Pro-Israel and the Final Days in Jerusalem

       So finally, after all this time of hearing about Palestinian human rights, it was time to hear what the other side had to say. The two Pro-Israeli groups we listened to had lots to say, but pretty much the main argument, as anyone who "studies" this conflict would say, is religion. But the real question is, is this conflict entirely revolved around religion? Our group was challenged with this question earlier tonight. The answer? It can be said that religion connects and verifies the need for Israel to 1. be where it is (in the Kingdom of Israel according to the Bible) and 2. the need for Judea and Samaria to be occupied by God's chosen people (Jews). These are the basic arguments for those who truly believe that Israel has a right to occupy the West Bank (Palestine) and continue doing the things that it does.
       We heard from the YESHA Council a day ago, along with Judy, an incredibly right-winged woman who is apart of the Likud party. For those who understand this conflict and or keep up with this, you can only imagine what it was like hearing what they had to say. Of course, the right to be here in Israel was the starter, but the ways that they went about arguing that there is no problem doing what they do because they feel fear. I can understand after thousands of years of persecution, an ethnic/religious group can feel like that. The reason I say ethnic/religious group is because there is such a misconception about the two. Judaism is the religion, but Jews have been considered an ethnic group for many years. When talking about the conflict, it is important to understand the differences between Jews, and those who are Israeli. Israelis are those who are citizens of Israel, while Jews can be anything from Jews by cultural connection such as having a Jewish family, or practicing religious Jews. One can still be an atheist and call themselves Jewish. So defining the differences plays a huge role.
      I forgot to mention that we also talked to a man named Jared. He is from the United States and explained to us what it meant to have an identity and what Isreali identity is thought of as, according to him. He grew up not really understanding what it meant to be Jewish because his family was known as the Jews and everyone just went to them for prayer, Shabbat and what not. I forgot to mention that we participated in a Shabbat dinner last Friday. Daniel (another guy on our trip) and myself got to enter the house of an Orthodox Jewish family. Definitely not what I thought it was going to be like. Probably some of the most understanding people I have seen here so far. They really came to Israel more so for economic reasons than religious. They do follow religion as we participated in a Shabbat dinner, which means songs, hymns, and certain other parts that follow Judaism. They were very welcoming with open arms as we walked into a singing house and had an amazing dinner. The couple were both teachers and had children. One of their children actually got to sing in a choir for President Obama, I believe. Originally, the couple was from England so it was exciting hearing English accents. So thrilled! It was a smashing night. Of course, we were there to hear what they had to say about life, religion, and politics. It is almost impossible to not ask someone what they think of the conflict. Something that I have struggle with is coming forward and asking what these people think. It does not fit with my personality, I would rather respect a person and get to know a few basic things before diving into politics. Unless we are going to a briefing, I find it harder for me to get myself to ask a stranger about these things. Especially after we have been invited to enjoy a religious dinner with them.
              Anyway, back to Jared. His main points included that Jews feel tension and paranoid all the time. So it makes sense the ways in which they act. He on the other hand 1. hates praying in synagogues and 2. wants to share the land with the Palestinians. He is incredibly religious, but is something we could consider the "exception" to the rule. He had a lot other things to say, but I really am too tired to keep typing about him. He talked A LOT. More like rambled.
           We leave for Tel Aviv tomorrow, but we have spent our last day in Jerusalem looking at monuments such as Schindler's grave, going to the Mt. of Olives, and roaming around. I really have enjoyed my time in the Old City. I feel like there still is so much I could still study here, two weeks just is not enough. I remember leaving Vietnam feeling like a month was not even close to being enough. I really felt an emotional connection to Schindler's grave though. The book, and the movie, really moved me when I was younger. Studying the Holocaust and those who had the will to save others inspire me to be a better person and walk in similar footsteps as these brave souls did. I only can hope to be close to helping people as they once did.
      I explored a little bit of my roots as well in the Armenian Quarter today. Crazy how just saying "Hi, how are you?" in the same language can create a simple relationship between two people. I got to speak Armenian (the little I know) to these merchants and purchased some really great things that I get to bring back. I really have learned a lot in the little time I have been in Jerusalem. Yes, I am here to study the conflict, but there is so much more to Israel that I always have wanted to know. I have had a fascination in Judaism since I was little. When I was younger, I was brought up pretty religiously attending St. Paul Armenian Church in Fresno, participating in Awana at New Covenant. I used to be really familiar with the Bible and stories, but as I got older a lot of that faded. I barley can remember some stories now, but my mom would remind me when I was little that I had a fascination with the Jews and their culture. That is something I do remember, even if its something so small. My time spent at FPU has helped me understand religion more so and the implications it can have on a person's life. Israel is a place where religion plays a dominate role. The first day I was here, we went to the Western Wall, aka the Wailing Wall and watched people just pray. Everyday since then I have seen so much praying and watching these people devote themselves to their religion. I don't know how to describe it. Some say it is beautiful, which it is. These people have such a deep passion for something so much bigger. I just could never imagine myself being that devoted to religion. Too much devotion in my opinion is incredibly dangerous. But, I know for a fact the Ultra-Orthodox Jews just want to pray all day and do nothing else, which is cool with me. I could go on and on about the dangerous and benefits of religion, but I will save that for another blog. Tel Aviv, here we come!

As always,

Alexa

Hebron and the Dead Sea

       If this blog, or this trip hasn't been depressing enough at times, visiting Hebron put the nail in the coffin. We were escorted by Christian Peace Makers, an organization that Bret has worked with in the past to help mediation between Israelis and Palestinians. Hebron is one of the poorest cities I have ever been in. Merchants, and children come up asking you to buy their bracelets for just a mere amount in shekels. For a second, it reminded me of Cambodia and my time at Angkor Wat. The poverty was the same, and I remember little Khmer kids, starting at the age of 3 or 4 coming up and asking me to buy from them. However, there is much more to the city besides the poverty. Hebron is actually a hub for tourist and religious activity. Biblical sites such as the burial of the Matriarchs and Patriarchs resides within Hebron. This makes Hebron a holy site to Jews, Muslims, and Christians. For Jews, it is considered the second holiest place, and for Muslims it is considered the fourth holiest place. Insane how all these religions share these sites and seeing how the people interact. Palestinian and Israeli relations here are probably some of the worse that I have seen. Palestinians easily get shooed away from going on certain streets for the "safety" of the settlers. Many more Israeli settlers have taken advantage of Hebron even though Hebron is more so populated by Palestinians, but more and more settlers keep moving in under the security of the IDF. There actually is a specific street that Palestinians are not allowed to walk on due to attacks from the past. More and more saftey regulations are being imposed by the IDF to push Palestinians away from living within Hebron. Four to five year old children even have been arrested and interrogated. How can a four year old be arrested? Tear gas is shot at these children near a school almost every single morning. Stones are thrown by the children due to the IDF initiating some kind of annoyance towards the children. There are maybe 5 checkpoints within the city itself to go from place to place. Insane.                           
            Masada and the Dead Sea have been huge highlights of this trip. Once at the Masada or the Dead Sea, one can see Jordanian mountains within the distance. It is incredible. The hike up Masada took me a while since 1. I don't hike often and 2. my little calves were tightening up. It isn't fun having short legs and trying to hike steep stones. No fair. Anyways, the views were amazing and I could not have asked for a better day. Google Masada if you have no idea what it is. Very important to Israel. The Dead Sea is something everyone must go to when in Israel. Everyone is just floating around and hanging out. There is so much salt in the water that if you get it in your eyes they will burn for a good ten minutes. It is forbidden from swimming on your stomach to avoid getting salt in your eyes. Also, one must put the black mud that can be found near the shore of the Dead Sea. It works as a great exfoliate for the skin! Today was good.

Settlements, Checkpoints, and Emotions.

           The despair in the eyes of the Palestinians is something that cannot just be described. The more I get to know these people, the more I see. I finally am somewhat close to understanding what it must feel like to be stuck within a wall. It almost feels like I am back in time, when Berlin was split in two. Except much worse. The separation wall is taller than the Berlin Wall, and I know for a fact it is ten times more secure even though people still find ways around it. The Palestinians are not allowed to live higher than four stories, nor live in buildings that look over the fence. It is forbidden. I cannot imagine taking away or not having the privilege to look beyond the land. Until today, I have not felt any emotion connection. After hearing the fact that these people could not even look over the fence was emotionally devastating. It is the twenty-first century and we still are dealing with petty issues like this? I could not believe it. It is becoming more clear that there has to be more pressure from the international community to do something about this. After hearing more and more briefings, sometimes I feel like the conflict just keeps getting more and more confusing. But, there are some moments of clarity when I can see where a certain organization is coming from. There is no doubt though that something has to be done for the Palestinians. I think most organizations we have talked to are for a one-state solution. However, a few years ago, most organizations would still be for a two-state solution, according to Bret (our teacher) who visited back in 2011. Drastic measures have been taken to deter the Palestinians even more so from living in the places that they currently are. Checkpoints, settlements, and the extension of the separation wall have been rapidly built since the new "right-winged" government has stepped in for Israel.
           Checkpoints are the most annoying thing, and I only have been through twice now. However, we got to go on a city bus today and experience what it was like. (we have been taking taxis this whole time) A quick summary of how it works is a vehicle stands in line (depending on how big or small I believe) and will check everyone's papers. It DOES matter where you are from. If you are a Palestinian, you have to step off the bus while the IDF checks your papers with their M16s, as always, on them. Our group stayed on the bus as the IDF walked through and checked our passports. Starting to sound familiar? I can only imagine how Palestinians must feel going through that every single time. The Palestinians have hope though. Ever since we have talked to them, there is no doubt that they want a solution that benefits them. I can feel the tension when people discuss their points and their side. I understand why Israel would want to be a "democratic" state within the Middle East, but I also see why Palestinians want their land back. They were there first. There is no doubt with the increase of settlements that things are only getting harder on the Palestinians. Endurance is what it will take for them. I believe that peace is possible one day, but it still has a long way to go. The international community has started to make subtle changes towards the conflict, but its too early to tell how quick or slow it will go. Time will tell.

Briefings, Sickness, and Settlements.

        This is insane how much information I have been given within the past four days. Being sick does not help at all either. I finally have been getting better though! I can't believe how much we have seen as well. So basically we have been briefed by six people within three days. Two a day. Groups such as Badil, Sabeel, Jerusalem Institute of Justice, Combatants for Peace, ICHAD, and two important people. Rami, and Michael Weiss. Michael Weiss is the author of The Bomb on the Rock. He is of Jewish descent and used to live in New Jersey. He served in the IDF and was stationed in Gaza during the first intifada. His relation to this named Rami was huge for us. We watched a movie called Eyes Within the Storm, which is to premier June 1st in Israel. This movie includes Rami, who is an Israeli, and a Palestinian man, whose name I am forgetting which is terrible. The summary of the movie is that both of them lost their 13 year old daughters in the same bombing on Ben Yhuda street (which is very close to where I am staying) around the early 2000's I believe during the 2nd intifada. These men came together and were able to relate to one another and had a radio show that demonstrated that Palestinians and Israelis could come together. I really hope this movie leaves an impact on both sides when it premiers on June 1st. I am sure that it will be available to both sides. It was insane the fact that he showed up at our hostel and came and talked to us. He literally walked in when his face was on the screen. We were all so surprised. I am currently sitting in the hostel with everyone and I am trying to focus on what else to write... I will write later tonight.

I will touch on

Settlements, Checkpoints, and Emotions.

FINALLY HAVE INTERNET AGAIN. Palestine...and there are more blogs I have to catch up on

5/16/14-5/17/14: Jaffa and the West Bank…aka Palestine

            I apologize for the delay; I have no had no Internet connection in the past 3 days. In the mean time, we have been adventuring around in Jaffa and the West Bank. I will discuss Jaffa in my next blog since our adventure in the West Bank was too interesting to remember the bits and pieces of Jaffa at the moment. I understand that Palestine is not a state, but for the sake of respect for the place and for the people, I will refer to the place we stayed as Palestine. I don’t think I have ever been so nervous in my life. I shouldn’t have been though, there really is not that much to be nervous about? Politically, yes there is a conflict here, but no there is not very much of an internal conflict. We have been told Hebron, if anywhere, would be the place where violent attacks occur. However, we only went to Sebastiya, a small village near one of the largest Israeli settlements. The man who we were staying with had a beautiful place for us to stay. Also, the Ambassador from Australia was there at the same exact place we were at! Or he was going to stay, we got to meet him briefly as a group.

            The place we got to stay was named the Al Keyed Palace, a place where this man (I forgot his name) had renovated everything. The rooms were beautiful and we each got our own bed with some space. Citadel youth hostel is not necessarily the most spacious place to be in the Old City. The Al Keyed Palace was only a few yards from a Mosque, so we got the occasional call to prayer every few hours or so. It still is taking time to getting used to hearing the call throughout the city. We only got to stay overnight, but I forget from time to time being away in another culture how much you can learn in just a few hours.

            First off, Caroline and I were exhausted so we stayed while everyone else went to an archeological dig site that Harvard had dug up many decades ago. I asked Jenna, another girl in our group to take picture for me while I slept. I haven’t been getting the sleep I have needed until now. Anyways, there are so many details I could say right now, but for the sake of trying to catch up on two blogs I will keep this short and simple. When everyone came back and we all went to dinner as a group, me, Caroline, Jenna and Donna (all four girls of the group) were the only ones at the dinner place we went to. We could not believe it. It was one of the first things that were noticed by us girls as we sat down. You could just feel all the eyes upon you as you sat and knew you were possibly out of place. It definitely was not the norm to see women out at night. We did not ask questions though; we didn’t have a whole lot of time. We had a traditional Palestinian dinner of rice, chicken, potatoes, and cauliflower that was served family style. Along with hummus and pita of course! I love the fact we get to have Middle Eastern food EVERY day. Compared to when I went to Vietnam, I was used to having to be careful about what I ordered because I didn’t know what my stomach could handle, but being here I know almost every single dish so it is nice.

            As we walked back from dinner, I did get a little nervous walking the streets, but I had Caroline next to me and we had everyone else behind us. I understand that being in a new culture it can be difficult sometimes, but as long as you have the confidence in yourself to survive and not do anything stupid, you will be fine. I don’t really get the culture shock that I used to get when in Vietnam or somewhere else; other people really just don’t phase me anymore. The view from the top of our hotel/room/palace place I don’t know how to describe you can see pictures on my Facebook was incredible. Palestine is absolutely gorgeous. You can see so much since Israel and Palestine are such small places. Palestine has more countryside compared to Israel and the people are incredibly nice. We had no problems with anyone at all with where we stayed and interacting with the people; it just is a different culture just like anywhere else in the world. If there is one thing that I cannot bear to discuss with people sometimes is how misperceived cultures can be. Yes, there is a political conflict with Israel and Palestine that includes so much more, but that does not make the people of the place bad. They welcome you with open arms and want you to hear what they have to say. After you meet a person and hear what they have to say, then you can make a judgment as to whether or not they are worthy of your time. All of the people we have met during this trip so far are open to finding negotiations within both sides to have a better future. The real issue is making the connections with one another to have those negotiations. Until people can attempt to get to know one another, no progress will be made. Steps have taken, but it still will be far away into the future until anything is possibly solved. I’m sure most of you knew that, but just to reiterate the fact that steps have been taken. All these briefings have shown great progress from where they used to be and how many people have taken part in it. Anyways, back to the story.

            So after sitting on the rooftop for a couple of minutes, we could hear gunshots in the distance. From where we were at, it was about northwest of us. I would have to look on a map to possibly see where, but it was not too far off. There were only maybe two or three times we heard gunshots. It shocked me for a second, but I realized that sometimes this even happens in Fresno. Anything can happen at anytime.

5/17/14 Jaffa, Nabulus, and Ibilin.

            Before we went into Palestine, we briefly stopped in Jaffa, which is a city that is not too far from central Tel Aviv. It’s hard to remember that Israel is a small, small state compared to what we are used to living in California. The populations of some cities that I have been in are smaller than Fresno. It is mind blowing. Anyways, to summarize the importance of Jaffa, it was a city that originally was inhabited by Palestinians more so than Jews. Once Israel became a state in 1948, Jews started coming in as the Palestinians fled. They basically were pushed out of their homes with no other choice. Then, parts of the city crumbled in a sense, but I can’t remember why. I think it might have had to do with the second intifada, but I would have to ask the lady who explained it to us.  Jaffa is slowly turning into what Tel Aviv has become: a tourist spot. Jaffa in a sense is like San Diego. Beachfront, good food and shopping, the whole nine yards. Jaffa today is becoming more populated by rich people around the world who buy these million dollar homes. However, it’s where the rich meet the poor. From one side of the street, there are these fabulous million dollar homes. But from the other side, there are these shanty apartments. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to ask a local that lived in the apartments as to how their lives in Jaffa are.

            The whole purpose of going to Jaffa was to meet this lady named Rudy and listen to what her organization does. She is apart of an organization called Windows that bring Arabs and Israelis together. We got to meet two men that were in the program since they were in about junior high. These two have remained best friends ever since. The key is not necessarily talking about who has the better opinion as to how to solve the conflict, but to actually treat each other as human beings. The whole key is to getting to know who the person is and what they like. They become friends, and then from there possibly inspire others to do the same. This kind of method is referred to as a “grass-roots” method in peacekeeping. The whole point is to start with the basics, or at the bottom, then work up. Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr are known to use these methods, and it is evident how successful they were. One of the men, the Palestinian, was named Aimeal who is from Nabulus. The only real way he can get into Nabulus is because of the Windows program. Some Palestinians are able to go in and out of Palestine depending if they have an invitation from an Israeli and other evidence they are wanted there. I did not necessarily catch everything they said, but for the most part that is how Palestinians are able to get out of Palestine and into Israel. 

            We arrived at Nabulus this morning greeted by Aimeal to the entrance of a refugee camp. I am almost positive that was everyone’s first time ever going into a refugee camp. It was called the United Nations Relief Workers. This refugee camp was set up by the United Nations in the early 50’s and has been there ever since. UN workers staffed the camp itself, but as far as the schools, the teachers are Palestinians, who are staffed by the UN and are paid more for doing so. Technically, Nabulus itself is considered a whole as a refugee camp.  But we got to see within some neighborhoods. Aimeal took us around and discussed why certain pictures and graffiti were on the walls within the neighborhood. There are two known neighborhoods that we were not supposed to go down, but it was early in the morning and it seemed safer than normal. Aimeal ended up talking us in and little children, being little children threw rocks at us (broken up stones that are more like pebbles). At first, it seemed fine until I got hit with a few rocks in the back and realized that they actually were attempting to “stone” us. The children within that specific neighborhood are taught at a young age to throw rocks at strangers within the neighborhood because they could be Israelis. Many posters that are put up around the neighborhood are dead Palestinians who were shot by the IDF (Israeli Defense Force). Besides the rocks, everyone was very kind and courteous within the camp. A young boy who was helping Aimeal invited us into his home and we got to meet his parents; it was a nice experience.

            For the remainder of the afternoon, Aimeal took us around Nabulus and we got to see the Old City. It reminded me much of Hanoi; the hustle and bustle of people selling goods and food. It’s fun to see everyone else in the group react to such hustle around the cities; however, I feel like I am not as shocked to see it. Vietnam really exposed me to really how the rest of the world lives. A lot of states have middle class citizens who work in their own shops and sell everyday appliances or souvenirs within the big cities.  I could see on some faces taking in and watching how these people live their lives within their shops and homes right on the allies and streets.

            Aimeal kindly took us into his grandparent’s home and explained the city itself along the way. We stopped at various places and he would explain what happened in certain locations such as bombings or killings even. But it wasn’t just depressing tales al; day, we got to go into a candy factory and get free samples of this amazing jolly rancher-like candy! Some of the food and spices within Israel and Palestine are phenomenal. I love Middle Eastern food so it just makes it that much better.

            After leaving Nabulus, it was time to leave Palestine and go back into Israel. I regret not taking a handstand picture in Palestine. I have this thing where I take handstand pictures everywhere I go and it didn’t dawn on me until now that it probably will never happen again. Anyways, exiting Palestine was actually nerve racking. Border Patrol between Israel and Palestine is pretty intimidating. It is easy to get in, but harder to get out. There is a visa you are given once you enter Israel, but they refuse to stamp passports because you most likely will never be able to go into an Arab country if you have a stamp from Israel. Long story, most people reading this blog should actually know as to why that is. We pulled up to the checkpoint and the IDF just stand there with their ak47s in their hands. They question as to where you have been and typically the answer for Americans is to see Jackwall, which is a Greek Orthodox Church within Nabulus. If you lose your visa that you are given at the airport in Palestine, or in Israel, the chances of getting out are slim. And I thought our border between Mexico and California was strict. Once we got out, our next destination is Ibilin which took a while to get to, but the purpose of this visit is to learn about the school which I can’t remember the name right now. The dude who wrote blood brothers was the archbishop here. The importance of this school is that there are Chrsitians, Jews, and Muslims studying here together. Each learns about religion by learning about the others religion. Christians learn about Islam, Jews learn about Islam, vice versa. You get the point. There is a really nice lady named Nancy here that teaches French!

Day 2: B'tselem and Yad Vashem

          There never is a dull moment within the Old City. Today, Caroline and I ventured around before going to Yad Vashem to see what else the city had to offer. Without even trying, we stumbled upon the Armenian Quarter and found ourselves in a suq (open-air bizarre). The sights and sounds are becoming a norm now after being here for just a few days. People bargaining for souvenirs, the call to prayer, and musicians fill the air. I feel like Vietnam prepared me well for this trip as to how to navigate around and especially how to bargain. 
        Before I forget, our first hearing went well with the group of B'tselem. They are an organization that one could say is more liberal. All I will say for now is that their goal is to spread the knowledge of human right violations that occur within occupied territories. Here is their website http://www.btselem.org/about_btselem. They are starting a video campaign where it includes giving volunteers (Palestinians) video cameras to document their everyday lives. This does not mean every single second, but if something appears to be happening, they can record it and send it in. Video taping within the occupied territories is legal by law there. They are funded by the United States, and have a small office in D.C. as well. More of these briefings will take place throughout the trip.
        As most of you know (for those who know why I switched my major, etc.) , my favorite subject to research is genocide. Yad Vashem is somewhere where most people hope to visit if they enjoy studying the Holocaust. For me, it was an experience that will stick with me forever. However, it was not the perspective that I thought I was going to get. I have been to the United States Holocaust Memorial in D.C., which includes many artifacts on display. The reason being is so that people can see evidence as to what happened throughout Europe during World War II. I knew that Yad Vashem was not going to be full of artifacts and have the slogan "remember what you saw, " but a more simple version. This version was not as simple as I thought and it definitely has every right not to be simple. I was always told from other teachers and people who visited Yad Vashem that it was just a memorial with some stories since everyone who lives and goes to Israel already knows what happened to create the state itself.
         The stories that filled Yad Vashem were more relaxed compared to the propaganda that fills the museum in D.C. These people, as in the Jewish population, know they do not have to prove what happened during World War II. It is no secret as to what happened. The museum is set up of course to help remember what happened, but more so to tell the stories of those who perished and not prove that something happened. Many more journals and diaries were displayed, giving us primary sources and personal accounts.  Instead of a broader picture, there were many more small stories that helped connect the bigger ideas. Those who have survived the Holocaust will soon die as most are in their eighties and nineties. These stories must be preserved in order to remind people as to why we should not and cannot let these atrocities happen. It should remind us that the world should not be letting this happen again and take steps to prevent it. Too much knowledge is out there that help societies prevent genocide from happening. I will leave it at that.

Day 1: From LAX to the Old City

          It still has not set in that I am in Israel. Our traveling experiences have been quite the thrill...almost missing our flight at JFK was insane. Fortunately, we got pushed to the front when going through security again (you have to repeat security once before you take an international flight even if you already went through it once) and made our flight. I think it was the longest time I had ever spent traveling on a plane. Atalia is an amazing airline to take if anyone is ever considering going to Italy. Great food. Anyways, we arrived in Tel Aviv around 3:10 pm and had to go through customs. Tel Aviv (Ben Guiron) International has probably the tightest security around. People easily get questioned right after getting off the plane and heading to customs to get your passport checked. Questions can range from why are you here? what are you studying? who are you here with? It can get intimidating to those especially who are traveling abroad for the first time.
         Once we landed in Tel Aviv, we headed out to the Old City of Jerusalem to head to our hostel. We currently are staying in the Citidal Youth Hostel, located in the Christian Quarter within the Old City. I didn't realize there also is an Armenian Quarter located within the Old City, which is pretty amazing. I knew there were Armenians within Israel, but I am not too familiar as to why there is a quarter named after them. I am sure I will figure it out within a couple days. The food here is AMAZING. The fact that I got to have lamajuhn, falafel, hummus, pita, etc. all in one meal just made this trip even more worth it. After dinner, we headed out to do some exploring around the Old City. Many markets and little shops filled the streets of the Old City with different sights and sounds. The whole city is made of stone which makes it even more incredible to think how old this place is. I could go on and on about the history of the Old City and every little detail that makes it so incredible. Since I am about to fall asleep, I will end on the note that we did get to see the Western (Wailing) Wall, which is quite a site. Many women and men gather at this wall to pray and thank God for being God. However, for those are familiar with the Western Wall and the Dome of the Rock that is near by, this place has different meanings depending on what religion one follows. Muslims and Jews share this wall, but Muslims are given a special bridge to go up to the top of the wall because of the dispute with the Dome of the Rock. For those who are not familiar with this, please Wikipedia it for a short summary as to why these places are incredibly controversial. Wars and conflict have been started over such things like this. The purpose of this trip is to really understand the culture of the people who live here, which includes religion. It is crazy to see the devotion these people have for their religion...many Jews of course, but just seeing the ways they interact with each other and how their society is. Tomorrow, we get to see the Holocaust memorial here (Yad Vashem) and get our first briefing by B'tselem, an Israeli Human Rights group. It should be interesting...

Hello stranger,

             This blog was created by me, Alexa Fox, as a way to communicate to others what it is like to travel and explore new cultures. I currently am a senior at Fresno Pacific University majoring in History, as well as International Affairs. Someday, I hope to teach, but until then, I love learning about new cultures and the history, as well as the people who make up these different cultures. Last year, I took a trip to Southeast Asia that included stops in Vietnam, Cambodia, as well as a brief stop in South Korea. This year, I have embarked on a new adventure that will take me to the Middle East to learn about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Known as the Holy Land, Israel is one of the most disputed places ever since the creation of it in 1948. From the Christian Zionist movements to the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), Israel, and Palestine, remain at wits end as no peace solution has been written up. Both sides struggle to find a common grounds as both see this place as their own Holy Land. Different religions and races thrown together in a plot of land with no boundaries as to who gets what eventually leads to war. Many conflicts have occurred between not just both sides, but other neighboring countries as well. From the Six Day War in 1967 to the First and Second Intifada (second in 2000), both sides have engaged in warfare that has left each in despair as there is no reconciliation. Gaza, the West Bank, Sinai, Golan Heights, as well as the city of Jerusalem itself have been in different hands for over 50 years, and still continues to be disputed. Peace agreements time after time have been attempted, but have fell through at the last second. Camp David, as well as the United Nations still have no resolution towards this conflict.
             As my classmates and I embark on this trip, the main thing to remember is to keep an open mind about everything. As simple as it sounds, if there is one thing that I have learned from college, and from traveling outside the United States is that the world has a lot more to offer than what we, as students are taught in school.  Traveling to Vietnam and learning about the Vietnam War gave me a new perspective on how others can see and interpret things. Being as objective as possible is key to understanding and learning how the other side lives. This mindset, for a non-Arab or non-Jewish American is ultimately the best way that one can go into studying this conflict. For the next two weeks, I will be traveling to different cities in Israel, as well as entering into Palestine and staying in settlements. Our group will be hearing from different activist organizations and what they have to say about the conflict. We may as well talk to some politicians, but that will not be known until we get there. Until then, wish us luck on our forever long plane ride of 20 hours worth.

Shalom,

Alexa