Holy Land reality

Having just returned from a trip to Israel, I read with interest a recent article in the Bangor Daily News on Nov. 13 titled, “Touring Mainer witnesses strife in Israel.” I did not notice at first the author’s name, but after a couple of paragraphs I realized the author was a member of my tour group.

Bernhard, as we all did, witnessed many things during this tour of the Holy Land. She witnessed an Arab propagandist telling her that he hated the American government because every time we shoot we see on the bullet, “Made in the USA.” What she didn’t witness was this same propagandist telling me that the only way there would be peace with Israel was to get rid of all the Jews.

Bernhard also witnessed two little boys who claimed they did not go to school because the Israeli government was killing them. Surprisingly, she did not witness the Israeli soldiers who had just passed us and could be augmented by many more just a block or two away. I, for one, did not witness or hear any gun shots. These boys were probably like the two boys who told me that they were not in school because it was a holiday.

Bernhard witnessed Israeli soldiers whom she states were not over 18. She continues to describe them as boys and girls dressed in combat gear toting submachine guns. In America at the age of 18, you can vote, serve in the armed forces and among other things, get married.

In Israel, 18-year-olds are drafted into the Israeli Defense Force. They have spent all of their lives having seen their country under attack from within and without. I take great exception to anyone calling men and women who are serving their country as boys and girls. They are not playing some kind of game.

The most blatant omission of facts involving Israeli soldiers in this article was the picture and caption on page A8 which shows a vehicle at a checkpoint with the captions stating Israeli soldiers denied visitors entrance into the ancient city of Jericho. If you look at the picture you will clearly see that the vehicle is a truck. Jericho is under the complete control of the Palestinian police. Our tour bus was denied entry into Jericho by Palestinian police because of the stated reason that the bus had just come from Jerusalem. Although the bus was owned and operated by Palestinian Christians, it was still not allowed entry.

I had hoped and looked forward to Bernhard’s writings because of her stated reason for going on the tour. I wish she had used her obvious writing talents to tell us about the beautiful sights of the Holy Land.

I am vision impaired, but I witnessed the Bible come alive in a beautiful country whose people have been subjected to unspeakable atrocities for centuries. I wish that every Christian could see this fantastic country that is taking such good care of our holy sites. Wayne H. Nixon Southwest Harbor