Kids, Water and War

Yesterday, I went on a hike in the north. On my walk through rocks and water covering my knees, I passed a family of two parents, one newborn and two kids (c. 3-6 years old). In an attempt to practice my Hebrew, I spoke to the eldest girl, asking her how her day was, where she was from, etc. She responded excitedly, telling me that she was feeling wonderful and she loved vacationing in the north. Immediately, she asked me if I was from Ashdod too. I gazed over at her parents and whispered to them “I’m sorry.” They nodded and kept their heads to the ground. No one wants this war. Or, rather, most “average” people simply don’t like the violence. As much as the population of Israel joined together in solidarity over the three kidnapped boys (or so it seems) and the Arab people over the one kidnapped boy, no one I’ve talked to wants the “revenge” to be like this. Hundreds of people are dying; thousands are without electricity; in a time when the IDF budget needs to remain high, more tourists are leaving than at any point in Israel’s recent history, which means that tax dollars are running low. Regardless of the organizations that are causing all of this pain, it’s the population that is paying the price. That’s all for now.