Israel’s Example Important in U.S. War Against Terrorists

Authored by Patrick McGill

It is said that the full meaning of a word is sometimes lost in translation.

This is true of the Hebrew word “shalom.” It most closely means “peace” in English, but Hebrew speakers also use it as a greeting and as a salutation.

There is something inherently wonderful about people who wish each other peace at the beginning and end of every conversation. And perhaps, there is no other society that deserves it more than the Jewish people. Yet, peace is something Israel lives without.

Every day, Israelis face the threat of sudden death from a terrorist attack. They could be shopping at a supermarket or sitting with their families on a beach. The terrorists don't discriminate. The attack just happens, leaving the police to pick up the pieces of the ruined site and the victims' families to pick up the pieces of their ruined lives.

But despite the attacks, Israel's democratic society continues to function. The buses are still full and the markets are bustling. Even in the face of mortal danger, Israelis still go about their lives, refusing to alter their lifestyle out of fear of a terrorist attack. I know, because I have been there.

As an undergraduate fellow with the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, a non-profit, non-partisan Washington-based group dedicated to educating Americans about the threat of terrorism to democracy worldwide, I traveled throughout Israel, learning about terrorism, the groups who use it as a political weapon, and Israel's
efforts to defend its citizens and their way of life against it.

For three weeks, I, too, lived in Israel under the constant threat of a terrorist attack. I traveled to the border with Gaza. I saw the aftermath of suicide bombings. I rode the Tel Aviv public buses and shopped in the markets.

Whether you agree with Israeli politics or not, under no circumstances is terrorism justified. To attack unsuspecting civilians, killing and crippling tens, hundreds, or even thousands of people as they go to work, eat with their families, or enjoy themselves at night is despicable and morally repugnant.

But terrorism is the method that the Islamic radicals have chosen to wage their great war against the Western way of life. Their main targets are Israel, as the modern, western nation in the Middle East, and the United States, the “great satan” that champions the West and its values.

We have only suffered one major attack on American soil by a foreign terrorist group, but successful attacks are occurring in Israel as often as once a week. Although it is half a world away, Americans must remember these terror attacks on Israel aren't just attacks on Jews, or on the state itself; they are attacks on the Western way of life.

They are attacks on democracy, on freedom and on the principles of liberty that we all hold so dear.

Before Sept. 11, experts on terrorism and the Middle East said that it was only a matter of time until radical Islamic groups carried out a successful terrorist attack on American soil. Now that it has happened, the experts are saying that it is only a matter of time until they strike again.

Every American needs to recognize the threat of these terrorist organizations; their ideologies and ambitions do not end with the destruction of the Jewish state. They end with global Islamic rule and the destruction of all other ways of life. The events in Israel are only a battle on the front of a greater clash of ideology, a clash that has and will continue to make itself felt on American soil.

In the end, the greatest defeat of terrorism is the freedom of the people that it targets. The United States must always support those countries that struggle against terror in the name of democracy and freedom. Thus, the future of the U.S. and of Israel is intimately linked.

Together, we must fight terrorism and those who use it to further their political goals. Together, we must confront these groups abroad and stop them before they reach our borders. And only together, will we learn from each other and win the war on terror.

After my short stay in the Middle East, I have realized the importance of Israel to our future. And to Israel and its people, I say, “Shalom.” Hello, goodbye, and may peace be with you.

– Patrick McGill, an Erie native, is a junior at Yale University. He also spent part of his summer as an intern at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and is a FDD Undergraduate Fellow.