Celebrate Friendship: Watch Shira Pray for Peace! 🌍✌️ #InternationalDayOfFriendship

Welcome to Israel, a small country in the Middle East that sits by the Mediterranean Sea. This holy land of three faiths is talked about around the world and attracts over 3 million visitors each year. This land became the home of the Jewish people 4,000 years ago, but most of them were expelled from their homeland after many wars and could not return until decades later. By 1948, following World War II, the Jewish people's prayers were finally answered and Israel was granted the legal right to exist by the United Nations. But even from the beginning, maintaining that existence wasn't easy. For decades, the United States has been one of their strongest allies. The U.S. was the first country to recognize Israel as a legitimate state and the first to recognize Jerusalem as its capital. Both nations are united in their commitment to economic prosperity, strong national defense, individual freedoms, and a political system based on free elections. These shared objectives keep their bonds strong. Both countries have had to fight wars for their freedom and independence, and Israel's fight for survival continues to this day. This is Shira. She lives with her Jewish family in an apartment in Israel's second most populous city, Tel Aviv. Two blocks from her house is a mixed Arab-Jewish city called Jaffa. Like many other 13-year-old girls, Shira enjoys hanging out with her friends after school. But her best friend is Yasmin, a Muslim girl from Jaffa. Shira and Yasmin have been friends since they were eight years old. They love to play soccer together and practice both Hebrew and Arabic with each other. While the girls have many differences in cultures and religious beliefs, they also have a lot in common and enjoy learning from one another. Like the United States, Israel is a nation of immigrants, which prides itself on its freedoms for all citizens, no matter their religion, ethnicity, or race. Over 70 different nationalities live in this small country. Uniquely, Israel is the only country in the Middle East that does not oppress its minority populations. Israel's laws and Supreme Court rulings protect the rights of all its people from being jeopardized. Shira is thankful for the melting pot these freedoms have created. Shira has learned that this diversity didn't happen quickly or easily. Israel has a rich and complex past, dating back to ancient biblical times, and the 12 tribes descended from Jacob, the grandson of Abraham. The Bible chronicles how the United Tribes of Israel settled in the land that God had promised them, made Jerusalem their capital, and, around the 10th century BC, built the first Jewish temple there. Then, over the centuries, the land of Israel was invaded, conquered, and controlled by many empires, from the Babylonians to the Persians to the Romans. The Romans even renamed the land Palestine after the ancient biblical enemies of the Jews, the Philistines. During these years of wars and occupation, many Jews suffered and were killed. Most of the survivors were exiled or fled, but some remained in their homeland of Israel, no matter what it was called. After World War I and World War II, the need for a Jewish homeland became very clear because many Jews were murdered and persecuted with nowhere to escape to. So, in 1947, the United Nations legally recognized Israel's right to exist, and in 1948, Israel declared its independence. Immediately after this, Israel was attacked by surrounding Arab states, beginning the First Arab-Israeli War. During this time, many Arabs fled the new state of Israel, and many Jews fled Arab countries for Israel. Shir's grandfather, Arieh, was just a child at the time, but he remembers a lot about the conflict and has studied his nation's history well. He is proud to pass down those memories by telling Shir a stories about Israel's past. Unfortunately, the threats never really went away, and even as Shir learns about Jewish traditions from her grandparents, she is witnessing for herself the same kind of troubles her people have faced for thousands of years. On many occasions since being declared an independent state, Israel sought peace with surrounding countries and the local Palestinians. After several devastating wars, they were able to sign two peace treaties, one with Egypt in 1979 and one with Jordan in 1994. Sadly, despite many attempts, Israel has not been able to achieve a much-desired permanent peace agreement with the local Palestinians, and conflicts still continue today. Knowing that Jews had no other guaranteed safe haven outside of their homeland, Israel established the Israel Defense Forces, or IDF, in 1948 and has made it their mission to never lose a war. With a constant need for defense, Israel depends on its active military and its enormous reserve forces. All Jewish Israeli citizens, both male and female, are required to join the IDF at the age of 18 after graduating from high school. While it's not mandated, many Arab-Israeli men and women also join the military because they love their country. Enlisting a diverse group of men and women, the Israeli military serves an important social role in uniting the country. This is Rotem, Shira's older sister. Sadly, both girls have grown up during a time of ongoing attacks from terrorist organizations whose primary goal is to destroy Israel. Wanting to serve and protect her country, Rotem can't wait to become a combat soldier in the Israeli Defense Forces. She will have to train hard and commit to more years of service, but Rotem is ready for the challenge and the risk. Since the competition is fierce, she has spent years taking advanced classes and even more time studying. Rotem wants to devote her life to protecting her community from the dangers of those who don't want Israel to exist. Shira isn't sure if she wants to be a combat soldier like her sister, but she does eagerly look forward to serving her country in the best way she can. Since 2008, Israel has had to protect itself in four major conflicts and from numerous other terrorist attacks that threaten the innocent people living there. Most recently, in 2021, the Palestinian terror group Hamas launched over 4,000 rockets directly at the populous cities of Jerusalem and Shira's hometown of Tel Aviv. The terrorists wanted to cause mass casualties and chaos. Sadly, during this 11-day conflict, many people, including children, lost their lives. It was a scary time for Shira, and she spent most of it in Rotem's room, which is also their family's bomb shelter. Fortunately, none of her family or friends were harmed in the attacks. Prioritizing the safety of its people, Israel has developed a unique partnership with the United States government to help protect its borders. The U.S. and Israel exchange valuable innovations and strategies to help improve security. One of the greatest technological successes to come out of this alliance was the co-development of the Iron Dome, which became operational in 2011. The Iron Dome is an incredible missile defense system that intercepts rockets being launched at populated areas in Israel. This machine has successfully stopped thousands of missiles from destroying Israeli cities and prevented the deaths of many of its citizens. Shira knows that with brave IDF soldiers like Rotem and advanced technology like the Iron Dome, she is more protected than ever before. But she still prays every night before bed that God will bring peace to the entire region and that there will be no more wars against Israel.