Lessons learned from Israel’s bitter experience with terror have benefited the entire civilized world. But will the world ever show its gratitude?
As our story this week indicates, expertise in responding to acts of terror has helped Israel become a global leader in the field. In the realms of law enforcement, crime-scene investigation, anti-terror tactics and trauma medicine, Israel has sent missions of mercy to countries dealing with their own terrorism crises.
In the wake of 9/11, right up to the deadly London bombings last week, Israeli experts have been invited to teach their international counterparts terrorism prevention and response.
In terms of police work, Israeli input has proved invaluable. In countries where acts of terror have been sporadic, law enforcement personnel may not have developed the instinct for sniffing out potential threats or reacting properly to disaster.
That’s the kind of thing Israeli cops understand and can teach, and time and time again they have shown others the way.
That knowledge was perfected not only in Israeli police and army units. ZAKA, the all-volunteer organization composed largely of fervently religious Jews, has earned its well-deserved reputation by being the first responders at the scene of terrorist acts in Israel.
With their bright yellow jackets, kippot and payot, ZAKA volunteers are the ones who gather every last human remain, assisting investigators and comforting survivors.
Israelis help not only victims of terror but of natural disaster. Doctors and researchers from Technion University in Haifa have pioneered the field of crush injury and military medicine. Their methodologies were put to good use after earthquakes struck Turkey and Armenia. ZAKA and other Israeli aid workers were among the first to arrive in Thailand, Sri Lanka and other nations devastated by last December’s tsunami.
Those efforts not only aid victims, they should improve Israel’s image around the world. While Jews have always known about Israel’s infrastructure of charity, too much of the global community views it as a pariah state, an illegitimate colonialist project.
We know the cruel falseness of these charges. But perhaps Israel’s ongoing acts of kindness and solidarity will show the world the truth.
As Mickey Levy, Jerusalem’s former chief of police, once said, “We don’t have the attitude that we want to teach people but to prevent the bloodshed we suffered.”
That’s the true spirit of Israel — and the Jewish people — at home and abroad. Let’s hope the world community will show some appreciation at last.