I,
as I am sure most of my friends felt waking up this morning, had a
feeling of both sadness and anticipation. Sadness because it was our
last day in one of the holiest cities in the world, but a sense of
anticipation for the next leg in our adventure through Israel.
After
having a lovely buffet breakfast at the Prima Kings Hotel, we packed up
the bus and headed to the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs. But
before we went in, Yoni, our esteemed and well-versed tour guide, talked
to us about the importance of the Israeli Supreme Court -- especially
within a country that doesn't have a written constitution. What I found
extraordinary about the judicial process was that you didn't have to be
an Israeli citizen to have your case heard before the Court and that the
judges weren't politically appointed .
Once
we had passed through security at the Foreign Affairs Ministry, we met
with two brilliant women -- one an expert on Syria and Iran; the other
the Deputy Spokeswoman for the Ministry. The expert spoke mainly about
Iran's nuclear military ambitions -- specifically the status of their
enriched Uranium and the threat it poses to Israel's security. The
Spokeswoman talked about Israel's perception to the international
community; themes like apartheid and boycott that contribute to the
propaganda of the international arena that are against the State of
Israel.
From there, we went
to Yad Vashem, Israel's Holocaust Museum. The most striking thing about
it was its triangular shape and the video at the entrance that depicted
and animated Jewish life in Europe before this horrific event. Our tour
guide was very knowledgeable about the events that took place before,
during and after -- even sharing some of his own family's personal
experience with the Holocaust to one of our caravan participants. The
most impactful part of the museum was the library of books which
contained the names of those that lost their lives to this senseless and
inhumane tragedy -- including an empty area for names that will never
be recovered and remembered. Before we left, we met with an Auschwitz
survivor. He told us about how he lost his father, mother, and sister
and eventually lost contact with his brother before making his way to
the Promised Land. It made me appreciate the resiliency of the Jewish
people, and the fact that this man never lost faith in God was mind
blowing. As young people living in a modern western world, we can't even
begin to imagine something like the Holocaust happening to us. We lose
faith in God for the simplest of reasons -- bad breakup, bad grades, or
even just a bad day -- but the fact that this man still held his faith
after all that he was subjected to made me reevaluate my relationship
with God.
Then we departed
south to Be'er Sheva and met with a spokesperson at the Or Movement. We
learned about JNF's contributions to creating seed communities in the
Negev and Galilee. The young man giving the presentation was very
charismatic and passionate about bringing people here to fulfill the
Zionist pioneering vision of Ben-Gurion. The simple fact that one can
bring green to the desert is something that will always fascinate me,
and I am positive that these areas will witness a migration like no
other in the coming years.
That
night, we checked into a Kibbutz and had a very emotional debriefing
about the events of the day and about our own personal perspectives on
the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. I pray that one day we can find peace
for both parties. However, no radical religious philosophy in the form
of a political party that inhibits democratic progress and the
protection of basic fundamental human rights should ever be given
legitimacy and sovereignty.
By: Trevor Myers
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