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Chicago Tribune
01-08-2025
- Chicago Tribune
Ani Feinberg: My evacuation from Israel was a stark reminder of my American privilege
In June, I was one of 1,500 young Americans evacuated from Israel to Cyprus. Our ship, the Crown Iris, departed from Ashdod, a port city between Tel Aviv and the Gaza Strip. Thirty-seven miles south, families were starving. Twenty-six miles north, others raced to bomb shelters. Cruising away from war, I was forced to confront the Crown Iris problem: how easily American privilege lets us float above human suffering, shielded by distraction and comfort. I went to Israel on a Birthright Israel trip, hoping to deepen my understanding of Judaism's ties to the land and learn firsthand about the Israel-Hamas conflict. Initially, the trip unfolded as expected: panoramic hikes, spirited volunteer work and nightly bonding. Then Israel struck Iran — and everything changed. Over five days, I sheltered from missile attacks a dozen times — the scariest in broad daylight, sprawled on the grass in Jerusalem's Sacher Park. As sirens wailed, my friends and I had five minutes to sprint to a bomb shelter, weaving through panicked parents who clutched children in both arms. When Birthright offered me a seat on an evacuation boat, one escorted by the Israeli navy, I accepted immediately. What followed wasn't just an evacuation — it was a stark reminder of my privilege. On June 17, I expected to board a tense, bare-bones vessel. I couldn't sleep the night before, anxious about spending 20 hours packed like a sardine. Instead, I boarded the Crown Iris: a 10-deck cruise ship with a casino, water slide, gym and three full-service restaurants. As we crossed the Mediterranean, I read my Kindle in the sun, played my first game of roulette and drank one too many espresso martinis — trying to drown a gnawing sense of guilt. Because while I was safe on a floating resort, I couldn't stop thinking about those left behind. My friend Amit, a 22-year-old Israeli soldier. The Israeli girls I gossiped with on a kibbutz near the Golan Heights. The Druze families in Haifa who opened their homes to us. Thousands of Iranians fleeing airstrikes in Tehran. And the 2.2 million Palestinians in Gaza, where food and aid have become weapons of war. Of course, not everyone wants to leave in wartime. For many, staying is a necessity — and a reflection of identity and resilience. This is their home. But that only made me more unsettled. I had the means, the passport and the choice. Most people don't. At 5 a.m. the next day, I stood at the edge of the ship deck, journal in hand, trying to make sense of how 1,500 young Americans literally cruised away from a war zone — and why so many of us were OK with it. Hours after docking, videos from the ship spread like wildfire: passengers dancing around the pool, cocktails sloshing, a playlist that screamed spring break. The backlash was swift and justified. People called the scene tone-deaf, callous and insensitive. It was a painful metaphor for everything that felt wrong about the evacuation, making visible what many of us were already reckoning with internally: We get to forget. We live in the most connected age in human history — yet we've never been more detached from global realities. Young Americans can scroll on their phones for hours without seeing a single post about Israel, Iran, Ukraine, Taiwan or any geopolitical flashpoint. Digital silos have become the everyday Crown Iris, gently steering us away from the world beyond our own feeds. It's tempting to blame our detachment on political disillusionment — the feeling that our individual actions don't matter — or on 'America First' ideologies that say we should prioritize our own interest. But the scarier truth is that those who could speak up, who have the safety and platform to do so, are simply too insulated to notice. If the history of U.S. foreign policy has taught us anything, it's that ignorance has consequences. It paves the way for unnecessary shows of force and enables leaders to posture rather than lead — to offer just enough aid, weapons or diplomatic lip service to soothe public conscience without actually fixing anything. To be clear: I don't believe the solution to the Crown Iris problem is to put everyone on a rusty fishing trawler. I also don't believe it is the sole responsibility of organizations like Birthright to make us perceptive, empathetic individuals. As a collective generation, we need to cultivate more spaces where dissonance isn't avoided but used as a mirror. We need to acknowledge when we're cruising away, literally and figuratively. That means asking hard questions and searching for real context, without fear of provocation. That means resisting passive consumption and using our digital tools with intention. American privilege isn't going anywhere. But to any young person with the freedom to disconnect, you have the responsibility to engage. Identify which lawmakers drive the issues that make you tick, and organize collective outreach. Vote in every election — not just the big ones — because democracy adds up. Volunteer with international nongovernmental organizations, so change doesn't rest solely in the hands of governments. The first step is naming your privilege. The second is mobilizing it. So let's decide to push ourselves and push each other. Because no cruise lasts forever.
Arab News
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
About 400 passengers have left Israel on US-assisted flights
The State Department is sharing information with over 27,000 people about leaving the regionThe US started some limited assisted-departure flights for US citizens WASHINGTON: The United States has helped about 400 US citizens and others to fly out of Israel since Saturday amid conflict with Iran and hopes to accommodate more in the coming days, a senior State Department official said on Tuesday.'We very much know that there's still capacity, still US citizens seeking to leave Israel, that the airspace is not reliably opened up. It is incredibly dynamic,' the official State Department is sharing information with over 27,000 people about leaving the region and safety and security, the official said, up from 25,000 last US started some limited assisted-departure flights for US citizens, lawful permanent residents and their immediate family members on official said thousands had also left Israel overland for Jordan, while several hundred had departed through Egypt over the past two days. Several thousand US citizens have gone to Cyprus on ships, mostly arranged by Birthright or other private have left Iran through Azerbaijan, the official said. Turkmenistan has been restricting the entry of US citizens but is now allowing them in after weekend diplomatic State Department is aware of reports of a couple of US citizens detained in Iran in this process but has no additional information to share, the official President Donald Trump announced on Monday that Israel and Iran had reached a ceasefire deal, although violations were launched a surprise attack on June 13, hitting Iran's nuclear sites and killing the top echelon of its military missile strikes have killed 28 people in Goldstone, who arrived in Florida on Tuesday after leaving Israel through an effort to evacuate Americans organized by Governor Ron DeSantis and the Florida Department of Emergency Management, said his family tried any way to get out of the country but that there were not many options.'It was pretty indescribable. We left Sunday morning. There were sirens. We took a bus all the way to the Jordanian border. We spent hours at the border there trying to cross over,' Goldstone contracted the operation with Grey Bull Rescue, a Tampa-based foundation aiming at rescuing Americans from conflict zones, as well as the state's Department of wife, Donna Goldstone, said they had had to run to bomb shelters over 25 times.'Sleepless nights for the past week and a half. It has been really intense,' she said.
Straits Times
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
About 400 passengers have left Israel on US-assisted flights, official says
About 400 passengers have left Israel on US-assisted flights, official says WASHINGTON - The United States has helped about 400 U.S. citizens and others to fly out of Israel since Saturday amid conflict with Iran, and hopes to accommodate more in the coming days, a senior State Department official said on Tuesday. "We very much know that there's still capacity, still U.S. citizens seeking to leave Israel, that the airspace is not reliably opened up. It is incredibly dynamic," the official said. The State Department is sharing information with over 27,000 about leaving the region and safety and security, the official said, up from 25,000 last week. The U.S. started some limited assisted-departure flights for U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents and their immediate family members on Saturday. The official said thousands had also left Israel overland for Jordan, while several hundred had departed through Egypt over the past two days. Several thousand U.S. citizens have gone to Cyprus on ships, mostly arranged by Birthright or other private groups. Hundreds have left Iran through Azerbaijan, the official said. Turkmenistan has been restricting the entry of U.S. citizens but is now allowing them in after weekend diplomatic efforts. The State Department is aware of reports of a couple of U.S. citizens detained in Iran in this process but has no additional information to share, the official said. U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Monday that Israel and Iran had reached a ceasefire deal, although violations were reported. Israel launched a surprise attack on June 13, hitting Iran's nuclear sites and killing the top echelon of its military command. Retaliatory missile strikes have killed 28 people in Israel. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Al Arabiya
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
About 400 passengers have left Israel on US-assisted flights, official says
The US has helped about 400 US citizens and others to fly out of Israel since Saturday amid conflict with Iran, and hopes to accommodate more in the coming days, a senior State Department official said on Tuesday. 'We very much know that there's still capacity, still US citizens seeking to leave Israel, that the airspace is not reliably opened up. It is incredibly dynamic,' the official said. The State Department is sharing information with over 27,000 about leaving the region and safety and security, the official said, up from 25,000 last week. The US started some limited assisted-departure flights for US citizens, lawful permanent residents and their immediate family members on Saturday. The official said thousands had also left Israel overland for Jordan, while several hundred had departed through Egypt over the past two days. Several thousand US citizens have gone to Cyprus on ships, mostly arranged by Birthright or other private groups. Hundreds have left Iran through Azerbaijan, the official said. Turkmenistan has been restricting the entry of US citizens but is now allowing them in after weekend diplomatic efforts. The State Department is aware of reports of a couple of US citizens detained in Iran in this process but has no additional information to share, the official said. US President Donald Trump announced on Monday that Israel and Iran had reached a ceasefire deal, although violations were reported. Israel launched a surprise attack on June 13, hitting Iran's nuclear sites and killing the top echelon of its military command. Retaliatory missile strikes have killed 28 people in Israel.
Reuters
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
About 400 passengers have left Israel on US-assisted flights, official says
WASHINGTON, June 24 (Reuters) - The United States has helped about 400 U.S. citizens and others to fly out of Israel since Saturday amid conflict with Iran, and hopes to accommodate more in the coming days, a senior State Department official said on Tuesday. "We very much know that there's still capacity, still U.S. citizens seeking to leave Israel, that the airspace is not reliably opened up. It is incredibly dynamic," the official said. The State Department is sharing information with over 27,000 about leaving the region and safety and security, the official said, up from 25,000 last week. The U.S. started some limited assisted-departure flights for U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents and their immediate family members on Saturday. The official said thousands had also left Israel overland for Jordan, while several hundred had departed through Egypt over the past two days. Several thousand U.S. citizens have gone to Cyprus on ships, mostly arranged by Birthright or other private groups. Hundreds have left Iran through Azerbaijan, the official said. Turkmenistan has been restricting the entry of U.S. citizens but is now allowing them in after weekend diplomatic efforts. The State Department is aware of reports of a couple of U.S. citizens detained in Iran in this process but has no additional information to share, the official said. U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Monday that Israel and Iran had reached a ceasefire deal, although violations were reported. Israel launched a surprise attack on June 13, hitting Iran's nuclear sites and killing the top echelon of its military command. Retaliatory missile strikes have killed 28 people in Israel.
