Well, I never got around to posting much about my trip to Israel. We spent most of our time just north of Tel Aviv. This is about a 2-hour drive from Jerusalem. Some comments or observations:
- Much more modern than I thought. Tel Aviv is a very modern city (supposedly the most "Western" city in Israel). Large boardwalk on the Med and tons of excellent restaurants and bars.
- Israel, for the most part, seems to be free of conflict. There are a few hot-spots, primarily in the occupied territories (Gaza, West Bank). Israelis go about their daily business just as you or I might. The only difference seems to be the security in certain areas, but it not an inconvenience.
- Most Israelis feel that they would give Palestine their own country in a heartbeat if they could trust that the conflict/violence would end. Most would even give up Jerusalem as long as it remained open to all. One sign that I wish I could have gotten on film before we passed was of an American Indian character with a saying "Ask me about land for peace" with an outline of Palestine super-imposed over a bullseye with an arrow in it... I think that was pretty symbolic of the lack of trust between the sides.
- The Old City is amazingly small. You can walk through it in no time at all. We took a guided tour for a few hours and covered most of the primary spots. The Wailing Wall, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the Arab and Armenian quarters, etc.
Here is one picture and click on it to see the whole list of pictures from the Old City.
