Mission offers Rhode Islanders a glimpse of Israel

It has been more than 10 years since the last Community Relations Council (CRC) sponsored mission to Israel with Rhode Island community leaders.

In November that drought ended when the CRC and the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island hosted a mission that included 13 high-profile Rhode Islanders. Its purpose was to provide an opportunity for participants to have a wide-ranging Israel experience so they could develop their own opinions about the country and share concerns with us.

Home to Christianity, Islam and Judaism, Israel is the size of New Jersey, so it is not too hard to travel through much of the country. It is a diverse state, with multiple political parties representing various demographic groups and political philosophies, often making it difficult to form a coalition that could meet the needs of its citizens, let alone satisfy international opinion.

Only by visiting Israel do we even begin to understand Israel. Tel Aviv is large, booming metropolis on the Mediterranean that has a New York City image. Jerusalem is a holy city, home to three great religions. The Sea of Galilee region is rich in biblical history with small towns throughout the region. The Golan Heights region overlooks Syria and parts of Lebanon, and offers Israel a strategic military position as well as an agricultural and commercial economy.

It does not take long for visitors to Israel to see a country where security is an everyday concern. Members of the Israel Defense Force (IDF) are on patrol almost everywhere with their guns at the ready in case of an attack on innocent civilians and tourists.

During our short visit to the Golan Heights, we heard gunfire from Syria only 3-5 miles away. ISIS was fighting al-Qaida and the Syrian government for control of a small border city.  Jets also roared over our heads as Israeli reconnaissance has become a fact of life.

At the same time, there is a sense of calm and security felt not only by the Israelis but also by the tourists. While we were told, for instance, by our guide and guard not to shop on our own and not to shop in specified areas, many of us did anyway, as we felt safe.

From our visit to Independence Hall, where David Ben-Gurion declared Israel’s independence in 1948, to a talk with the creator of the security fence and a visit to a school for wayward children,  as well as a meeting with a member of the Knesset, we learned firsthand Israel’s challenges as a country long in history and deep in political controversy.

My takeaway from the mission was that the people of Israel look forward to the day when everyone – Jew, Christian and Muslim alike – can live in peace. Perhaps the architect and engineer of the security fence said it best: “I look forward to the day when the security fence and the wall is taken down and people will be able to travel from one place to another peacefully.”

MARTY COOPER is the Community Relations Director for the Jewish Alliance.