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Again, everyone is curious about
American students. One, a nineteen
year old who has travelled in
America, asks "if you are o
disillusioned with American
society, why don't you come here:
it is idealistic, honest, un materialistic,
and every contribution means
a great deal more here than a
comparable contribution in America."
It's a difficult question to
answer.

The General gets a phone call,
and leaves briefly. He is in charge of
the entire Suez command, which
has been particularly hot the past
few weeks. The Egyptians have an
average of a 180 millimeter gun
every 250 yards down the entire
length of the Suez, which makes for
continual shelling on a front over
100 miles long. The Israelis have
perhaps a sixth as many in the same
area. "We still think it's unfair,"
one of the soldiers points out
". . . for them!"

We talk about peace for a while.
There have been 3 wars in the past
21 years, and almost continual
incidents; these kids have never
really known peace. "I don't
understand it," one of the soldiers
tells me, "we win all the wars, all
the battles, have complete superiority
in every way, yet they (the
Arabs) act like the victors, and we
the vanquished, having to come up
with new proposals for peace that
they reject out of hand." It is one
of many paradoxes no one seems to
understand.

The General returns to the table.
A major battle is in progress, and he
must return to headquarters. It is
important to remember that Israel
is a country at war for survival. We
wish each other luck and "shalom"
the Hebrew word for peace and
greetings. "You know," he says
reflectively, "sometimes I think it
very strange. I spend my life
working like a dog.

"And all I'm trying to do is
work myself out of a job."

Copyright By
Charles Ribakoff