After discussing the Lebanon border, we traveled to the Golan Heights, where we viewed the Syrian border. Although 80 percent of the Syrian population is Sunni, the Alawites have been in control of the government for the past few decades. As a result, there has been great tension, as the Alawites are the most powerful even though they make up only 11 percent of the population. This tension has escalated particularly in the last few years, as over 200,000 people have been killed in the Syrian revolution. However, the Syrians tend to have an indifferent attitude towards the hundreds of thousands of deaths. This mindset starkly contrasts that of Israel. While thousands of Syrians have been killed every day, the loss of 73 Israeli soldiers in a helicopter crash was mourned throughout the nation, and a memorial has since been constructed to commemorate the soldiers. This example portrays how Israel treasures each individual life, while Syria does not seem to care as much as Israel.
I personally connected this tour to America when we discussed al Qaeda inhabiting the Syrian border. When I think about terrorists, the biggest, scariest group that I think of is al Qaeda because of the 9/11 attacks on the USA. Therefore, I was extremely surprised when Kobi told us that there are quite a few Islamic organizations that are even more extreme than al Qaeda. The thought of groups that are more dangerous than al Qaeda terrifies me. I can only imagine what these other groups are able to do if they gain more power, especially after the al Qaeda attacks in 2001 revolutionized the USA’s security system.
A couple events today frightened me. While we were by the Syrian border, we heard bombs going off. After the tour finished, we received news from Amnon that an Israeli teen was killed and 5 men were wounded by terrorists right by the Syrian border with Israel. The fact that this happened just a couple hours before we arrived opened my eyes to how dangerous the area is and how unexpected terrorist attacks can be. The death if the teen is also an example of how Israel values every life, as this story surely will make headlines across the nation.
The big picture of the Arab Spring is the conflict between the Sunnis and the Shiites. The small picture is the relationship between the Arab Spring and Israel. Israel’s relationship with the Arab Spring is good and Kobi said, “Israel is an island of stability.” However, with al Qaeda on the Syrian border, Israel’s situation could go from stable to unstable in just a matter of a few hours.