< Más Articulos : On the Other Side of the Screen (Times of Israel - 29 Jun 2025)
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On the Other Side of the Screen (Times of Israel - 29 Jun 2025)
In my office, I usually keep the TV on with the news playing softly in the background. When I’m busy, the volume stays off—but if something catches my eye, I turn it up. More often than not, there’s a segment about Israel, a Free Palestine protest, or another Jewish-related issue. I have family in Israel. I have friends with family there. I have family with friends in Israel. That’s the reality for so many Jewish individuals and communities around the world. Though we’ve been scattered across the globe by circumstances beyond our control, we remain one people—with one homeland, one history, and one God.
In June 2025, we traveled to Israel for one of my daughter’s university graduations—another meaningful visit to the homeland. Two of my daughters chose to extend their vacation, while the rest of us were scheduled to return to Guatemala on June 13th on a 5 a.m. flight. By 3 a.m., we were already at the gate when the public address system made an unexpected announcement: “All flights have been cancelled. Please return home.” Israel had just attacked Iran.
In retrospect, it was a blessing that we stayed. By the time we returned to the hotel, sirens were already sounding, and everyone was rushing to the secure basement area. We met our daughters in the lobby and went down together. Thank God we were reunited—the thought of having flown out while they stayed behind in the middle of a war was deeply unsettling. The twelve-day Israel–Iran war had begun.
This time, I wasn’t sitting at my desk watching the news—I was on the other side of the screen. Not one of the main characters, but one of the thousands of extras in the unfolding drama. And yet, we weren’t just extras. We were in a position where, at any moment, we could have been struck by a missile, our names appearing on the screen as either injured or deceased.
Living in Israel is not easy. Israelis are not ordinary people—they’ve developed a unique resilience that allows them to live in one of the happiest countries on earth, despite the constant threat of war. As active Jews in the diaspora, and despite the fear that war inevitably brings, we were grateful to be in Israel during this moment in history. Our Jewish identity—our love for Israel—was deepened.
We still haven’t made it back to Guatemala. During the war, Israeli airspace was shut down, and even after it ended, finding a flight was a challenge. When we finally managed to leave, our journey took us through three nights in Cyprus, one in London, and another in Mexico. Still, we chose to make the most of it. We went to the beach, took a few bus tours, enjoyed good food. As the saying goes: If life gives you lemons, make a margarita.
Am Yisrael Chai. L’chaim.
https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/on-the-other-side-of-the-screen/
( Por: Yehudi Sabbagh , 29/06/2025 )
