- It doesn't sound like much of a holiday. Refurbishing
gas masks and packing medical supplies at army bases across Israel might
not appeal to many.
-
- But, for most of the volunteers who sign up to Sar-El
- a programme that encourages people from around the world to support the
state of Israel - it is an enriching and exciting experience.
-
- They pay a subscription fee to carry out what would normally
be the work of Israeli army reservists, as well as to work in hospitals
and attend lectures in Jewish history.
-
- Some are themselves Jewish, but a large number are fundamentalist
Christians who believe strongly in the religious foundations of the state
of Israel.
-
- Volunteers
-
- Sar-El, a Hebrew acronym of Service for Israel, was set
up in 1982 by retired army general Dr Aharon Davidi.
-
- The first volunteers were Americans who worked on farms
in the Golan Heights, replacing settlers who had been called up to fight
during the Israeli invasion of Lebanon.
-
- Since then, Sar-El volunteers have begun working on army
bases themselves, although they are given no weapons or combat training.
-
- Sar-El now attracts over 8,000 volunteers a year from
30 countries, mainly the US, France and Russia.
-
- Reservists
-
- Pamela Lazarus is a co-ordinator for the programme who
is based in Tel Aviv.
-
- She says most Jewish volunteers regard Israel as their
own country and want to support it in a way that involves more than just
giving money.
-
- She argues that the programme saves army reservists'
time (Israeli men under 45 must spend one month a year in the reserves)
and helps the Israeli economy by saving the government money.
-
- Ms Lazarus steers clear of talking about the political
situation relating to Israel and the Palestinians, but says: "Serving
in the army as opposed to doing other voluntary work is necessary for Sar-El
volunteers as the security situation is such a big part of Israel."
-
- 'Spiritual Warfare'
-
- Other Sar-El volunteers have an uncompromising view of
conflict in the Middle East.
-
- Ruth Rennie is an American who has been organising Christian
support for Israel for 14 years.
-
- She backs Israel's position in the current conflict,
believing that "the Arabs are the aggressors".
-
- She also rejects any idea of a Palestinian state in the
West Bank and Gaza.
-
- "The Palestinian people are a myth - they have no
separate history and are a creation of the media."
-
- She can see no solution to the conflict, describing the
current situation as "spiritual and ideological warfare", but
is quick to deny that by serving in Sar-El she is a soldier in that war.
-
- She says her role is to provide physical and moral support
to Israel and Jewish people in general.
-
- "Israel is the land God created. Anti-Semitism is
on the rise and, after all, Jesus himself was Jewish."
-
- © BBC MMIV http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3626145.stm
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