Where I Stand — Mike O’Callaghan: Another day of life in Israel

Friday, May 17, 2002 | 2:15 a.m.

SAMARIA -- It is a sunny but cool day. My friend Gen. Aharon Davidi (Ret.), and I had an early breakfast with MK Uzi Landau, Minister of Public Security. It was a pleasant meeting with Landau openly asking for any and all questions. He left no doubt he is a strong man with a quick mind.

The remainder of the day has been spent visiting three Jewish communities in Samaria. Cochav Ya'akov, Psagot and Ofra are communities in what we often refer to as the West Bank. We went through a military road checkpoint, and then changed vehicles and headed into the hills.

Psagot sits on the top of a hill where snipers from Ramallah had close and easy shooting. The sandbags on the buildings, bullet holes in windows and doors are a part of the scenery a visitor notices. The bullet holes through the administrator's office window and in the phone on his desk caught my attention. Empty shell casings scattered on the floor of a room facing Ramallah showed there had been more than a little fire returned.

Nobody talks about moving, but there is plenty of talk about security and how to answer the needs of residents. Before the bloody assault of terrorism, which started 20 months ago, the communities had established emergency services for car accidents and children falling into water ponds and holes in the ground. Many of those saved were Arabs and even today their calls are answered because "we help people" the local security response team leader told me. His father has bought a farm and moved to Wisconsin, but Israel has been his home since he was a little boy and it will always be his home.

The security response room in Psagot reminds me of the disaster response rooms of our own Federal Emergency Management Agency regions. The Psagot room is smaller, but it has experts who can locate exactly where medical and rescue help is needed and how to get it there. I listened to a recording of one call for help from a man and his wife who were both severely wounded. The responder kept talking to them and giving medical advice. Then, in six minutes, the voices of the medics were coming across the air from the scene.

In Ofra, Yisrael Harel met us for an even closer look at response equipment and the rugged terrain that faces all who live here. He takes time to show us where 10 people at a little outpost along the road had been killed by a sniper. It took place between two hills, and the victims, because of the sounds bouncing off the hills, couldn't tell where the killer was located before it was too late.

The residents and disaster response volunteers are confident they have met the challenge of terrorists and will meet more if necessary. They easily talk about security, farming, water, geography, emergency medical teams and even a bit of politics but not one mention of leaving their homes. Oh yes, they are willing to show a visitor where places and activities written about in the Bible are located. Theirs is a quiet but strong religious belief, which makes them a vital part of this high desert land of many rocks and very few trees.

Harel, a writer and professor, lives in Ofra but is well aware of what goes on in the world. He is a man of the world who can live where he wants to have a home, and Ofra is his choice. Like most Israelis, he is very much a friend of the United States and sees our country as playing a key role in all world politics. He, like his neighbors, gives no indication that a peace agreement, which would force them to move, would be acceptable. Nevertheless, this is an option given strong consideration by many other Israelis, along with foreign leaders and commentators.

Today is nice and sunny in these three Jewish communities. When leaving, I am hoping it will remain this way during coming days. Last night the response team only had to answer three calls to scenes of gunfire. There were no serious injuries.

Suddenly over the hills are two large helicopters and only I look skyward. One of the men remarks, "that's Yasser Arafat in Jordanian helicopters." Nobody appears to be either surprised or impressed. Helicopters, terrorists and Arafat will come and go but the land will always be there. So will people who love it and will fight to keep it as their home.