The Reality of War

The streets and shops bustle of people buying and selling goods at the market. Not to far off children play near by in the park while students across town at the Hebrew University head to class.  From these characteristics Jerusalem is like any other city but when given a second glance Jerusalem reveals a city striving to survive a war.

The last major attack on the U.S. soil was 9/11 on the World Trade Center and before that Pearl Harbor. To say the least many Americans today are not directly impacted by the horrors of wars. After WWII majority of the wars the U.S. fought occurred overseas from the Vietnam War to the Iraq War. Our country is divided on sending our troops to war or even going to war because of the causalities entailed but I would argue many Americans are ignorant to the negative impact of wars.

When was the last time an American first grader experienced running to a bomb shelter on play ground as students in Sderot have? Or the fear of uncertainty when kissing a husband or wife good bye in the morning knowing they could die in a suicide bus bombing, as Rosenthal writes in her book The Israelis. War in Israel is prevalent in day-to-day life. As demonstrated in the previous elections, Israelis desire to move forward by dealing with domestic issues and the opportunity to build a life. Many have accepted the war as part of reality and strive to coexist with it.

On the other hand, some Israelis have being living in there own bubble while ignoring the occupation, as the Parent Circle Representative stated when sharing his own story. With the death of his daughter by a suicide bomber, this man was forced to realize he could not continue living while denying the tension between Israelis and Palestinians and chose to aid the fight for peace.

This trip to Israel has again made me realize how blessed I am not to have to experience the direct impact of conflicts or wars. Then again, being amidst the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and the opportunity to speak with Israeli young adults and hear their opinions on the various conflicts, has revealed the bubble many American young adults live not knowing or few caring about international relations.