Fifty years after Zipporath Porath
wrote her letters documenting life as Israel
became a State, June Leavitt, another American who made Aliyah,
documents living with terror and fear in the current situation.
Storm of Terror: A Hebron Mother's
Diary, by June Leavitt [Chicago: Ivan R. Dee, 2002] is
a very personal story that is a compelling read and highly recommended. For
me the most interesting insights were descriptions of the psychological toll
the "situation " is having on young people: orphaned babies, sixteen year
olds getting married, children writing their own eulogies, teenagers deciding
whose funeral to attend, as well as the painful presentation of Jew against
Jew -- and in June Leavitt's family it was sister versus sister.
"Though Miriam promised never ever
to come to Hebron to demonstrate as long as Estie served there, she said she
couldn't stand the situation any longer... Miriam cried. "Why are you on
their side? Why are you going to let the Arabs kill us? Traitor!" other settlers
screamed at Estie. A woman soldier grabbed Miriam's arm. Miriam resisted.
When the soldier raised her arm to hit Miriam, Estie screamed, "Don't touch
her! She's my sister!" "Just whose side are you on?" her comra de in arms
shouted back." (p. 60).
June Leavitt is probably not the average
Hebron settler -- she is not religious, she reads Tarot cards for inspiration,
she and her husband met with Arab leaders to discuss co-existence in Hebron,
and yet the pity of it is, that her descriptions of living with constant
fear for her family, may well be representative of "every mother" living
in Israel today.
Review by D. Rosenbloom
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