During my last day in Jerusalem on the Taglit trip, we visited one section of the security wall that separates Israel from Palestinian lands on the West Bank. The wall does not completely encircle Palestinian territory and is used around checkpoints or in high risk areas. The majority of the territories are separated by a fence. Here you can see the end of one section of the wall and the beginning of the fence.



This barrier is often used as a symbol for Israel's oppression of Palestinians. The wall has fulfilled one purpose in greatly reducing the ability of Palestinian militants to enter Israel and kill Israelis. The wall also has also significantly damaged the Palestinian economy and society. Here's my guide Mordechai explaining the complicated levels of Palestinian control over their territories.



Israelis are generally not allowed to go into Palestinian lands, although there are levels of exceptions obviously for the IDF and others. Palestinians can cross over to work in Israel but need special passes and clearance. Young Palestinian are generally prohibited from crossing into Israel. The Israeli logic for this is clear, this is the demographic that has perpetrated the majority of attacks. However, in my analysis of Israeli policy, this seems like a clear barrier to long term peace as this denies any possibility for communication and exchange between future generations.

Another thing to consider...
When Israel pulled out of the Gaza strip, they had to remove some 8,000 Israeli settlers from the territory. Some went along peacefully and some protested and had to be forcefully removed. The West Bank is a completely different story as there are over 250,000 Israeli settlers, living among 2.5 million Palestinians, who have vowed to fight the Israeli government if they attempt to remove them, and yet this is a prerequisite to a Palestinian state.... Know Hope is tag seen on many walls here.

Mom's House

The house is on a quiet pedestrian walkway and is just blocks from the beach (Mediterranean). The swimming is not the best due to the industrial port just a little ways south in Haifa, and the huge jelly fish that sting and dry up all over the beach. The sunsets are magnificent and end with the green flash.



She calls it her "doll house". There are three cats in the back, three in the front, and one who lives inside. I'd say she has become a crazy cat lady if I had not already seen all the countless stray cats that roam the cities here. I guess the British released them to get rid of the rodent problem... Here's Cinderella in the window.



It was pretty eerie walking into her house. She shipped all of her stuff here so its like I'm back in Cambridge on the inside.



We visited a goat farm today and also went to a "pick your own" berry farm in the Golan (Near Lebanon).

Farfur has been replaced.... LINK

Tel Aviv Graffitti....

Holy shit. I just got to my mom’s. What a busy week. My internet access has been limited over the past week. Hopefully I’ll have it for now on.

I have been so many places and seen so many things in the past week. I watched the sun set over the Negev desert. I watched the sun rise from King Herod’s northern Place in Masada. I rode a camel. I floated in the Dead Sea and swam in the Sea of Galilee. Seven soldiers from the Israeli Defense Force also joined our group. Here I am with one named Chen on top of Masada.

Thursday I arrived in Jerusalem. I am not a religious person, but this city is a very special place and definitely has an aura about it. The old city of Jerusalem is surrounded by a 500 year old 4 mile long wall, 15 to 50 feet high built by Suleiman the Magnificent. The city could be a museum, but instead is home to 40,000 people broken into the Arab, Armenian, Christian, and Jewish quarters, the largest by far being the Arab section. The entire city is built of stones worn smooth over the centuries. There are countless narrow alleyways and plazas, painted tiles and wrought iron gates, and vendors selling colorful cloths, hookas and shwarma.

Within a few blocks of each other is the Dome of the Rock, where Mohammed ascended into heaven to join Allah. Just below the Dome is the Kotel, or the Western Wall, which is the last surviving section of the Second Temple which was destroyed by the Romans in the year 70 and is the holiest sight of Judaism. Then there’s the Church of Sepulchre built over the sight where a Jewish carpenter was publicly executed back in 33. Here is the top of the dome with the Kotel just below.


More to come…I just need some time to process.

Today we went to the city of Safed in the mountains of the north. It is the religious home to kabbalah studies and jewish mysticism. It is a beautiful old town of stone. A main stairway cuts through the city and once separated the Jewish and Muslim quarters back during British rule. Traveling in such a large group is a little frustrating. I enjoy being a "fly on the wall" in foreign countries, seeing how people live and interact when the camera is not on them. Traveling with 40 north americans creates a difficult bubble to escape.It also scares away all the birds....

The man in the picture is cooking me a vegetarian yeminite dish that was very delicious along with the lemonade served with mint and other spices. The shwarma I had soon after was also really good....

Well I made it. The flight was long and the first day intense. We started our tour directly from the airport (5AM Israel time) after an overnight flight. We saw an ancient aqua duct from King Herod, went for a 2 hour hike near Haifa University and visited a British internment camp all before lunch. It was actually too intense for a couple in the group who did not realize they had to keep hydrated after the flight and in the hot sun, and subsequently fell ill. I got to meet my mom in a Druse village for lunch and it was incredible to to see her here. Her hebrew is not bad in comparison to her own reports.


Its amazing to be here and finally see this place. History is everywhere. The beautiful picture is of the Baha'i Gardens in Haifa. More to come soon.....