Group travels to Israel during war
By Mary Frances Czarsty, assistant news editor
Posted on August 28, 2006

Most students opted to study abroad this summer in cities like Paris, where the biggest thing sweeping the city was World Cup fever. One JMU student found himself in a slightly more harrowing situation in Tel-Aviv at the height of the Hezbollah rocket attacks on northern Israel.

Mike Dreyfuss, a senior, spent two weeks in Israel studying counter-terrorism with the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, a program designed to educate the 39 chosen students on how to combat terrorism and advance national security.

“It really was the best time to go,” Dreyfuss said. “We could not have asked for a better opportunity to study counter-terrorism.”

While almost one-third of Israel’s population was forced to take up residence in shelters, Dreyfuss and his fellow students had the opportunity to not study and travel around Israel. The program included lectures as well as guest speakers that ranged from the Indian ambassador to Israel to the former commander of Commander of Special Operations for the Shin Bet, Israel’s security agency.

“Almost everyone we spoke with emphasized a desire to continue to make Israel a safe country,” Dreyfuss said.

The students were also allowed to tour security facilities and speak with members of the Israeli police force, view the security fence along the border and visit an Arab-Israeli village.

While much of southern and central Israel were relatively safe from Hezbollah’s rockets and suicide bombers, safety was still a concern. “When we toured the West Bank, we had to take an armored bus,” Dreyfuss said.

Despite the violence, Israelis went about their daily routines as best they could. “Israel is only about the size the of New Jersey,” Dreyfuss said, “so almost everyone knew a family or friend on the fighting on the front line or who had been affected by the bombings.”

Out of the 45 students accepted to the program, only six decided not to go. “Most of us were more worried that the trip was going to be cancelled,” Dreyfuss said.

Certain areas were off-limits to the students for safety reasons. “We weren’t allowed near Haifa and the Golan Heights on the Lebanese border,” Dreyfuss said, “but I know at least one member of the program toured the area after the trip was over.”

Sandra Beutler, a senior at Dartmouth and fellow FDD student, toured Haifa and the Israeli-Lebanon border at the conclusion of the program.

“I went up north to Haifa from Tel Aviv, just one day after the start of the ceasefire,” Beutler said. “Even though there were risks involved in traveling farther north, I wished to see the destruction myself.”

Beutler rented a car and traveled with two Israeli friends she made during her stay, one of whom was a Haifa resident and remained home during the entirety of the rocket attacks.

“He told us that he stayed because he did not want the terrorists to succeed in driving him from his home,” Beutler said.

While the students avoided areas under heavy fire, there were still security issues that arose in Tel Aviv. During their two-week stay, there were four attempted suicide attacks that were successfully countered by Israeli forces.

Everyday security was tighter than what the average American is used to. “If we were having coffee in Israel, our bags would have been checked for bombs at the door,” Dreyfuss said. “ It’s checks like those that prevent suicide attacks.”

Dreyfuss said he was surprised by how liberal Israel’s democracy was. Unlike in the United States, anyone can sue the Supreme Court; even terrorist groups are allowed to file suit.

“It was a far more liberal system than I had anticipated for what they have."