Today we bussed over to Mount Herzl in Jerusalem. This is where all the soldiers killed in combat are buried. It is a depressing place. Possibly more depressing because all of our soldiers knew someone buried there. So yeah, shit got real.
It also felt like after an hour we were beating a dead horse. I mean, I understood the message they were trying to send. That war in Israel, because of their requirement to serve in the army, affects everyone. Everyone in Israel knows someone who has died in combat. But we were told war story after war story for easily over an hour. At some point I just get tired of being depressed. If they want me to care, let me ask one of the soldiers about it one-on-one. I mean wasn’t that part of the reason they were there? Besides for the baby-making?
Atleast I got to see my girl Golda Meir’s grave. There is a reason I renamed my mom’s car after her. Golda was a fierce woman with a heart of gold. I laughed when a couple of the Israelis insinuated that maybe Golda was a lesbian. Nothing beats a good sexist LOL about female heads of state. [insert Hilary Clinton joke]
We also visited Theodore Herzl’s grave. He was the father of Zionism, who was reburied at the top of the mountain. I learned about him years ago and was kinda like ‘whatever’. I understand that individuals may be important to ideas and national movements. But he was so far ahead of the state of Israel that I’d say he was more like William Penn was to the U.S. A visionary whose ideas would be better fulfilled by those in the next generation with more manpower and grit.
We then stopped for a quick lunch. At a cafe I finally found the mythical Israeli bagel I had been searching so hard for. (Do I find it ironic that I have talked about food in most of my posts? A bit.) It was a flat toasted bagel with sesame seeds, more like toast than anything else. Inside was feta cheese, tomatoes, and black olives. It was delicious. It was also bought from a restaurant named Hillel. Silly Jews.
(On a quick side note, it was interesting to notice that there weren’t any Israeli chains in the country. In fact, there were very few chains. The only one I can easily think of are the Kosher McDonalds. The ones which are now selling McFalafels.)
When lunch ended we headed over to the Security Fence. I was overly disappointed. Not only did I learn that the walled part was only around 20 miles long. (Media outlets definitely made it seem more impressive and intimidating.) But the wall itself was unimpressive. It really seemed like a wall meant to keep people safe, not to restrict traffic. The ten minutes we were there we saw a couple dozen people go through to the West Bank, in cars or by foot. I get that it is intrusive, but its not like the Mexico wall, meant to contain people from trying to access a better life for themselves. I don’t know what I was expecting. But when I compare it to say Darfur, a place where western countries didn’t give a shit about, I feel like maybe the West does consider Israel/Jerusalem to be a very important place. Even outside of a biblical context. Or why would they care so much about this wall, especially within the context of injustice and human rights violations that occur on a daily basis?
On second thought….
Also, I wish we had better addressed this issue as a group. I mean, when you think of Israel in the news, this is one of the first things you think about. Would it have been at all possible to have a Palestinian Arab or Christian talk to us about the wall, get a different perspective on it?
Even then birthright may have solidified my views for Israel on this one. Birthright 2, Chicky 0. I also wish we could have went into Palestine itself- partly so I could brag that I had been to more than 3 countries in my life.
Anyhow. We then spent the majority of the day on the bus to Tiberius. The city next to the Sea of Galilee, where Jesus walked with Kanye West on water. Most of us fell asleep on the bus, and the ones who managed to stay awake just made penis and sex jokes. Being in college rocks.
We ended the night by having a little celebration with our new Israeli friends. It was much more low key. I blame it on the hectic schedule.
