My Trip to Israel was Eye Opening

Last week, I had the opportunity to visit Israel for the first time in my life. It was an experience I will never forget and one that exposed me to things I could have never imagined. It also made me realize how fortunate we are to live in the United States of America and how much Israel appreciates our unwavering support.

When I first arrived in Israel, I really didn’t have any expectations, as it was my first time visiting. I did, however, have some preconceived notions about what it would be like, based on what I have seen on the news. I expected to see some chaos and feel a bit uneasy. Fortunately, I experienced nothing close to that.

During one of my first nights there, I had dinner in Tel Aviv. The city was bustling, the restaurants were packed, and people were going about their business on the crowded streets. I noticed roads that were converted to outdoor dining in the evening and people enjoying dinner outside. My first observation was that people were not scared. They were living their lives without fear. To me, that was my first powerful learning that made me realize the things we see on the news are not an accurate depiction of real life in Israel.

I was not surprised when I saw IDF soldiers carrying assault weapons, casually walking the streets. Some may feel unsettled by that site, but for me, it made me feel safe and not worry about a worst-case scenario while I was there. I was also reassured to see many Israeli citizens openly carrying side arms.

Another very powerful lesson I learned was how much Israelis love Americans. As soon as people learned I was American, I was treated like a king. I never paid for a meal. I was not allowed to stay in hotels. Instead, I was invited to stay at the home of a friend of a friend in a beautiful home in central Israel.

I also learned how much Israeli’s love President Trump. I can’t tell you how many discussions I had about President Trump and how much the Israeli people value his support and all he has done to help Israel. It was almost like they were passing along their love of President Trump to me and that’s truly how it felt. I was even gifted a yarmulke that had a picture of Donal Trump on it.

Interestingly, when President Trump invited a group of hostages that were held in Gaza to the White House last week, one of the hostages gave President Trump the exact same yarmulke that I was given.

As I travelled throughout Israel, I had the opportunity to see many parts of the country. From Caesarea to Jerusalem to Ashkelon, I was exposed to a lot. On some days, I was yards away from the West Bank and on another day, I was a few miles from Gaza. It was hard to comprehend just how close the drastically different societies live to each other. It would be like living in Seabrook, NH and having people that want to destroy you living in Salisbury, MA. It’s an unsettling feeling, but one the people of Israel have become accustomed to living with.

The final aspect of my trip worthy of sharing was how profound the terrorist attacks of October 7^th were on the mentality of the Israelis. It was one of the most heinous terrorist attacks to occur in Israel and it is something that will live in the minds of the Israeli people forever. Everywhere I went, I saw pictures of the hostages, yellow ribbons and reminders of that horrific day. One thing is for certain, the hostages and what happened on October 7^th will never be forgotten.

The second I heard the airplane’s tires screech on the Logan airport runway, I felt a sense of calm. Israel is a beautiful country, but it’s always good to be home. I reflected on my trip and how fortunate I am to live in the United States of America. I also reflected on the importance of America helping to root out evil that exists in this world.

Chris Thompson’s (christhompsnh@gmail.com) column is published weekly on howiecarrshow.com andgraniteeaglepress.com