Meet the Founder of Alma by Shawna Polster
Sarit Zehavi has shown her dedication to Israel in many different ways. She acted as an intelligence reserve in the Israeli Defense Force for 15 years, fighting for her country. Then, she founded Alma, an organization created to educate about Israel’s relationships with its surrounding countries to the north. Today at Alma, we learned about Israel’s relationship with Lebanon and tried to settle a hypothetical matter of life and death as a group.
Fences Make Good Neighbors or Distant Strangers by Charlie Greene
Today we met with Boaz along Israel’s northern border to immerse ourselves in a breathtaking view of the borders of Lebanon and Syria. We discussed the different religious parties in the Lebanese government such as Christian and Muslim. Immediately we delved into a deep discussion on both Hezbollah, the Lebanese shia Islamic political party and extremist terrorist group, as well as the infrastructure in Lebanon and how they both affect Israel. Armed with this knowledge, we headed to the Alma Research and Education Center to participate in a military simulation where we would be operating as ministers and staff members of various government ministries. During the simulation, we were presented with intelligence involving a missile preparing to be transported from Syria to southern Lebanon, directly next to the Israeli border. Our objective was to decide whether or not we should attack Syria to eliminate the threat. After coming to a final decision as a group, the prime minister of each branch stood in front of the rest of the government to present a short speech on their views. We then took an individual vote through an online poll. Majority of the group chose to attack the missile. We were then able to watch a video on what would have happen given our choice. That outcome was petrifying to say the least. We then were presented with a second decision on whether or not we should attack a Lebanese warehouse on the border containing precision guided missiles and civilians. On this matter, majority chose to stand down. It was interesting to hear various opinions on these prospects and be given the opportunity to see things from a different perspective. This activity taught us how to work together as a team while remaining calm and collected in order to not talk over one another and cause disarray. Additionally, the simulation felt very authentic and I thought it was highly enjoyable and interactive.