So…those emails. People are wondering if it’s safe to come now. Students are wondering if they should. Others are inquiring about whether there will be a fall semester at IBEX. Here’s how I see it:
Hezbollah has shot off some thousand rockets to this point. The Israeli air force has destroyed who knows how many more. The terrorists’ ability to strike Israel is much more difficult now because of the destroyed bridges and cleared strip near Lebanon’s southern border. Many Hezbollah members are dead (yes, some of those “civilian” deaths are actually terrorists; remember that terrorists don’t wear name tags), and others will die as Israel’s campaign continues. Israel is saying, and I believe them, that they won’t stop until Hezbollah’s ability to attack is destroyed or greatly reduced.
Therefore, Israel will be much safer and you should come. Before this offensive, there were 13,000 missiles aimed at Israel, but few thought it dangerous to come (as attested by the hoards of tourists here this summer). Why it is suddenly more dangerous now that there are fewer rockets aimed at Israel? You certainly can’t say that now we know that Hezbollah is a terrorist organization, willing to destroy innocent lives. We’ve known that all along (I actually wrote a research paper on Hezbollah in 1990; the teacher gave me a B- in the class; I suspect he was a Hezbollah sympathizer). Really – there is no doubt in anyone’s mind here that Israel will be much safer after this campaign than before. Hezbollah just gave Israel the necessary incentive to give them their “just rewards.” Just as al-Qaeda finally motivated the U.S. to action with 9/11.
The curious reality is that while the snake is alive but quiet, everyone is happy and merry, convinced of their safety. But when the snake is being systematically hacked to bits, everyone freaks out.
Thanks for your thoughts, Todd. I have to admit the thought crossed my mind about whether IBEX would resume as all of this began to stir up. Thanks for keeping this regularly updated. I enjoy your blogs. :)
Of course, won’t IBEX need to rearrange the schedule a bit? What about Haifa, Tiberias, Northern Israel, and all the time spent up there?
I agree that Israel probably is much safer than the media wants to point out. The media also fails to mention that Lebanon was a fairly dangerous place even before last week.
I just want to know what Dave Dolan would think. What’s happening now and what the UK, UN, and the international community are planning sounds like something straight out of his novel.
Hi Todd,
You don’t know me yet, but hopefully you will soon; I’m signed up to come to IBEX this fall. :-)Thank you so much for giving your perspective on the situation over there–it’s very reassuring.
In response to brian said…, I’m not too sure IBEX would really need to rearrange its schedule. By the time students arrive & actually have their Galilee trip the northern border crisis will be long over, Nasrallah will be dead (we hope) and Hezbollah’s entire infrastructure will have been dismantled.
Perhaps Todd could give us a thorough comparison of the US media vs. the international/Israeli media in the coming days.
I’d say certain parts of Israel are safer than others — like Jerusalem, but it’s still pretty bad in the north. Yet, not bad enough that people continue to sleep in their homes at night…at least until rockets start falling through their roofs.
Good point Sara. Hopefully it will be all worked out in the coming weeks and IBEX will have a perfectly normal semester. I wouldn’t have any issue going there right now.
I think people fail to realize just how safe Israel is, aside from the places were tourists normally wouldn’t go to begin with. Obviously it’s probably not a good time for a vacation in Haifa or Galilee, though you wouldn’t have to find the crowds at the lake.
The scary scenario is if Hezbollah starts launching further into Israel towards Tel Aviv and West Jerusalem. The rockets hitting Haifa are being launched from areas closer to Beirut. The belief is that if these missiles were moved closer to the border they could aim for targets deper in Israel. CNN had a good report earlier on how difficult a land invasion would be, given the terrain of Lebanon and the risks of going into villages (think “Black Hawk Down” and think Iraqi insurgents). However, Israel knows what it is doing and will do all it can to eliminate the insurgency.
I really appreciated your comment on some of the civilian casualties actually being terrorists and your pointing out that “terrorists don’t wear name tags”. I think more Americans need to hear and consider this. I have been hearing so much talk of unproportionate response on Israel’s part and I see pictures of harmed Lebanese children all over the news. There are quotes from Lebanese men who say I am just a normal citizen who was attacked. American Press makes Israel out to be a monster attacking civilians when, in fact, Israel is one of the countries who uses its intelligence so well to target their enemies infrastructure in an attempt to avoid civilian casualties. Knowing this about Israel makes me wonder if those men, who claim so loudly for the reporters that they were ordinary citizens in the wrong place when an Israeli strike occurred, were not actually terrorists. I know that civilians in Lebanon will be harmed and killed, but Hezbollah is not discriminating at all about where it strikes in Israel.
Todd, thanks for the reality check. It’s always good to remember to listen the media outpour with a discerning ear and watchful eye. Appreciate your stable thoughts and perspective, as everything we hear on this end sounds dismal.
Thanks for keeping it real! =)
Thanks Todd, everyone else pretty much summed up anything I would have to say, except that the snake picture was a nice touch.
Ruth
ps. although I’d love to be in Israel right now, my dad was glad that I had gone earlier in the year.