I don’t pretend to know Israel

I don’t pretend to know Israel. And I won’t try to understand it. I am not speaking from complacency or detachment from reality — indeed, quite the opposite. With every additional lecture and night away from home, for every haphazard thought I wrote in my notebook, I came to realize that I know nothing about this country. Every day, new narratives or cultural experiences pushed me further away from my ignorance, but they also deepened my recognition of it.

The Israel Trek taught me an important truth: there are countless variables at play that make Israel unique (and controversial). I met Israeli Arabs, but I don’t know their history. I learned from senior politicians, but I’m foreign to the political system they face on a daily basis. I witnessed the natural divisions in Israeli society, but I have not experienced them personally. In just a few short days, I absorbed data and information in concentrated amounts, but I will never claim to have pieced together the larger picture.

Out of respect to the people and their exceptional narratives, I refrain from developing a solidified, coherent view of Israel. Throughout my life, I’m keeping an open mind to further details, stories, and perspectives about the Israeli experience. Of course, I will challenge others’ ideas and engage in discussion, but not to prove I know all the answers or push for a certain way of framing the issues. I will learn more, but I cannot begin to understand.

My time in Israel didn’t give me a comprehensive view of everything, but I now have a stake in Israeli culture and politics. After eight days with the Harvard College Israel Trek, I feel wholly invested in Israel and what goes on there.