Shalom All,

I see them every morning as I pass the checkpoint on my way from Maccabim to Jerusalem. They're young, 18, 20 years old, fresh out of highschool, children in uniform. They have to make sure that every car passing by is safe, and they know that they might be the first to pay the ultimate price if it isn't - and many times, it isn't. Behind every suicide bomber that horrifically succeeds getting through, there are more than 20 others that are stopped by our uniformed children - children that have to grow up fast, children that the uniform they are wearing makes us sometimes forget how young they actually are.

But they stand there and do their job, because they know there is no other choice right now. Many times we think, how do they do it? What is the impact on their thoughts, their souls? Their integrity and values? This week, I saw one of the answers. Unfortunately, those of us who base their knowledge on the media didn't see it, so I would like to share the scene with you.

A group of soldiers on patrol was attacked in one of the Palestinian neighborhoods, a place where more terrorists have come out of than one can count. It's a place where none of us will go to voluntarily, a place where an innocent wanderer will be (and has been!) lynched for just walking by. It's a place we must, at all times, look carefully at to make sure that it's terror doesn't spread out to our back yards.
The pictures that came through from CNN showed the usual tanks and ammunition firing at what looks like innocent civilians firing back with dull means. To an uninformed observer, our soldiers looked like a terrible, merciless Goliath.
What CNN didn't show, although they filmed it, was the following:
Lost in the middle of the battle stood an old Palestinian, walking slowly with a cane. He was utterly, completely at loss, not knowing which way to turn to stay safe, bullets and havoc surrounding him. Suddenly, an angel of mercy came to him: A young, maybe 20, maybe 22 year old Israeli soldier rushed to him, gently took the cane in one hand, held the old man's hand in the other, and slowly walked him through the fire to safety. Our soldier didn't stop to think for one minute that he himself might be killed, that his own life was placed in the mercy of the bullets around him. I guess that all he knew was that he must help this innocent old man and ensure his safety. At that moment, reality itself was erased and nothing was more important than the basic, most important Jewish value: life is sacred.
I have to admit that, watching the scene, I suddenly felt my cheeks grow wet. I couldn't help not being crazed by the fact that CNN cut out this small, unbelievable episode. It would have "changed the subject" they were trying to show.
Well, maybe this scene doesn't fit into CNN's agenda, but it sure fits into ours. As long as we have soldiers who place moral values at the top of their priorities, we still stand a chance in this crazy part of the world. It isn't the only thing we need, but it sure as hell is a great foundation.
That, even CNN can't take away.

Shabbat Shalom,
Liat

Liat