Day 74: No Longer "Court-side" in Tel Aviv

"Israel has been steadfast in its objectives by staying in the moment. It is focused on eliminating this existential threat by exorcising the source. Everything else can wait. Let the world debate."

By Rick Borenstein

Six days ago, I left Israel for California. I was apprehensive about how I would feel being out of the 24/7 news cycles, hostage and soldier stories and general societal depression that accompanies reports of dead and wounded. I was worried about missing the nuances, the tidbits, the casual conversations and insights that came from every interaction. In fact, I am a bit disoriented, as if my life craves the bear hug of a country at war.

Several people have asked if I feel guilty. It’s not guilt that I feel so much as desertion. I feel like I left my friends, family, and work relationships behind. It saddens me that I left my wife Doritte alone to deal with the daily avalanche of depressing war news. I left a country that I now feel is my own, in the middle of a war. All of this has caused me to reflect on what it means to be an Israeli. I now understand why Israelis rush to come home in time of war, rather than leaving as fast as they can from other countries fighting a war.

Nevertheless, it has been almost a year since I was last in the United States. Not much has changed here. My grandchildren are thriving and my children are consumed by their daily routines. My friends seem eager to see me for no other reason than to be regaled with personal observations. In a strange way, this daily labor of love  has made me more in demand.

My writing was meant to provide personal insights into the war, the country, and the people that simply were not reported here in America. So many of you have commented that it provided nuance and rationale for what you heard and read in the media. After being back for 6 days, I better understand those comments as I feel it strongly as well.

There is no substitute for being on the ground, hearing the air-raid sirens, seeing young kids in uniform casually carrying their AR15s. There is no way to feel the tension, the determination, the resilience and the consensus of purpose that permeates the Israeli milieu. There is no visceral sense of the sadness that envelops everyone when and after listening to the daily 6 a.m. recitation of the names of those who died in combat. Each name is followed by insights and highlights of their lives. You get enough to form a picture of each person, as well as a sense of the breadth and depth of the fabric of Israeli society.  You never know when you will encounter someone in tears.

I was not aware of how actively debated this war is in the Jewish community. I had no sense of the interest and passion shown by my Jewish friends and family in the debate over every aspect of the war, or aspect of the hostage crisis. I truly appreciate their keen interest and concern, but I have no patience for some of the questions they ask about right and wrong in this war. When you are fighting for your survival and security, debating the merits of this or that is simply not relevant. Speculating on Israel’s future is also unproductive. Israel has been steadfast in its objectives by staying in the moment. It is focused on eliminating this existential threat by exorcising the source. Everything else can wait. Let the world debate. Israel must first finish the job.  

Finishing this job, however, doesn’t mean the war is over. Much has been said about this war being a prelude of wars yet to come. Good vs. evil. Light vs. darkness. Israel is on the front lines of this looming global conflict and deserves your support because it is fighting this war for all of us.

Rick Borenstein is a “Silicon Valley escapee” who now lives with his family in Israel. He a coach, investor, NGO adviser — and Tel Aviv-booster.

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