Arriving at Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv at the start of my 10-day trip to Israel, I, along with other students from the Five-College area, noticed the first sign of authentic, ancient Middle Eastern culture: a giant sign cut out of grass, right outside the terminal, saying, “Nokia: Connecting People.”
It is amazing how interconnected the world is. For all of the criticism leveled at Thomas Friedman’s theory about the flattening of the world, my experiences in Israel illustrated the advancement of a global economic structure and the influence of American culture overseas.
The Nokia presence was just one of the many examples I encountered which exhibited this influence. One of my roommates, an Israeli soldier named Elad, told me he not only has seen the first three “American Pie” movies, but also the fourth, fifth, and sixth ones, all of which I was previously unaware had existed. Lian, an Israeli girl I befriended, knew the exact lyrics to the Dire Straits’ “Sultans of Swing” and Wham!’s “Wake Me Up Before You Go Go.”
My most embarrassing moment as a naive American, as someone who wrongly assumed foreigners’ lack of familiarity regarding American pop culture, occurred during a discussion I had with our security guard named Ori. After he mentioned Michael Jackson in a conversation one day, I proceeded to test his knowledge out on other America celebrities.
I asked if he had heard of 50 Cent, Tom Hanks and Britney Spears, and each time he shook his head ‘no,’ thereby confirming my suspicion that he was yet another foreigner completely ignorant of our robust American pop culture.
But then Ori paused, stared at me for a second, and said flatly, “You idiot, of course I know who those people are.”
The impact of American pop culture in Israel signals why the country is hailed justifiably as a beacon of light in the Middle East. Its commitment to liberal democracy, pluralist politics and tolerance in general became evident during our trip.
Ten Muslims are in its Parliament, and non-Jews have equal voting rights. Most public signs are written in Hebrew, English and Arabic. Freedom of the press exists in a ubiquitous fashion, and, subsequently, the free flow of information (including crude American song lyrics) is apparent throughout the whole country.
More so, there were no security issues as we traveled to somewhat historically contentious areas, such as Northern Israel and East Jerusalem. Contrary to the sensationalist media portrayals of the Arab-Israeli conflict, never once did I fear for my safety. There were few security guards at Ben Gurion International Airport, and the areas we visited bordering Lebanon, Syria and Jordan were peaceful without any signs of hostile activity.
That being said, I feel that in terms of economic development and freedom, Israel is more similar to its surrounding Arab states than America. Most Israelis live in apartments; I saw few, if any, houses resembling the suburban homes Americans have come to accept as permanent staples of typical residential living.
These living arrangements are a symptom of Israel’s 51 percent income tax, which pays for, among various luxuries, its universal education system. This heavy burden creates a great hindrance for Israelis to move in and out of socioeconomic brackets as easily as people do in the United States.
Additionally, in contrast to America, military service is mandatory in Israel. This does not necessarily reflect poorly on the Israeli’s government insistence on force-feeding Spartan-like military prowess in its citizenry. Rather, it demonstrates, in some ways in a tragic sense, Israel’s security realities of protecting itself from neighboring adversaries.
Still, as I talked with the Israeli soldiers my group befriended on our trip, I felt guilty that they were required to devote a substantial portion of their young adult years to military affairs (albeit most soldiers’ responsibilities were more civilian related), while I enjoyed much more freedom attending college in America to pursue internships, academics and recreational activities.
Without a doubt, Israel’s rich cultural heritage becomes apparent whenever you place a note in the Western Wall or hike up the Masada Mountains.
But taking into account Israel’s burdensome military, residential and economic structures, I view Israel as a country which still has a long way to go before living up to America’s profound examples of free markets and free people. Of course, among Middle Eastern countries, it is the closest to achieving these noble goals.
Ironically, while my experiences validated why Israel is considered an incredible country, it also confirmed my feeling that America is truly the land of the free.
As I head to Egypt, the next country during my Middle East excursion, we will see if Arab countries possess the roots of liberty clearly evident in Israel.
Greg Collins is a Collegian columnist. He can be reached at [email protected].
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