Security

Whomever has the magnetometer concession in Israel must be making a great deal of money. I’ve passed through the devices to enter the university, the Western Wall, the central bus station and several other locations. In addition, I’ve been scanned by hand-held magnetometers at restaurants and stores. My backpack has been handled by multitudes of security people.

According to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) the United States is currently operating at security level orange (whatever that means). Israel then must be at security level blue—that would be about three levels higher if the scale follows the colors of the spectrum (remember the acronym ROY G BIV?). Besides the Airport, the only locations in Anchorage that have levels of security comparable to Israel are the courthouses.

A few days ago when touring the Old City we were delayed in getting through security at the Western Wall. A suspicious package had been found. A few minutes later the Police carried out a small controlled explosion to destroy the package. Likely some student’s backpack or tourist’s souvenir was destroyed. One of the young American adults on the tour remarked that his mother would be “freeked out” if she knew about this. My advice to him, don’t tell your mother.

In my first week here I’ve passed two memorials to people killed in terrorist attacks. One was on the University campus where 9 people were killed in 2001 by an explosion. Another memorial was on the Ben Yehuda pedestrian mall to another group of people killed in 2001.

About 30 years ago, when I was an undergraduate student at Michigan State University, a faculty member offered a course on terrorism. It wasn’t a “how to” course, but rather a survey of the history of terrorism across the world. One of my enduring understandings from that course is that the goal of terrorism is to terrorize. If we don’t allow ourselves to be terrorized then the terrorists can’t succeed. I used this on 9/11. After watching the World Trade Towers collapse my initial reaction was that we should all stay at home. The fighter jets screaming over Anchorage reinforced my fear and sense of danger. I just wanted to stay at home with my wife and children. However, if we did that then the terrorists would have won (sounds a bit too much like George Bush). So we went to work and school that day. Similarly, the Israeli people who have a reputation (perhaps unfounded) for being rude, pushy, brash, yet they patiently accept the high level of scrutiny and security. I think that the Israeli’s are accepting of this because it keeps them safe and it doesn’t let the terrorists win.