EL MIRADOR

Ethan and Hannah were victims of my hurling hundreds of questions at them. Up until that point, I had met dozens of Israelis, but somehow, it felt like they were there and I was here. I thought English to a few who’d come to Malta to learn, and I slept with a few of them too, but that was pretty much it. However, much to my surprise ever since I had started travelling, I was experiencing the same thing over and over – being repeatedly stopped by them thinking I was one of their people, gravely disappointing every one of them the second I’d reveal the bitter truth about my nationality.

And so, I asked Ethan what’s up with that. He said it’s mostly a language thing, that they usually speak mostly in Hebrew and that most aren’t as fluent in English. Add to the list that most of them travel with their friends before or after they’re conscripted into military duty, often choosing to enjoy each other’s company instead of mingling with other tourists. Perhaps naïvely, I asked whether it might have had to do with their people’s history. To this, he replied that whilst there are still some Israelis who do indeed still harbour some form of resentment towards outsiders, it is mostly confined to the older generation who’ve been through hell and back themselves or had relatives of their own that were directly or indirectly affected by WWII. He also added that whilst they might still hold a grudge, no one would actually act upon it – save for those few who just use it as an excuse to do whatever they want.   

I prodded them a bit more on the military situation, having heard much about it but never from Israelis themselves. Once they’re eighteen, Hannah asserted, it is mandatory for them to serve military duty – three years for guys and two for gals. Military duty, they told me, can involve anything from logistics to cooking, from active duty to IT. Ethan served in active duty, with basic training lasting around eight months, whilst Hannah was involved in teaching geography as part of the educational sector where they teach military staff who never had the opportunity to graduate. After this, some go on to do Master’s programmes offered by the army in order to guarantee them a job, whilst other take time off to go abroad – experiencing new cultures and travelling around the world.

Then we moved on to war. The political turmoil, they explained, stems from the rich and noble Arabs who fled Palestine to seek more riches elsewhere, leaving the destitute ones behind who live there till this very day and want their own independence despite the area being occupied by Israelis. Much of the conflict is based around a region next to the Mediterranean called West Bank. Here, there are areas that are controlled solely by the Palestinian State, others which share joint control and others which are fully controlled by Israel. Free-flow between the State of Palestine and Israel is prohibited; with Palestinians being seen as a threat to Israelis. This, according to Ethan, is mostly so the people don’t mix and people are kept ignorant of each other’s’ similarities; thus perpetuating the war – an apartheid in and of itself.

In attempts to avoid conflict, the Israeli government has, on many an occasion, tried (and failed) to evict its people from the Palestinian territory at a huge financial and personal cost. Incorporating the Arabs living there into the country is another no-go as that would give the latter majority votes in parliament. As such, the conflict is still ongoing, with around two thirds of the population being right wing. The fact that the Israeli Prime Minister was elected despite four pending court cases (whilst unable to be elected as just a minister because of this), doesn’t help the situation either.

Ethan, at the ripe and tender age of eighteen, an age where most of us were mostly concerned with getting laid, was drafted as a combat soldier in West Bank, along with some other forty soldiers in his unit. He was, on most days, stationed at the border where a long line of people would be crossing between different states, mostly to commute for work. Here, he said, people would wait for hours on end in order to cross, with Palestinians undergoing more scrutiny than what would otherwise necessary. On most occasions, his days at the border were uneventful, but sometimes, he would have to deal with Palestinians throwing rocks from over a bridge onto oncoming traffic (whose fortified steel cars are unaffected), or, if a certain person is suspected of carrying firearms, they’d have to participate in night raids where they’d plunder their entire house in search for weapons. This, he recalls, was one of the worst experiences as they would have to make a show of power, usually humiliating the man; who, in their culture, is the keystone of the family, and terrorise their wife and kids – a trauma they’ll surely carry with them for the rest of their lives.

Back when he was conscripted, Jonathan considered himself right-wing and in favour of the war against the State of Palestine, having grown up indoctrinated by his country and family; with his own grandfather being involved in the war for Israel’s independence. In fact, he did his job with pride and, he admitted, he liked the adrenaline and the feeling of power. After his duty to the country was done, he started travelling and encountering people from all over the world, which slowly started to change his mind. Whilst studying in Jerusalem, he came to the conclusion that people, no matter where they come from, are all essentially the same – they want a peaceful life, they want to work and earn a living and maintain their families and pursue their goals, that’s it.