honest and blunt, and don’t try too hard to be sensitive—but rest assured they mean well. It’s a bit difficult to explain, but life for Israelis is different than it is for most Americans. They go to high school, then they complete their army service, then most of them travel to South America or Asia for a few months, they work for a while, and then a lot of them go to University when they are 24 or 25—sometimes even older. It’s a different kind of childhood-to-adulthood transition.
In addition to the above mentioned cultural differences, Israelis grow up with a certain kind of resilience. It’s tough to grow up in a state that is constantly at war or facing the threat of war or terrorism—I can only imagine the negative effects it can have on youth as they grow up. That being said, Israelis have the biggest bounce-back potential I’ve ever seen, and they refuse to let terrorism affect their daily lives or routines. Just this week, I’m saddened to say, there was a terror attack in a mall called Sarona Market in Tel Aviv. It was a few hours after the Dialogue ended, and I was about a kilometer away from the scene when it happened. I was sitting outside waiting for a friend to finish at work when I heard the sirens—this is never a good sign, and sure enough, I checked the news and there had been a shooting attack. Two Palestinians came into Israel from the West Bank, drank a coffee at Max Brenner, and then shot up the restaurant—killing four innocent civilians and injuring many others. This was a sickening and heart breaking incident. It filled me with an intense sadness and anger when I heard the news and sought safety inside a nearby restaurant that Wednesday evening. But—and I am proud to say this—those terrorists didn’t win. The job of terrorism is to instill fear into the people, and to disrupt their lives and make them feel as though they are no longer secure. This terror attack, despite its effective diameter, failed to defeat the strength of Israel and Israelis. The day after the attack, Sarona Market, and specifically Max Brenner, was filled with Israelis showing solidarity and support for those who were lost, and for the entire state in its fight against terrorism and for its right to live in peace and with security.
Having an attack like this on the day my Dialogue ended—specifically a Dialogue in which we were studying the Israeli/Palestinian conflict—was incredibly sobering. I have to say, after having gained some feelings of hopefulness towards the end of the course, it was incredibly numbing and disheartening for a horror such as this to occur. Every terror attack that occurs lessens the prospects for peace. It’s truly a tragedy. That being said, Northeastern will be gaining 22 ambassadors for peace after this program. All of us will be returning to campus with a renewed sense of hope and strength and a willingness to keep an open mind and engage in challenging dialogue. I hope that when we return we can make a difference on campus, and eventually maybe make a difference in the world.