Israel, Days 15-16: Kefar Azza, Sha'ar HaNegev, Be'er Sheba, and Unrecognized Bedouin Settlements

Now that I'm back home, and everything is pretty well wrapped up, I'll update everyone on the last few days of our class in Israel. Sunday, we woke up from our stay overnight in Be'er Sheba. We didn't do any touring there as there really isn't a whole lot of history in Be'er Sheba.

So first we headed to a small kibbutz called Kibbutz Kefar Azza. At first this kibbutz would have seemed like any other kibbutz that we had visited, only it had a very different feel. What made it different was that it was located on the border with Gaza. This kibbutz was founded in 1961, 6 years before the war that would bring the Gaza strip under the control of Israel.

The kibbutz had been under relatively peace until the second intifada started in 2004. Rockets, RPGs, and other homemade weapons have bombarded Kefar Azza and it's surrounding area every since. Chen, our guide on the tour of Kefar Azzza, told us that roughly 80% of the children under 18 on the kibbutz suffer from some sort of trauma or stress related to the conditions created by rockets and mortars from Gaza.

It's a strange place to walk around, every home and every building has its own bomb shelter. I got a very eerie feeling. It's got to be such a hard place to live. One minute you could be walking around going about your daily routine, then the code red siren could sound and you would literally have to drop everything your doing and head to the bomb shelter as quickly as you can. I wonder what kind of quality of life you could salvage while living in that kind of environment; I don't think I'd be able to do it.

After Kefar Azza, we went into the regional council area that Kefar Azza is apart of (many kibbutzim have joined together to create a 'regional council' that looks similar to a municipality in the US--many kibbutzim are too small to govern themselves alone so the join forces and pool resources and leadership). We toured the new school--completely fortified to withstand any bomb blast from Gaza. Around the buildings at the school, they've built 28 fortified bus stops, which double as bus stops. In case anyone is outside during a bombing, the shelters are strategically places so that anyone can get from anywhere on the property to a bomb shelter in less than 10 seconds (roughly the amount of time it takes a rocket launched in Gaza to reach Kefar Azza and the surrounding area).

We then headed to Be'er Sheba and the surrounding areas which mainly consist of unrecognized Bedouin settlements--settlements created after the nomadic Bedouins decided to settle in around the Be'er Sheba area. There are a lot of tensions between the Bedouins and Jews, the Bedouins and Palestinians, and the Bedouins and 'assimilated Bedouins'. They are a very proud and very secluded people. Unless you are invited into their home, they don't want you anywhere near them, and when they do invite you in, you're treated like royalty.

The places we visited are known as unrecognized settlements because they were created by nomadic Bedouins who just decided randomly where they were going to settle and expected the Israeli government to pay to have utilities and services sent to them. Just like in the US, you have to pay for land and apply for permits to have services sent to your land, i.e.: roads, water, electricity, sewer, and the like. Because the Bedouins settled such an expansive and distant area, the government decided that unless they move into predetermined areas paid for by the government, they weren't going to provide services. Each man 16 and older was offered a 1/4 acre of land that they could develop (worth roughly $75,000) but many refuse to take they offer because they want to live where they've settled. The main problems now are the unrecognized settlement issues and the coming battle of service provisions. Things are just starting to get heated there, and the battles between Israel and the Bedouins are starting to become intense.

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I enjoyed my time in Israel IMMENSELY. If I had the opportunity to go back, I'd go back in a heartbeat. There is so much rich history and beauty in Israel that I could spend a lifetime exploring there.

Everyday on our trip, I found myself thinking about the incredible complexity of the conflict. Each time we heard from someone on either side of the issue it seemed to get even more complicated. We talked with Bedouins, Christian Palestinians, Muslim Palestinians, Palestinian Israelis (yeah that's a complicated identity for sure!) Jordanians, Religious Jews, Secular Jews, American Jews, and everyone in between. Each time we heard a different story, a different perspective, and a different idea of what was the 'right solution' to the conflict; but one thing we found in common: there isn't one correct solution that will make the issue disappear.

There is no solution to this conflict where everyone comes out a winner, it's not possible. It's zero sum game--whoever gains something, gains it at the loss of the other side. Sure there are swaps and compromises but the essence of a swap or compromise is that you're giving something up in order to reach an agreement.

What I've taken away from this experience is that with radical groups on each side, there will never be a completely peaceful situation because the radicals on both sides won't stop until the other side is gone completely from what the radicals see as their land. It's an unfortunate reality that can only be resolved through education and tolerance which MUST start with the youth on all sides of the issue. Until the children from Gaza and the children from Kefar Azza can see each other as equals there will not be a peaceful ending to this conflict. When the 3rd grader from Sha'ar HaNegev can meet with the third grader from Gaza and not harbor any hatred, we know there is again a possibility for peace.

The sad thing is that it appears that the youth on both sides are only becoming more and more radicalized, and they're moving apart... One thing we heard from almost everyone--Palestinians and Jews--the greatest and likely last chance at peace was lost when Yitzhak Rabin was murdered by a Jewish zealot. Palestinians were going to get almost everything they had in 1967 and the Jews were so excited about peace that they (most of them anyway) were willing to give what it took for peace between two states. But when Yitzhak Rabin was murdered, many believe peace died with him.

Israel, Day 1: Jerusalem

My blog will mainly consist of my link to my facebook photo album from my first day in Jerusalem.

We mainly followed the Christian story in Jerusalem today. We followed the Via Dolorosa (the way of agony), the Holy Week for Christians. We saw the Temple Mount former religious center for the Jews and Christians; now ruled by Muslims. We went to some historically significant sites like the Roman excavations and ancient walls which protected the ancient city.

We learned how Jerusalem even became the epicenter of three major monotheistic religions. We were 'reminded' that the Jews were not the ones responsible for the death of Jesus, the Romans were.

I'll have more posts with more information on Jerusalem in the next few days, but as I said, an enormous amount of information can be found on my new Facebook album; located here: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150478640878170.362559.576288169&type=1

On the Topic of: Islam

Today's topic was the Muslim religion and where it came from. I'm sure that many of you don't know all that much about the Muslim faith, because the vast majority of the American public have great misconceptions about Muslims and their faith.

The Muslim faith started in the Arabian Peninsula (shown below). Originally inhabited by Bedouin Arabs, the Arabian peninsula largely stayed out of the light of history until the 7th century, when Islam began to rise. Originally, Bedouin Arabs were nomadic people who traveled with their livestock around the rim of the Arabian Peninsula (the center has been dry, extremely hot, arid, desert for millenniums).

The Arabian Peninsula highlighted in pink. Includes today's modern: Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, and Kuwait. Contains vast desert land, and small pockets of lush, humid, green land located near the sea.

There existed only two established cities on the Arabian Peninsula at the time Islam began to rise: Mecca and Medina. According to record, Mecca was a holy site for the polytheistic (multi-god religious) Bedouins. Several centries BCE, there was a sizable comet that landed in Mecca, and the Bedouins kept and worshiped the comet as a sign of the God of the sky. The site still exists today, and is enshrined in the city. It is now a religious site, and is the location of the great pilgrimage required of all Muslims at least once in their lifetime.

The Mecca holy site. Located in the upper Colosseum is the Kaaba, where the ancient meteorite is located. 

The Kaaba

In 570 CE (common era), Mohammed--the Islamic prophet--was born in the city of Mecca. In 598, Mohammed was visited by the angel Gabriel and told to go to the desert and listen for God's commands. For one month, Mohammed remained in the desert where he heard directly the word of God. He recited aloud the word of God. Reciting the word of God repeatedly for one month, Mohammed returned to Mecca to spread the word of God and proclaim his word to the people there.

After many years, in 622, Mohammed was not accepted by the polytheistic Bedouins and he made the trip to Medina. Here, Mohammed was happily accepted by the population. He was revered as a great prophet. While in Medina, he became a great military and political leader. In 624, Mohammed led his army back to Mecca, where he easily seiged the city. The citizens were converted to Islam and soon were willing followers of the invading Muslims.

Mohammed died shortly after his reign as 'the final prophet' began, in 632. There was great controversy after his death. Mohammed never specified a substitute or replacement leader before his abrupt death. This is where the great Muslim divide is based. Sunna (Sunni) Muslims believe that Mohammed's successor should be chosen and revealed by God. Sunni leaders are known as Caliphs, and are not related to Mohammed. Abu Bakr was the first of the Caliphs.

Shi'a Muslims believe that the successor to Mohammed should be someone of his family. Originally Ali, Mohammed's son in law was approved as the successor. Ali was assassinated soon after he took his reign because Sunnis believed the rightful successor would be chosen by God. Shi'a Muslim leaders are known as Imams. The Shi'a leader of Iran is known as the Ayatollah.

The largest sect of Islam is Sunni Muslims, followed by Shi'a Muslims, and Sufi Muslims (ultra conservative, nomadic, Muslim sect). All Islamic republics that exist today are Sunni Muslim republics with the exception of Iran, which is a Shi'a Muslim republic.

The Holy Koran

There are many common misconceptions about Muslims that we have addressed in class, so as not to offend Muslims over seas and to set the record straight:

1. Islam is a religion of peace. Although many people are of the belief that all Muslims follow jihadist beliefs, that's not true. Nearly 92% of Muslims do not follow extremist beliefs about jihad, which means 'war against the infidels'. According to many Imams and Caliphs, jihad is meant to be interpreted as the internal struggle to be a better Muslim; referring to those who struggle with fighting temptations and following Islamic law.
2. Shari'ah law is not used all across the Muslim world. Much like the Jewish Bible, the Koran lays out hundreds of laws for Muslims to follow. The Koran, much like the Torah, has many outdated and barbaric laws that were used when the Koran was written. Although some of the laws are in use in the Middle East, for the vast majority of the middle east, Shari'ah law is only used in tribal regions.
3. Arabs are not the same as Muslims. Muslims follow the Islamic faith. Arabs are descendants of peoples from the Arabian peninsula. There exist numerous different kinds of Arabs in the middle east. Muslim Arabs, Christian Arabs, Jewish Arabs, Persian Arabs, Turkish Arabs, Egyptian Arabs, Palestinian Arabs, etc.
4. Many Muslims denounce the violence used by radical Muslims. Nearly 99% of Muslims across the world practice harmless, peaceful, private forms of Islam. It's those who use radical and extreme violence that attract attention and steal spotlight in the news, giving the West the perception that Muslims are all "terrorists" or "extremists".

I've found it fascinating to learn more about the Muslim faith, and I'm excited to see it's practice in Israel! We'll be visiting the Temple Mount, the location of the the Dome of the Rock, the third most holy site for Muslims in the world. It's said that the Temple Mount is the site where Mohammed dreamed of his assent to heaven shortly before his death. Although Christians and Jews are not allowed into the Dome of the Rock, they are allowed to get close to observe the Temple Mount. Only Muslims are allowed to the top of the Temple Mount and inside the Dome of the Rock.

That's all I've got for today, I hope to put my final post after class tomorrow. We'll be talking about the peace negotiations that started in 1991, 1993, and 2000, and I'm sure I'll have a lot to post about!