Security in Perspective

Security is most peculiar topic of discussion in the Israeli vernacular I have yet experienced. On the one hand, it lingers as an indisputable concern: Israel, though smaller than the state of New Jersey, manages to make international headlines almost daily due to shifting aggressions and is the only country I can think of with enemies (explicit and latent) surrounding all borders and within its own territory. On the other hand, this has long been the case, and no native Israeli can recall a time when their country was not under imminent threat of some attack. Because danger is such an inseparable part of daily existence, security matters in public conversation are not as gravely dreaded as one might expect. Bad omens in the news are met with understanding-yet-unimpressed refute. Perhaps some examples might better illustrate what I’m trying to say:

Two weeks ago, a rocket struck the base at Ashqelon, our closest coastal neighbor. That same day, one of my friends at the Merkaz invited me swimming. “Are you seriously still going?” I asked. “Of course we’re going,” he said, “There’s a beach in Ashqelon, isn’t there?”

Last week at the bazaar, my friend had a realization as we searched for garlic cloves.
“It’s kind of weird being here, isn’t it?”“What?”
“Well, a few days ago they caught a man trying to escape from Gaza with bombs. He said he was going to blow up a public place in Be’er Sheva. I guess this would be it.”
“Oh. Yeah. Good thing they caught him. Mind if I stop and get tomatoes?”

In ulpan a few days ago, our class froze when we heard a loud explosion accompanied by the ground rumbling beneath us. The teacher continued, obviously un-phased by the interruption. The rest of us glanced around with nervous curiosity. “Should we go to the bomb shelter?” “No,” she replied. “We study Hebrew.” We sank back into our chairs, pretending to concentrate on the lesson as we tossed all possibilities around in our minds. Class proceeded as normal.
[Footnote: Someone informed us later that the sound was not actually a bomb, but a harmless sonic boom. (Who knew those existed outside of Mortal Kombat?) Supposedly, the rumble occurs when the Air Force jets break the sound barrier. It would have been nice for someone to have politely alerted us beforehand.]

By far the most urgent national security problem, however, concerns the almost daily Qassam rocket attacks launched on the town of Sderot, near the Gaza border. Around the day we began ulpan, a rocket hit beside a kindergarten class. An enormous portion of the town has been treated for PTSD, and much of the population is too afraid to leave their houses. In a few days, I will be joining a collective of students from around the country to help rebuild the community. We’re going to tutor kids, paint rocket shields, and generally beautify the town in any way we can to make daily life more pleasant and show national solidarity. I expect some good stories to come of it, so I’ll post an update when it’s over.

The reason I mention all these things is not to give the impression that Israel is a dangerous place, nor that I’m suicidal for being here. I simply want to emphasize the extent to which living here requires a logical outlook and a sense of humor. M16s are as common an accessory as backpacks. Every few days, something somewhere blows up or gets shot. But to worry too much about such things would be futile and irrational. After all, the number of deaths by terrorism still pales in comparison to the number of lives claimed by car accidents, yet no one thinks twice before going for a drive. Sure some hint of danger is close, but if it’s not close enough to duck, then it’s not close enough to panic. And if I wanted to live in a box, I would have gone to Kenosha.