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When Hamas first sent rockets into Israel, and we heard Israel retaliated, it seemed far away. I know in my head that I'm 26 miles from Gaza, but reading about it in the newspaper here is almost identical to reading about it a newspaper from the US. But day by day, the realization that I'm so close to the fighting gets more and more vivid.
We're located right next to 2 army bases. Starting when the attacks began, we could hear Israeli planes flying overhead and rattling our walls. Again, in my mind, I knew that the planes were headed to Gaza, but they sounded like any other type of plane in any other airport-adjacent place in the world.
Yesterday, we learned that 25 families would be arriving at Revivim from Kibbutzim closer to Gaza. They're supposed to get here today.
Since we started hearing about all of this, everyone's been talking about it. It reminds me of the way people were talking about 9-11 right after it happened. Everyone has an opinion and it's on everyone's mind. But most of what we're talking about is speculation over what will happen next. To try and stay well-informed and unbiased, I've been reading The New York Times, an Israeli newspaper (HaAretz or J Post), and Al Jazeera. Surprisingly, I've found that the US based papers (especially CNN) tend to be the MOST biased. HaAretz usually has all the facts that either of the other papers mention, although it obviously mentions them in a different way. Al Jazeera has it's own spin, but it doesn't seem to be spun as much as CNN, which just leaves out major details and facts that don't support the US or Israel.
Today, the conflict got a whole lot closer. I was working in the laundry room as usual, and we heard this giant boom. The doors all slammed. My first thought was "that has to have been a bomb." I jumped about a foot in the air. The managers of the laundry, Dafna and Leslie, quickly reassured us that it was not a bomb, but in fact an airplane breaking the sound barrier. It's since happened several more times, and I jump every time. It makes this all seem real. Many of the other people from my program were really freaked out about the sounds. I'm still confident that I'm safe here, but it sort of makes everything seem closer to home... or as close to home as it actually is. I was planning to go into Tel Aviv for my birthday, but for a number of reasons, I'm not now. I think I'll be hanging out on good ol' Revivm for quite a while. I'm sure I'd be fine going into Be'er Sheva or Tel Aviv, but I'll avoid it just the same.
I'm hoping that Israel can succeed in weakening Hamas to the point where Hamas lose power. They are horrifically oppressive to their own people. Abbas, the Palestinian President in the West Bank has said that his party has the resources to retake control of Gaza, if the situation arrises. Abbas has been fairly successful in the West Bank, which seems to be moving toward the closest thing to lasting peace we've seen. Of course, it's not that simple, but from my shallow and basic understanding of the current situation, I think that would be a step in the right direction.
I hope you are all doing well! I miss everyone from home so much!
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3 comments:
Your description of the accuracy of the various media sources is fascinating. I think I may start reading sources in addition to the NY Times and CNN. The blogs do sometimes link to the other sources you mention, but I may start reading them more systematically. At this start of the new year, "peace on Earth," takes on a sharper meaning for me. I am glad you are safe. I am sorry that I won't be with you on your birthday, but I do hope you have a wonderful one. I will be thinking of you all day, and with you in spirit.
You wanted travel adventures, and you certainly are getting them! Rachel Maddow reported last night that Sunni Arab governments (Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan) have implicitly given Israel the go-ahead to take out Hammas, which is supported by Iran and Hezbollah (i.e., by Shia Muslims). If all of that is true -- and it seems to fit the diplomatic facts -- this war is also very much about the conflicts within the Arab world (as well as about the upcoming Israeli elections). It must be quite fascinating (and more than a bit scary) to be so close to all of this violence and turmoil. We will of course be thinking about you on your birthday tomorrow.
Correct me if I'm wrong, I haven't heard anything in a while, but Hamas as a political party is the controlling party of the PLO government, is it not? At least on that level it sounds like someone coming and trying to wipe out....the Republicans in the US. Except that they don't bomb things. At least not quite so openly and without a cover story.
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