For the love of Israel

I made this little plan: if I could find cheap flights to Europe, then I'd go with Rian, escape my 'stress' etc. for a few weeks and come back to Jordan happy and refreshed for the next semester (which at that point, and still now, I don't know if it will be passed in Australia or Jordan....). Unfortunately the flights from Jordan to Holland were in the $1000 range, and thus completely out of reach and justification...But then, light of lights! I found a flight from Tel Aviv to Belgium for just $370 return! Wow. I didn't have any desire to go to either Israel or Belgium. You could even say I had negative desire. But I thought to myself, it wont be that bad and I booked.

Four days later, I found myself sitting in the 'Entrace' building to 'Israel' at the Jordanian Israeli borders, with a lot of poor Palestinian people that were trying to go and visit their families. Of course, the average, hard working, nice Palestinian has to spend some hours sitting on these cold metal seats, waiting to be cleared to get into their country by a bunch of 18 year old Israeli girls sporting low rise cargo pants, tight, unbuttoned blouses and a bad attitude.

The fact that I am neither Arab, nor Palestinian, nor Muslim, changes nothing in the eyes of the Israelis, for I have the bad taste to CHOOSE to live with these untrustworthy types. So I spent two hours there, as they asked me stupid questions:
What are you doing in Jordan? Why? Why do you study Arabic? Oh, you like the Middle East? Why not learn Hebrew then? Why not study Arabic in Israel? Do you have an Arab friends? (I live in an Arab country you morons), Why did you go to Syria? When? How many days? With who? Did you talk to any Syrians? Where did you stay? Lebanon? Why are you coming to Israel? To fly out of Tel Aviv. Why? It's cheaper. No it's not, what's the real reason? What are you doing when you go back to Jordan? How long do you want to stay? Give me your email address, your phone number, and your fixed number, and all your numbers in Australia, and your parents numbers, what are their names? Do they know where you're going?

And so it went on. And I don't want to complain too much, because first of all, most Arabs, and especially Palestinians, can never go to Palestine (Israel). Ever. And then, those that do have the chance to go, normally have to go through a much longer and more aggravating experience at the borders, not to mention that it is more degrading, given they are fighting for access to their own homes (in those cases where they still stand). So, no I can't complain, but I hate the system, and I hate that they know everything I have done in the last 3 years, and that I have to justify studying Arabic (as though there is no reason to associate with one of the richest, oldest and most hospitable cultures on the planet). Anyway.

Four hours later I arrived at the Tel Aviv airport, and low and behold, had a simillar, but worse, experience. As I lined up to enter the check in part of the airport, my passport was checked, standard. But, as soon as she saw the dozens of Arabic stamps, she was off. She returned with two more security personnel who proceeded to question me for a good 10 minutes. All the same questions as before. And this is me trying to get out of their paranoid country (which, obviously gave me the possibility to do something rash like blow up a plane or an airport garbage bin, as though I'd know how to do that!). So they then spent 45 minutes searching my luggage, taking absolutely everything out, opening sachets, searching dirty clothes pockets, swipping everything with the chemical detector, scanning things numerous times, feeling me up all over, and finally giving me a security escort through check-in. Free at last, I sat in the airport and listened to the security announcements which were a bit different to what I am accustomed ("A reminder that guns are prohibited in this airport"). Of course, in a country where everyone is allowed to (even encouraged) to carry guns, this warning is not as intuitive as it may seem.

Three weeks later I returned, arriving in Tel Aviv airport at 11:30 pm. I stormed through the long airport, rushing with all the other travellers, and was first in line at one of the many immigration queues. I felt almost human as I walked up to the counter, aware of how quickly the immigration processing seemed to be going, and for a second felt that I would be ushered through without a problem. What naivety! I was quickly shown to the waiting room that I hadn't noticed before. There were about 15 people waiting in their, some of them obviously Muslim with their Islamic caps. I gave them the usual grimace, there is definitely a sense of unity amongst those who are rejected by the Israelis. I met most of the people in the room. 10 of them were British Muslims of Indian descent who were on an Interfaith tour with 10 Christians. All of the Christians had entered Israel immediately. Their Muslim companions had been waiting for more than 7 hours. For no reason other than being Muslim. Only two of them had visited Arab countries before (having visited Lebanon, Syria or Iran is normally the biggest reason for being detained). There was also a Columbian Pilates instructor who lives in Cyprus who had come to Tel Aviv for a weekend long training seminar (first time in the Middle East, neither Muslim nor Arab) and had brought his invitation and registration confirmations. There was a random Finnish guy who didn't look too bright, and a French couple of Tunisian origin. I spent two and a half hours there, being ignored for the first hour - not a single question asked, just sitting there. Then all the usual questions, plus a full interogation about my time in Europe. Where did I go, why, who did I see? Oh, you studied there before? Why? Where? What was the name of the school, what were you studing and so on.

Free at last, I went to collect my luggage which had been left on the luggage belt for two and a half hours, pretty nice target really. Then had the same kind of interogation, baggage search etc. from baggage woman who assured me that she was from a different department, so yes it was indeed necessary to ask me all the same questions.

Absolutely disgusted, not so much at my treatment, but at that of these Interfaith travellers, who were coming to learn about each others faiths and share them, and this poor Collumbian! He was just so confused, and had had no idea that that wait would be in stall for him! So I jumped a bus to Jerusalem, arrived near the old city at 3.30 in the morning, and sat in a 24 hour restaurant where I met about half a dozen very friendly Palestinians who chatted with me til I left in search of a bus at 6. Oh, and on the bus from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem....

Well I met a very friendly and open Israeli, and had a fascinating conversation with him which heartened and scared me at the same time. A summary of his thoughts:

What the Israelis do to the Palestinians is not good, (such as building the wall inside their territory instead of outside) but it's effective...

That there is a dirty hypocrisy in Israel's obsession with security and concurrent building of ileagal settlements in Palestinian territories.

That most Israelis regretted the high death toll from the war on Gaza in Dec 2008 - Jan 2009, but thought that the operation in general was necessary and successful.

That there was a general feeling in Israel that it would be good if the Palestinians actually succeeded in hitting a pre-school or something with their rockets, to justify the high civillian casulties caused by Israel.

That the Israeli settlers ileagally living in Palestinian territory are terribly bad people, and do horrible things, and basically see their mission as inhabiting the holy land with Jews, bringing the peace and joy and love so that the Messiah will come. And from this he also sees them as amazing people, who work very hard, are educated, are musical and creative and talented, and believe so strongly in their mission that they are willing to live in highly adverse situations in order to carry it through.

That he has worked as a peace activist helping the Palestinians and that for him the Zionist dream has been dead for a long time.

That he believes Israel is at the lowest point in it's history; prospects for peace are worse than ever before and the two Israeli parties that have a chance of holding government as of the elections this Tuesday have no real desire for peace and are basically fascist and belicose.

So it was heartening on the one hand to hear his critisisms, but grim at the same time to know that his criticisms are largely drawn from the understanding of how irretrievable the situation is.