Inside Israel
I quickly found out that when people refer to Israel in the West Bank, they refer to it as “the land of 1948,” meaning the cities and towns that were part of historical Palestine before Israel was created as a Jewish only state.
Towns in “the land of 1948” include Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Haifa, Yaffa, Lod, Akka and Nazareth, among others. Palestinian citizens who have a West bank ID card cannot travel to these cities without permission from the Israel government. Even with permission, if you even get it, their are any number of restrictions that make very few people really want to go visit what was once their homes and villages and beaches.
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| A beach on the Mediterranean in Haifa. |
I had to go take a look for myself. I wasn’t going to travel thousands of miles and not put my feet into the Mediterranean.
What I saw was beautiful and horrifying all at the same time. The history and old architecture and ancient institutions and beaches were amazing. But the modernization of that side, which made you feel like you were in Miami at some points, and New Jersey at others, made it horrifying. Especially when you think back that Palestinians who live less than 20 miles away are living under conditions of occupation and restrictions and loss of freedom at every turn.
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| View from above the Bahai Temple in Haifa overlooking the Mediterranean. |
What was really interesting to me was that on the unfamiliar streets of Ramallah — with the people, sounds, color and customs — I was incredibly comfortable, while the “familiar side” and Western feel of Israel made me feel incredibly uncomfortable.
Why can’t we just all get along and enjoy everything that part of the world has to offer?
