Reflexion

Most things in Isreal lead you back to the Middle East conflict. As I said in a post earlier before, it gets harder to build up a substantial and educated opinion the deeper you get into the situation on the ground. Even as someone, who has studies the Middle East conflict for years, I have to admit this. The more I talked to people, the more I understand that there are different stories to tell, different perspectives to recognise and fates to consider. In this conflict there is no right nor wrong, no good nor bad. More essential than blaming one side or the other, is it to find concrete solutions for peace in the region. The consequence of expanded settlements in the Westbank and the wall cutting off the lifeline of the Palestinian people is an unemployed frustrated youth willing to uprise against Israel soon. On the other hand Israel needs to be certain that an independent Palestinian state is not just the first steep of an Arabic attempt to reconquer the whole country. Concessions need to be made on both sides.
Though in the current reality the PLO doesn't seem to be ready to take over full responsibility for the Palestinian territory. Beside the internal fights between Hamas and Fatah, Israel still provides the infrastructure for the Westbank and controls the boarders to Jordan. However this can only be changed, if Israel is willing to assign consequences to the Palestinian authorities. Israel and Palestine have to much to offer to get wasted in conflict!

No 7 - Yad Vasehm

Israel's present can not be understand without knowing the history of its people. No place makes that clearer than Yad Vasehm, the Holocaust memorial situated near Jerusalem. The museum shows the terrible crimes of the Nazi regime during the Shoa in all it's detail. Even as I know the historic facts it is again disturbing to see what humans are able too. I spend more then three hours in the museum. Reflecting the holocaust reminded me that Israel is the homeland of the Jewish people, a state build up on the experience of the past, able to defend itself and it's people. The non-recognition by the Arab states means nothing else than questioning this.
We finished our stay in Israel with the visit of Marias Tomb and a nice common dinner in the hotel. Celebrating the beginning of Shabbat with self-made Jewish foot and many people from around the world was the best way to say good bye to Jerusalem and Israel. I have to say I had a great time here. It was one of the most intensest weeks in my life. Israel is a country shaped by its contrasts. The people and their culture make it a unique place, I'm hoping to comeback soon.

No 6 - From old cities and dead seas

No 6 - From old cities and dead seas

After all the disturbing things we've seen the day before, we planed on having a calmer day. That said it turned out not to be that easy in Jerusalem.
As we haven't seen much of Jerusalem so far, we were heading to the famous old town in the morning. The old town is divided in a Christian, Muslim and an Armenian quarter. It hosts the holiest sanctuaries of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. All concentrated in one place. We entered the city through Damascus gate, which is the entrance to the Muslim quarter. We were immediately hit by the masses of pilgrims, tourists and marketers. Even if the city itself is quite small finding our way through theses masses in the tiny side streets takes long and is sort of complicated.
We first entered the Church of Resurrection, the place were Jesus was buried. The church was mainly visited by Russian Orthodox tourists by the time we walked around there.
We basically got there by chance as we were originally aiming on visiting Temple Mount first. This place is by far the most intense place in Jerusalem. As a visitor you are only allowed to enter the mountain through the Old Western Wall. Once we passed the usual security checks we were standing right in front of the Western Wall, the holiest sanctuary in Judaism. Surrounded by orthodox and ultra-orthodox Jews we got provided with a Kippah in order to near the Wailing Wall. Even if you don't believe in religion you feel the deep atmosphere at this holy site. Interesting fact - I didn't see any Muslims around there, neither was there any Jew around the Temple Dome or Al Aksa Mosque, which are build right on top of the Western Wall. Sure you will ask now, why would they go to the others sanctuary? The thing is that these places are only 100 meters away from each other. However Arabic and Israeli security forces try to avoid tensions caused by religious fundamentalists.
In front of the Al-Aksa Mosque we met an old Palestinian man based in the US. At first he seemed to be quite reasonable talking about the Mosque and it's surrounding. That changed quite fast when he was talking about the Jewish occupation, conversion to Islam and the sins of homosexuals in the US. This short chat again reminded me that the Middle East Conflict is not only about land and access to water resources, it also has deep religious routs. The Temple Mount and the old city of Jerusalem has been the desire of foreign imperial powers for centuries and cause of countless wars, massacres and displacements. I remember how our Palestinian guide the day before pointed out the impossibility of seeing the dome of Temple Mount from the Palestinian territory in the Westbank.
Later that day we made a half day trip to the Dead Sea. Our driver, a young Israeli with two little daughters gave us a completely different impression about the Westbank. From his point of view the Westbank seems to be an example of how Palestinians and Israelis can live together and even use the same roads. I don't think that he was trying the glorify the Israeli settlement policies, I rather believe that most ordinary people are sick of this conflict and want to live their life in peace.
The Dead Sea however is a fascinating place. Once we made it to the beach, crossing all the small Israeli tourist resort, we were standing in front of this grey little pond 400 meter bellow sea level. Though the wetter was incredibly hot the water wasn't promising any cooling. It is boiling hot! But once you get in there your body finds its way to the surface, no matter what you do. A pretty amazing feeling.
Coming back to the hostel in Jerusalem we watched Germany getting kicked out of the Euro by Italy and had a few beers of snit. As I said it was unlikely that this day would turn out to be boring.cln

No 5 - Things look different on the ground

This is without question the most exciting and interesting day of our little journey through Israel. Today we took a tour Green Olive Tours through the Westbank took.
Early in the morning we met our supposed tour guide. He had some interesting stories to tell. Although he lived the last eleven years in Belgium, he never received the Belgium citizenship. As Isreal does not regard him as an Israeli citizen he is now stateless. Right after the first checkpoint on the boarder to the Westbank we realized that they actually messed up the different tours by accidents. In consequence we had to wait at the non-called boarder for another guide, who picked us up with his taxi and brought us to
Ramallah. Here we had to go through another checkpoint to enter the city. Just walking through this highly armored checkpoint was already an absolutely weirded experience. It got even more confusing when we reached the other side. Good thing that our new guide picked us up right at the boarder. He is a pretty cool dude, a huge fan of Banksy and having lived in Canada for the last years, which made communication quite easy. On top he came with an early 1990s Mercedes E-Class stretched limo with six doors.
Leaving the checkpoint behind us we immediately entered the Palestinian refugee camp in Bethlehem. I haven't seen a place like that ever before in my life. The camp itself looks like a bunch of tiny houses, all of them somehow interconnected with each other. It is surrounded by the wall and military watchtowers. The Israelis call it a security fence, the Palestinians a separation or even apartheid wall. I wouldn't go so far, but this wall definitely makes their life incredibly harder. When you are in there it feels like an open air prison. The wall itself is covered with graffiti from locals and artists worldwide. We saw some of the famous Banksy street artwork. Like the little girl with the balloons flying over the wall or the little girl controlling an soldier. The houses next to the wall look all kind of endangered. Covered with bullet holes, it gives you a feeling about the tensions in the Westbank. We visited a local information and visitor center ran by a Palestinian NGO, which closely works together with the UN. They told us a lot about the struggles they are facing in maintaining their services. Later on, another local drove us from Bethlehem to Ramallah. On the ride it was interesting to see how the country is cut into pieces. The settlements basically posses about their own water and electricity supply and are connected to other settlements by their own roads. Most of the roads are for the use of the settlers only. Another critical issue is the access to water. Whereas even illegal settlements are quickly connected to the water infrastructure and have all day water access, most Palestinian houses get water supply only for a few hours a day. This contradiction is visible when you look qt the roofs of the houses in the Westbank. On every Palestinian home one can see big black tanks or barrels, which they use to collect water once they get access to it.
Entering Ramallah is a pretty odd experience. Ramallah is one of the few places completely controlled by the Palestinian authority. Right at the entrance to the city it is stated that no Israelis are allowed in the city. In return no Palestinians are allowed to enter Israel (with the exception of Israeli Arabs and Palestinian citizen of East Jerusalem). Which restricts the freedom of movement especially for the Palestinans, who in order to go abroad need to posses a Jordan passport.
Ramallah itself is surrounded by the walls of the nearby settlements. The city center however is lively and hectic. It looks like a huge Arabian market. To my surprise it seems to be a really liberal place. Hotels everywhere, street music, all kind of shops and cafes and many luxury cars. A pretty big contrast to the refugee camp we saw the beginning of the day in Bethlehem. After having a coffee at Ramallah's famous Stars&Bucks we left the city by bus. Only half an hour and another Israeli military checkpoint later we arrived back in Jerusalem.
This day left me back with extremely mixed feelings. This is not the right place and time to discuss the roots of this conflict, but seeing what happens on the ground gave me a really direct impression. The situation in the Westbank is the complete opposite to the life in Tel Aviv. In the latter one Arabs and Jews life together peacefully in a multicultural global city, whereas in Jerusalem and the Westbank ethnicities are strictly separated. The argument of the Israelis calling for security may follow a certain rationality. However the outcome on the ground seems to make things way worse and widens the gap between Israelis and Palestinians. Separation, suspicion and isolation are pretty bad preconditions for peace.
This day definitely made a dent on me. However all the things I saw today need time to process. I get the feeling the deeper I dip my nose in this conflict the more it becomes unclear to me what is going on for what reason.

No 4 - From Negev to Jerusalem

I think out of the whole trip this day was our least busiest day, which - given our rich schedule - still means that a lot was going on.
I woke up blinded by the desert sun and with flys over my face. Nevertheless sleeping under the clear sky of the Negev was a pretty unique experience. We left the tent camp quite early to see the massive crater in the desert. At this time the sun was kicking in pretty hard. However, the view was amazing. Later on we took the bus together with Christian to Be'er Sheva. From there on our ways were splitting up as we headed further on to Jerusalem and he left for Tel Aviv. It was interesting to see that this time there wasn't such a massive crowd of soldiers at the bus station. They were still a lot, but most of them were just young girls. Girls in uniform - I have to say is a really nice distraction for the eye.
We arrived in Jerusalem by the afternoon. Basically our and this blogs mission was so to say accomplished. In the city we realized immediately the intense vibe of the place. After a few security checks I gained the first glimpse on the city. And I have to say its way nicer and cleaner than expected. Especially in comparison with Tel Aviv it has seems surprisingly chic. This can't be applied to the whole city, which will be proven during our further travels in and around Jerusalem. But for the moment I was overwhelmed by its variety and international atmosphere. We stay at a really convenient hostel right in the center of the new city, called Abraham Hostel. They offer various tours and activities, which makes it actually to easy for a proper backpacker. However, we stayed the first night in a 6 bed room, where I got woken up by an orthodox Jew at two o'clock in the night. I'm telling you Jerusalem will have many surprises for us in its back pocket. More about that later.

Site note: for my critics, especially those little blond girls from California: I'm writing these blog entries at the end of the day when I have a level of concentration like an Irishman after 5 Guinness. So again I'm aware of my spelling and grammar mistakes. Though I'm just to lazy to review every entry after starring for half an hour on the tiny screen of my phone. I know you still stay tuned:)

No 3 - Negev Beduin culture at its best

This day had a lot in shop for us. Leaving Tel Aviv in the morning by bus, we arrived in Be'er Sheva around noon. The short stop in Israel's fourth biggest city was already an experience for itself. Even in my army times I have never been surrounded by so many soldiers. Watching them holding their M16 assault rifles like cameras or putting them on their legs while consuming burgers at McDonalds was kind of surreal. At latest when it comes to the point when they are all trying to squeeze in the bus, you feel the opposite of save.
From Be'er Sheva we took the bus to Mitzpe Ramon, a tiny little town in the center of the Negev Desert. Talking about surreal situations, they continued at every bus stop. Every single time our bus - filled with young Israeli soldiers and two German backpackers - arrived at a bus stop more Beduins joined the ride. The men holding plastic bags full of food and the women covered in a black Burkas.
Once we reached our destination it became pretty clear that this contracts between Israel's hightec army and the traditional lifestyle of the beduins was shaping the life on the desert. We had booked a place for the night in a escapist hippie style tend lodge outside the city of Mitzpe Ramon. The place itself is basically just a bunch of tends somehow connected to each other. Simple but extremely relaxed, surrounded by the quite and mysterious desert. Walking through the desert was already a challenge as the sun was grilling us. When we finally got there we met the owner of the place and another German backpacker called Christian. That was it no one else. The highlight of the day was definitely the camel right we did in the late afternoon. We've been picked up by some Arabian beduins in there rusty car. Completely packed, their little pick up truck brought us to a camel farm. Here they live in a small little tend right next to the camels. The place itself was absolutely messy and all kind of stuff from old Hebrew books to used Coca Cola fridges and even a a lawn mower was lying around in the inhospitable desert. I mean you have to imagine them living under the easiest conditions surrounded by gigantic Israeli radar station, army and air-force bases of the Israeli Defence Forces and an all American style smallville, where mums bring their kids in SUVs to school. At the end of the day we arranged a meeting with a recently immigrated American sky expert. He was so excited to show us the sky and the stars that we all totally lost the sense of time. For almost three hours we were starring in the sky with our heads up and soon necks to get stiff analyzing the different stars, zodiacs and the galaxies. I was impressed! Never that before have I seen the Milky-way so clear and bright. That's the big advantage of a desert. The guys constant complaint about human light pollution made it an even better experience. I'm actually pretty sure that he went back to his little observation point and spend the rest of the night there even after he dropped us off at our place! The day ended pretty authentic by falling asleep right under the clear sky. I have to say the Negev is my personal recommendation for folks who want to get a feeling about the life in the desert far away from mainstream tourism!

No 2 - Tel Aviv between Bauhaus and Street Art

This post comes a bit late, which is in fact a consequence of yesterday. So our second day was kind of intense. We started with exploring the city a bit more in detail. Going through the old streets of Neve Tsedek we saw amazing Bauhaus architecture and Banksy style street art. This was a pretty strong contrast area around Allenvy Street were our Hostel was located. Neve Tsedek is shaped by the different cultural influences. So you will find small Jewish family houses, as well as huge skyscrapers made of glass and impressive Bauhaus apartment houses. It reminds in some ways me a bit of New York in the 1950s.
In the afternoon we went to the old town of Jaffa, a magnificent place. There you get the best view on the beach and the skyline of Tel Aviv. Jaffa itself let's you feel the inconsistent history of this place. It went through the hands of the Egyptians, the Romans, the Jews, the Persians, the French, the Turkish and the British before it became part of modern Israel in 1948.
So this site is loaded with history. Going through this little art galleries in the old town. I had a long conversation with an Israeli girl. She was telling me about the protests taking place the day before. Following the demonstrations last summer, people were calling for greater social justice. Though the Israeli economy is on a good track, especially the young generation is having a hard time to find affordable housing and to cover the rising living costs. Gentrification is a big issue, also in Israel. Upcoming hip districts like Neve Tsedek exemplify that gentrification can be a blessing and a burden at the same time.
We discovered more of the hip sites of Tel Aviv by walking on Rothschild Boulevard and King George Street. This was the point were I finally realized that I forgot the pin code for my credit card at home. To be more concrete this point was reached when I entered in my old (wrong) pin three times in a row. It took me only 3 hours to find an ATM instead that accepted my German debit card.
For the evening I had arranged a meeting with my Jonathan Greenstein, a friend of mine who I've met in New York. He and his band gave an amazing jazz concert. Really strong and powerful sound and melodic and deep at the same time. After I was hanging out with him and his friends at another jazz club. I have to say that most Israelis are extremely friendly and open. Just a little example, when we entered the first bar for the night I had little chat with the bar tender about Berlin and Tel Aviv. Two minutes later she filled our glasses with free shots. In generally, telling people that you are from Berlin is a door opener per excellence! So as you can imagine, it was a short night and now we are input way to the Negev dessert. More about that later on!