Fear. Today it seems like everyone is living in fear. Fearing for those affected by the devastating terrorist attacks in Paris, fearing for those threatened by the political turmoil at Mizzou, fearing for our own safety. But let us not forget about those in Israel; those who are living in incessant fear every single day. Terrorist attacks have been a part of Israel’s reality since the establishment of the country, each day unfortunately becoming more and more alarming. What’s going on in Israel is not just a threat to those who live there, it is a threat that extends internationally and should concern all of humanity. The people of Israel are burdened by constant paranoia, living in a world where ambulance sirens are just background noise.
Israeli writer and political analyst, Judith Bergman, wrote in the Israeli daily Israel Hayom, “Every time the world is hit by mass terrorism, Israel hopes that the world community will finally understand Israel’s predicament. It hoped so after 9/11, the Madrid bombings in 2004, the London bombings in 2005, and even after the Charlie Hebdo massacre last January. However, that understanding is just not forthcoming.”
This is not an attempt to minimize the other terror attacks around the world, rather to make sure that the public does not brush off the daily attacks occurring in Israel, no matter how heartbreakingly frequent they are becoming. What kind of world do we live in where a day without a stabbing is a blessing?
Overshadowed by photos from the weekend and reposts of vines, news fills my timeline: Couple walking back from the Western Wall, killed. 13 year old Israeli boy riding his bicycle,stabbed and killed. Everyday, I scroll in hope of never seeing one again, until arriving to the bone-chilling news that Ezra Schwartz, an American teen studying in Israel for the year, became a victim in these horrible terror attacks. This news hit me especially hard because it made me think of my family in Israel, as well as all of my friends who are currently studying in Israel for the year. My heart goes out to his friends and family.
I ask that you take a moment to think about and pray for those who consider lockdowns second nature, who are putting their lives at risk by taking a trip to the supermarket, those who are living in this harsh reality.
