The Unspoken of, the Occupied

Street Art depicting a soldier pointing a gun at a young girl.
To the right you can see the fragments from the clashes from earlier in the day on Christmas in Bethlehem.
Fragments meaning rocks, IDF tear gas canisters, broken glass, and remnants of burnt objects.

"I'm scared"
"Don't be scared. This is your home, you can come and go whenever you like."

Have you ever had to explain to your child that you couldn't live at home because it wasn't safe? And that you could only visit as a tourist because your homeland was under occupation by another group of people who continuously subjugated your people to countless forms of structural and physical violence? Have you had to explain that the only reason you are allowed to move somewhat freely, or even enter the land at all, is because your father, their grandfather, was kicked out of his land and now you and your children have US Passports? Me neither. But I did hear pieces of such a conversation on my bus ride from the border to Jerusalem, a small tidbit of what I quoted above is a conversation a father had to have with his two young boys on their trip back home, back to Palestine.

After a five hour border crossing on Christmas Eve at the King Hussein Bridge, the air was thick with tension. As we pulled up to a checkpoint on our way to Jerusalem after crossing the Jordan/Occupied Palestine border we approached several IDF (Israel Defense Force) members in their camo, military gear, and huge guns strapped around their bodies. That is when the little boy spoke, he was frightened, naturally. But his father tried to calm him but referring to them as "Mr. Smiley" and never missing an opportunity to remind his two young boys where they came from and where they are going, home...to Palestine.

This was the first emotionally taxing travel I have ever done. 

It's one thing to hear about the occupation and

watch documentaries about the apartheid state.

It's another to touch the separation wall and
to smell tear gas in the air after "clashes".

There is no way to fully comprehend what is happening over there unless you yourself are living under occupation. So before you continue reading, I suggest you take a couple of moments to get a bit of a background on what exactly is happening by looking at these links:

11 graphics that explain the occupation
Brief Timeline (pay attention to 1948, 1967, 1973, 1993, and the violence that ensues throughout the 2000s)
Timeline of more recent events (2000-2015)

The American media has been so successful in twisting history and omitting critical narratives that they, and I'll quote Malcolm X on this, have got us "hating the people who are being oppressed and loving the people who are doing the oppressing." This whole region is controversial and you have to be careful who you are talking to. I was warned numerous times not to mention Palestine at the border, but in Jordan I can't mention Israel.

So who's right?

Israel/Occupied Palestine Map.
Note how Palestine is not actually mentioned, just "West Bank" and "Gaza Strip"

State of Israel is confident this is all theirs.

Many people in Jordan and around the world don't even acknowledge that Israel is a state.
They want the borders to go back before 1948.

Our first stop was Bethlehem via Jerusalem. The border had taken a lot longer than anticipated so by the time we reached ol' Bethy it was nearly sunset. The phone number I had taken down for the Air B&B wasn't working so we had no way to get to the house we rented as we couldn't use our Jordanian phones. We searched for the closest place with wifi or a local SIM. After going to a phone store called "One Missed Call" on one of the main streets we were able to use the wifi and be on our way. But not before another lesson in structural violence.

We were interested in buying a SIM card that worked both in the Palestine and in Occupied Palestine (or as some call it, Israel) but this man explained to us that he was legally only allowed to sell a type of SIM that worked only in the West Bank because he was Palestinian and if we wanted to SIM to work all over, we would have to buy it in Jerusalem from an Israeli shop owner. This man was nice enough to let us connect to his wifi and then had his brother drive us to the hotel we ended up staying at. They offered to let us stay at their house but we politely declined and found a hotel in the middle of town.

Bethlehem by Night

Christmas morning we woke up in Bethlehem, the birthplace of baby Jesus so many years ago. Although I am not very religious, the atmosphere and the experience of being in this place for Christmas was a feeling I will never forget.

 

Most of the day was spent near Manger Square and Old Town Bethlehem. Built pretty much next door to each other are the Church of the Nativity and St Catherine's Church.

Star marks the spot of the birthplace of baby Jesus!

In the hallway between Church of the Nativity and St. Catherine's Church.

In the basement of the Church of the Nativity, also called the Basilica of the Nativity, we found crowds of people huddling around a large star on the ground - a star the marks the birthplace of Jesus. This church is the oldest continuously operating church in the world - commissioned in 326 AD by Emperor Constantine. A few steps away is St Catherine's Church - this is where midnight Christmas-eve mas is broadcasted for the world.

Old City Bethlehem

I could have spent days in Bethlehem. But sadly we didn't have days, we had A day. After checking out of the hotel and leaving our bags in a room behind the front desk, we went out to explore a bit more before heading to Jerusalem.

The internet told me about some street art around the city done by world renown "Banksy". Regrettably, I'm not a big "art" person, but there are somethings that you cant avoid learning about through the mainstream media, unless of course you live under a rock. One of these things is Banksy, a British political activist, film director, and street artist who's real identity is unknown. His art, which is on walls, streets, and bridges all over the world, usually uses dark humor or satire to deliver a sometimes controversial message to society.

He visited the West Bank in 2005 and the Gaza Strip in 2015 (well, that's when the video was released) where he made a short clip to raise awareness. It's less than 2 min, watch it here. In reference to the clip he said "I wanted to highlight the destruction in Gaza by posting photos on my website — but on the internet people only look at pictures of kittens" I like it, my kinda guy.

During his visit in 2005 he pained 9 pieces along the Israel/West Bank border, I was fortunate enough to see five of them on a mini "Banksy Tour"

Arguably his most famous street art to date:

Rage, Flower Thrower

Angel Sprinkling Hearts

Armed Dove of Peace

 Balloon Debate

West Bank Guard

After I bargained my way though the streets of the Old City stopping at every other shop along the way, it was about time to head back to Jerusalem. As we finished our shwarma and falafle sandwiches, we received a text from out friend who lives in Jerusalem and works for UNRWA (The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees), getting up to the minute security updates for the region.

First messages says "Avoid Gilo checkpoint coming in [to Jeruselum], clashes ongoing." This checkpoint is the only checkpoint I'm aware of that we can use to get into the city from where we were located.
The conversation continues, "Palace hotel in Beth also a hot spot today."
This is directly across the street from our hotel, where our luggage is.
More details come in the minuets after, "Reports we have are weapons fire, live ammunition and molotov cocktails." followed by some advice, "Hang wherever you are for at least another half hour...they have closed Gilo checkpoint so that could mean an escalation soon or a prevention measure."

Prior to this we ran into another friend who works for UNRWA but lives in Amman and offered to take us back to Jerusalem with him and his wife. Less than an hour after these reports we attempted to get back to our hotel to get our luggage and be on our way. We nearly ran right in the middle of the clashes. Clashes mean, usually, IDF and Palestinians "clashing" in any which way. This time, there were rock being thrown, molotov cocktails (bottles filled with a flammable liquid that have a soaked fabric of some sort sticking out and lit on fire to be thrown so that when they smash there is a mini explosion/fire), and live ammunition, likely only by the IDF. We had to speed through a section of a street where we directed around by random youth, rocks were being thrown, I could see smoke in the air. Finally after getting out of the clashes we drove all the way around town and back to Manger Square to wait it out and have a shisha.

When we arrived back to Manger Square we saw a Palestinian National Security Force (PNSF) officer and asked him about the clashes and when it would be safe to go back. He wasn't aware of the clashes and said it was OK to go now. After we told him we had just come from there and it wasn't safe, he paused, looked at his watch and said something along the lines of "Oh yes, it is Friday after prayer. Just take some time here and go back in one hour." In the most nonchalant way, as if clashes were expected on Fridays, as if this was a way of life, a weekly or daily occurrence...because  for them, it is.

We made it safely to Jerusalem long after night fall. I guess Christmas in Bethlehem wouldn't be Christmas at all without these clashes. Without the constant reminder of the apartheid state Palestinians are forced to live under. I found it hard to enjoy myself knowing the current state of affairs, and even broke down twice in a 24 hour period just being there.

These posters were plastered everywhere:

And I won't forget this mans words...

"It is my dream to go to America, to feel freedom."
- Adman, Palestinian camel leather store owner in Manger Square.

Holy to Jews, Christians, and Muslims, Jerusalem is one of the world's foremost pilgrimage destinations, and one of the most fought over and disputed areas of the world. It has been conquered time and time again by many groups of people who have destroyed sites and built over them as their own. Old Town Jerusalem is pretty much the coolest place in J-town, but the Mahane Yehuda Market comes pretty close. Old Town is comprised of four quarters, Muslim, Christian, Jewish and Armenian, each of which are centered around a "holy place".

Enlarge to get a bigger picture of Old City

To get a quick tour, we did a free tour with Sandeman. They have free city tours all over the world - if you're on a budget while traveling, be sure to check them out. It was supposed to be an hour, but was actually four and they used this as a selling point to pitch their other tours. All in all it was worth it, but a bit dragged out. Before the tour started, we explore the Citadel...
 

Jerusalem Citadel

View of the Old City from the high point in the Tower of David in the Citadel.

The Armenian Quarter is said to be the most "curious" quarter (why, I'm not exactly sure) and where you find the oldest organized church in the world. Armenia became the first nation to officially embrace Christianity in 303 AD when their kind converted. The Armenians have lived in Old City for over 1,700 years and stay because of the Couvent Armenian Saint Jacques (St. James Cathedral), a church that is said to have been build upon the burial place of James the Apostle and James the lesser (aka James the younger aka Jesus's little brother) who was the first Christian bishop in history. This quarter is also home to one of three seminaries in the wold where an Armenian can study to be a priest. Additionally, Kim Kardashian baptized her kid at this church. The community is so old that they use Aramaic - only three communities in the world use that language which dates back to 700 BCE, or so our tour guide said. Total population of this quarter is around 1500. This quarter is also home to the Room of the Last Supper and King David's Tomb.

Here is the Couvent Armenian Saint Jacques, its only open for tourist 40min per day!

The smallest in area of all the quarters is the Jewish quarter, which is filled with tons of archaeological sites and museums. It's predominantly residential and has over 4,500 residents. Here the most sacred site is the Temple Mount, but because Jews cannot enter the temple due to religious restrictions, the closest place they can go to be near to it is the Western Wall (aka the Wailing Wall). So, this is where many of them go to pray. The wall is segregated by sexes and the women are not allowed to make noises. The men on the other hand, can sing and do as they like.

The Western Wall, aka the Wailing Wall. Left side is for the males, right is for the females.

Cardo Maximus, a reconstruction of the main street of Roman and Byzantine Jerusalem which way back in the day was the first civilization to use roads, is also in the Jewish Quarter. The Horva Synagogue was originally founded i n the early 18th century but destroyed and rebuild and then destroyed again. The newest "version" was rebuild in 2010 by a Muslim architect as you may note some similarities to the build/structure of a mosque.

Horva Synagogue

The Christian quarter is centered around the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, a UNESCO world heritage site and the location of Jesus's crucifixion and tomb. This is a busy quarter with lots of souvenir shops, workshops, and hostels. To keep peace between the Church of the Holy Sepulcher's notoriously fractious Christian denominations, a Muslim family (Nusseibehs) keep the keys, unlocking the doors each morning and securing them again at night.

Church of the Holy Sepulcher

Last but surely not least is the Muslim quarter which is not only the largest in size but is also the largest populations of about 25,000 (there are about 35,000 total in all of old city). This neighborhood is mostly private homes that are 500-800 years old - it was my favorite to walk through. There are more than 30 mosques in all of the Old City to accommodate for the large population. The holiest place for this quarter is the Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa Mosque. The mosque holds the rock where Mohammad ascended to heaven. The population is so large that the Muslim quarter has their own daily market full of fruits, vegetables, spices, meats, and anything else you may need.

Non-Muslims aren't permitted inside but you can go much closer. We didnt get to go closer because there are only specific times each day and the line was insanely long.

Stations of the Cross... (brings me back to CCD class)

I loved the the doorway to this mosque, one of thirty something in the Old City.
Its so simplistic and almost unnoticeable compared to the elaborate Al-Aqsa mosque

By our second day in Jerusalem we learned not to take taxis and instead use the light rail! We took this all the way to the Mahane Yehuda Market, sometimes referred to as simply "the big souq" (souq means market in Arabic, Hebrew and Hindi). This was a must see for me, and if you ever go, you too will enjoy all of the sights and sounds and smells. At first, I was disappointed and deceived as I reached what I thought was the end of a very small market. But soon I saw, off the main street, countless side streets leading to a maze crammed with fresh fruits, olives, nuts, vegetables, and endless stalls of spices. I could have spent hours tasting the halva and wandering the alleyways but we had to move along to the Yad Vashem.

Mahane Yehuda Market

Nuts, Spices, and teas oh my!

Halva - 80% sesame seed, 10% sugar 10% flavoring. Free samples for days.

When I was in Kigali, Rwanda I went to the genocide memorial museum. When I was in Cape Town, South Africa, I visited the apartheid museum. These two experiences where hands down some of the most educational parts of any travel I have ever done. They invoked empathy and delicately explained some of the worst human rights atrocities in the world. I knew I couldn't leave Jerusalem without seeing a Holocaust museum, the Yad Vashem meaning "A Memorial and a Name" and taken from Isaiah 56:5. Cameras were not allowed.

We couldn't take photos inside of the museum, but this hit close to home with the current
state of the world and I couldn't help but take a photo.

Like most places I visited during this trip, I could have stayed here three times longer than I did. The sobering yet beautiful memorial includes 6 areas, the Holocaust History Museum, the Art Museum, the Exhibitions Pavilion, the Learning Center, the Visual Center and the Synagogue. If you're short on time - make sure you spend 85%-90% of your time in the history museum...hours will pass by in here as you walk, watch, listen, and learn.

Our silhouettes and a view of Jerusalem at the end of the Yad Vashem walk through.

There are countless sights to see around Jerusalem but due to time constraints I was only able to get to few of them. Additional sites include the City of David (oldest part of J-town), Mount of Olives (where Jesus took on the sins of the world, was arrested and later ascended to heaven) and tons of churches here, and the Tomb of Virgin Mary. East Jerusalem is predominantly Arab, and home to the Rockefeller Museum (archaeological), Garden Tomb (garden and sepulcher of Joseph and Arimathea - and the place where Jesus was crucified, buried, and resurrected), and the Museum on the Seam.

There are two methods of getting to Tel Aviv via public transportation, 1. A bus leaving from Damascus gate or 2. the share-route (that's what it sounded like) mini buses. Option 1 is a tiny bit cheaper but takes quite a bit longer. The second option took about 45min and the bus filled up way quicker than I imagined. Most of my experience with public transport has been in Africa, so I guess I need to keep more of an open mind when traveling elsewhere.

I quickly fell in love with the Mediterranean beach town of Jaffa (aka Yafo), just a couple of minutes outside of Tel Aviv. Here we stayed with a friend who lived a couple of minutes walk from the Flea Market and a plethora of hip new cafes, bars, and restaurants.

I spent hours wandering the Flea Market (photos above), and I'm happy to say I got fantastic deals on the jewelry I bought. All of the years wandering in African markets have made me one tough bargainer, or as they used to say "business-woman".

We celebrated Will's birthday in Tel Aviv and went out for Japanese at Onami.

Although it wasn't quite swimming weather, we got to the beach while the sun was high and still managed to catch some rays on our winter-pale skin.

Next stop, Aqaba, Jordan on the Red Sea!

To read about Aqaba, check out this post. 


I still don't think I have fully processed this experience. The idea of traveling to these places almost felt unfair as I knew many of them couldn't even leave the city limits. There was momentary escape from this uneasy guilty feeling every now and again but it soon crept back after seeing an IDF or just simply meeting someone and having a conversation. It was so subtle yet so obvious to me. One Jewish taxi driver I had in Jerusalem asked me how I was enjoying Israel. He only said Israel, even though he knew I went to Bethlehem which is in the West Bank - he didn't even say Palestine or acknowledge it. Later he complained a bit how he wasn't "allowed" to go to Ramallah (A city in the West Bank) - he clearly thought this was unfair. But I timidly reminded him that there are Arabs who live there who have friends and family in Jerusalem who they can't visit either. His reaction seemed like he hadn't even thought about that before.

I've noticed people here in Jordan, as many of them are of Palestinian decent, don't even recognize Israel. It may be pride, it may be non-violence protest to the occupation, I'm not sure. It's a very touchy subject here. I avoid it by saying city names, no countries. I hope they find a solution soon. #EndTheOccupation #FreePalestine

*I do want to make a disclaimer when discussing the reported religious locations I mentioned in this post. Though my statements seem to be written as fact, and some may even be contradictory - I am acknowledging they are debated, contested, and no one actually knows for sure.