Living Between the Ceasefires |
I was talking to a neighbor in the elevator of our building the other day. In Israel these days, there’s a shorthand in our speech and mannerisms that are just understood and can be discerned quickly, in under five floors. Talking about life and our families, and the living between the ceasefires, she said, “It will never really change, so appreciate the quiet now.”
The message was clear and sound. In 78 years, we have always been attacked by one enemy or another. Today, many of them have long-range rockets, missiles and drones, the detection of which en route to do damage can send millions of people to their bomb shelters in an instant. Living through 40 days of such attacks from Iran and Hezbollah most recently, the ceasefires currently in existence are both needed and unnerving. “Appreciate the quiet now,” is sound wisdom since we cannot change the broader reality that it may and very likely will end at a moment's notice. We just don’t know when.
I have not spoken to anyone I know in recent weeks who does not want quiet. Peace? That’s elusive. Years ago, I wished a very secular relative a peaceful new year. She responded that we should not pray for things that cannot happen. This month, I connected with another relative who lives in northern Israel, where attacks from Hezbollah are still a threat. I have been concerned about her and her overall safety, but she’s used to it. She wrote, “Do you really believe that there will ever be peace with our neighbors? I don't.”
As my neighbor said, “It will never really change.”
We all want the elusive, maybe impossible peace, but we........