Getting Out, Getting Sick and Getting Home

We had our big break between sessions on Aug 12th and I just had to get out! I decided to take the chance of getting deported and not getting back to all my stuff in Beit Sahour to cross some borders. So I headed to Eilat, Israel for a night and then off to Jordan for two days and then Egypt for two days. It was a whirlwind of an adventure that ended with me getting sick and coming home.

It became more and more difficult to live in occupied territory. It seemed like every time I got out of the West Bank something bad or annoying happened. Like when I went to Jerusalem and got hassled by vendors. The last time I went to the Old City one grabbed my arm and insisted I stay and look at more of his stuff. It made me very uncomfortable, especially when he didn’t let go right away after I asked him to.

But I had to get out. At least as an American, I felt trapped there and not having the freedom I have in the US was starting to cause… I don’t know I guess cabin fever kinda. I started noticing and hearing things that told me to get out as well. In the West Bank guns are everywhere and the tanks seemed to be rolling in. Tension was getting higher and higher because the Palestine Authority is taking a bid for statehood to the UN in September. I have not been to a meeting in a month so I am pretty tense too. It seems there are more and more protests and violence in the area. Also the locals are talking about the Third Intifada happening and some even think after Sept. the Third World War. Yea, so I decided to leave for Jordan and Egypt.

First I went to Petra in Jordan to visit one of the 7 wonders of the world. This is the site where Indiana Jones and The Temple of Doom was filmed. It is an ancient city carved in the red stone of the mountains. INCREDIBLE!

The best part of the entire trip including Egypt was Wadi Rum in Jordan. Wadi Rum is the most beautiful desert I have ever been to. It was so quiet and wonderful to feel free and like the entire desert was mine if I wanted it to be. My friend Jen and I climbed a mountain to view the famous sunsets in the Valley of the Moon. After dinner we stayed the night with our Bedouin guide, and slept by the fire under the stars. I didn’t want to leave and would go back in a second.


Next was Egypt: Cairo, the Pyramids, and climbing Mt Sinai. Cairo is a five-hour drive from Taba Border in Eilat. After the long drive we entered the city and the sky was white. It was early morning and the mist of the Nile and the pollution turned the sky white and the air was full of moisture. It was like nothing I had ever seen before. Breakfast and then a dream come true. I have been fascinated with the Nile since I was a little kid and always dreamed of taking a trip to see the sources of the White and Blue Nile, where they meet and of course where the river dries up North of Cairo. I did it! Well, not all of it, but I did get to sail on the Nile. J

Cairo was disgusting though. Some that know me, know that I view Nashville as the most disgusting and dirty city I have visited. Not anymore Cairo takes the lead, with trash everywhere along with traffic and cars, it is a little less then 200 sq. miles and has a population of 14 million people- it was busy and nasty.

Outside the city I visited another wonder of the world, Giza. The pyramids are wonders; I can’t even write about them, you just need to go see them for yourself. It was super hot and eating lunch after seemed to be a chore. Later we went to Tahrir Square. The square is now famous because of the events that took place there during the revolution this year. One million people gathered in Tahrir Square to protest the corrupt government and later succeeded in overthrowing Mubarak. They are still not happy. We couldn’t get into Tahrir because another protest was going on. In Cairo the tensions are not as high as in the West Bank, but because the military is running the country they are everywhere. Mini checkpoints are all over the city and surrounding areas. Later we visited the Cairo tower and the famous shopping bazaar of Khan El-Khalili. We also went to the Egyptian Museum where outside we saw another relic of the revolution, the burnt building of the Democratic Nationalist Party. Thinking about how this is where the “Arab Spring” started and looking at that building made me think about where it could go and the possibilities of entire cities in the Middle East burnt to the ground. It could happen and that scares me.

Then, it was back to the border. On the way back we stopped at the Suez Canal and the museum. You can’t see the canal from the road it is so well protected it is unbelievable. I thought of my Dad and how much he would have loved seeing the museum and reading the explanations of how it was built and how it is managed. Once we reached the border we dropped off the lady that I went on the tour with and I headed to Mt Sinai. Mt Sinai was a two-hour drive from the border and I had no sleep. We left the border for Cairo the night before at 11pm, about 24 hours later and I was headed to Mt Sinai to start a 2 am climb to the top to catch the sunrise.

Mt Sinai or the mountain of Moses is 8,000 feet and the second tallest mountain in the Sinai. I climbed it sick as a dog but I climbed it. I started getting sick on the way back to the border and by the time I got to the mountain it was in full swing. I was throwing up and had to stop at every little, disgusting outhouse along the way to go to the bathroom. I didn’t think I was going to make it up and I don’t know how I did. Once at the top the view was spectacular and the sunrise was epic. The trek down was even more painful and I took a quick look at the burning bush and the golden calf and headed to Nuweiba to stay in a hotel. The next morning I was off to the border on a bus and still sick. I hate to write it, but things just got worse.

After arriving at the Israel border, I was questioned and seriously feared I was going to get deported. They questioned me for 3 hours with 3 different people. Custom officials kept asking me if I was in Gaza along with other questions. They did all that and never even checked my luggage; it was truly upsetting, especially when it caused me to miss my bus back to Jerusalem. Once through border security I took a cab to the station and the driver gave me a price and then upped it by 15 shekels. Forty shekels were all I had so we argued and his face got bright red and I thought he was going to hit me. He took my luggage out of the trunk and threw it about four feet. I missed my bus and had to wait two more hours. Then I got kicked off that bus after my return ticket somehow got stamped so the bus driver wouldn't let me on and was a real jerk. I was in the bus station all day so once I got to Jerusalem I had to walk a few miles to save money and take a cab from East Jerusalem to Bethlehem because the busses stopped running.

Still sick I arrived back in Beit Sahour and found out that the shelter was still not in place for my last month. Taking into consideration being sick, the heightened danger, not being at the shelter yet, not really learning Arabic (classes were disappointing), and the feeling of being trapped I decided to book an early flight home. The last month was refunded to the man who so generously donated funds for my trip and I said goodbye to my host family- that was the hardest thing about leaving early, I will miss them.

I got home and Mom had made an appointment to see the doctor. We did some test but I don’t know the results yet. The doctor thought because it was so painful to eat anything I may have pancreatitis again. I am pretty much on a liquid diet at this point and have lost about five pounds. Let’s just say that I am glad to be home and will never forget this experience.

I never felt much when I looked at the American flag, but I do now. I feel grateful, privileged, free, prosperous and on top of that sad for those who don’t have the luxury of feeling that way about the country of their birth. Sad that I left a country that isn’t really a country and a family that lives in a place where their flag represents captivity more than anything else. I would imagine the weight of that conviction will live in my soul forever and the memory of that place I will carry with me always.

So, will I go back? To Israel, no. I did not like the cities or the people of Israel. To the West Bank, yes. But only to visit my family… and only for a week. ;)

Wishing you Blessings and Safe Travels

Processing

So I know I have not written in a while, my bad.  Well this whole conflict is bad.  I mean seriously, living and learning here changes things.  I have been processing much of my experience in the last week. My perspective has changed a bit since my last post.  It is difficult to explain the emotional and academic experience that has become a vital part of my journey here.  But I will start with the trip we took to Hebron.

Hebron

Hebron is the largest city in the West Bank.  It has a sad history and the present isn’t much better.  I will make it simple and just say that Hebron used to be a Jewish city, then an Arab city, synagogues were turned into mosques and then turned into the cluster of tension that is Hebron today. 

Today the city is split with Arabs and Jews both living in the same community, but not being communal, I think you get what I mean.  In 1994 a Jewish man entered the mosque and opened fire on Muslims that were praying, killing 29 people and wounding over 100.  The Muslims caught him in the church, took him to a corner and beat him with a fire extinguisher until he died.  The cities solution was to split the holy place in half.  When I say holy I mean the Abraham mosque, where Abraham and Sarah’s tombs are.  So needless to say, the tension of that day still lives in Hebron.  Hebron is the only city in the West Bank where there are settlements in the city.

The presence of the settlements breeds a new tension.  It was common when walking the city to see soldiers on top of settlement buildings, trash a foot high in the Arab balconies below them, and fences atop market places.  The Arab vendors in the market for protection built fences above the walkway to catch the trash the settlers were throwing.  When walking around the city everyone has guns, even though there are soldiers everywhere Arabs and Jews are carrying guns too.  A man who was running a Jewish Museum and school in Hebron was quite keen on telling us all about his pistol.

We went to the Museum and took a tour and then listened to a lecture.  This was the first lecture by someone who was Jewish.  He talked about the history of his people in Hebron and the fear they now face.  He told a story about a time during the second Intifada when bullets from the Arab villagers entered his home and just missed his children.  There are now holes in his wall to commemorate this event. 

It was in his reverie when he made reference to his pistol and that he carried it at all times for protection.  This was also the time when he stated that Muslims were trying to take over the world.  Oh yes, he said that and it caused a stir among the highly educated students of the PSE program.  I took that statement into consideration when taking a tour of the grounds.

When touring the outside and playground, I saw children playing under the watchful eyes of their mothers with their large purses over their shoulders and men in plain clothes with rifles over their shoulders.

As a saw these children their mothers and protectors on the playground I realized how much fear both sides of the conflict were living in.  It was at that point that my narrative became a little deeper and my scope a little wider.  I have always felt that to pick a side in this conflict would negate the victimization of the other and I just cant do that.  It was then with the “other side” looking up at me that I finally saw my reasons.  Before that moment my reasons were purely academic.  But they were no longer, there they were, the flesh and bone of why this thing that we call the Arab-Israeli conflict is so complex. And why maybe, just maybe hearing both sides and praying for both sides is more important then picking one side.

Tent of Nations

Tent of Nations is a little place outside Bethlehem with a huge story and an even bigger heart.  It is the home of David his family and a group of volunteers who make the farm into a shining beacon of hope for peace in Palestine. 

David’s family has owned the 100 acres of land since 1916.  His grandfather bought the land in 1916 and moved his family from Bethlehem onto the farm to live in a cave.  At that time the land of Palestine was under Ottoman rule and it was required that owners register their land and pay taxes.  Many people did not and if they did lets just say that the 100 acres became one acre.  Not David’s grandfather he registered it all, saved the papers, paid the taxes and cultivated his land. 

The papers came in handy under the British Mandate and the farm remained in the family.  After 1948 the papers were not enough for Israel.  David has spent over $170,000 trying to prove in court that this land is his and he will stay on it.  He is still battling this and now the case is being heard in the Supreme Court.

His court battle started with ownership, then it was surveying the land to make sure all of it was his, third it was building permits and demolished structures, now it is blocking of access to the outside world.  We had to get off the bus and walk because the road to his home was blocked off.  His home is on a hill and his land also consists of the valley below.  All around is Israeli settlements.  He has done battle with soldiers and settlers, the Israeli courts and yet he still seeks his right to be on his land and states these rights through non-violent actions.

He also states his rights and mission through education.  The home is now a summer camp.  Kids come and learn about the struggle and the non-violent way to peace.  They also learn the importance of heritage and of "mother earth," David’s words not mine.  He teaches them about solar energy.  And shares the story of until two years ago they had no electricity and now they run on solar power.  He shows them how they use rainwater because they do not have running water.  He teaches them how to plant trees and tend to crops and animals.

You get where I am going with this?  Yea let me just say that this place is incredible and I was so moved being there.  I also have a little Tent of Nations story to tell about myself…

A Little Arab Man Put Me On A Little Arab Horse

I got to ride a horse while I was there!  I thought I heard horses when I was walking up the hill with the group.  I asked David and he pointed to where they were and said to go with his brother.  The little Arab man led me, just me, to share a few moments with a little Arabian horse named Radi. 

Gosh, they are tiny!  I had forgotten how little Arabians were, she was so cute.  Well, she was cute when she wasn’t trying to bite me. J

When she wasn’t trying to bite me I was on her back.  The little Arab man, I don’t remember his name so he will forever be “The Little Arab Man”, gave me a boost and let me ride her.  He was completely comfortable after I told him I once owned six horses.  I, of course, was completely comfortable riding bareback. 

What a cool experience!  I got to see the gorgeous mountains while trotting around the hill and saying horse commands in Arabic.  I learned that to make an Arabian horse in Arab lands go you say, “D, D, D” instead of making the “click click” sound.  And of course you use the Arabic word for go which is “yella”.  Ah yes, it was very cool to smell like horse again.

Clarity on Settlements and Soldiers

So I was talking to someone who has a very negative view of settlements and those who live in them.  It was actually a very intelligent conversation about the misconceptions of the occupying forces.  I shared my feelings on the topics of settlements and soldiers in the context of the occupation.  I thought it would be important to share them with you as well.

There are two types of Israeli settlements, economic and religious.  Economic settlements are the ones that most Pro Palestinian’s tend to forget about.  And I admit, until this conversation, I had forgotten about them too and how important they are in keeping that “deeper narrative and wider scope” I mentioned before. 

To be Jewish does not solely mean that you are of the Jewish faith but that you are of Jewish descent.  If you can prove that descent you have the right to live in your homeland that is Israel. 

So lets say that you are a starving mother of five children in the Ukraine.  Your family has still not recovered from pre and post World War I, and the scars of the Holocaust have yet to heal.  Your starving, your kids are starving and Israel is offering you a place to stay, good school systems and health care.  You take the offer for your family, your children, and their families.  You arrive in Israel with your children and your grandparents, your taken to a hilltop that is the “subsidized housing” we call settlements.  In the Ukraine you didn’t have access to TV or the internet and never bought papers because feeding your children bread was more important then feeding them knowledge.  So here you are, in this new country and have no idea that settlements are illegal under the UN and that along with the worldly powers that be your Palestinian neighbors across the way think you have no right to be there.

You now live in an economic settlement, a conflict zone and 24 hours ago all you wanted was a better place to raise a family.  What would you do?

Religious settlements are simple, they have their own synagogues and most residents are extremely religious and are the type that would tell you without hesitation they are Zionists and they should have their homeland.  These are usually the settlers that are causing trouble, if you can believe that.  The concept of “loving your neighbor as yourself” seems to be lost in this conflict.

When she made a comment about Israeli soldiers I reminded her that in a way the Israeli military occupation of Palestine has caused a conflict in the psyche of it’s own military. Most of the soldiers are just young adults, 17 to 24 is the average age of a person serving in the IDF.  The adults are suffering too.  The rate of drug charges, domestic violence, assault, and even sexual assault is off the charts among military vets.  And remember there is nothing to truly measure the trauma these young adults have to face, and may never face.

I think our conversation opened her eyes a bit wider as the visit to Hebron did for me.  I hope the same can be said about you and this post.  After this post I hope that you have a better understanding of the occupation and how I am beginning to see it.  If you don’t understand and don’t know how or what to feel, that is okay.  You can pray and if you are not religious then maybe you can agree that life would just be a whole lot better if you “loved your neighbor as yourself.”  And you can start today…