CDT Schwegel in Israel

On my last spring break before commissioning and active duty, I fulfilled a life long desire. I explored the country of Israel, in hopes understanding the history, the people, and the conflict behind the most prosperous nation in the Middle East and our nation’s greatest ally.

A country is defined by its people, so meeting Israelis was the primary focus of my visit. By staying off the guided tours and westernized resorts, I became immersed in a flourishing culture for the discovery of the real Israel. Although seemingly arrogant and self-centered; Israelis don’t wait in line or practice much public courtesy, once engaged in genuine conversation, most warm up quickly; delighted to talk about their country.

Having an obvious fixation with the IDF (the Israeli Defense Force), I sought to meet as many soldiers as I could. This proved effortless, as Israel has a three year period of mandatory military service for both men and women. Whether if be in a bus stop, a café, or on the Mediterranean beach, one need only glance to see clusters of green khakis. Most of the soldiers I met view their service as a duty or obligation, not a privilege like so many of us in this army. Never the less, they realize that if it were not for compulsory service, their nation would not exist.

A deep-seeded paranoia runs through Israeli blood, and although life appears normal to the untrained eye, one quickly realizes the anxiety caused by sixty years of war and terrorism. My favorite bar, Mike’s Place, a shanty on the beach of Tel Aviv, was obliterated not three years prior by a suicide bomber. The Dizengoff shopping center, three blocks from my hotel, was also rocked in a similar attack. Friends I met along my travels described the fear of riding the bus to school or sitting in a crowded café during the second Palestinian intifada from 2000-2006.

Although the suicide bombings have stopped for now, something most Israelis contribute to the construction of the security fence along the West Bank (which I was sure to check out), the hatred for Israel lives on in many of her neighbors. Upon visiting Sderot, a tiny community next to the Gaza border, I felt this animosity first hand. Although there are no military targets in the area, no less than 4,000 rockets have fallen on this otherwise tranquil town over the past six years. Although the locals thought it crazy that I visited their besieged town, their hospitality and appreciation of my interest in their struggle was heartwarming. Their only request was for me to tell America what I’d seen. CNN, they argued, was not doing a good job.

Being about the size of New Jersey, I was able to see most of the country in my eight day visit. Israel’s public transit system offers a bus or train to almost any part of the country. Other than Tel-Aviv and Sderot, I saw Massada, the Dead Sea, Jerusalem, Haifa, Nazareth, Galilee, the Golan Heights, and the River Jordan. Although the ancient and biblical history was interesting, and at times, emotionally powerful, my fondest memories of my time in Israel always revolve around the friends I made.

Whether it was the 20 year old paratrooper who was excited to be entering her first year of officer training, the elderly woman on a train from Haifa who insisted on teaching me some basic Hebrew, or the two software engineers that taught me how to drink Macabee (a popular Israeli beer) at Mike’s Place, a love of country, and the enthusiasm to share it with me was ever present throughout my travels.

I am privileged to have visited such a beautiful country and to have met so many people along the way. Both the discovery of a magnificent people, and the self discovery I gained from visiting them, are experiences I will forever hold dear and always reflect fondly upon.