Israel & Palestinian Territories | agmtraveller.com

israel & palestinian territories

Journeying Across Divided Lands

Where: Tel Aviv, Jaffa, Jerusalem, Dead Sea, Jericho, Bethlehem. Israel & Palestinian Territories, Middle East, Asia.
When: February 2011
What: The Dead Sea, Dome of the Rock, Western Wall, West Bank security wall, The Church of the Nativity, Oldest city in the world, Manger Square, Temptation Mountain, Israeli/Palestinian checkpoints, Touching Jesus' birth stone.
How: International flights, Hostel transfer, Walking, Taxi, Cable Car, Marashutka.
Country counter: No.31 & No.32
Illnesses or mishaps: Witnessing a rather ugly argument about religion at the Western Wall; nasty sunburn causing me to wrap a scarf around my head; finding the level of security and military presence a little too intense.

Taking advantage of reasonably-priced air fares and an impending holiday, we decided to maximise the potential of Israel by splitting it into a two-step holiday starting in Tel Aviv and heading south eastward to the world-famous Jerusalem - the epicentre and point of intersection for several world religions. That was the plan but, as you'll see in this Chronicle, our trip to this culturally rich part of the Middle East quickly morphed into an unforgettable adventure.

The Palestinian Territories are comprised of two geographically disconnected areas of land: Gaza and The West Bank. It is the latter we visited, thanks to the assistance of an Arab Israeli driver called Jason. For a total of £175 he took us directly into the West Bank to see the holy sights of Bethlehem, to float in the Dead Sea with its supposed magical properties, and to experience the ancient city of Jericho, said by some to be the oldest city on earth. It was money we'd never intended to spend and had he not fortuitously approached us in the hotel lobby in Jerusalem, we wouldn't have gone to any of these captivating places. The sad truth is that without the serendipitous encounter with Jason, there would have been no West Bank dimension to the trip which, in my opinion, was its undisputed highlight (if for no other reason than the words "West Bank", so frequently referenced in news bulletins, sounded edgy, dangerous - even exciting). In meeting him our visit to the two countries was transformed from a mere trip into an adventure I will never forget, and one I recall here with much fondness.

Israel is a relatively small country which punches way above its weight on the world stage. Where Israel's concerned, small certainly does not mean insignificant. For such a little country Israel rests worryingly high on the international consciousness; a place of religious tension, division and violence which regularly hits the international headlines. Israel is rather isolated on a peninsular dominated by the Arabs, and teeters on the very northern edge of the Arabian Peninsula (or '"al Jazeera" in Arabic). This goes a long way to explaining the way Israel is and how, as a foreign visitor, you will inevitably see and experience the country: security, security and security.

Israel is as complex a country as it is small. It is an interesting assortment of very different centres: Tel Aviv, Jaffa and Jerusalem, all of which have their own unique character. Tel Aviv has the glitz of a cosmopolitan city looking out into the Mediterranean, Jerusalem has the spirituality and depth of belief and devotion that it utterly beguiling, and the Muslim port city of Jaffa is a place of tranquil charm. As this site attests, my trips abroad are not about relaxing and ensconcing myself far away in a sanitised, artificial retreat away from everything, or sunbathing moronically on the beach with a book. I travel to see. I travel to witness. I travel to learn. Thus, if your travel preferences are something similar to my own, Israel and, by extension, the Palestinian West Bank, are incredibly rewarding places to visit. 

tel aviv-yafo

Tel Aviv has long had a dangerous and exotic quality for me ever since the Gulf War of the early 1990s. Tel Aviv, frequently a target of Iraq's scud missile attacks, would often feature prominently on news bulletins in the United Kingdom, often characterised by terrified reporters transmitting live from an apartment balcony with air-raid sirens wailing and ducking for cover. To say that this did not play a part in my decision to travel here would be disingenuous. It is because of these dramatic images seen when I was a boy that I felt drawn to visit and see it for myself. Stepping foot into Tel Aviv felt like something akin to a coming-of-age moment, the closing of circle.

We arrived at sunset and, by the time we had disembarked from the plane, Tel Aviv was enveloped in darkness. The first evening was therefore a write-off, even more so because it was Monday and most outlets seemed to be closed. On first impressions, and in the dark, Tel Aviv looked like an Israeli version of Spain's Costa Del Sol. The next morning began much more promisingly after a chance encounter with a copy of Time Out Israel pointed us toward the Azrieli Tower. In what felt like the fastest lift on earth, we took a trip to the top of the Tower, thus affording us unsurpassed views out across this most modern of cities. It was a dramatic and cosmopolitan vista, the elegant white shapes of the city's many towers set against the azure blues of the Mediterranean. Whilst in the coastal city, we also took in several Bauhaus buildings, the Bauhaus exhibition, a walk along the beach to Jaffa, and a rather wonderful pink sunset view on the final evening. Although I'd checked weather details before departing for Tel Aviv, the intense heat took me somewhat by surprise, necessitating the hasty purchase of expensive sunscreen products as well an urgent hat purchase days later when we reached Jerusalem. 

No trip to Tel Aviv is complete without a significant serving of security. The fact is that day to day life and security fuse in Israel's glistening, modern metropolis. It's a contradictory place where a milky latte shares the same space as a machine gun, where high-class shopping boutiques exist uncomfortably alongside military helicopters zooming overhead. It is this contradiction which makes Tel Aviv paradoxical. There are reminders everywhere of the vulnerability of the city and of its inhabitants: an afternoon saunter into a shopping centre is necessarily preceded by an airport-style scanner search of both bag and body. A journey to Tel Aviv is, therefore, an opportunity to learn about and experience the struggle of a people, to hear the echoes of historical events and to glimpse this country's promising future.

In many ways, Jaffa is Tel Aviv's opposite. I liked the rougher edges of Jaffa; its hustle and bustle, noise and car horns, its humbler single-storied ruinous buildings. Evocative views greet you at the top of St Peter's Monastery. Tel Aviv gets all of the glory and attention whilst Jaffa sits quietly waiting for you to visit with its offering of laid-back flea markets, cobbled squares and day-to-day life.

The elegant view of Tel Aviv's cityscape as seen from the top of the Azrieli Observatory.

Bauhaus architecture: a key trait of the style is rounded curves.

Stunning sunset along the promenade with silhouetted watchtower.

A mosque minaret on Jaffa Hill looks out to harbour with the apartment blocks of Tel Aviv in the distance. 

Lighting hangs for sale in Jaffa's flea market along Oley Tzion Street in Jaffa. Notice the trilingual sign in Hebrew, Arabic and English.

jerusalem

I am a far more seasoned traveller now than what I was when I visited Jerusalem. I didn't know what to expect and, admittedly, I was still a little naive when I first stepped foot into what is without doubt the holiest of cities. Jerusalem has an intensity that I have experienced in very few places. It's a frantic, gritty and intoxicating place where pilgrims and believers from many of the world's religions converge to show their devotion amid an atmosphere of extraordinary security and intense heat. 

The views of Jerusalem's iconic Dome of the Rock, glittering in the burning sun, was a true sight to behold. It is the kind of building which makes you feel that you're really seeing the world, one which makes you feel like you are not just a passive onlooker superficially ticking off a list of must-see landmarks but are part of something far deeper. Jeruslaem has an intensity all of her own. If Jerusalem is the body of world religions, then The Dome of the Rock and Temple Mount are its beating heart. At the Western Wall never before have I seen such devotion accompanied by volatility. Indeed, during our visit to the Western Wall plaza, an argument erupted between a small group of Ultra-Orthodox Jews and what I took to be, from the accent at least, an Australian visitor. Their heated exchange was unnerving, with one threatening, "Come here again and there will be trouble." Amid such tension, and with the sun beating down upon us it felt like the right time to beat a hasty retreat from the plaza and head to the more laid-back offering of a nearby restaurant named somewhat reassuringly the "All Nations Café".

For any traveller whose mission is to travel in order to learn and understand, I suggest that there is no other place in the world quite like Jerusalem. It's an evocative, powerful, inspiring and difficult place to be - which, of course, are the most compelling of reasons to go. I don't think anyone can claim to have travelled the world if they have not stepped foot into Jerusalem. 

Iconic Jerusalem: the alluring golden of The Dome of the Rock and its evocative blue tiling.

The colourful facade of the Church of All Nations.

Despite my initial impression of the Palestinian Territories being influenced by the hard-nosed, khaki-clad military personnel peering into our vehicle at the checkpoint thoroughly checking our passports, Palestine felt remarkably different once we were away from the politics of the border itself. We had effectively crossed an international border by going through such a checkpoint; we were now on land controlled by the Palestinian National Authority and had unofficially left Israel.

The West Bank was a warm-hearted place with a palpable respect for guests who had clearly taken the time to visit. Indeed, our guide who took us into Bethlehem was my first introduction to Palestinian people and proved to be just like all others who followed him; respectful, dignified, calm and always commencing conversation with the stock greeting, "You are welcome". It is a greeting I would come to experience in my subsequent travels all across the Arab world in places as diverse as Jordan, Oman and Kuwait.

The West Bank is so-called because it resides on the left bank of the River Jordan. On entering Palestinian-controlled territory we passed road signs for "Gaza", "Hebron" and "Ramallah", place names so frequently associated with dramatic events in Western news bulletins. I took a gulp and decided it would be circumspect to text message a couple of friends as to my whereabouts and who I was travelling with. Who was this Jason, anyway? Could we trust him? How ridiculous it was to jump into the car of a complete unknown and head into a 'country' unrecognised by much of the international community. Such menacing thoughts toyed with my mind as we drove toward our first stop in the West Bank - a place I had heard about ever since I was a child: Bethlehem!

bethlehem

Yes, I was in Bethlehem. Just being in the place I had heard about ever since I could remember was a truly visceral experience; it was the place I thought for many years was perhaps even mythical and legendary. The place I had read about in Religious Education and the place mentioned in so many of the Christmas carols I had sung as a schoolchild while waiting eagerly for Christmas Day and the opening of presents to finally arrive: donkeys, away in a manger, Mary and Joseph, no room at the inn, Bethlehem. It did exist and I was standing in the famous Manger Square at its heart.

We disembarked and were quickly handed over to a contact of Jason our driver who whisked us, by foot, on our whistle-stop tour of this most famous and holy of places. We entered the Church of the Nativity and, like many a pilgrim, were shown the spot where it is believed Jesus was born. Touching the stone, its edges encased in silver, is a rite of passage for Christians. I only took to touching it because our guide was of the opinion that I should. Our experience of Bethlehem concluded with a visit to the large, looming grey bulk of the West Bank Wall which separates the Palestinian-controlled West Bank from Israel, and which seemed to symbolise the intractable nature of the complex issues in this part of the world. Standing under the soaring, interlocking concrete panels topped with barbed wire and daubed with graffiti, I felt as far away from Mangers, donkeys and the baby Jesus as it was possible to get.

Inside the Church of the Nativity: the opening to the area where the stone upon which Jesus was born is a right of pilgrimage for Christians world-wide.

kalia kibbutz

Having headed back to Jerusalem from Bethlehem the previous day, and having decided that Jason was legitimate, we made an arrangement to head back into the Territories with him for a second time: more checkpoints, more machine guns and more palpable tension. We passed Bedouin settlements in the desert to arrive at what is the world's lowest sea level point at minus 420 metres. The sea water tasted like nothing I had ever experienced (I hadn't taken to drinking it, you understand, it was just the result of a few splashes landing on my lips). Throwing caution to the wind I packed handfuls of slimy, stinking mud all over my body, a substance known to be extremely high in bromide, iodine and salt and which famously causes you to float in the water. Unfortunately for me, it also caused my already sunburned face to flare up with a vengeance, making my face redder and rawer than ever. Tantalisingly, we could vaguely make out the country of Jordan in the distance... I would visit Jordan the following year. 

The Dead Sea is the lowest sea-level point in the world.

Dead Sea 180°.

Playing with the famous mud of the Dead Sea which later played havoc with my sunburned face.

jericho

Jericho is a rather delightful place where camels cross the road and where donkeys try to escape the fierce sunshine in the shade of giant cacti. It is a calm and tranquil city which holds the accolade of being the oldest city in the world, said to be around 10,000 years old - the historical remnants of which we could see for ourselves if we paid the Palestinian Authorities Department of Antiquities a few Shekels to enter the Tell es-Sultan archaeological site. It includes the world's first-ever tower and its first-ever staircase. Jericho is also known for being the place where the sycamore fig Tree of Zachaeus, an ancient specimen mentioned in the Gospel of Luke, can be seen growing contentedly by the roadside. I am no arborist but, I can confidently assert, the tree does indeed look exceedingly old.

With time running out we made for the cable cars at the foot of the ancient ruins and up to the evocatively named Temptation Mountain. There was an issue with trying to pay using my credit card at the small tourist centre, prompting a kind Palestinian lady to draw on a few favours with neighbouring vendors to complete the transaction. In Jericho, people welcome the visitor with a humbling sincerity which I found utterly touching. For her trouble I also purchased a small mosaic drum covered in goat skin and which now takes pride of place on my bookshelf at home alongside my copy of Lonely Planet Israel and Palestinian Territories. It was my way of saying thank you to the Palestinian people who had treated us so warmly and with so much respect during our short time there. 

Desert views of the Jericho mountains and houses as seen from on-board the cable car on the way back down from Temptation Mountain.

A camel calmly holds up traffic in Jericho. For obvious reasons this photograph is blurred as I struggled to capture the lolloping camel through the car window.

travel tips, links & resources

• Be careful where you point your camera, particularly in areas where security concerns are heightened or where there is a significant presence of military infrastructure.
• Be mindful of wearing shorts, too, as these are seen as too informal for some religious sites. If you're planning on visiting religious places, it is advisable to pack trousers and a long-sleeved shirt in your day bag.
• The Lonely Planet Guide to Israel page can be accessed here.
• The Australian Government's advice for travel in Palestine can be accessed here.

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