The State of Israel is a young and controversial country. Created in 1948 by the United Nations, it followed the idea of giving to the Jewish a land after the persecutions and the Holocaust they had suffered from the Second World War.
I have visited Israel with my parents in October 2018, on a trip of 10 days around the country, discovering both the occupied Palestine and the West Bank.
Tel Aviv
Hosting the largest international airport of the country, Tel Aviv is the most dynamic and modern city of Israel founded in 1909, this name was given to it one year later with the meaning of Tell of Spring, symbolising a wish of renewal of the old traditions.
While walking in Tel Aviv, I felt the great atmosphere of a summer city, with the long kilometres of sunny beaches flanked by high buildings on the coast, but also an exotic place where the writings in Hebrew language and the markets downtown selling colourful fruits and Arabic sweets.
Due to its long steps towards modernity, the most interesting place to visit in Tel Aviv is the part called Jaffa, the ancient port of the Ottoman Empire. Here you can feel the atmosphere of the past years, admiring the HaPisgah gardens, the zodiac fountain and the curious Floating Orange Tree. The artist Ran Morin created this piece of art by planting some Orange seeds inside this big hanging ceramic vase, symbolising a new lighter existence and the Union between man and nature.
Jerusalem
Jerusalem is the capital of the State of Israel. Despite that, its status has not been recognised by all the countries of the world. Most of all the members of the Arab League and the some of those belonging to the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation refused to have international relations with Israel. Jerusalem is in fact, one of the oldest city in the world and is claimed to be the holiest place of the most widespread religions in the world: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. It has an historical and spiritual importance for all of them.
We arrived in Jerusalem on a Friday night, right in time before every shop, bus and activity would have closed before the Hebraic Shabbat, lasting till the evening of Saturday. The city appeared from up a hill like a promised land. The old part of the city is traditionally divided in four neighbourhoods: the Christian, Armenian, Muslim and Jewish. They don’t have any particular border dividing them, but you will definitely notice the difference on the style of buildings and the atmosphere of the streets.
The Temple mountain, known by Muslims as Haram esh-Sharif is the controversial part of the city. Hosting the Dome of the Rock Mosque, which is accessible only to the believers. This place has been by the other two religions as the place where the Temple of Solomon was located. That is the reason why, Jews denied the access to it, where they cry towards the Wall of Tears. Jerusalem is the spiritual destination from thousands of pilgrims from the three religions, which makes it so hard from both Palestinian and Jews to let it go.
Palestine
Bethlehem is located in the Palestinian part of the territory, now called the West Bank. To get there, you need to take a bus that leaves from the Lion’s Door just outside the walls of Jerusalem and get off at the stop just before the wall.
This is the border between Israel and the West Bank, the area considered Palestine which, however, is actually already largely occupied. The border is to be crossed on foot, showing the passport and having bags and belongings checked. Only tourists can cross this border, and Palestinians with special permission.
On the other side of the wall there is a bus waiting for you that will take you to the centre of Bethlehem, where you can visit the church built on the place of Jesus' birth, in whose crypt a few meters below the ground is visible his birth gave rise.
The Dead Sea
The Dead Sea is located on the border between Palestine and Jordan. It is one of the lowest points on earth, due to the fact that its tributary Jordan river does not supply enough water to compensate for the loss caused by its evaporation. To date, it is located 400 meters below sea level, but a worsening of this situation could lead to the disappearance of the basin. I reached the closest place to the Kayla Seaside Station, with a bus arriving from Jerusalem, my parents and I immediately noticed the color of the earth on the coast of the Sea, it was clear that in the last few years it had shrunk considerably.
The very particular balearic station looks almost like an open-air SPA, where saline and mud products are sold to tourists and massages are offered at different prices. The entry is very cheap, compared to the cost of the Jordanian seaside resorts [see article], that is 5 Shequel = 1.30 euros. From there you can access a dark beach made of mud, which applied to the body leaves an extremely soft and delicate skin.
As for water, however, it is extremely impossible not to float. It is even dangerous to touch your eyes with your hands, as it will cause your mouth to burn acutely due to the strong salinity of the water, although many times you are tempted, as is the case of the gentleman behind me!
It is to be considered that this lands are still in a very delicate situation, as Palestinians wish to have them back one day. It is the task right now of both nations to make a step back to form a unified country, even though it is still complicate. Push on the heart if this article made you discover new things about Israel and Palestine.
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