On Leaving Israel

Sophie Blitz
Jul 20, 2017 · 6 min read
One of many Sunrises in Israel, although none as beautiful as this

On coming to Israel, the family seemed horrified that I would be going for only 2 weeks – “2 weeks! You’ll need at least 2 months!”

Don’t be so ridiculous, I told the Mothership, who had been so eager to get rid of all offspring from the house. Israel is a tiny country, I protested, and 2 weeks is surely suffice.

And how I was wrong. So very wrong.

Israel is a tiny country, but one of enormous substance. Historically, it dwarfs England; Israel’s 1.5 million years of evidenced human activity crushes England’s 780,000. Socially, it shines over its neighbours; it is the only country in the Middle East with Christians, Jews and Muslims enjoying the same, full human rights and legal equality, and with a Pride Parade of 200,000 people.

Everyone from the Babylonians to the Mamluks, from the Romans to the British, has fought over Israel. To this day, that struggle continues. Nowhere else in history has there ever been a more contested piece of land, or a more frustrating situation in which a country that desires peace is constantly riddled with war.

So many people that we met from Jerusalem to Eilat to Tel Aviv explained to us how Israel only desires peace; so why is it it that it suffers so greatly?

One reason might be its magnificent history. Israel’s long and turbulent history creates both unity and divide, particularly concerning religion. After all, Jerusalem is home to the most controversial and best known figure of all time – Jesus Christ – as well as the three Abrahamic religions: Christianity, Islam and Judaism. Whilst Abraham is the common Israeli patriarch of these three religions, all three follow differing beliefs, and dispute over which religion Abraham truly followed.

Worsening this conflict is the fact that Jerusalem is home to major holy sites of Islam, Judaism and Christianity, such as the Dome of the Rock, the Western Wall and Jesus’ tomb.

The Dome of the Rock, on the Temple Mount
The Western Wall, with the Dome of the Rock in the backdrop
Jesus’ Tomb, at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre

What this should be is a sign of unity, a reminder of the fact that these religions and their followers are closely connected. What has emerged instead is ferocious divide, hatred, violence, in addition to complex and long-winded political strife between Israel and its neighbour Palestine.

We visited the Temple Mount, in awe of the Dome of the Rock’s glory, and stunned by the quietness, the emptiness and the eerily peaceful atmosphere of the site.

Yet the Temple Mount’s solitude masks strong underlying tensions; it is situated in East Jerusalem, occupied by Israel but claimed to be the capital of the Palestinians’ highly-sought-after state. The Temple Mount is administered by Islamic authority, yet controlled by Israeli security.

Such tension erupted in shocking tragedy two days after our visit to the Dome of the Rock. Three Arab Israelis open fired at the Temple Mount, killing two Israeli policemen and wounding another; in the last two years, 44 Israelis have been killed in attacks of similar motivations.

This tragedy alone is enough to emphasise the deep-rooted religious and political tensions in the Old City of Jerusalem. It is not only tragic because lives are lost, but because the Old City alone is a place of such great beauty and historical significance, unlike anywhere else in Europe (at least, I think so).

On so many occasions we saw groups of men trying to steer a car down its winding stone streets, without knocking over stacks and stalls of fruits, clothes, rolls of cloth, falafels, sandals, spices, nuts, mint tea, coloured glass, tiny ornaments of Jerusalem, everything of every colour and smell and taste.

Mixed among the stacks, stalls and shopkeepers, who spend their everyday life in the Old City, are those who have travelled from all over the world to place their hands on the tombstone of Jesus, the Dome of the Rock, or the Western Wall. They do not just pray, but they weep, press their faces to the stones, leave pictures of their families. It’s not just Israelis, Arabs, and Christians, but large communities of Ethiopians, Chinese, Germans, French, nationalities united by a shared love of religion.

And so for every tragedy and disaster religion sparks in Jerusalem, there are also many warming aspects to it too, such as those who have come from afar, the unity between families and friends, and the damn good food and culture that they offer.

Israel has many wonderfully peaceful places too, such as the Dead Sea. That said, although this photo looks peaceful, my attempts of trying not to float in the Dead Sea were extremely stressful and I felt like a fish trying to walk on land:

The Dead Sea is not far from Masada; as the ancient fortress in which so many Jews committed suicide to escape the slavery of the approaching Romans, it is difficult to call Masada a peaceful place. In addition to that, I’d hardly call the trek up the cliff-face ‘peaceful’.

It’s at the very top of that cliff

On second thought however, Masada represents resilience and bravery, and although the trek was sweaty, it’s sunrise was too stunning for words:

Israel wasn’t the only place we visited; we spent half the day in Bethlehem (Palestine), and a full day in Petra (Jordan).

The Real MVP

Whilst Petra buzzed with Bedouins and Tourists, the emptiness and silence of Bethlehem, overlooking the rest of the West Bank, brought a somewhat ghostly atmosphere.

Hey

How different Jerusalem is from the rest of the country, such as Eilat, far more laid back, and Tel Aviv, buzzing with beaches and bars and restaurants, made even better by the hospitality of Danny and Daphna.

Like Jerusalem, Tel Aviv brings something different every day, whether it’s new beaches, restaurants, art, or views. It beholds the Old Port of Jaffa, where Napoleon once landed, and thrives in its own history and rustic architecture. With that comes a wide range of Israeli artists, showing off skill in hyper realism, sculpture and poignant paintings – the best of which feature on D&D’s walls. What remains consistent throughout are very lovely people, and excellent ice cream – 10/10 would eat again

Tel Aviv at Sunset

And everyone from bus drivers to tour guides, and especially all the family, and even those two snoring men in Jerusalem, the LSE researcher who lied about the ease of climbing Masada, the AirBnB host who was about 30 years older than her profile picture suggested, have made our trip a fab one indeed. So, cheers guys :)

Me, and the bag, say bye!

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