Israel - Final Thoughts

The day after my visit to the West Bank I had a chance to catch up with my friend Alon who is an Israeli who lives in Jerusalem. I wrote about him in the blog when I first arrived. We talked about my time in Israel, the West Bank, etc.,. Alon is on very informed and educated on the issues of the Middle East so discussing my time there felt a bit like a debriefing. It was really good to see him again and we talked of meeting up someday in the USA. I’m sure it will happen.

But now, let me back up a little. From Eilat I parted ways with the Dutch gals who headed off to Jordan and Petra. I returned to Jerusalem via Bus. It was Shuvat, a Jewish holiday, which meant most everything was closed except for the Muslim quarter. All of the hostels outside of the Muslim quarter were full and available hotels were too expensive so I consulted my Lonely Planet guide.

The Muslim quarter of the Old City is very colorful, busy, and real. Whereas the Christian quarter is touristy, the Armenian quarter empty, and the Jewish Quarter sterile, the Muslim quarter is gritty and alive. From a cultural perspective it’s the most interesting place in Jerusalem. Shops spill out along the narrow pavement stone streets selling everything from socks, cleaning products, meats, and vegetables. The entrance, Damascus Gate, sees a constant flow of people dodging one another as goods and people pass in and out. During the precise times of day the air is filled with prayers announced over speakers attached to the tops of ancient minarets. I checked out a couple of hostels recommended by the Lonely Planet guide.

The Hebron hostel was tucked in deep. It seethed character but looked tired and worn. An older American man sat in a common area and I asked him how he liked it there and he said it was great. The manager led me up to an open area where three middle aged Arab’s sat and smoked. They greeted and welcomed me as I passed to look at a couple of available rooms. It all appeared ok but I wasn’t feeling it so I went on to look at the Golden Gate Hostel.

I think the person working the front desk was the owner. He was a man of few words but I could tell he ran a tight ship. The place was very clean and felt secure. He didn’t have a room for a single but offered me a double for the same price. It was a good value so I took it. I paid for one night and told him I’d let him know in the morning if I wanted a second night.

Immediately after checking in I met a woman from Canada who was staying there. She was part of a Christian political activist organization made up of Canadians and Americans. Their focus was the West Bank and they were essentially on a fact finding trip to investigate the situation for their selves. They had been together for 12 days and were wrapping up the trip after touring extensively throughout the West Bank. She said they all felt safe while traveling there and sympathized greatly with the Palestinians. The only hiccup was getting involved with a protest that was tear gassed by the Israeli Army. I had a really nice conversation with the woman. However, I think if you’re with a group and being guided by Palestinians who you openly sympathize with, you might not get a totally unbiased clear view of the entire situation. She did encourage me to check out Bethlehem though.

The following day I explored Bethlehem and the west. The next day I caught up with Alon and moved to a different hostel near Jaffa gate where I safely stored my pack and paid for a spot on the roof where I’d catch a few hours sleep for my last night in Jerusalem. I figured since I’d be leaving at 2:45 am and I’d be up until 11 pm it didn’t make sense to pay for a room.

After catching up with Alon during the day I crossed paths once again with Peter from Holland. He had also explored the West Bank on his own and felt safe enough but a bit uncomfortable when the  public bus he was on had to work its way around a burning car during some kind of protest.

It was great to see Peter again. We made our way to the enclosed courtyard to an old Austrian consulate turned guesthouse in the Muslim quarter where it was quiet and peaceful, where we could talk. We swapped stories and shared perspectives. After awhile we walked over to the posh King David Hotel for decadent overpriced coffee before parting ways.

In the end, after a little less than a month, I think I covered Israel pretty well. From the beaches, to the hills, along the borders, political and religious, secular and indifferent, Israel is a land of contrasts that takes a while to get to know. At times it can feel like vacation land along the shores of Eilat and Tel Aviv whereas in places like Jerusalem a convergence of seemingly civil coexistence exudes a subtle tension below the surface. It’s a land of fundamental ideology and pragmatic objectivism. In other ways it’s downright strange as crowds of Orthodox Jews walk about in 19^th garb and Russians with French flock to tired beach resorts resembling something you might find along the Adriatic of Eastern Europe.

Israel is not a cheap place to travel. Israeli’s are indeed shrewd business people and have no problem admitting it. They are proud of it. One Israeli woman told me that Israeli’s don’t like it when people try to bargain with them. I asked if bargaining was deemed impolite as it’s a way of doing business with the Muslims. She said Israeli’s were not offended; they just don’t fall for it, and would rather lose the business than go down a little in price. I would say half the time I felt like I was over paying and the other half of the time I felt like I was getting a fair deal but I didn’t often feel like I was getting a good value.

Israel for me was a little hard to wrap my head around. It takes time to fully understand the common Israeli comment of, “It’s complicated”.  A month is nowhere enough time. How can a political dignitary from abroad on a 2 to 3 day dog and pony show have an accurate clue as to what’s really going on? I think this adds to the complications.

I can’t say I was totally comfortable traveling the country. For me there’s a tension and uneasiness, in an unsettled way, which comes out of a relatively new country set upon disputed lands. Is it a cultural misunderstanding, an intuitive vibe of sorts, or, simple unfamiliarity that contributed to my own uneasiness? I don’t know. There’s no disputing that Israel is a fascinating place for so many reasons beyond its obvious history and unique position in world so there was definitely a strong appeal for me wanting to be there.

All in all I am very happy to have traveled Israel with a brief two days in Jordon. I doubt I will return to the Middle East anytime soon. The world is a big place. There are so many other countries I want to visit and the Middle East does not draw or appeal to me like other regions and cultures of the world. However, I am very interested in the politics of the region and I believe my time in Israel will help me to better understand the challenges of thereof. 

For now, it’s back to the UK and Europe.