In hopes of educating Americans about the current turmoil in Israel, three Israeli students spoke at Boston University’s Hillel House yesterday, representing Israel at Heart, a larger group currently touring college campuses.
The three students, Amit Yariv, Ariel Goldsmith and Galit Shapira, discussed their personal experiences living in Israel. A common theme among the speakers was a desire for Israelis to live in peace and potentially co-exist with the Palestinians.
Shapira related her view of how “life in Israel is the same but different” as life in the United States. Shapira said she rarely goes out to crowded places or rides buses due to fear of violence and also said she cannot travel anywhere without having to show security guards the contents of her bags.
Yariv also spoke about similarities between Israelis and Americans, including the use of casual expressions such as “okay” and “duh.” While this comparison elicited a chuckle from the audience, he used it as a backdrop for his more serious message.
“There is so much in common between all of us,” Yariv said. “We share the same value for human life.”
Goldsmith just finished his three years of mandatory service in the Israeli army. His experience in Israel was unique, having moved there from Australia at the age of 10. Goldsmith said he and his family “gave up a lot to live in Jerusalem.”
Goldsmith also added a personal element by telling a poignant story about his plane trip back from vacation. Goldsmith opened up an Israeli newspaper to see “a picture of [his] next door neighbor” who had been killed in a terrorist attack a few days earlier.
After all three speakers had finished, the audience was encouraged to ask questions, which included a vast range of topics, spanning from the potential war in Iraq to Yasser Arafat to whether or not the Israelis make fun of tourists.
Goldsmith spoke about the roadblocks, saying it was “the worst thing he had to tell anyone to do.” Shapira pointed out Palestinians were killed “only as a response” to acts of terror.
A topic over which there was disagreement between the speakers was the discrepancies in the West Bank. Yariv and Shapira felt that the settlements should be removed because they are dangerous and illegal.
Goldsmith, however, said the conflict is not about territories, but is more an ideological issue.
“Arafat does not want to create a Palestinian state,” Goldsmith said. “[He wants to] rule the Israeli state.”
Goldsmith, Shapira and Yariv said they are not pursuing a military victory but rather a goal achieved through education and understanding.
“For people to co-exist peacefully they have to have a basic set of morals which to abide by,” Goldsmith said.