June 26, 2007

Tammuz 10, 5767

           

Israel, Day 6

Northern Exposure

 
Today, we woke up from a restful sleep at Kibbutz Ha’on and set off for a mystery destination surrounded by fields and met up with the elusive General YaYa. He told us stories of his past, and how he became a high ranking official in the Israeli army. He also informed us of his opinions on the second Lebanese War which occurred last summer, saying that he thought that it was fought very poorly. We talked about the kidnapping of the two Israeli soldiers and how it related to our own war in Iraq. General YaYa told us how you shouldn’t just retaliate like President Bush did but that you should try to negotiate and spare precious lives. General YaYa fought in four wars total: The Six Day War, The Yom Kippur War, The First Lebanese War and The War of Attrition. He mused that once you have fought on the field of battle you are much less willing to bring on a war. He told us that since he has a background in war he knows better then any civilian the consequences and understands that you should try to make peace not war. A very important quote that he said was “We fight only when the danger is worse than the war.” General YaYa told us how he never planned a career in the army and only wanted to finish his three years of service then go to school. He told us how everyone told him to keep training more and more, raising his rank. He was a strong leader and he explained how that changed his life and eventually made him a great war hero. He told us about his children, grandchildren and his philosophies about life. Anna told about her commitment statement, and gave the General a gift from the Fellowship. I was inspired.
 
After that we made a quick stop at a shopping center on our way to our next activity. Here we had a chance to visit a diamond factory outlet which was an amazing experience for all the girls, but probably a bit more boring for the guys. We also had a chance to eat, which as you may expect, we all enjoy greatly, falafel, and ice cream.
 
Our next stop was Mount Bental which overlooks Syria and Lebanon. We learned about the Yom Kippur War and we were able to look down upon the Valley of Tears and the Golan Heights, both critical sites in the war. We then went to Oz 77 and saw an emotional movie about the war and the 77th battalion. The movie told stories of the war from men in that division, as they reflected about it 30 years later. We then walked through an abandoned bunker that is now used to show the makeup and style of bunkers used during the war. When you walk through you can see the bunks, kitchens, tunnels, and places to shoot out of.  On the way back to the bus we passed through a sculpture garden, in which all the sculptures were made from recycled tank parts.
 
We then met an Israeli border patrol officer and toured a working army base which protects the Lebanese-Israeli border. We all got to take pictures in the tanks and vehicles, but of course we were not allowed to touch any of the weapons/artillery. Then we got to tour the border patrol bunker. It was an amazing experience.
 
The Jordan River was our last stop before returning to the Kibbutz. We divided ourselves into groups of 2, 5, or 6 people. We either kayaked or rafted down the river for approximately 2 hours depending on the number of people, skill of rafting, and general ability. Funnily enough the groups of 2 beat all the bigger groups to the end.
 
After dinner we headed down to the beach for some late night relaxation time in the fresh waters of the Kinneret.  We were lucky to have the opportunity to meet Hela, a seventeen year old American-Israeli who lived here during the “bizarre” Lebanese War of last summer. She shared with us her very moving story about how her life changed during the war. She also told us about how the North and the rest of Israel seemed like different countries but the rest of the country accepted the “homeless” Northerners. Her story was very powerful, and since she was our age, it was easy to relate to her. After the group session was finished, Hela trained us in pre-army boot camp. She taught us the basic things that all Israeli teens learn about to prepare for the real army. We ended up playing games and deepening our friendships and respect for one another.
 
Love,
Jess Johnson and Jen Ehlers