[Editor’s Note: Due to technical difficulties, “Our Eyes in Israel” did not appear in last Friday’s edition. Ms. Shachar will resume her regular schedule in tomorrow’s edition.]
[img]96|left|||no_popup[/img] Dateline Jerusalem — I remember once when my parents returned from a Caribbean cruise that visited Caracas, Venezuela. My mother commented that the beauty of the city was marred by the sight of soldiers with rifles everywhere she went. She then went on to explain that the Venezuelan soldiers often were used to enforce martial law and not for the protection of Venezuelan citizens.
I always felt pride when I saw U.S. military on American streets. Yet, I do not remember seeing them armed. When I was a court-appointed attorney representing civilians on an Air Force base just north of Los Angeles, the sights and sounds of U.S. fighter jets flying above was a thrilling experience for me.
Here in Israel, however, whenever I hear the jets flying over my home, I have mixed emotions. I am comforted by the fact that Israel's elite group of pilots is protecting me, but it concerns me that they must protect me. I often know when something is happening by the frequency of the takeoffs, the time of takeoff, how low they are flying, and how many planes are flying.
Not Like America
I am constantly surrounded by young men and women in military garb.
Their camaraderie and esprit de corps are exciting. It also is comforting to know that they are here to protect me and my adopted country of Israel. It does not disturb me that they are armed with Uzis, rifles and automatic pistols. It makes me feel safe.
They congregate on the streets wherever I go. They ride the buses with me. They are the sons and daughters of my friends, and in some cases are “lonely soldiers” who have come to Israel as immigrants from countries all over the world to volunteer to serve their adopted country of Israel.
These “lonely soldiers” have no parents or siblings living in Israel. Yet, they have become the “children” of the entire country.
Another sight is that of regular citizens walking on the streets with guns on their hips in plain view.
No concealed weapons here.
My immediate reaction when seeing this for the first time was “This is like the wild West.” It seemed so strange to view regular people dressed in religious clothing or in dress shirts and slacks on their way to work with a weapon in their waistband.
Once on a bus I observed a man dressed in jeans, tee-shirt and sandals with a rifle slung over his shoulder and an automatic weapon on his belt. I asked if he spoke English. In a thick New York accent, he replied “yes.”
I asked why he was “carrying,” and he explained that he had a special gun permit for protection because where he lives, Arabs attack and/or kill Jews.
I think if I were in Venezuela, I, too, would be apprehensive, like my mother. about seeing armed soldiers everywhere.
No Need to Worry Here
But being here in Israel, it is a good feeling. The last couple of attacks by terrorists against Israeli citizens were stopped by an armed off duty soldier and civilian shooting the terrorists.
As I write this, I am on a bus on my way to work.
Two soldiers are standing in the bus aisle next to my seat (the buses are crowded here). One is in an elite paratrooper unit. I can tell by the color of his boots and beret, and the wings pinned to his chest. He is armed with both a rifle and automatic weapon. The other soldier is in an elite unit that handles dogs that are used to sniff out explosives, bombs and drugs. I can tell by the patch hanging from an epaulet on his uniform shirt. It is interesting to note that this young man is religious, evident by his beard and by the particular type of kippah (yarmulke) on his head. I feel so safe sitting next to these two soldiers.
I often live vicariously through these brave young men and women whose service to their country has made my adopted nation of Israel the great nation that it has become in its short 61 years of existence. They have earned my respect, and make me proud to be an Israeli just as American military make me proud to be an American.
L'hitraot, Shachar
Shachar is the Hebrew name of a California-based attorney and former Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputy who moved to Israel 22 months ago.
