I am looking forward to hearing/reading all about your big adventure that awaits. May you travel in safety and peace, and get a world of knowledge from your trip!
Cheese,
Israel is a great place to travel. I’m especially jealous of your stay in Tel Aviv, my favorite and in my view the greatest Israeli city.
If you can, you should try and visit the West Bank. If even just a short trip to Bethlehem (15 minutes from Jerusalem), it will promise to be an eye-opening trip. You cannot get a full picture of Israel without visiting the occupied territories and without understanding the inseparable part they play in Israeli history and the current political reality. Contrary to what I’ve heard that Israeli tour guides will tell you, just as many people speak English in cities like Ramallah and Bethlehem than in cities like Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.
If you don’t want to hit the West Bank, you should at least make it a point to visit an Arab village in Israel like Nazareth or the Arab old quarter of Yaffa (walkable from downtown Tel Aviv…just walk a mile or two down Hayarkon street along the coast). In Yaffa, you can see Israelis visiting Arab shops and vice versa, it’s really a dynamic place.
Tons of people our age go to Israel on birthright trips or other sponsored, planned programs. They tend to see only one dimension of the country, but less than 10 miles from Tel Aviv there is a whole society, walled-off and controlled by Israel. It’s easy to forget about, but it’s fate is tied to Israel’s and you really shouldn’t miss it if you get the time.
Hey man thanks for the advice. I’ve been to Jaffa in the past and agree that it’s a really cool (and beautiful) place to visit. The interaction between Jews and Arabs is great, and is really encouraging to see. I’m going to Ramallah as part of my trip, and am really looking forward to getting that other perspective firsthand. I agree completely about Birthright. It’s a cool trip that’s a lot of fun, but does really only give one perspective on the conflict. That’s why I came back this summer, to see things for myself.
I am looking forward to hearing/reading all about your big adventure that awaits. May you travel in safety and peace, and get a world of knowledge from your trip!
sheryl
May 25, 2011 at 6:24 pm
Cheese,
Israel is a great place to travel. I’m especially jealous of your stay in Tel Aviv, my favorite and in my view the greatest Israeli city.
If you can, you should try and visit the West Bank. If even just a short trip to Bethlehem (15 minutes from Jerusalem), it will promise to be an eye-opening trip. You cannot get a full picture of Israel without visiting the occupied territories and without understanding the inseparable part they play in Israeli history and the current political reality. Contrary to what I’ve heard that Israeli tour guides will tell you, just as many people speak English in cities like Ramallah and Bethlehem than in cities like Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.
If you don’t want to hit the West Bank, you should at least make it a point to visit an Arab village in Israel like Nazareth or the Arab old quarter of Yaffa (walkable from downtown Tel Aviv…just walk a mile or two down Hayarkon street along the coast). In Yaffa, you can see Israelis visiting Arab shops and vice versa, it’s really a dynamic place.
Tons of people our age go to Israel on birthright trips or other sponsored, planned programs. They tend to see only one dimension of the country, but less than 10 miles from Tel Aviv there is a whole society, walled-off and controlled by Israel. It’s easy to forget about, but it’s fate is tied to Israel’s and you really shouldn’t miss it if you get the time.
Mayboy
Mayboy
May 29, 2011 at 5:45 am
Hey man thanks for the advice. I’ve been to Jaffa in the past and agree that it’s a really cool (and beautiful) place to visit. The interaction between Jews and Arabs is great, and is really encouraging to see. I’m going to Ramallah as part of my trip, and am really looking forward to getting that other perspective firsthand. I agree completely about Birthright. It’s a cool trip that’s a lot of fun, but does really only give one perspective on the conflict. That’s why I came back this summer, to see things for myself.
jmkraft
May 30, 2011 at 3:48 pm