On the Defensive

I am simply exhausted. You would think it would be due to the immense workload or the intensity of my schedule. No, I am exhausted from being an ambassador. I cannot keep track of how many times I defended Israel this week; whether through spontaneous conversations about the Middle East or loaded questions about Israel's role in prolonging the conflict, I have constantly been on the defensive. And it is exhausting! I knew that this year in London would have its challenges, and especially with respect to my birthplace, but I never suspected that I would have to exert this much energy to showcase the various dimensions of the conflict that people don't hear during a 3-minute news bite. Very intelligent people have tried to simplify the problem to simply Israel as an aggressor or occupying power without realizing the complexities and nuances behind these powerful words. Some fail to learn their history before making harsh judgments. This afternoon my professor compared Israel to apartheid South Africa- a statement that beyond just being unbelievably upsetting, if perpetuated could have serious implications on how Israel is treated by the international community (as if it isn't ostracized enough already!)

It is very isolating to constantly feel like you have to defend your country. Don't get me wrong, I don't agree with all of Israel's policy decisions- just like I don't agree with a lot of U.S. policies- and I can criticize both because I feel a) informed and b) have an interest in actually improving the situation. What upsets me most are those people that just make statements who have little understanding of the region and its history and whose positions just perpetuate an already sensitive situation, rather than being solution-oriented. The precariousness of this balance is further demonstrated by the way that Israelis have to engage themselves while living abroad. Last week the Israelis at Goodenough met to discuss what events we want to host this year for the community and how we want to "appear" to outsiders. No other community has to think so critically about the image that it sends to the rest of the college because it is so loaded and quick to be judged. Israel and the Middle East conflict has become such a weighty issue that each action or lack thereof impacts others' perceptions.

I recognize that I need to displace this feeling of "bearing a responsibility" because it will become too much at times. But by nature I CANNOT ignore misrepresentations or half-truths - not of Israel or any other issue. I am a student after all because I want to engage with others in serious discourse that challenges us to think more critically about ideas and beliefs that we hold to be true. I expected others to want to do the same and I hope that is still the case... I am willing to do that with my own beliefs.

You Can't Take the Mediterreanean Out of the Girl

I went to the dining hall today to see what was on the menu for brunch. Seeing the many varieties of pork products, dough items, and a sorry selection of cereals, I turned right around and headed to my local grocery store. As I was standing in line to pay for my chosen items, I realized that you can tell a good amount about a person by looking at his/her grocery basket - is s/he a snacker, has a sweet tooth, a health nut, an organic food junkie, etc. Needless to say mine is quite representative of my Mediterranean background. Items of choice:

• Fresh bread
• Hummus - a must
• Mozzarella cheese - you can never go wrong with cheese
• Olives
• Wine - I will be bringing it tonight to a friend's party
• Cucumbers and tomatoes (I am really missing the small Israeli cucumbers... they are so much tastier than the falic looking ones that are sold in the US and UK)

Even though I am loving that cheap Indian and Chinese cuisine is always available here, I am missing my Israeli food right now. Bon appetit :)

Returning to the Classroom... As a Student!

It is hard to believe that I am actually a student again, after a four year hiatus. Last Friday I had my induction to DESTIN (Development Studies Institute at LSE) and I was at the edge of my seat the entire time, I was so excited. My aunt makes fun of me because I guess one year at the end of the summer as we were shopping for school supplies I said something to the extent of "I love school... and I love getting organized for a new school year." I guess not much has changed since then because I was just as giddy hearing my professors describe their background, interests and the classes they teach. All of the classes looked so good I wasn't sure if I would be able to actually choose. The department encourages us to audit anything that we are interested in that we aren't taking for credit... so needless to say I will be sitting in on MANY classes. I am just making sure that my Ambassadorial Scholarship is being maximized!
*Hopefully my classwork will be a bit more thorough and intelligent...