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Rich,
The sorrow here in Israel of space shuttle Columbia's tragedy is deep, very deep.
For a country that suffers from too many tragedies to count, it might look strange to a stranger, one who is not truly related to us.
It is not only the fact that we had our own man on-board, one of the best among us. It is not just a personal grief over Col. Ilan Ramon.
We understand that Ilan, representing the state of Israel, was the mouse riding the wide back on an elephant.
It is more because we, the entire people of Israel, share and feel the strong connections and cooperation with not only the big country of the US, but mainly with the great men and women of your country.
Biblical Babylon Tower, in which people of the earth tried to reach God and by mixing their languages he caused the tower to collapse, is a symbol and proof that separation and division among us is easily done and result with nothing.
The US space program is, on the contrary, encouraging the cooperation and unification of different nations and races, on earth and up in the sky.
Its merits and amazing achievements are the proof that we can do it.
But, it isn't easy or trivial. That is one more reason to regard those wonderful men and women as pioneers and heroes, for the full meaning of these words.
Israelis, and the Jewish people in general, are among those who always are looking ahead, trying to learn and achieve as much as possible.
We experienced "a lack of luck" and it hurts. It will no doubt make us more humble and modest but hopefully will make us more eager and willing to continue the quest.
Please accept my personal condolences and my salute to your country and its people.
Your friend,
Yair
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