The
last week and a half in Israel was bitter sweet. Finals were coming, as well as
the end of our journey, were coming to an end. The fieldtrips during the last
full week were all related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Wednesday the 6th, we
went to the West Bank and met with an Israeli citizen living in a settlement in
the West Bank. We heard his opinion, being that there should be a one-state
solution to the conflict. If there were a two state solution, he would have to
leave his settlement, as it would be come part of the Palestinian state. Next
we heard from a kibbutz member who lives on the kibbutz we were staying at,
Kibbutz Tzuba. He was in favor of a two state solution, but preceded to tell us
what Palestinians would say if we asked them, saying that no Palestinian would
recognize Israel as a state, and that was why no compromise could be made. On
Thursday, we went to speak to a Palestinian man living in Jerusalem to hear his
opinion. He was a businessman and believed in a two state solution as well, and
even admitted to recognizing Israel as a sovereign state. He was more
interested in the financial situation of the Palestinian Authority than
fighting over recognition of Israel. The Palestinian Authority has no money and
Palestinians have trouble finding jobs. If there was a real lasting peace,
Palestinians could work in Israel and be more financially successful. While his
views seemed like sensible ideas, he represented a rich minority of
Palestinians, and may not have shown the views of the general population. However
both days were extremely educational about a situation I knew very little about
before the trip.
That weekend was a free weekend, mostly spent studying for the finals
coming Monday and Tuesday. On Wednesday we left the Kibbutz for the last time
and headed to Tel Aviv. On the way, we stopped in Caesarea, a town built by King
Herod around 20 BC. We spent Wednesday night in a hotel about two blocks from
the beach in Tel Aviv. Thursday was our last day, and we were able to sleep in.
We spent some time in the mall, then walked around Jaffa and saw the flea
market. Thursday night we all went to dinner before heading to the airport.
Our trip to Israel was the best experience of my life. I have
never learned so much from one trip, had so much fun, or met so many amazing
people. As cliché as this is, I will never forget all the experiences I had for
the rest of my life. To everyone reading this, you don’t know as much as you
think about Israel. Ask someone who’s been there before just believing what the
news says, or better yet, go visit. L'chaim!
I may have only read a handful of all these blog posts but I have to say.. you did open my eyes to Israel and the larger global conflicts that affect us as well as the cultural aspects of Israel that I never thought about. Oh, and the pictures were great too. I might actually now have to go visit myself eventually. Thanks :)
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