“There’s someone on the roof!” “He has a gun!” people repeatedly screamed. But no one heeded their call. The video of the shooter at the Trump rally continues this way for an excruciating 120 seconds before the gunman takes his first shot. No matter your political slant, this information adds multiple layers of sadness to an already tragic event because, as The New York Post reports, the calamity could have been thwarted.
While watching the video footage, I couldn’t help but think, “Why didn’t any of those yelling take matters into their own hands?” To many people, this may seem like a ridiculous proposition but that’s most likely dependent on location.
I was born and raised in America and only made aliyah in my late 20s. If I had never done so, I doubt the question would have ever crossed my mind. But Israel is different from other places when it comes to security. When situations arise, civilians rise to the occasion and protect themselves and those around them. I’m not sure if this is due to the army training most receive or simply because the threat we constantly face demands it of us. Either way, civilians regularly do what needs to be done.
I actually learned this lesson from Arnold Schwarzengger. My first year in Israel was the groundbreaking of the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Jerusalem. In an attempt to erase his Nazi past, the then governor of California attended the event. When I found out that “the” Arnold Schwarzengger was nearby, there was no way I was going to miss it. I quickly made my way to the event site.
The moment finally came when the “Govenator” rose to speak. Being a huge fan, I could barely contain my excitement. But just moments into his speech, two protesters began repeatedly screaming, “Arnold, there’s no freedom with occupation!” It presented such a distraction that the speech couldn’t continue.
A security guard approached the two and tried to stop the shouting but the pleas were ignored. “Someone should really stop them,” I thought as I watched the scene unfold. Suddenly, a spectator, two rows behind the protesters, jumped over the seats, grabbed both men by their shirts and threw them to the ground, screaming, “Sheket! Arnold midaber!” (Shut up! Arnold is speaking!) And there you have the difference between Israelis and Americans. I would never have thought to get involved, whereas the Israeli contingent would never let this interruption go unchecked.
That year in Israel was the tail end of the second intifada and encompassed many different types of experiences. In a more intense episode, one morning Jerusalem was rocked by a bus bombing not far from where I was studying. A student and an expat rabbi from my yeshiva had both been nearby. Thank G-d, they were outside the blast radius. When they entered the building, my friend, visibly shaken, was whisked off to an office to help him process what he’d seen. I couldn’t fathom what I would have done had I been there.
A few minutes later, I noticed the rabbi who had been on scene had multiple cuts on his forearms. When I inquired about them, I was told he received them from pulling victims out of the burning bus. I couldn’t believe my ears. Not only had he done one of the most heroic things I could imagine, but now that it was over, he was nonchalantly making coffee. Having had similar American upbringings, I had to ask him about it. “Did you pull people out of the exploded bus?” I asked. He responded in the affirmative. “How did you have the strength to do that?” I pressed on. “You would have done the same,” he told me. At the time, I still wasn’t so sure.
It took me years to comprehend this notion. In fact, I’m still not sure I’ve fully wrapped my brain around it. But once you throw your lot in with the State of Israel, there’s an implicit understanding that one day you may be called on to protect those around you.
This reality accentuates the contrast between Israel and America. Israelis, both new and old, face these threats on a regular basis. Each one of us deals with it in different ways. Many, like myself, have made the choice to carry a gun. The decision puts us so much at the ready that there are times we’re asked to stand down. Announcements are often made at social events, that there is a designated security detail on hand, and the other armed guests should refrain from engaging if, G-d-forbid, there’s an incident.
It’s because of this readiness that the video footage of the Trump rally seemed so out of place. Even though those filming might have feared that the Secret Service would mistake them for a threat, I still can’t believe no one took action. In this regard, Israel has something to teach the rest of the world. These attacks are coming. They’ve already grown in frequency in all corners of the world. But people’s mindset on who can and should help in these scenarios is lagging behind. It’s time for everyone to step up and protect their fellow human beings, before it’s too late.
