THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, March 15, 1996 TAG: 9603150430
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A14 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY BILL SIZEMORE, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 84 lines
In the three weeks that Israeli teenagers Jonathan Raz and Chana Baum have been touring the United States, the news coming out of their country has been grim: Four suicide bombings have killed more than 60 people and sent peace hopes plummeting.
Jonathan himself was at the rally where Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin made his final plea for peace - moments before he was assassinated by a right-wing Jewish militant trying to torpedo the peace process.
But despite it all, these high schoolers' message to Americans is one of hope. They're here to dispel the common image of Israel as an armed camp. And they believe that ultimately, people of good will on all sides will prevail over the terrorists and forge a lasting peace.
Jonathan and Chana are good-will youth ambassadors on a monthlong American tour. Their visit to Hampton Roads this week was coordinated by the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater.
As they were peppered with questions Thursday in Sharon Moran's current affairs class at Norfolk Collegiate School, President Clinton was echoing their message in Israel, en route home from an anti-terrorism summit in Egypt.
``Fear must be conquered, security must be restored and peace must be pursued,'' the president said at a Jerusalem high school that lost three grads in the four bombings.
It's important to keep the recent wave of violence in perspective, Jonathan and Chana told their counterparts in Norfolk.
``It might sound weird, but it's a lot safer in Israel than you might think,'' Chana said. ``Crime is very low. We walk alone at night freely. Here, we get the feeling you can't.''
Jonathan added: ``In Israel, if you drop your wallet on the street, no one will take your money.''
``People don't live in fear,'' Chana said. ``After what's happened the last few weeks, people get very emotional. But rationally, there isn't that much danger. There's probably more danger here.''
The two have developed a litany in their quest to shatter stereotypes about life in Israel.
``We don't ride camels, we don't live in tents and we don't wear robes,'' said Chana.
``We wear jeans and Nikes,'' said Jonathan. ``We're very much the same as you.''
Yes, there is kosher fast food, they told a questioner - but no camelburgers.
The two teenagers are a microcosm of today's wide political spectrum in Israel. Chana, who comes from an observant Orthodox Jewish family, is uncomfortable with the efforts of Rabin and his successor, Shimon Peres, to trade land in the occupied territories for peace with the Palestinians. Jonathan, from a more secular background, favors the land-for-peace initiative.
But whatever their politics, Rabin's assassination united Israelis in a common determination to oppose bloodshed, the students said.
``Most of the people I know just cried,'' Jonathan said. ``Israelis of the left and right, no matter what they believed, became closer to each other.''
``It was shattering for everyone,'' Chana said.
At 16, the two are looking ahead to service in the Israeli army. Military service is mandatory for 18-year-olds - boys and girls.
``We have achieved peace with Egypt and Jordan, but the situation with Syria, Lebanon and the Palestinians is still very unclear,'' Jonathan said. ``That's why we need to keep our army strong. . . . It's not that every Israeli wants to become a Rambo.''
``People just feel very strongly that it's the right thing to do, the best way to serve the country,'' Chana said. ``People go very willingly into the army.''
Their military obligation is just one more reason to support the peace process, Jonathan said.
``Every mother's dream is to see her son serving in an army of peace. I think it is possible.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo
GARY C. KNAPP
At Norfolk Collegiate, Chana Baum of Efrat, Israel, and Jonathan Raz
of Herzaliya, talked awhile Thursday about home. ``It might sound
weird, but it's a lot safer in Israel than you might think,'' Chana
said. ``Crime is very low. We walk alone at night freely. Here, we
get the feeling you can't.''
by CNB