Israeli Soldiers
Israeli Soldiers
In Israel, Jewish Israeli soldiers guard the Jewish shrines while Arab
Catholic and Arab Orthodox Israeli soldiers guard the Islamic shrines like
the Al Aqsa Mosque. All able-bodied Israeli men and women are required to
serve as soldiers for 3 years and 2 years, respectively.
I ran into and chatted with these two Israeli soldiers one night, and then ran into them again just inside the Damascus Gate with their guns. I saw them first, pointed my camera, called out to them and took this shot just before the soldiers broke into smiles upon recognizing who it was.
Travel Tip
Machine guns are everywhere in Israel. The soldiers carry guns both on and off duty and many civilians carry guns too. The ubiquity of guns, including M16s and Uzis with live ammunition clips slung around teenagers may be unsettling at first, but you'll get used to it after a few days... well, sort of.
I ran into and chatted with these two Israeli soldiers one night, and then ran into them again just inside the Damascus Gate with their guns. I saw them first, pointed my camera, called out to them and took this shot just before the soldiers broke into smiles upon recognizing who it was.
Travel Tip
Machine guns are everywhere in Israel. The soldiers carry guns both on and off duty and many civilians carry guns too. The ubiquity of guns, including M16s and Uzis with live ammunition clips slung around teenagers may be unsettling at first, but you'll get used to it after a few days... well, sort of.