Chofetz Chashud

            Coming back from Tivon brought yet another classic Israeli experience for Julia and myself. Chofetz chashud. Or, suspicious object. We had just gotten off the bus from Tivon to Jerusalem and were standing outside the Central Bus Station trying to get a cab when a security guard came up next to us and asked if the roller suitcase next to us belonged to either of us. Julia and I, both of us still half asleep, stare at it for a few seconds before responding in the negative. He then quickly and calmly asked us to back away to about 40 yards and got on the radio to call in back up. Within ten minutes there were five or six squad cars surrounding the area and the entire block had been shut down, no buses through, the light rail cancelled, everything. Julia and I stood there for close to an hour and a half waiting for them to open the road again, originally assuming it wouldn’t take very long and curious about the procedure.

Eventually, we grew tired of the scene and searched for a detour around the blockade, as we found this route and started down it we heard a massive bang behind nothing and then us. We were both relatively certain that was caused by whatever the robot does to the chofetz chashud, but hurried back anyway, just in case. Luckily, we were right and it was just standard procedure. Nobody is really sure what the robot does to the objects, but it sounds like it shoots the bag with a .50 caliber rifle of some sort. Obviously, they’re not actually shooting the bag as it doesn’t make any sense to shoot a bomb, but who knows.

While this event was out of the ordinary for us, it was a completely regular occurrence for all of the Israelis around us. It’s a very common occurrence and just an accepted fact of life here in Israel. Every time someone leaves a bag sitting around, there is the very real possibility there is a bomb in that bag. A bomb intended to maim and kill as many civilians around as possible. This is not an irrational fear, either, this is an attitude they learned the hard way during the Second Intifada. I can’t even imagine living under these circumstances day in, day out, and remaining entirely sane. The resilience of both the Israelis, for living under the constant fear of terror, and the Palestinians, for living under constant occupation, is phenomenal. And, yet, both peoples have persevered. A person’s, or nation’s, true character isn’t revealed until it meets significant hardship. Israel and Palestine have both suffered enough to have their characters revealed. Now, let the suffering end. Allow their true characters to shine.