Too far to worry, too near not to

August 7, 2006 - 9:12 PM by Sarah

During the last intifada, those of us in Jerusalem had the dubious “honor” of being in the middle of the conflict. Buses and cafes were blowing up, and Israelis in other areas were often too afraid to come to the capital.

Now the situation is reversed, and people from the north are fleeing toward Jerusalem. For those of us who live here, it’s an odd feeling, being anxiety-ridden about what is happening in our country, and yet not being “of” the situation.

David, an immigrant of 6 months, muses on the Jerusalemite’s inner tension between being worried, yet feeling some “survivor’s guilt” over not having an immediate reason to worry:

So here I am in Israel…half a year later in the midst of a high-intensity conflict. Or war. In Jerusalem, little has changed. New graffiti on the walls, new advertisements on the radio, a bumper sticker that says ‘We Will Win’ which looks suspiciouly like the Bank Leumi logo. Now sitting around as a civilian can not be compared to having to fight through a town of mines and booby-traps as soldiers are doing now in Bint Jbail. Reading and worrying is hardly comparable to having to flee or hide. But civilians vote, giving them a menial share of influence of what goes on and wonder if their represenatives know what they are doing or if they even have a coherent plan.

I wouldn’t mind being in New York now with friends, trying to forget what’s going on and enjoying the summer. Israeli food and coffee might be a trend in Lower Manhattan, but I have Mahane Yehuda a minute’s walk away.

I recommend reading the rest of his post, in which he discusses why the terrorism in Israel did not dissuade him from moving here.

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