ISRAEL & PALESTINE __ Land of Contradictions Tel Aviv

A line well fitting to Shimshon's place "love yourself, love others"

Shimshon in his kitchen

Creative and elaborate graffiti covering the walls of Tel Aviv 

Cooking shakshuka at Dr.Shakshuka

Ottoman fountain in old Jaffa

A lunch-spot serving mainly to workers

Our last dinner was at a Georgian restaurant-bar called Nanushka

We left the hotel in the morning in search of a cozy breakfast spot. Walking through the Yemenite Quarter close by to our hotel, which is the oldest neighborhood of Tel Aviv that was originally founded by the Jewish immigrants from Yemen and today is occupied mainly by the low and mid-income families, we came upon a small restaurant called Milkyway that fit our criteria. Owner of the restaurant Shimshon prepares all the dishes himself for the workers that frequent the place for lunch. Shimshon, with a big grin on his face, points to the pictures of cows hanging on the wall and explains us that he only serves vegetarian dishes out of love for those animals. His friend, who seemed to be in his 60s just as Shimson did, was also helping him out without tiring himself out too much. Obviously he wasn’t there to work but rather to have a good time with the joints they were smoking constantly. The place looked like the last surviving hangout of the flower children with Shimshon’s pictures from his travels to India, Cuba and other places decorating the walls, customers going into the kitchen comfortably to dish themselves up with some food, and everyone including the customers and the owner puffing on their joints. As hard as it was to farewell with Shimshon, we finally did and started exploring the city. Our first stop was the Carmel Market and the artisans fair that is set up twice a week as part of it. We were very impressed by the creativity and artistry of the Israeli craftmen at the bazaar where many elegant pieces of jewellery and other objects of interesting design were being sold. From there we walked through the Neve Tzedek neighborhood with its rustic houses and fancy shops, and later made our way once again to old Jaffa to see it in daylight this time. We first checked out Dr.Shakshuka, famous for its (yes, you guessed it right) shakshuka dishes which is prepared by mixing tomatoes, eggs and other ingredients of choice. Since it was something familiar to us we opted for other dishes on the menu such as couscous with vegetables and another dish with squash, beans and meat. We left the place well satisfied with the food. After wandering through streets filled with boutique furniture and clothing stores and art galleries we walked into one that had very interesting drawings. We met with the artist, who was a Frenchman living in Tel Aviv for the last 7 years. He had been to Turkey many times and had recently returned from his last trip to Turkey in the very same plane as the one that brought us there. The picture of a famous Turkish movie star of the 70’s on one side of his business card surprised us in a funny way. We got caught in a very heavy rain when we left the gallery to go back to our hotel. We took shelter at a bench that was covered with a canopy of densely grown ivy and enjoyed the view of Tel Aviv with its white sandy beaches and buildings all lit up illimunating the night sky. Tel Aviv is a pleasant city and one I could see myself living in with the beach resort feel it gives being situated right on the Mediterranean, its modern buildings, neighborhoods of different character, and secular, cosmopolitan residents. Due to the immigration of Jews from all different parts of the world, it’s possible to find people of all kinds of physical appearances in Tel Aviv. Thanks to this diversity we were mistaken as Israeli and were fronted with questions in Hebrew many times during our stay. Another nice and interesting surprise was almost everyday running into Israelis speaking either a few words or sometimes fluently in Turkish, because of the high number of Jews immigrating from Turkey and settling there.

We had a few hours to spend before heading over to the airport on our last day. Even though we had planned on visiting the Diaspora Museum, both Benoit and I had set our minds and hearts on visiting Shimshon again and spending the last hours by enjoying his fun company.  Realizing what we had in mind Aysun was nice enough to comply with it, so once again we got beamed to the Milkyway galaxy. After a long breakfast, numerous treats and a pleasant chat about politics, music, and traveling we said our farewells for one last time to Shimshon. Before leaving for airport we bought ourselves some of the cardamom flavored coffee that is widely consumed in Israel, a few music CDs recommended by Shimshon, and a few bottles of the Israeli wine that highly satisfied us every time. Even though most of the wine we tasted in Israel were mass produced, common market products, they were higher in quality and much better tasting compared to the ones in the same price category in Turkey.  Just the thought of trying some of the finer boutique production wines fills me with joy and excitement. My call to the millions who are reading this blog: import these wine to Turkey, you will earn both the money and many blessings!!

Rather than its geological, archaeological or architectural beauties, the trip to Israel and Palestine was enlightening and educative with its cultural diversity, conflicts and contradictions. It was productive in both experiencing the current situation in person to get a better idea, and also questioning and reflecting on my own thoughts and beliefs through these witnessings. You start wondering how a government can be so cruel and fascistic when its people are so helpful and friendly; how people can go on with their daily life with joy when such a tragedy is taking place next door; how people can inflict such suffering on others when they themselves were subject to it just a few decades ago. Then suddenly it all seems awefully familiar to you, and you fall silent, and think…

ISRAEL & PALESTINE __ Land of Contradictions Tel Aviv

Tel Aviv with its sandy beaches and skyscrapers

An example of Bauhaus architecture

We joined a group walking around wearing fezes for an unknown reason

Following the divine call he heard from within, Benoit left the hotel early in the morning to take advantage of Mount Temple opening its doors for sinners to visit. I stayed at the hotel, deciding that sleeping a little longer would be a more sacred way to worship the God Almighty. By the bus we took towards noon we went back to our starting and finishing point of Tel Aviv. Due to the shortness of winter days we left the main sights for the next day and took a long walk through the upper-scale neighborhoods in the northern part of the city. After enjoying our walk through streets filled with trees, large green parks, and some of the finest examples of the 1920s-30s Bauhaus architecture, we took a bus down to old Jaffa district. Before the foundation of Tel Aviv by the Jewish immigrants in late 19th early 20th century, Jaffa, which has since become a part of the modern Tel Aviv while protecting its historical fabric, was one of the oldest and most important cities in the region. After roaming the streets filled with art galleries we decided to try a restaurant that was recommended to us by two different people, the none other than The Old Man and The Sea. Perhaps it has fallen a victim to its popularity. None of the 20 some mezes they brought caused a spark in our senses, the fish was not very fresh, and worse of all, the service was very offhand and slipshod. With their sloppy and tedious service it seemed as if they were trying to cash in as much as possible on the fame they had earned. It was one of the rare bad restaurant experiences we had in Israel. 

ISRAEL & PALESTINE __ Land of Contradictions Masada / The Dead Sea

Desert and the Dead Sea view from Masada

Fortress city of King Herod at Masada

Pigeon holes

A large cistern

Waiting for the bus

It was obvious that our initial itinerary had to be modified. The length of our stay was in no way sufficient to cover all the things to see in Israel, so we decided to leave the northern and southern parts for another trip but decided that we must at least see Masada and Dead Sea, and spared a day for those two. We arrived in Masada after an hour and a half bus ride through a desert covered in all shades of yellow and no vegetation except for a few palm plantations here and there. Masada, which was a fortress set up by King Herod on top of a mountain, also holds a special place in Jewish history as the site where 1000 Jewish residents committed a mass-suicide instead of surrendering to the Roman soldiers. Rather than its archaeological finds it was an impressive site with its views of the desert and the Dead Sea. Even though the weather was a little cloudy and chilly, we decided that it would be a mistake going back without taking a dip in the Dead Sea, so went over to Ein Gedi beach. In addition to being earth’s lowest elevation on land, it also is one of the saltiest bodies of water with salinity over 34%. Because of its high salinity it’s impossible to sink in it, and is possible to float without any effort, but you have to be careful not to get any water in your eyes or mouth (I tested both for you my precious readers, the taste is super-bitter and burns the hell out of the eye). We got out of the water after a couple of minutes as it was not very suitable for swimming. To be honest, it wasn’t all that interesting. We got on our way back to Jerusalem with our bodies at least a little relaxed by the salt water. Our choice of restaurant for dinner that evening, Roza, turned out to be the best restaurant choice not only for that day but the whole journey. Our serotonin levels reached an all time high with the food (mezes prepared with sweet and sour sauces and coriander, focaccias with roast beef and duck breast) and wine (Gamla- Cabernet-Merlot) we had at this smart but not expensive restaurant. 

ISRAEL & PALESTINE __ Land of Contradictions Bethlehem / Hebron

Christmas tree and celebrations in Bethlehem

Syriac Christians playing Scottish pipe in the courtyard of an Armenian church

Opening her home to us, beautiful human being Mohtara

Palestinian creativity and the knockoff Starbucks

Camel meat is sold along with beef and lamb at the Palestinian butchers

A board showing Israel's growth in Palestinian lands through decades

Abraham's Mosque / Synagogue

Israeli soldiers blocking the streets for Jewish settlers to walk around comfortably

Old Hebron city center in ruins 

Security walls and check point for going back to Jerusalem

Birthday boy with his Belgian beer

We woke up to a bustling city contradicting the calmness of the evening. Wandering through the chaotic market area we picked up things for our breakfast. We tried to find a quiet spot for ourselves to enjoy our breakfast and finally settled on the stairs of a house after picking up some warm bread fresh out of the oven from a bakery, some olives and cheese from a store, tomatoes from a street stall and black tea with fresh mint from a teashop. Right as we were laying out our stash on the steps a woman’s head stuck out from the door and inspected us. After exchanging a couple of “hello”s we figure out not through her Arabic words but through her hand gestures that she’s inviting us in to her house.  We politely decline and assure her that we’re comfortable there on the steps, but she’s not taking no for an answer, so we finally give in and happily accept her offer. She takes us to the guest room and leaves us to have our breakfast comfortably. After a while she comes and sits with us and we talk about her life and family with the help of Arabic words also used in Turkish and some English. We leave the house feeling a great gratitude for this beautiful human being. Exploring the market for different food products we come across some cooked lungs at a liver and lung sandwich stand, which is also available in Turkey but was something I hadn’t tried yet. We must have stared at his display for a little too long since finally the boy running it offered us some to suppress our curiosity. Much lighter tasting than liver, with its mushroom like texture the taste of the liver was aromatic and nice. The church of nativity, which is built on top of the cave believed to be the birth site of Jesus, was closed in the morning for security reasons due to a visit by Mahmud Abbas.  After visiting the church once it opened, we walked over to the bus station to catch a bus to another one of the Palestinian cities, Hebron. The entrance of the bus station, which was a few feet away from our hotel, looked awfully familiar. We were at the very same spot where getting out of the bus all tired the previous evening had accepted the price offered by the first cab driver approaching us without negotiating and got dropped off at the hotel after driving around for ten minutes. Being tour guides didn’t save us from falling for the usual tourist traps (Al’a Asakereh, I know where you live man, you better watch your back). Built on top of the supposed burial site of prophet Abraham and his family, in the center of old city Hebron, the building with half of it functioning as a mosque and the other half a synagogue is considered a holy site by all three religions. The old city center looked like a war zone with barbwires, watch towers, check points, security walls and empty houses in ruins deserted by residents tired of the conflicts caused by the 500 Jewish settlers protected by 2000 soldiers. Wandering through the empty streets we were suddenly stopped by the Israeli soldiers and were told to wait. Through a corridor formed by soldiers lining up on both sides of the streets, the Jewish settlers passed by as if taking a walk in the park. We later find out that this regularly occurs on every Shabbat. Degrading and disgusting aspect of making people stop and wait on their way to home or work in their own city causes us to face the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in a cold and brutal manner. The situation we became a part of only for a few minutes seemed surreal, our minds had difficulty grasping and our hearts accepting it. With mixed feelings and thoughts we get on the bus back to Jerusalem. Going into Palestine there weren’t any check points but going back to Jerusalem we had to go through a highly secured check point. Going through a security check very much similar to the ones at the airports we didn’t have any difficulty, but probably out of fear of coming across a problem and not wanting to take a chance, Arabs were taking off everything from belts to shoes. It happened to be Benoit’s birthday that day but we were all sentimentally very tired for a big celebration upon arrival in Jerusalem, so we had a toast with Belgian beer and returned to our hotel. 

ISRAEL & PALESTINE __ Land of Contradictions Jerusalem / Bethlehem

Jewish cemetery on Mount of Olives

Saint Benoit with his famous Zeus pose

A Nigerian Christian group visiting the Holy Land

Inside the Holy Sepulchre  

Christian bowing before the supposed site of Jesus' death

Senem almost reaching nirvana

First stop after school is the candy shop

Kippahs of all colors and designs

Hasidics protecting their hats from rain with the plastic grocery bags

A Hasidim Jewish kid with the traditional hairstyle of side curls

Whether an Arab or a Jew, Coca Cola is on your side

Kids playing games on the rooftops

Posing for the camera with a smiley kippah

With the guidebook I was immersed in throughout the trip

Christians gathering for the Via Dolorosa walk

Two nuns praying at one of the Via Dolorosa stops

Stop #8 on Via Dolorosa

We headed for Mount of Olives the first thing in the morning. Overlooking the old Jerusalem, this small mount is considered to be very sacred as it contains one of the oldest Jewish cemetries and is believed to be the place of Jesus’ ascension to heaven. The faithful pay as much as 50.000 dollars for a grave here to get a stage front space as it’s also believed to be the site where the resurrection of the dead will take place on the judgement day. We make our way down the hill watching Jerusalem peacefully, away from its chaotic environment, and eventually find ourselves once again in the high-tension streets of the Old City. The old city is divided into Muslim, Christian and Jewish quarters. Muslim quarter depicts the order of the disorder that’s peculiar to Arabs, Christian quarter is filled with souvenir shops catering to the Christian pilgrims with the Jesuitical approach of “more the money better the worship”, and the Jewish quarter with its well organized streets and buildings that were all rebuilt after their destruction during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war and the calm daily life surrounding them, is in a complete contradiction with the rest. Including the rest of the country, but especially in Jerusalem, everywhere you look you’re bound to see children of all ages. The average number of children for a Jewish family is 3, with the number increasing to 4 to 5 in Jerusalem, and to a mind blowing 9 to 10 kids per family among the ultra orthodox Hasidic Jews that live in large numbers in Jerusalem. The beauty of little kids running all over the place is overshadowed by the political motives behind their existence. We go to the meeting point for the walk through Via Dolorosa that is organized every Friday, following the footsteps of Jesus from the place of his conviction to crucifixion, but find out that it was canceled due to the increased security measures taken after some incident occuring that morning between the Muslims and Israeli soldiers. With the help of our guide book we follow the route on our own, and head over to the Wailing Wall once again to watch the Jewish welcoming the arrival of Shabbat with prayers. Putting on our kippahs, Benoit, Giovanni and I mix in with the rest of the men in a separated area than the women’s section. Everyday I discover something new that’s common in both Judaism and Islam with ablution making the list that day. Before approaching the sacred Western Wall, all the Jewish wash their hands at a little fountain nearby. After walking around men of all ages reciting the Torah, we make our way towards the city center to have one last beer with Senem and Giovanni who were splitting from us and returning to Turkey. I make a mistake only a rookie guide would do, and don’t take into consideration that everything would be shut down because of the Shabbat by the time we get there. Streets that were so lively just a couple of hours ago were all deserted now, and all the shops were closed. Sadly, we had to say a “dry” farewell to each other. They returned to Tel Aviv to catch their flight back to Turkey, while we hopped on an Arab bus to cross over to Palestine. As soon as we got into the bus that was taking us to Bethlehem we noticed the Arab music playing on the radio, and realized how little of music we had heard so far in Israel. The night had fallen by the time we reached Bethlehem and we were quite tired. We made a deal with the first cab driver approaching us coming out of the bus on arrival and went straight to the hotel. With half of its population Muslim the other half Christian, there were Christmas festivities in the city center. After listening to children’s choir singing Christmas songs and watching a group of Syriac Christian men practicing their gig with Scottish pipe in the courtyard of an Armenian church, we spotted the busiest one of the restaurants and went in. When we request the menu the waiter tells us that hummus and falafel are their specialty and we should order those. Being fed up with eating hummus day and night we ask for any other dishes they might be serving but the waiter answers us so reluctantly that we become convinced that the other dishes must be way too terrible to eat and order ourselves some hummus and falafel as advised. Falafel really turns out to be better than any we had tried earlier, and the Palestinian beer Taybeh makes it all the better.