Lebanon and Egypt

If you've turned on the news in the past two weeks, or really bothered to get out of bed for that matter, then it would look like the Middle East is in a complete chaos. Well, it certainly is. In fact, as I look out the window right now, I see cars obeying traffic signals, people walking in and out of stores as normal, kids going to school....What?! No chaos here?! Yep, Israel is a stable country, and has been so since 1948. So what's going on here? Is Egypt going to go to war with Israel? Is the IDF now on high alert? Am I being rushed through training and sent to Israel's borders? What the hell is going on?!?!

First, take a deep breath...in, out, in, out. Better? Now, I won't spend the time here going over everything that is happening in Egypt. Read a newspaper and you can get the scoop there. I'll give a broad brushstroke and then tell you how it affects me.

On January 25th, the Egyptian people started protesting in Cairo...and they haven't stopped. In the past few days its gotten violent, and President Hosni Mubarak, after valiantly offering to fall on his sword by way of vacating the presidency in a few months, will likely be out of the country in the next week. What was the immediate spark for the protests? I don't know. But these people are protesting thirty years of dissatisfaction with Mubarak's reign. I'm not talking about some small tax increases or slightly lowered standard of living. Rather, Egypt has been under a state of emergency for thirty years, and the people are angry about living in an autocratic state, rampant inflation of simple food prices, lack of economic opportunities and advancement, and also, likely, the fact that they see their leader as under the West's thumb. So, they protest.

It first started in Tunisia, now it's in Egypt. The wave of hostility is spreading to Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and the West Bank. On one hand, I am ready to cheer on any advocate for democracy. On the other hand, as was certainly evidenced by Iran circa 1979, revolutions can be a very dangerous thing and it is likely that it is not the people with the country's best interest in mind who will come to power, but rather those who can manipulate events and win the most popular support.

The biggest fear now in Egypt is that Mubarak's regime will fall and Islamists will take over, namely the Muslim Brotherhood. Although Mubarak himself will be out of power, that does not necessarily mean the government will fall too. For Israel, it is much better if the government does not implode and new people come in and take over. Why? Because Israel has enjoyed thirty years of peace and relative stability with the country that was once its most dangerous enemy. The current government has respected the peace that was established in 1979. Israel's primary concern is that whoever emerges as the leader of Egypt will not respect or recognize the peace treaty.

And it is likely that Egypt could fall to Islamists. It is the largest Arab state and a very religious one at that. Iran, after violently suppressing its own rebellions two years ago, thanks in part to the Obama administration staying mum as people were dying on the streets of Tehran, is using its influence in the Arab states to mobilize Islamic parties. The Muslim Brotherhood is one such party. So who are these guys? In short, they are a political organization that wants to Islamicize the world. They are the largest and most effective group in Egypt, despite being banned for the better part of thirty years. They are also a multi-national organization. They are in Lebanon, Syria and Jordan. They are also in Gaza, but there you know them as Hamas.

Anyway, long story short: Israel has fortunately not had to think about a war with Egypt for over thirty years. It has trained the IDF to fight in the north with Lebanon and Syria. Egypt's turmoil has raised some legitimate existential security concerns for Israel.

So what's the deal with Lebanon? Well, there is no "deal" currently, but there was a big deal five years ago during the Second Lebanese War. In 2006, Israel invaded southern Lebanon. Why? The immediate spark was the capture of two IDF soldiers. But a bigger issue was the growing strength of Hezbollah and its continuing insistence of firing rockets into civilian centers in northern Israel. Hmmm, seems to be a trend with terrorist organizations firing rockets into Israel, the world being silent, and then Israel finally, reluctantly taking action, only to be lambasted by the international community. (In case you didn't get the hint, I'm talking about Operation Cast Lead in Gaza, 2009-2010. And, by the way, these aren't a 'few' rockets, I'm talking about thousands over a few years.)

At Mikveh Alon, we talked a lot about the Second Lebanon War. It was the main focus this week of our Tzionut (Zionism). We talked about the war, its purpose, after-effects, etc., and also of the 1948 War of Independence. On Tuesday evening, my entire plugot gathered in an auditorium for a commemoration of the Second Lebanon War. Different soldiers had been selected throughout the week to do a short reading, or sing a song, or act out a battle, etc., for the show. The "battle" that was re-enacted is a famous story throughout Israel. During the war, a group of soldiers were clearing out buildings as part of a patrol. They start taking fire and have to hunker down in a room in one of the buildings. Suddenly, a grenade is thrown into the room. Without hesitating, Roi Klein cried out, "Shma Yisrael!" and leapt onto the grenade, just before it exploded. His decision was the supreme act of sacrifice and saved his soldiers. I encourage you to search him online and learn about his life and sacrifice.

The day after, Wednesday, we left base in the afternoon because Thursday was Yom Siddurim for lone soldiers. I gladly came back to Tel Aviv, and crashed from 7:30 pm to 6:30 am. It was glorious. I was able to finally also enjoy the city; I went out and did some shopping on Thursday and Friday. After three months of being here (yes, three months since November 3rd!), I finally bought a Hebrew-English dictionary. It was nice to pretend to live like a civilian again; usually when I get home on Fridays I take a few hour nap or just veg. Then on Saturday I am often (like this morning) nursing a hangover from a great night out on the town with some buddies from the army.

This was a nice long weekend, especially because I will now be on base for the next two weeks, straight. That's right, I'm not going to be home next weekend because my plugot is doing guard duty starting on Thursday. We have to stay and guard the base over the weekend. I'll let you know how that goes in a couple of weeks.

Just one bit of bad news: it does not look like I will be able to try-out for Tzanchanim, or do any infantry unit, like Nahal, with my 72 health profile. I contacted one of commanding officers where I had my tzav rishon and he said I need to raise my profile for infantry. I'm going to try and get that done this week, but, especially because my eyes are the issue, there is no way to fudge that for a doctor. But even still, I am going to continue to train for the gibbush. And, honestly, at the end of the day, because this is Israel, if you want something, generally you just push your way to getting what you want and good things can happen.

But, with whatever I do after Mikveh Alon, I'll be serving Israel, which is what I came to do. Don't be too concerned with events in Egypt. Actually, Egypt has proved very enlightening on another front. One thing I did not mention as the cause of the protests was the 'plight' of the Palestinian people. How odd, right? I mean, if you read anything that, say, Obama says you would think that the one underlying issue throughout the Middle East is the Palestinian issue. Surely, he believes, if you solve that issue then you can have peace and stability throughout the region! Finally, if the Wikileaks didn't already prove it, maybe the turmoil in Egypt and the rest of the Arab world demonstrates that these people aren't clamoring Palestinian statehood; they are demonstrating and dying just for economic opportunities, a voice in politics, and reasonable bread prices. Sure the Egyptian protesters have claimed that Mubarak is controlled by Israel, but they don't say, "give the Palestinians a state then we'll go home." It is one of the most absurd claims that Obama and others have made: solve the Palestinian issue and you can then address Iran and other issues of the region. The reality, as people familiar with the Middle East know, is the other way around; confront Iran to keep them in check and give the people freedoms, then the region will begin to look more democratic and safe.

Oh yeah, and I finally got paid by the IDF on February 1st. I'm a working man!!

Thanks for reading.

The Final Countdown

Winter is here! What a change of weather since the photo I posted on my last entry. The rain that Israel so desperately needs has finally come...in droves! It first started with cooler temperatures ("cooler" being in low 60s or upper 50s, although some parts of the north reported snowfall), then came darkening skies and lightning, quickly followed by deafening thunder claps. I'm tellin' you, G-d sure knows how to put on a show in His house! That was Friday morning and early afternoon. The day then turned bright, the sun came out, and David, Amy, the kids and I went to the boardwalk on the beach to watch the sunset. To our north, we could see occasional lightning bolts cut across the sky, providing a dull purple glow to the dark and menacing storm clouds.

Yesterday morning, the storm kicked into high gear. Gusting winds knocked over trees and power lines all over Tel Aviv. Our apartment building lost power for an hour. Today was no better. The rain comes in fits and starts, powerful and overwhelming one minute, gone the next. This has been Israel's driest year since records were first kept in 1927, and this rain spell probably won't be enough to provide for the country's needs. The Kinneret's water level, the largest body of freshwater and beginnings of the Jordan River, is at the black line, past the red line. Translation: that ain't good.

I battled the elements today when I returned to Tel Hashomer to pick up my tzav hagiyus (draft form). Three days before the date I've been planning for months to enlist, it is finally official. I also picked up two forms that confirm my status as a chayal boded.

What's left to do before Wednesday? After Tel Hashomer, I went to a mall in Tel Aviv and finally bought my own cell phone. Why didn't I do this weeks ago when I first got here? Every cell phone company has a special plan or rates for soldiers. Naturally, I sought out these plans. However, a subscription requires two things: an Israeli bank account and an IDF letter confirming my draft date. I got the former weeks ago, the latter just today. And David and Amy were kind enough to let me borrow one of their phones for the past month.

Over the past few days, I've been preparing a mental list about what to bring to Mikveh Alon. I'm fortunate to have two good Israeli friends who, while serving in the IDF, were on my Birthright trip last winter, Sam and Ben. Their suggestions and advice have helped me prepare, know what to expect, what to bring and what to leave behind, how I should conduct myself, etc. For the most part, the IDF supplies everything for me. They suggest I bring a stopwatch, knife, flashlight, etc., not all of it necessary but suggested nonetheless. In addition, being winter and moving north to a colder climate and higher altitude, Ben gave me warm socks, thermals, and other warm gear. He also threw in some tips on how to clean my canteen, stay awake during lessons, and other useful information. Sam told me that he has a couple locks I can use.

Both these guys are great friends and a primary support system I will constantly turn to throughout my service. I have my family (David and Amy and co.) but I'm sure I will want to talk with guys my age who have done the whole song and dance. This past Friday, Sam invited me over for Shabbat dinner. His family and some of their friends all sat down to a wonderful home-cooked meal. Everyone in Israel comes home for Shabbat dinner, he commented. Even if they're not religious, Friday night is a time for family. Unfortunately, I don't believe the same can be said for families in the States. Be that as it may, I want to point out the amount of care and compassion people in Israel have for one another. I've alluded to this in previous posts, but want to emphasize it here. When I left Sam's, his mother and father each impressed upon me how welcome I am to stay for a meal or a weekend during my service. It was a gracious overture on their part, and on the drive back to Tel Aviv, Sam made sure I understood that their offers are sincere.

Perhaps the one word I would use to describe Israelis (despite the plethora of different people and backgrounds that comprise this tiny state's citizenry) is "passionate." You're not partaking in a true Israeli conversation unless one or both of you starts to shout. Let me explain. Driving here, I will admit, at first seemed downright dangerous. Especially coming from America, with big lanes, big cars and lots of cops around, Tel Aviv's narrow, curving roads, bustling with small cars and more Vespas and motorbikes than you can count, and of course, the seeming lack of a police force make this transportation's wild west. Although I have not driven yet, riding a bike on the sidewalk is a risk all by itself. The Vespas are allowed to go on the sidewalks and people rarely care to abide by the designated bike lanes on certain streets. The stoplights are something different altogether. Before the light turns green, the orange light turns on with the red light, then to green. Why? Well, I think it was originally because most cars were manual, so it allowed the drivers to shift into gear before the light turned green. (Now, most cars are automatic.) This led to a mentality that expected the car at the head of the lane to be halfway into the intersection by time the light changes. If not, expect to hear a chorus of honking. People shout out windows all the time, swerve between lanes, Vespas dart between cars and trucks, buses randomly stop to pick up passengers, delivery trucks block entire lanes for unload their goods...all kosher in Israel. Nobody is mad at one another; they're just annoyed by the current situation and are not afraid to express their opinion.

The newspapers are abuzz with controversial policies and questionable actions. What should the IDF's policy be on conversions? Should Jews not sell or rent homes to Arabs or Druze? What to make on the recent wave of Latin American countries recognizing a Palestinian state? Hamas recently launched a series of mortar attacks into Israel: what should the response be? How do we properly thank the international community for its outpouring of support in the wake of the Carmel fire? Can we trust Obama or is it time to recognize him as the spineless, anti-Israel leader that he is? Ok, perhaps that last one was slightly, but not entirely, off-base.

Israelis care. Life here is constantly moving forward. TIME magazine's September cover story was about the peace process and how supposedly "Israel don't care about making peace." Bullshit. Israelis care. It's innate in the Jewish soul to care about another human being. In today's Jerusalem Post, op-ed contributor Katie Green shares a personal story about her son serving on the Egyptian border ("The gloves are off," Jerusalem Post, Dec 13, 2010). One of Israel's most pressing problems is the influx of refugees from Africa who cross inhospitable terrain, hostile governments, and come to Israel hoping for a chance at...money to send back to their families? No. Fame? Absolutely not. A chance to live? Yes. The Darfur refugee who risks everything crossing the Sinai peninsula, evading Egyptian troops who are likely to use these refugees for target practice, doesn't care what slurs the world hurls at Israel. He wraps his arms around Green's son, thankful to be out of reach of any Arab government. In the Jewish state, he will be taken in, processed, given a warm bed and a hot meal, and released into the only free society in the region. To say Israelis don't care about Palestinians is just wrong. Israelis care about peace because conflict isn't the answer, but sometimes the necessary route.

If conflict comes, then so be it. Israel knows how to defend itself. It also knows how to go on the offensive and try its hardest to prevent civilian casualties...even among the enemy's population! (What I am referring to here is the historically unprecedented actions Israel took during Operation Cast Lead to warn Gazans of its impending operation. This included: dropping leaflets from planes, specifically stating which buildings were going to be attacked; calling and text messaging Gazans warning of attacks; dropping fake bombs on roofs to disperse people who were sent up by Hamas to become 'martyrs'.) And if Israel goes to battle, then I shall go with her. As it looks right now, not as a foot soldier. My health profile does not allow me to be in infantry. Instead, my options are tanks, armored corps, artillery, or army engineers. None of this is certain. In three months, after Mikveh Alon, I will know where I will serve.

I have my supplies ready to report on Wednesday morning at 8:00 AM. I'm excited. It is certainly a new adventure, unlike anything I have done and will likely never do again. I will learn things that only soldiers will know. Not necessarily how to fight or shoot, but rather what serving in a military means. I will be able to add my name to the historical annals of those who have ever served in a military (see my first blog entry). The military will test me physically, emotionally, and mentally. It will be an incredible challenge. I will be given a number, become a statistic; my entire existence will be stamped on a small metal square to hang around my neck. But I will be proud of my uniform. Proud of what it stands for. Proud to serve a people, and not some dictator. Proud to serve in one of the world's finest and most elite militaries. Proud to be in the world's only Jewish army.

Fire and Rain

It's been another week in Israel. The impending date of my enlistment quickly approaches. Well, that isn't really correct. "Impending"? Hell no! My enlistment approaches and I welcome it with, to be honest, a bit of apprehension and nervousness, but also plenty of excitement. Part of the uncertainty comes from the ample time I've had to consider what I'm doing with my life for the next eighteen months.

After last week's tzav rishon I've had nothing to do, save wait for my appointment today to get an eye exam. Seem random? Not quite. I guess the IDF doctor at lishgat hagiyus didn't trust my optometrist's records, so I had to return to Tel Hashomer this morning for an eye exam. In short, by the end of the day I had completed my tzav rishon and received my medical form. A friend told me earlier that my account of last week's experience helped him out, so I will quickly recount the following experience.

When I walked into the doctor's office, I told him I was wearing contacts. He gave me an incredulous look and exclaimed, "you need to have your contacts out for twenty hours before this test!" My heart dropped. No way was I gonna be turned away and required to return tomorrow, after not wearing my contacts or glasses all day and then be required to navigate the bus system without my sight. Unbelievable. Pretty much, I acted like an Israeli and pushed until I got what I wanted. He used drops to dilate my eyes and I took the tests. Bottom line, they were the exact same tests my optometrist performed earlier this summer and the doctor here got the same results.

When it was all said and done, another doctor told me my health profile score is a 72. What does that mean? The highest health score is a 97. The next highest is an 82. After that is 72. According to the doc, I cannot score higher than 72 with a prescription below a -6.00 (my eyes are worse than that). She said that I am still kravi (combat). What can and can't I do? Don't know yet. I'll find out in the coming days and weeks and will fill you in.

But, today I did not want to talk too much about myself. My life outside of army stuff hasn't been too exciting the past week. My best friend from home, Ben, is here; he made aaliyah (despite already being Israeli) and is joining the IDF as well. Outside of our experiences, Israel is undergoing quite a lot these days: Chanukah and fires.

Chanukah is a time for a great celebration in Israel. As opposed to Christmas and New Year's break, students here have the week off for Chanukah. So what is Chanukah? Lighting candles and giving presents? Yes and...well, kinda. Chanukah is a remembrance of the Jewish experience in the second century BCE. After Alexander the Great conquered Judea, he allowed his subjects to freely practice their religion, customs, etc. This benevolent rule led to rampant assimilation among the Jewish population. A century later, Antiochus IV began oppressing and massacring Jews. Judah Maccabee led a revolt against the Greeks' oppression and assimilation. This culminated in the rededication of the Temple. So, where's the miracle? While a small force standing up to the largest empire the world had ever seen is no small feat, the miracle was when the Greeks left only a small amount of oil for the menorah, which is required to burn every night, but miraculously burned for eight straight nights. (Jews don't commemorate military victories. And as for presents? It's just a tradition started by Jews who lived near people celebrating Christmas. Here we go again with the assimilation...)

Unfortunately, Israel has had to cope with an extremely inordinate amount of fire and light. I am talking, if you don't already know, about the fire in Carmel, northern Israel. On Thursday, a fire was started in Carmel (near Haifa) that quickly grew out of control. When it threatened a prison, a bus full of extra security guards was brought in to help evacuate the prisoners, but the fire quickly spread 1500 meters in 3 minutes to engulf the bus, killing all forty onboard. The fire is a national emergency; experts say it will take forty years for the over 10,000 acres destroyed to regrow. The fire also exposed some serious flaws in Israel's fire and emergency management services.

Despite the devastation and horror, there are some bright spots to emerge from this disaster. For one thing, the international response has been extremely positive. As hoped, the United States, Britain, France and Russia have been forthcoming with supplies. An incredible, welcome surprise is the aid provided by Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, and even the PA. Of course there have been calls on Arab websites for Syria and Hamas to fire rockets, have the fires spread, and even incidents of Arabs in Israel throwing Molotov cocktails to spread the flames. But for some states--especially Turkey--to offer aid is a big positive step, especially after the flotilla this summer.

As of right now, the fire has been contained. Tel Aviv was never threatened; I was never in any danger, never even saw any smoke. Now Israel will work to recover from the damage and pay tribute to the brave men and women who fell trying to fight the flames. There is a lot of work to do to rebuild homes and lives.

So, there is quite a lot going on in Israel right now. In the world, as you know: Wikileaks. Great news for Israel: the entire Arab world's leaders want Iran stopped. Now the American public knows what America's leaders (should) know. Julian Assange, you are destroying the very thing you are trying to enhance: information. Stay in that bunker you've scurried to.

My next step is to wait to hear about my enlistment date being finalized. Until then, shalom and chag sameach!

Oh, and it rained today!