Monday, May 30th

After spending a lovely evening in the Tel Chai Guest House, we set out for our exploration of northern Israel. We stopped at lookouts and key sites that exemplify Israel's relationship with its neighbors.

One of our first stops was to Kfar Giladi where a group of IDF reservists was hit and killed by a Hezbollah rocket while sleeping in a parking lot. This situation reminds me of the stories that we heard in Sderot where Hamas rockets fire without warning.  Standing in Kfar Giladi at the spot where the rocket hit, I reached a new level of understanding of the danger that Israelis face everyday.  At the spot of the attack, a memorial commemorates this unit.  Under the tree branches, still scorched with the rocket's remains but growing with new life, photos of these soldiers are planted in the ground.  Piles of rocks and small mementos lie next to their faces, honoring these brave people.

While still at the memorial, we had the unique opportunity to hear the story of one IDF soldier, Yehuda, who serves as a logistical madrich on our program.  Yehuda's tragic battle stories brought forth another understanding for me; one of the most powerful things that Yehuda shared with us was the idea of "glamorized" war.  Hollywood pairs the image of war with uplifting scores and slow motion battles, while in reality, attacks move swiftly and time marches on harshly.  Though this concept of Hollywood's glam factor may seem obvious, when watching these films and television series, we sometimes forget how many actual people fight, feel loss, and die at the expense of another country's hatred and weapons.  Young Israeli men and women must fight to protect our Jewish homeland in a way that our generation of Americans has never experienced. Hearing Yehuda's perspective on serving in the army, his fears, strength, and perseverance inspire me to fight for Israel in my own battles back on campus in the realm of anti-Israel campaigns. Israeli families live and grow in an environment that many Americans could not even imagine.  Visiting this site and hearing Yehuda's story shape an important part of the Hasbara message.  These people love their country, stick by their country, and unfortunately must fight for their country.  I thank you, Yehuda, for opening up to all seventy-five of us and allowing us to learn from your experiences.

After our visit to Kfar Giladi, we visited a series of sites from mountain tops and overlooks that allowed us to actually see how close Israel is to Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan.  As a small country, Israel remains quite visible to its neighbors, which poses a serious danger to Israel’s security.  Examining how close the Lebanese border is to the Israeli town of Metulla brought to life the serious threats and attacks that Israel receives from its neighbors.  In the Valley of Tears, where Israel almost lost against its enemies in the Yom Kippur War, beautiful mountain tops stretch across the northern border.  We also had a guest

lecturer from a member of the Foreign Ministry who further explained the details of Israel's borders.  It’s devastating and eye opening to see the beautiful mountains of northern Israel  covered with tanks planted on top of them.

Our final stop was to the Jordan Valley where we visited a memorial for seven Israeli girls who were hit by a rocket. Directly across from this simple, peaceful monument is the border to Jordan. Once again, Israel finds itself in danger from its neighbors. With the words of Yehuda, our tour guides, guest speakers and staff and the backdrop of Israel, we had an intense and informative day in northern Israel.

Culminating this exploration of Israel's relationship with its neighbors, we also had a screening of the documentary "Iranium," which examines the events and government actions leading up to modern Iran. Contrasting the eerie yet calming scenic views from the morning, this film graphically showed the violence perpetrated by the Iranian government on its people and the world.

As the day came to a close, I was able to reflect on the unique security needs of Israel, a state lacking true strategic depth. I hope to revisit Israel’s borders and one day see not tanks and armored fences, but open borders and normalized relations between Israel and her neighbors.

Carrie Topiel,

Boston University