3rd Thought

The article I will be discussion, from the Jerusalem Post:
Here

This article deals with a new program by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem to train physicians for the IDF. The program sounds intense but fascinating; the wide range of injuries to be covered (recovery from a nuclear attack - I hope to G-d that's knowledge that never has to be used) is impressive.

I'm very interested in the intersection between military and medicine; the conflict between violence and health. This is because my partner was a medic in Special Forces, and has shared many stories, about battle and about peace-keeping. I can't imagine an environment that teaches you how to shoot a bullet and then repair the wound. Isn't that such a paradoxical environment? He understands my confusion (with a wry smile): he signed up for the humanitarian missions, and was only in combat because our ex-President decided to invade some countries. I imagine that in the IDF, this paradox is even more intense. It's pretty likely you'll see action. The wounds you'll be repairing might not only be your comrades', but the person who was just shooting at you.

This odd intersection, I think, is a powerful metaphor for Israel's existence. There is, on the one hand, a free education offered to those who learn to heal. But it is contingent on the fact that they then serve for five years in the army. We may want to beat our swords into plowshares, but at the moment those swords are pretty necessary. How does Israel balance violence with peace? The need for safety against the commandment not to kill?

I think it'd be a very powerful thing if some of those physicians were being trained to provide medical care in the refugee camps.