...but is it safe?

I wanted to wait a few days before writing this post, while I may be an insensitive jerk at times, I am not a complete ass.
Is it safe where you live?  Aren't you worried?  These are the questions that are asked to every settler, but I find that Olim are asked them more often. People make assumptions about the areas of Judea and Samaria based on third hand stories reported on CNN and their own over active imaginations.
The truth is that I find myself asking that question to my American friends as often as they ask me.  Here, we have armed guards and metal detectors at the malls, train stations, restaurants, and schools.  I carry a gun everywhere I go.  You see soldiers, both on and off duty, with rifles strapped to their backs in the streets.  Police have the right to stop and search you if you look suspicious.  Security and vigilance are visible everywhere you go.
In America, everything is open.  Mall security are not armed, and are there to prevent shoplifting and vandalism.  There are whole States that prevent me from carrying a firearm for self-defense.  Soldiers don't patrol the streets.  Schools that want metal detectors put in are subject to all sorts of criticism.  There is a generally relaxed attitude toward the security situation. 
It is an interesting dichotomy.  Here in Israel it may appear more like a police state than an open democracy, but the truth is, we are talking about perceptions rather than realities.  The fact that we have soldiers on the streets and bag searches at mall entrances allows us to breath easier and have a better appreciation for the freedoms that we have.
When we went on a picnic in Tel Aviv over the Pesach holiday the police suddenly came and evacuated the area.  It seemed that a unattended bag was seen in the area.  Very quickly, the area was sealed off, and the bomb squad showed up to check it out, and if they were not sure about it, destroy it.  Right before the bomb squad did their thing, the bag's owner came running in apologizing for forgetting his cooler bag.  The fact is that this whole situation happened because the average person here is vigilant Someone saw a bag sitting alone, and instead of ignoring it, decided that it's better to be safe than sorry, even at the cost of a minor inconvenience.   Sure, you could say that we have all those things because we need the extra security, but after recent events, can you honestly say that you don't need the same security.  It has become obvious that terrorists may call the Middle East home, but they are definitely willing to commute for work.  There is no longer such a thing as a place that is immune from attack or violent action, only protected from them. It is an unfortunate fact, that the average American needs to learn to be just as vigilant. 
I find this ironic in light of the violent crime rates.  The US far outranks Israel in both violent crime and firearm related crime rates.  Here in Israel, certainly in my hometown, I have very little concern letting my children run around the neighborhood.  MiniMe is spending his afternoons hunting down loose wood and fallen trees for his upcoming Lag Baomer bonfire.  Princess can go down the block to her friend's house unsupervised, and if she goes any farther, she just needs to call us.  Even Curly Sue and Little Red can play by themselves in the front yard.  When visiting my parents, who live in a nice quiet suburb in the US, we won't even let MiniMe play unsupervised in the back yard.  They certainly can't run ahead in the mall or stay with the shopping cart in line at the grocery store while I grab something I forgot from the refrigerator section.   Here the average gun-carrying citizen is not carrying because of fear of being mugged or raped, but I do believe that because the average person could be carrying, there is less of a chance that a criminal will attept to mug or rape someone.
I am not saying that it is all rainbows and unicorns here, but we here in Israel, and certainly in the communities of Judea and Samaria are aware of that and protect ourselves accordingly, thus allowing ourselves and children the freedom we enjoy.
We Settlers stand in solidarity with the victims of the bombing in Boston, but at the same time, I do need to ask, when will you come home?  Here instead of feeling safe and secure, you can be safe and secure.  Until then, stay safe.

Rememberance Day

Last night, at 8 pm, as I stood in the emergency room with Little Red (story for another time), the siren sounded, signaling the start of Rememberance Day for the fallen heroes that defended the Jewish Homeland. Everyone, young and old, religious and secular, stood silent for one minute, to commemorate those who no longer stand amongst us. I have had few religious experiences more touching and profound, than the minute or two a year, when we all stand together, paying our respects to all the soldiers who gave the ultimate sacrifice, so that people they never knew or would never know could live out our lives as full Jews in the Jewish homeland.
As an oleh who was not given the chance to serve, I am deeply moved by the somberness and unity of the day. It's a day of reflection and paying respect to our brothers and sisters who were killed in the line of duty. Television and radio stations forgo their usual drivel to tell the stories of each of these heroes. As someone who grew up with Memorial Day as a day of picnics and sales, it really puts things in perspective. We have a chance to see what is important, and it gives a little more insight into another unique feature of Israeli society, the central role of family life. Here, family is in all aspects put first. The day of the birth of your child is a paid vacation day. Women are given by law 3 months paid maternity leave, with the option of taking another 3 months unpaid. A Brit is a perfectly legitimate excuse for being late to work. Employers expect that you will use all of your vacation days. For most of the country, Friday night is family time. I could go on and on, but my point is, with so many families being incomplete, with so many who have lost someone in defense of our Home, everyone understands, accepts and expects that time spent with the family is to be cherished. This is one of the beautiful things about having Independence Day immediately following Memorial Day. First we pay our respects to those that gave their lives for ours, and acknowledge the sacrifice and loss of the family left behind, then we move on to family celebrations of the fact that their sacrifice was not in vain. Life here continues, families grow, and we continue to stand tall, as Light Unto the Nations, and the fulfillment of G-D's promise to our forefathers.
So tonight, as we cross the threshold of 65 years of independence, and the continuing of the fulfillment of G-D's promise to "return His sons to their borders," I will hug my children a little tighter, knowing that I owe thanks to G-D and and all the families of this wonderful country for the opportunity to be a part of the great family of the nation of Israel. I will silently pray, as we watch the flag rise and the fireworks explode above us, that in the coming year, our greater family of the nation of Israel from Eilat to Karzrin, and from Tel Aviv to Talmon are able to be just slightly less dysfunctional, and that we should be able to celebrate each other's successes, as well as our collective ones, together, as a family. May our national family know no new suffering, and may we see our greater family grow and expand, both through natural growth, and our long lost family overseas finding their way home.

Assisted Living

One of the many benefits of living in a small community like ours, is how everyone watches out for each other.
For example, this past Sunday, Erev chag, my wife woke up with an incapacitating headache which we later found out was caused by a bad sinus infection. While on a normal day, her being out of commission would be bad, on Erev chag, with her entire family over by us for 2 weeks, putting me in charge of parenting and cooking and cleaning for chag is 4 horsemen of the apacolypse level bad. To start with cooking is more my wife's realm of the kitchen, I generally just handle the eating. Plus, I find that normal humans are capable of either parenting or cleaning, but trying to mix the 2 is like saying "I like mentos, I like diet coke, I think I'll relax on the couch with a mentos-diet coke cocktail." All you end up with is a frustrating mess. My wife, being part Superwoman and part Jedi, is able to balance cooking, cleaning and childcare all at once. So even when she is feeling under the weather and needs some help, it's generally with just one of those things. This is how I knew she was really sick, when she actually thought that I could somehow actually fill in for her rather than the usual additional assistance that I provide.
This is one of those moments that separates the men from the boys, will I seize the moment, or crack under the pressure? Failure wasn't an option, So I did what any man would do, I panicked and let his friends and neighbors bail him out. Curly Sue went to a neighbor for the morning, another friend sent over a potato kugel so I wouldn't need to actually try to make a non-meat dish. Mini-Me took Princess and Little Red out to the front yard and somehow kept them out of the house long enough for me to put up chicken soup and corned beef and clean the kitchen. I am not sure how MiniMe kept them busy, although I know he didn't tie them to the tree, I can see it from the kitchen window. Thanks to friends and a very resourceful 8 year old, chag would go on in the Evillsettler home.
However that is not the end of neighborly help that we received that day. Later in the day, our neighbor, the nurse, took time out of her day to stop and and check on my wife. After seeing how she was doing, as chag was starting, she had our local doctor confirm that she was suffering from a sinus infection, who then prescribed an antibiotic that one of our neighbors had in their house, so she could start on it right away. Both the doctor and nurse came back the next day to check on her.
The most amazing part of the story is the fact that this story is not unique. That's the kind of place I live in. If you need help, your neighbor will be there lending a hand. If you're running late, of course your kids can come over until you get home. Doing yard work? Not only will your neighbor gladly lend you his yard tools, but he will be happy to lend a hand digging as well. I could go on and on, but the point is that I am blessed to be living in a place where helping each other is a way of life, not just through the many gmachim and organizations, but through every day actions and neighborly interactions. While I understand small settlement life is not for everyone, it's times like these that I feel a little bad for those who say it's not for them, they'll never be able to appreciate what they're missing. Thank you to my neighbors for helping me appreciate it.