The Letter
In the past two weeks we have dealt primarily with your role as citizens in Israel and the problems dealing with your communities and culture. We talked about discrimination, rights and ownership of land. We have spent a lot of time and effort learning about and understanding your dilemmas and issues. As individuals and as a group we have made sure to react to situations with respect, consideration and a positive temperament. Each of us has taken the time to think about what we say before we say it in order to not offend others.
Yesterday we were all listening to the lecture about the situation in the Middle East and more specifically in Israel. As a group we have come to a conclusion that the lecture was pro-Israeli in the parts that dealt with the Gazza strip and the areas around Gazza. Although the lecture was an hour, there was only about five minutes about the situation in Gazza and with in that five minutes there was a short video clip about the reality of Sderot and the surrounding Kibbutzim. This situation is OUR reality.
Although we have created wonderful friendships with all of you, it has hurt us to see that we have spent a lot of time understanding you and your stories while you have not take any time to listen to us. Many of you have rushed to state that the situation in Gazza is a justification for the reality that WE live in; this is a reality of a life threatening situation for the past eight years. We are aware of the situation of the people living in Gazza and we feel for them. A few of us live close enough to Gazza that we see the situation with our own eyes every day, whereas you only hear about it through the news and occasionally relatives. The situation in Gazza is hard and unbarable, but it does not give you the right to overlook our situation.
We are a community that lives in constant fear; going to school every morning is risking your life. Some of the class rooms at school have been converted into bomb shelters, although most of them have not; when the alarm is sounded we have 15 seconds to run for shelter. That is 15 seconds to run for you life. Jimmy Kadoshim, the father of our close friend was killed several weeks ago by a missile while working in his garden. In the following weeks three more people have been killed including a college student at our school. Oz's brothers have moved to sleep in the shelter because they are too scared to sleep in their rooms. Maayan was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress disorder (PTS) after a missile fell six meters from her. The apartment of Mai's boyfriend was destroyed by a missile. Each and every one of us has already been in a situation where a few meters made a difference between life and death.
The basic right of every human being is to live in safety, not the right to own land or have equality. You all enjoy the right to live in safety, meanwhile we do not. We feel for you when you tell us about discrimination and mistreatment of you as citizens of our country. Did you ever take a moment to think about those people you hear about in Sderot as victims? Because those people are us and you rush to disregard us. The fact that you do not take the time to understand us and our situation as people that are threatened and living in constant fear; it seems as if there is a personal offence to each and every one of us. None of us are afraid that our houses are going to be destroyed, but we are each afraid of going to school each morning. For some of us, even our home isn't safe. The fear we posses is real. The fear we feel when we walk to school or go out to play soccer is real. None of you have experienced that type of daily fear, we have been living with this fear for eight years now. The people of Gaza have these similar daily fears as we do. You with all of our difficulties in this country live here in safety, we on the other hand do not.
We feel as if none of you have considered our situation from your personal point of view as someone who lives in safety. You all reacted as if you relate to the citizens of Gazza. We don't relate to anyone; this is our life and our reality.
You haven't shown a slightest bit of respect and empathy to our situation at hand. To ignore and dismiss the danger we live in only because Gazza is more dangerous is an offensive and insulting act. This act is not JITLI. We came here to respect and be respected in return. Until now we feel as if we have put forth the respect needed and have not been given back the respect we deserve. Instead we have received undermining coments and disrespect.
Each and everyone of us and all of us as a group were insulted. This is something we feel very strongly about and do not want to let this simply pass. I hope you take into consideration everything we said and we can move on to become a stronger JITLI family that respects each and everyone of us.
Yesterday we were all listening to the lecture about the situation in the Middle East and more specifically in Israel. As a group we have come to a conclusion that the lecture was pro-Israeli in the parts that dealt with the Gazza strip and the areas around Gazza. Although the lecture was an hour, there was only about five minutes about the situation in Gazza and with in that five minutes there was a short video clip about the reality of Sderot and the surrounding Kibbutzim. This situation is OUR reality.
Although we have created wonderful friendships with all of you, it has hurt us to see that we have spent a lot of time understanding you and your stories while you have not take any time to listen to us. Many of you have rushed to state that the situation in Gazza is a justification for the reality that WE live in; this is a reality of a life threatening situation for the past eight years. We are aware of the situation of the people living in Gazza and we feel for them. A few of us live close enough to Gazza that we see the situation with our own eyes every day, whereas you only hear about it through the news and occasionally relatives. The situation in Gazza is hard and unbarable, but it does not give you the right to overlook our situation.
We are a community that lives in constant fear; going to school every morning is risking your life. Some of the class rooms at school have been converted into bomb shelters, although most of them have not; when the alarm is sounded we have 15 seconds to run for shelter. That is 15 seconds to run for you life. Jimmy Kadoshim, the father of our close friend was killed several weeks ago by a missile while working in his garden. In the following weeks three more people have been killed including a college student at our school. Oz's brothers have moved to sleep in the shelter because they are too scared to sleep in their rooms. Maayan was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress disorder (PTS) after a missile fell six meters from her. The apartment of Mai's boyfriend was destroyed by a missile. Each and every one of us has already been in a situation where a few meters made a difference between life and death.
The basic right of every human being is to live in safety, not the right to own land or have equality. You all enjoy the right to live in safety, meanwhile we do not. We feel for you when you tell us about discrimination and mistreatment of you as citizens of our country. Did you ever take a moment to think about those people you hear about in Sderot as victims? Because those people are us and you rush to disregard us. The fact that you do not take the time to understand us and our situation as people that are threatened and living in constant fear; it seems as if there is a personal offence to each and every one of us. None of us are afraid that our houses are going to be destroyed, but we are each afraid of going to school each morning. For some of us, even our home isn't safe. The fear we posses is real. The fear we feel when we walk to school or go out to play soccer is real. None of you have experienced that type of daily fear, we have been living with this fear for eight years now. The people of Gaza have these similar daily fears as we do. You with all of our difficulties in this country live here in safety, we on the other hand do not.
We feel as if none of you have considered our situation from your personal point of view as someone who lives in safety. You all reacted as if you relate to the citizens of Gazza. We don't relate to anyone; this is our life and our reality.
You haven't shown a slightest bit of respect and empathy to our situation at hand. To ignore and dismiss the danger we live in only because Gazza is more dangerous is an offensive and insulting act. This act is not JITLI. We came here to respect and be respected in return. Until now we feel as if we have put forth the respect needed and have not been given back the respect we deserve. Instead we have received undermining coments and disrespect.
Each and everyone of us and all of us as a group were insulted. This is something we feel very strongly about and do not want to let this simply pass. I hope you take into consideration everything we said and we can move on to become a stronger JITLI family that respects each and everyone of us.
How to create more sympathy empathy kindness and love in such intense trip???
Itzik koren
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