Should I Be Worried?

I get a lot of different reactions when I say "Israel" in response to "Where are you going on vacation?" Today someone actually said half seriously, "I hope I don't hear about you on the news." That made me pause and think.

The Middle East has been an area of unrest for decades. To those who live there it is simply a way of life. They look somewhat suspiciously at every new person who steps on the bus. They often get off at the next stop if something doesn't seem right.

This will be my fourth trip to Israel. I must say that I have never felt afraid, not ever. There are soldiers and police in evidence everywhere. People smoke more than they do here. But otherwise, the anxiety level is not obvious.

Going through security at Ben Gurion Airport quickly conveys just how serious Israel is about keeping the country safe. They are masters at just looking at a person and knowing if that person could even possibly be a terrorist. You see, they have had a lot of experience in dealing with terrorists. There are so many more foiled attempts than we ever hear about in the news.

Every Israeli has stories to tell – stories of wars, stories of buses blown up, stories of narrow escapes. But most of us who visit never see any of those things. We ride around in our own bus, where we know just who belongs. We don't go to places that are known to be dangerous. We are spared sending our children into their mandatory service in the Israeli Army. We are just tourists. We are not the obvious target of those who would like to push the Israelis into the sea.

Shalom.