We Interrupt This Blog

To bring you the sobering news that it looks like Israel is on the brink of war. I'm not much into politics, but as the son and cousin of Israeli soldiers, citizens, and residents, I certainly take an interest in this.

When I was there in February, we stood on the same mountains in the Golan Heights and around Netanya that Hezbollah rockets are currently hitting. Bombing the Beirut airport is an act of agression, to be sure, but I don't see how it's any different from invading Iraq. It looks like President Bush is on the side of Israel while understandably expressing concern over the overall stability of the region. Re-invading Gaza is one thing and attacking Lebanon is another, but it sounds like Syria and Iran are one step away from being involved on a much deeper level (don't forget, they currently fund Hezbollah, a recognized terrorist organization).

On my trip, we traveled with six active-duty Israeli soldiers. I can only imagine that what they're doing now is a heck of a lot different from what I'm doing. There is talk of calling up the reserves (which all Israeli men stay in through the age of 43-45. I remember when I lived there in 1986 my dad going each month to check in with his reserve officer), so I'm also thinking about my cousin Tamir, a former tank commander who is now in medical school.