Our first sight of the Israeli border was after we crossed the Allenby Bridge from Jordan.
Research had been done and we knew all the right things top say to the immigration officials!!
Research had been done and we knew all the right things top say to the immigration officials!!
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| No stamp in the passport - just this slip of paper... |
The wrong things to say being that you have friends in Israel or are going to visit the West Bank! Mention that and you are in for a lengthy interview!
Our first stop was Jerusalem - a city that buzzes with atmosphere. The old city is divided into Muslim, Jewish, Armenian and Christian quarters, although the divisions are invisible and people mix freely
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| The iconic view of Jerusalem - The Dome on the Rock |
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| Beautiful Al Aqsa mosque Jersusalem |
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| The beautiful onion domes of St Mary Magdalene Church Jerusalem |
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| Remnants of the British Occupation of Palestine are still here in the Holy Land! |
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| One of the Old City of Jerusalem's many gates... |
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| Olive lovers only... |
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| Many pilgrims here... |
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| The ancient olive trees of Gethsemane Garden |
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| The Jewish cemeteries on the Mount of Olives with a view of the Old City |
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| Note the Jewish custom of placing a stone on the grave - it's a sign that the grave has been visited and lasts longer than a bunch of flowers! |
There is a relaxed atmosphere with a low key military presence. Hard to believe that we were walking through areas where suicide bombers killed innocent civilians during the second Palestinian Intifada (an Arabic name for an uprising or escalation in violence 1st 87-91 2nd 00-05)
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| At night the markets are converted into vibrant pop up restaurants |
So there has been no major violence for almost 12 years and things are "quiet" according to an Israeli soldier we spoke to. However problems do still occur and a week before we arrived a Palestinian drove a truck into an Israeli checkpoint killing 4 soldiers! But we were unaware of that as we sat sipping coffee in the Israeli sunshine!
One of the most fascinating areas of Jerusalem was the Western Wall. It is the holiest place in Judaism - a magnet for ultra religious Jews and tourists alike. There is a certain "people zoo" feeling to things here but people are always drawn to difference and if we observe respectfully then I think it's acceptable
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| Orthodox Jews |
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| Reading the Torah at the Western Wall |
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| Devotion at The Wall |
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| The letters of prayer are stuffed into cracks in the wall - every so often they are taken to the Mount of Olives and buried |
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Orthodox Neighbourhood |
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| Colourful Kippahs |
Holy sights of Jerusalem
Israel is a compact country and a an hour bus ride took us to Tel Aviv - the Israeli city that "never sleeps" and thinks it's part of Europe!
It has a great position on the Mediterranean - you can be an office worker in Tel Aviv and have lunch on the beach every day. However Israel has a winter and we were in the middle of it so no sunbathing for us! We Couchsurfed for a night in the centre with a cool artist called Ilan Adar - he showed us a slice of Tel Aviv nightlife and the benefits of a "pick up balcony"! The second night we headed to the atmospheric Arab area Old Jaffa.
It has a great position on the Mediterranean - you can be an office worker in Tel Aviv and have lunch on the beach every day. However Israel has a winter and we were in the middle of it so no sunbathing for us! We Couchsurfed for a night in the centre with a cool artist called Ilan Adar - he showed us a slice of Tel Aviv nightlife and the benefits of a "pick up balcony"! The second night we headed to the atmospheric Arab area Old Jaffa.
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| City on the beach |
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| National Service for Israelis means young people in uniforms and carrying machine guns around town... |
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| Luckily things are a little more chilled in Old Jaffa... |
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| BackGammon is commonly played here.. |
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| Colourful Fruit Shop Old Jaffa |
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| British Lighthouse Old Jaffa |
We then made a little road trip to the north taking in Haifa and Nazareth
Top tip - don't go to Nazareth on a Sunday - it closes!
Top tip - don't go to Nazareth on a Sunday - it closes!
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| Old city of Nazareth |
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| Acre - fortified city by the sea Northern Israel |
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| Magnificient Bahia Gardens Haifa Northern Israel |
Before long we were back in the West Bank - firstly to Bethlehem. It's grown a little since the baby Jesus appeared and its now got a nasty wall around it - not sure if that's progress..
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| Church of the Nativity |
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| Banksy Mural on the Wall |
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| Another wall - this time round a Jewish settlement |
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| Bethlehem street name |
A more powerful experience was a visit to Hebron - the city where Hamas was born. If one city epitomises the conflict it's this one - under a thousand Jews living in tiny (illegal) settlements within a city of 250,000 Palestinians!
I think you can see from the photos above that the situation in Hebron is complex and tense...We went on a tour of the city but needed 2 guides - one for the Jewish part and one for the Arab part!
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| This lady's father, a Rabbi was killed not far from this community centre where she told her story. Her grief still palpable - she still lives here today despite it all... |
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| Soldiers...Walls...Checkpoints.... |
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| These little kids know no other life... |
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| The passcard the Paestinians have to show to move around |
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| View of the Mosque from the top of an Israeli Watchpost |
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| The soldier at the WatchPost - he had seen a fellow soldier killed here about 6 months ago... |
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| Below is an Arab market - it's roof covered to prevent stones thrown by militant Jewish settlers hitting Arab shopkeepers |
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| And proof that the netting works! |
Hebron is tightly controlled - here a street called Snunada has been permanently closed off - robbing people of their livelyhood as it's no longer a thoroughfare...
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| But life goes on and the daily rituals are observed... |
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| But the take home message from Hebron is this..... |
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The conflict is always something that had interested me but have only really been able to understand (a little!) when I got here.
Both sides believe they have an historic right to be here - there's a lot of space here - problem is both a sides want the same bits! Add in the stubborn, proud and intransigent nature of both peoples and you have a problem that is sadly unlikely to go away...
Both sides believe they have an historic right to be here - there's a lot of space here - problem is both a sides want the same bits! Add in the stubborn, proud and intransigent nature of both peoples and you have a problem that is sadly unlikely to go away...
We made our way back to Jerusalem where everyone lives (relatively) happily together for a final night before heading back over the border
And to the Israeli border guards... "No we didn't visit the West Bank and no we don't have any friends in Israel"
Ah well what they don't know won't hurt them..:-))
Ah well what they don't know won't hurt them..:-))
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| Ma'a as-salama - Shalom - Goodbye! |
WanderVet
