What I learned being in a country with vastly different values than my own

I live in the United States, a country where terrorism-related incidents make up only a small fraction of the fatalities caused by ordinary gun crime. It seems as if a new shooting, whether at a school, theatre, or any area of public gathering, is nonchalantly broadcasted in the media and looked over as a tragedy for a few hours only to be pushed to the back of the public’s mind like the mundane crime that it is. This piece is not meant to be a rant about gun violence or some left-winged protest about the need for more restrictive gun laws, just a mere analysis of what I observed being in a country with vastly different values than my own.

This summer, I concluded a two and a half week trip to Israel. I went on birthright for ten days, and then I stayed with some family for a week. Israel is one of the most developed countries in the world, thus many aspects of the Israeli culture is similar to the western culture with which most of us are familiar. But the value that I observed which completely differentiates the Israeli tradition from the customs of other developed countries is the sense unity. A country under constant scrutiny and attack, Israel must be a single whole in order to survive. There are no battles between democrats and republicans, no dichotomy between citizens who equally share the right to call this country their home. Everyone who lives there has pride for their country regardless of who’s in charge and regardless of one’s political beliefs.

After high school, Israelis are required to serve at least two to three years in the military. Could you even imagine if this was a law in the United States? It seems outrageous to us because we don’t share that singular value with them. Many Israelis extend their service past the required time because of the pride they take serving their country. Meeting and hanging out with soldiers who are my age, at the same stage of life as me, yet already dedicating their lives to their country, made me not only appreciate my American military more, but it made me reevaluate what I am doing with my time. They are part of something bigger than themselves, and regardless of the fact that they are required to serve as citizens, the discipline, maturity, and patriotism instilled in these soldiers creates better citizens and unity as a culture. Every Israeli has fought for their country so every Israeli can relate to one another. Every Israeli has a sense of patriotism, and this singular commonality between all citizens creates a single unified country that will endure any threat to its survival.

While walking through marketplaces, malls, or any public space, it is not uncommon to see soldiers (both male and female) in their late teens to early twenties proudly walking around fully clothed in their uniforms carrying a machine gun across their shoulders. Though the media portrays Israel as a constant war zone ridden with terror, I felt safe everywhere I went knowing that, even as an American, I was being protected.

Most Israelis that I talked to were absolutely astounded by the statistics of citizen shootings in the States. To them, any act of violence is done in the name of terror. Israelis don’t shoot other Israelis. The fact that you can buy a gun in America without a license seemed ridiculous to them, and I encourage you to look at it from their point of view. Violence in Israel is used for protection, for defense only. As Americans, we should not have to fear being attacked by a fellow citizen. I should not have to be afraid of walking down a dark street by myself. We should relish in the fact that we are not constantly under direct threat from every single country that surrounds us. We must be unified as a nation, regardless of political agenda, to ensure that our nation remains one of pride and greatness. We cannot seek to destroy our fellow Americans in the name of power, greed, or lust.

I encourage any American reading this article to look at the issue from the eyes of a young Israeli soldier. Twenty-year-olds are losing their lives for their country, and here we are fighting each other from within. Americans vs Americans. There is a civil war within our country, but there is a much greater world out there. In order for our country to survive in this world, we have to learn to survive each other and unite as a single nation.