Israel

Snorkeling in Jerusalem

Jerusalem, October 17, 2015

     Jerusalem is an old, hilly, desert city with very little water. I’d love to dive deep here, to understand the thousands of years of history, religion, and culture. But being here for only a short time, I have to content myself with floating on the surface, observing the different life forms as they ebb and flow in the human tide pools of the present moment. 

     Yes, there are sharks in the water here in Israel, though which species are the sharks depends on your point of view. My arrival in Tel Aviv on October 3rd coincided with a series of Palestinian knife attacks against Israeli civilians and police, and those attacks, along with violent acts of self defense, have continued throughout my sojourn here. On the surface where I float, the waters are calm and the weather is sunny. I’ve had a great time visiting Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, northern Israel, and now back in Jerusalem. But walking around this ancient city, the tension is palpable, especially in and around the Old City. Police and soldiers are everywhere, armed with automatic weapons (machine guns? Uzis? AK 47s?) and manning checkpoints. Many of the gun-toting cops and army troops are women – young women, maybe 20 years old – carrying machine guns. Lovely. 

     Why all the violence?

     On one level, Palestinian youth believed a (false) rumor that the Israelis were going to limit Arab access to two Muslim holy sites in the Old City: the Dome of the Rock and the Al Aqsa Mosque. On a deeper level, there is (understandable) Palestinian resentment of new Jewish settlements encroaching upon Palestinian neighborhoods in East Jerusalem and the West Bank. 

     But something more profound is going on here in Israel, and in the wider Middle East, and it’s something that I’m struggling to understand. It’s a clash of civilizations, a battle of religions, a war of ideas. Maybe a painful evolution of human consciousness. 

     Why is Israel a prosperous, stable, vibrant, creative democracy? And why are Syria, Palestine, Egypt, and other Arab societies so dysfunctional? After two weeks in the Middle East, I’m hardly a policy expert. And my lack of scuba diving credentials and equipment limit the depths to which I can descend. But even from my limited surface perspective, colors and shapes are starting to emerge from the shadowy deep, and I’m beginning to understand what I see, or if not, at least to ask the right questions. 

     The Jewish people have been incredibly resilient in the face of 2,500 years or more of adversity. Yet in spite of the terrible oppression they’ve endured from Romans, Crusaders, Nazis, Arabs, and others, they’ve not only survived, but thrived. 

     Why?

     Like other successful civilizations such as the Europeans, Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Koreans, Jews value education and strong families. And according to my Israeli tour guide Rafi, they also have a strong sense of solidarity and working for the common good. Yes, they can be quarrelsome amongst themselves and with others, but when the chips are down they unite with a vision of building and sharing a prosperous society with human rights and freedoms. 

     After a week on my own in Israel, I joined a tour group in Tel Aviv, and shortly thereafter we were hosted for lunch in an Arab home. Our hostess Doris is a self-described Palestinian Catholic Israeli and a “modern woman” of 42 years. When I asked her whether she would support the creation of a Palestinian state, she said yes, and that she’d gladly visit it. But she said she’d never live in an Arab-ruled society, because fellow Arabs wouldn’t give her the freedoms and opportunities she enjoys as an Israeli citizen. 

     For some reason most Arab countries are (to varying degrees) deeply corrupt, incompetent, and incapable of self governance. One can debate the reasons for that sad state of affairs (religious extremism, intolerance of new ideas, greed of the ruling classes, lack of a vision for the common good), but it’s pretty clear that, like all of us, Palestinians and other Arabs are their own worst enemies. Yet Israel is a convenient scapegoat for Palestinian frustrations with their own social and political failures. Granted, Palestinians have some legitimate grievances against Israelis. That said, they would do well to clean up their own act while continuing to speak up against any external injustices. I wish them much success in someday creating their own peaceful and harmonious society. 

     Christians seem to do pretty well in Israel. Maybe it’s because, after centuries of persecuting Jews, Christians are now overwhelmingly supportive of Israel. So maybe there’s hope for the Muslims to someday get along with Jews and Christians. 

     The land of the Jews is also the land of Jesus and Christianity, and I came to Israel in  part to try to understand more about the historical and spiritual Jesus. So far I’ve failed to deepen my appreciation for him. I’ve been to several Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, Nazareth, and Galilee, and felt nothing. In fairness, I also felt no spiritual connection at Jewish and Muslim holy sites. I respect Jesus, but I don’t believe he died for my sins. Nor do I believe that he was resurrected or performed miracles. But something about him was special, and I’d like to find out what that was. 

     In the meantime, the hummus is great, the salads are excellent. And I love the falafel and fresh fish and vegetables. The sun is shining, and I’ve got my mask and fins on. It’s time to go for another swim.