Relax folks
I am on the coal face on a stable front line - I have never said anything differently - I am on a one year - now probably extended to two year - unacommpanied tour of duty. If I go home this summer I already know I am to go to Afghanistan in the following March
Our existence here can be austere and we do have times when food and drink of any quality are hard to find - but it is a very challengng and enjoyable job.
We only lose people over here about once every two years to three years - Israelis killed the last Canadian here about three years ago. Actually a pretty high death rate when you consider that only 8 of us serve here. But it is relatively quiet - nice after being in some of the places I have been in the past.
I do not have multiple degrees and I do not have 40 years of study.
All I have are the front line discussions with IDF troops up to relatively high rank as well as the other two sides
I also have the opportunity to either be briefed on or listen to a few of the not so friendy "sub organizations"
Despite the peace that is here - there is a strong underlying current ignored by many in your part of the world - and in fact often dismissed by the international community - read EU and America.
And yes - the attitude here is one of there are 250 million of them and only 7.4 million of us.
Any time it is mentioned - not only here but another board I post on - the reaction to the statement I made is always the same - and almost always it is the same type of people who make it - educated and / or American.
Essentially it is "Peace has broken out all over the middle east and Israel is not at risk" and "The arab nations are not ALL like that."
Peace here is very fragile and very prone to be voliatile. However there are those who would have you believe peace will break out in any moment. I wish. I see what happens and I do not for one moment believe the diplomats who are insulated and isolated.
It is almost always followed by the Syria will soon be at peace and there is love in the air. There are things I cannot write here that would make any military man understand that final peace is not imminent - but there is hope and that is why we continue to do what we do and have done so here for more than 40 years - what we do right now is an accepted peace package by both sides.
In the end - if you had been fighting for your existance for the past 60 years - and often on a daily basis you were at the brink of complete destruction - and you now had a fairly stout deterrent - would you let a president from another coutry MAKE you throw it away?
In the end that is and was the question.
This country is changing and it is no longer really what the old guard and the academics thought it was. It is becoming a country that will stand on it's own.
It is coming to realize the U.S. of A. is not the close friend it used to be - it is fast becoming only an acquaintance - and that IS a big topic of discussion on the street - "Can the U.S. be trusted?"
If Israel falls it will bring a large part of the world with it.
Peace would be great. I do not expect it in my time here. I distrust the politician and the academic that will happily sit there and tell us all how we guys on the ground are doing a great job - but "we know and you do not".
Otherwise life is grand and the bus tours are running. Both sides today are exercising and the sounds are quite loud.
But, I am only a lowly soldier - what do I know?
I am today - as in all days - along with my team of 10 people - now from 10 different countries - simply the meat in an international sandwich.
So - my answer - if I was a Jew has not changed - it would be "F**K you!"
Regards
BC