For most people, Israel is a destination that is visited via an all-inclusive tourist bus. That is how I entered Jerusalem for the first time, Jillian as well. We stopped at an overlook to see the Old City, sang a couple of songs, then listened to to religious music on the remainder of the journey to help set the mood. I imagine it is this way for most ‘pilgrims’ of any of the faiths that consider Jerusalem to be their spiritual holy land.
This time, things were different. Things were exactly as they were for every other city in the 29 countries we visited on the way here to Israel. We got on the bus in one city, and rode into the bus station at the next city. We entered Jerusalem without stopping for any scenic overlook and then were subjected to the standard display of security (which, in my opinion, was highly ineffective). Inside the station, the first thing we saw was a McDonald’s…Kosher of course. Much of the city itself, felt just that, like a city. It had some big and fancy buildings. People were going about their business. Tourists buying things in shops. Fancy hotels next to cheap ones.
Walking to the Old City my images of Jerusalem began to change. Outside the Jaffa gate were ritzy shops displaying the best in fashion trends. Inside the gate was shop after shop selling Judaica and other Israeli themed merchandise and souvinirs. I expected the Old City to have a market but I did not expect the Old City to be a market. Prices were high and we had a good laugh at the hoards of people bargaining hard to save a dollar or two. This was not the market we’ve become accustomed to.
Visiting the Kotel, also known as the Western Wall, was the most disappointingpart for me. A visit here, for us, felt a bit obligatory as Jews but what we found was hardly what we expected. Less than 100 meters from the wall, the holiest place in all of Judaism, was some kind of military function. Hundreds of troops were in uniform marching, more like goofing off with some level of forward motion, to a square with machine guns decorating tables.
The ceremony was in Hebrew so we are not entirely sure what it was we were witnessing but between what we saw and what we have pieced together in speaking to Israeli’s after the fact, lead us to believe it was a graduation for the paratrooper division of the Israeli Defense Forces. Since it was this division who captured The Wall for Israel they’ve held their graduation in front of it ever since.
I am not a religious man but I found the display, especially in light of the current turmoil with the Gaza Flotilla, to be deeply troubling. It made me feel as though this holy place was being treated like a trophy of war rather than a religious center. After all the traveling we’ve done I can safely say this was a unique experience, but for the wrong reasons.
In the end we had a nice time in Jerusalem, just as we did in the rest of Israel. As has been true of many places we’ve visited though it wasn’t the place that made it special but the people. We stayed with old friends in Tel Aviv, couch surfed in Jerusalem, and celebrated nice meals with family. These are the nice memories and the ones I most hope to repeat on our next visit.
Hi Jillian and Danny,
I love looking at your pics and reading your posts..Will this be a full feature movie one day?? A book for my new NOOK??(like the Kindle)
Anyway,it is so timely that you ended up in Israel the same time that Lindsey will be arriving. Just like the old days on the green and yellow Margaret Morse buses. She will be arriving on June 24 with her friend Becca . They are going on the “last chance” Birthright experience so check out those large 26 year old groups arriving and look for Lindsey..
Enjoy life be healthy and be safe
Love,
Janie
That is great but I’m afriaid we will miss her by about two weeks….we’re already in Europe! How ironic would it have been to meetup in Israel again….
Danny –
As someone who lived in Israel for years, I feel I need to comment.
While I might share some of your criticisms of Israeli policies, I think you are wrong on several counts. First, while you may feel that the security you saw was unnecessary and ineffective, the fact is that it has been working for several years, during which there have been zero deaths from the very real terror attacks that took place during the early part of this decade. Those were real people who got blown up, and for no reason other than they were just sitting in a restaurant, or going shopping, or having a Passover seder, and Israel’s government, like any responsible government, had to take action to make sure the attacks stopped.
I agree that it is very unfortunate that Israel does not find a better long-term solution for its security situation by negotiating a long-term two-state agreement with the Palestinians. I wish such a negotiation were possible. However, the reality is that there is no Palestinian authority with the ability to represent all the actors. It may be that over time the current PA may evolve into a government capable of maintaining such an agreement, and I hope that day comes and Israel is able to finally leave the occupation and share the land. But that day is a long way off, unfortunately, and meanwhile the terror threat is very, very real.
I also might agree with you that Israel’s response to the flotilla was poorly handled. Nevertheless, I can see situationally how it ended the way it did. Probably the wrong decision was to board the ship directly instead of some less heavy-handed action (although I am not sure what action would have had the correct result, which was IMHO indeed to enforce the blockade against a murderous, oppressive regime). But once the decision was made to board, it is very difficult for me to see how the soldiers could have done anything other than what they did given that their lives were threatened.
I even share some of your objection to the rampant commercialism present in many parts of the country, but not to the same extent as you. For many people, Jerusalem continues to be a very holy place, yes; but for Israelis, it is more – Israelis shed a great deal of blood to take the city, and some of that blood was shed in order not to simply pulverize the city and kill its inhabitants but rather to make sure that it was taken intact. Thus, the military ceremony you saw is quite analogous to ceremonies conducted at Gettysburg, or any other such battlefield in the US – the Western Wall is indeed “hallowed ground” for Israeli troops.
To really understand Israel’s sensibilities on this issue, you should spend time during the Memorial Day-Independence Day celebrations. Memorial Day comes right before Independence Day. At noon, the whole country stops what it is doing and sirens are sounded throughout as everyone stands and remembers for a moment people that they knew personally who were killed in the series of wars. The next day, the country is filled with the smoke of a million barbecues as everyone celebrates the fact that the sacrifices created truly one of the best places in the world to live.
Israel definitely has many problems, social and political. I continue to speak my mind on those issues as they arise, and I would never stop anyone else from doing so also, just as I do in the US. But I do think that many of the critics lack context and understanding, and I do have to say that when I hear disproportionate criticism from people who do not have a stake in one of the two nations in the region, I very definitely wonder if I am not hearing the ugly sound of rising antisemitism.
Hi Mark – As usual I find your comments to be both engaging and interesting. This time though, probably for reasons other than you might think.
Re-reading this post with your comments in mind it is clear to see just how deep problems in the region run and how easily words can be misunderstood. I remember on my last trip to Israel someone pointed out how even the date (should that be 700 BC or BCE?) written on the exhibits in the museum was a political statement and therefore how ‘carefully written’ things must be.
For example, I didn’t mean the security was unnecessary, I just felt that it was ineffective. (I was reunited with my bag after I went through the metal detector and before the bag went through the x-ray, giving me a few seconds to make a slip if I’d wanted to try).
As far as thinking of the Kotel as a war memorial, for me the Kotel is a holy place and should be treated as such….period. I can see though how an Israeli would (and probably does) feel differently (RE your Gettysburg comparison) but I think this might be one difference between Israelis and the broader Jewish community. A war display on hallowed ground is one thing, and although this may be ‘hallowed ground’ for Israeli troops, it probably isn’t for many other people who have come to pray and a display of guns probably isn’t the best invitation of peace and understanding. Whatever the case, it seemed like the significance was lost on the participants since many were goofing around rather than marching with their peers. For me, my religious experience was destroyed by the lines and lines of guns on tables surrounded by disrespectful soldiers…..
You raise some interesting points and I think it is safe to say that some of my feeling comes from where we’ve traveled in recent months and the contrast of that to the hectic atmosphere of mass tourism amidst a very tense situation. For me the interesting part is that I think you and I are on the same page regarding most things in this post…but on the surface it sounds as though we are worlds apart just as the participants in the peace process continue without success toward the same goal.
Just one comment – I know we won’t reach common ground without lots of beer and/or pisco! Regarding the kotel, what you say is true for the majority of Jews. But the majority of Jews did not pay in blood for the right to go there – only Israelis did. Tzahal very painfully fought block by block to preserve ALL of the Old City in the 1967 war so that all people could be able to access their holy sites when the war was over. The war could have ended in a very short time with few casualties if Israel had decided to simply bomb the place or fire cannons or shells indiscriminately. Thus, again, I think that to the victor belongs the right to determine the way in which the place is honored, especially since Israel takes such huge pains to make sure that all are respected.
I really wish that the history were not so painful and bloody. I have many Palestinian and Arab friends from other countries; these people are truly fine human beings and contribute a great deal to the richness of my life. I believe with absolute certainty that if the conflict were left up to us, we would resolve it in a half an hour of discussions, each respecting the other and understanding the other’s need for human pride and dignity as well as religious sensibility. I have had many such discussions in many unexpected places, like Amman airport. But oh so unfortunately, these views are not the majority on either side. I am happy to criticize those on my side for not finding this path; I do so regularly. But the other side does also get its share of blame, and very unfortunately, when the bullets/rockets fly, I have no choice but to pick the side whose blood I share.
I do hope we get to meet and chat this through when you finally finish your wandering!
A bit of history to set context is important here. I recommend you browse through “Ma Guerre avec Israel (my war with Israel), the autobiographical account of the 1967 war by King Hussein of Jordan. In it, he freely admits what the Israelis say, that they begged Jordan not to enter the 1967 war, which was started by Syria and Egypt. He ignored the repeated requests by Moshe Dayan, and moved on Israel. The Israelis finally responded after taking many casualties. Jerusalem is not the “trophy of war” you think it is Danny, but rather a sacred place where many Israelis died fighting yet another war they did not want.
Some of those “disrespectful” soldiers that degraded your religious experience will probably be wounded or dead within a few years, sad to say. The “Tsanchanim” always take casualties in conflict, and many conflicts are looming. This graduation ceremony – something done by my brother-in-law and many friends – is considered an essential part of their training, a shared experience that generations of paratroopers take into battle. You may think that your tour of the Kotel was diminished by this ceremony, but my guess is that years from now you will realize that it was a profound moment that you were priviledged to witness.