For the past month, the first thing Avi Steiner, 17, from Toms River, New Jersey, did when he woke up in the morning was to check English-language Israeli news sites on his phone. Steiner was eager to find out about any updates in Israeli policy on the entry of students with foreign citizenship to study in Israel. The tension unsettled his days for many weeks, but at the beginning of this week, it finally happened — with only a few hours’ notice, he got on a plane to Israel.
“My suitcase had been packed for two months," he said in conversation with Al-Monitor from his quarantine location at a hotel near the Dead Sea. “I’m part of a group of several dozen students. Only on Sunday did they tell us we have a flight to Israel, and when I heard I was giddy with happiness. I was sure that it was lost. For months I didn't sleep or eat regularly because of this — but now, when I see the Dead Sea from my window, I know it was all worth it.”