Semester's End

Well, it's almost over. After four months in Israel, four out of my five classes were finished this past week with the completion of finals. I had a blast taking every single one of them, and I learned so much. In my Palestinian History class, I learned about the Palestinian struggle for dignity, and I heard the Palestinian's side from Professor Nazzal, a great man and someone deserving of respect and admiration. In Israeli Foreign Policy, I learned the Israeli point of view of the conflict from Professor Medzini, a man in his eighties who was born and grew up in Jerusalem, and remembered and/or fought in every single one of Israel's major wars through the first Lebanon War. In History of the Modern State of Israel, I learned about the Zionist movement and its quest for a homeland after the horrors of the Holocaust from Professor Mendelsson, a quintessential British man who told us many great stories and added a sense of humor to lift our spirits after talking about some heavy subjects. In the Cultural History of Jerusalem, I learned about every stage of development and advancements, along with the many destructions, of this great city from Professor Halevi, a down to earth woman who took us all over the city and showed us many of its wonders. I will miss each professor's unique teaching style as well. Professor Nazzal had a habit of saying "This is very very important" after almost everything he said, causing us to take incredibly extensive notes the first couple of weeks of the class until we realized that everything wasn't, in reality, very very important. Professor Medzini taught his class as if he were simply telling a story. Looking just like Michael Caine, he would sit in a desk at the side of the class and just tell us what happened. I loved how he would tell the personal, behind-the-scenes story along with the official version. For example, in a typical lecture, Medzini would say something along the lines of "And Golda Meir would go over to Dayan and say 'what are you doing?' and Dayan would say 'we need to do this' and Meir would say 'Yofi' and that was that". He had a habit of saying "what are you doing" at least once every lecture. Professor Mendelsson's catchphrase was "And this raises a very interesting question." We'd be discussing an issue, and Mendelsson would interject by saying "Now this raises a very interesting question," which was our cue to pay extra attention and take good notes. Professor Halevi didn't really have any catchphrases, but every lecture she gave, there was a good chance that she'd say something funny. One lecture she reminded me, out of the entire class, to be sure to wear pants for our next field trip. I of course didn't forget such a blatant reminder, so I showed up for our next class as the only one in the class wearing pants, while everyone else wore shorts. I then spent a hard day walking throughout the Old City in very hot weather sweating like crazy, but hey, I wore pants. These classes were a joy to take, and they taught me so much about Israel, the conflict, Jerusalem, and the Jewish and Palestinian peoples. I will miss these professors and their wonderful teaching styles, and I will miss these classes in which I learned so much about such an amazing land.

Armageddon

Today I was blessed to be able to go with a couple of friends to the northern part of Israel to visit the ancient fortress city of Megiddo, which overlooks the famous Valley of Armageddon. We got up at five to catch the seven am bus north. When we got there, we had about a twenty minute hike up through the hilltops to reach the Tel, or plateau-like hill, of Megiddo. This place has 25 different layers of construction and cities, meaning that over history, this place has been destroyed and then rebuilt 25 separate times. The Egyptians, Babylonians, Assyrians, Canaanites, Israelites, Persians, and others all built fortresses on this hilltop. The reason they did so was because it sat on the crucial north-south road connecting Egypt with Mesopotamia. Throughout history, armies going one way or the other would need to control Megiddo in order to control the roads going north or south. The Valley of Armageddon, which lies at the base of Megiddo, has seen more battles than any other spot in the world, because of its strategic and critical location. This valley puts the plains of the Dakotas to shame: for miles and miles, as far as the eye can see, there lies completely flat land. The Israelis have turned the valley into a agricultural paradise, with farms stretching off into the distance. Armageddon is incredibly important to me as a Christian and believer in Christ, because it is here that the final battle between good and evil is foretold to take place. The apostle John wrote in the book of Revelation that the Devil will gather all the armies of the world to this valley in Northern Israel in order to face off against the return of Christ at the end of the period known as the Tribulation. This is where the 2nd coming of Christ will occur, and unlike His first coming, He will return as a conquering king, backed up by the armies of heaven. Scriptures say that He will destroy the armies of Satan through the power of His voice, which is described as a "double edged sword". This part of the text is difficult to understand, and several explanations have been given. It has been postulated that this means that He will simply speak a word or words that will destroy His enemies. Others say that He will quote scripture and that that will somehow be too much for Satan's hoards to cope with. Regardless, Scripture is quite clear on who the victor is: Jesus will triumph, Satan will be defeated, and Christ will set up His millennial kingdom on Earth, with His capital at Jerusalem. The last time I was at Armageddon, a friend of mine was moved to tears at the site of it. When asked why she was crying, she said "This is the most famous battlefield in history, and the battle hasn't even started yet." I'm glad that we as Christians can rest secure in the knowledge of our Lord's certain victory before it actually takes place. I was thrilled to be able to see Armageddon again, and I'm glad the opportunity presented itself to go.

Beit She'an

Today, my friends and I got up at the crack of dawn, hopped on a bus, and headed to Beit She'an. Located in northern Israel on the Jordanian border, Beit She'an is a national park full of the remains of a Roman settlement. We got to tour through an old amphitheater, race track, bath house, pagan temple, and other buildings from that time period. Towering over the settlement was a tall hill called a "Tel". On top of this hill were the remains of various fortresses, built by succeeding rulers of the region. There was one built by the Egyptians, one built by the Israelites, one built by the Greeks, and one built by the Romans. This was the spot where the Israelite army under the command of King Saul was decisively defeated by the Philistines, who slew Saul's sons and put the rest of the army to flight. Saul, seeing the writing on the wall, killed himself. The Philistines then took his body and hung it from the fortress battlements, but loyal Israelites came in the night, took down his body, and gave him a proper burial. King David took the site back, and it stood as an Israelite fortress throughout his and his son Solomon's reign. From the top of the Tel, the entirety of the Jordan Valley, a part of the Jezreel Valley, and the mountains of Jordan, were all easily visible. The Jordan Valley technically resides in the West Bank, but Israel has all but annexed it for security purposes and has made it clear that it would not be part of any future Palestinian State. It was incredibly hot the entire time we were there, and huge amounts of water were necessary in order to stave off dehydration. Once we had seen everything worth seeing, we commandeered a ride on two golf carts back to the bus station, where I had my first McDonald's fry in over four months while waiting for the bus to arrive. Wanting to get back to Jerusalem before the Jewish Sabbath shut down the city's public transportation system, we were pleasantly surprised to arrive home ahead of schedule. This was an awesome day, and I am so happy that I was able to make it up to this amazing ancient settlement.

Jerusalem Day

Today, we celebrate Jerusalem day, the day that Jerusalem was united under Israeli rule during the Six Day War. Last night was one big party, as we celebrate in the eternal and undivided capital of the Jewish State. This day is incredibly important, and it is worth writing about. Jerusalem, having been liberated by Israel, will never be divided again. This city stands at the center of the world, and is sacred to its 3 major religions. As a Christian, I believe that this city stands on holy ground. My savior died here, and He was resurrected here. This is why it is sacred to the Christians. The city is sacred to the Jews because this was King David's capital, and it was also the site of the two (and some say a future 3rd) Temples of the Most High God. Finally, It is sacred to Muslims, who claim that Mohammed was taken up into heaven from the Temple Mount, making that specific site sacred to Muslims. They also say that he tied his horse to the Wailing Wall before making the assent, so they claim that site too (the Jews refuse to give it to them). From 1948-1967, this city was divided between the Israelis and the Jordanians, with Israel holding the western half and the Jordanians holding the eastern half (made up mostly of the Old City). When war broke out in 1967, Israel pleaded with King Hussein of Jordan not to get involved, but he did anyway, feeling that he had no choice. Israel quickly defeated the Jordanian army and took the West Bank and East Jerusalem from Jordan. For the first time in thousands of years, the City of God was once again in the hands of His people. It has remained united to this day. Jerusalem is the capital of Israel, but the rest of the world doesn't see it that way. Unique among capital cities of the world, Jerusalem does not host any foreign embassies. These embassies, including that of the United States (Israel's supposed best friend) reside in Tel Aviv.The embassies are located there because the nations of the world feel that Jerusalem is occupied territory, and should not be under Israeli rule. The Democratic Party even had a fight at their national convention this past year over whether to even include Jerusalem as the capital of Israel in their party platform (This wasn't an issue at the Republican Convention). The Palestinians, 46 years later, still claim East Jerusalem (at minimum) as their capital, even as their share of the West Bank continues to shrink daily. The Palestinian leadership, while making impossible demands as terms for peace, takes foreign aid money for themselves instead of distributing it to the people. President Abbas spends more time traveling the globe than he does in the West Bank providing leadership. If all of the current Palestinian demands were met, the entire city of Jerusalem would be ceded to the new Palestinian state, which would be made up (at minimum) of all of the West Bank and Gaza. Along with this, every Palestinian living in the surrounding Arab states would be allowed to return to whatever part of Israel their ancestors lived in before they left during the 1948 war. This, of course, would be the end of the Jewish state, simply because of the demographics involved. The Palestinians would outvote the Jews, taking control of the Knesset and changing the country's name from "Israel" to "Palestine". This is what would occur if every Palestinian demand were met at face value today. The Palestinian demands are, at minimum, the withdrawal of Israel to the 1967 borders (giving them all of the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem), the end of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, and the right of all refugees to return to their old homes throughout the country. What is ironic is that the Palestinians were offered almost all of this twice in the past decade, and both times they rejected it. Prime Minister Barak offered Arafat almost all of the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem in exchange for peace, and Arafat said no. Prime Minister Olmert made a similar offer, but it also was rejected. Due to current realities, none of these demands can possibly be granted today, and no offers similar to Barak's or Olmert's will be made to the Palestinians by the current Israeli leadership. Israel, which is holding all of the cards as the victorious state of 1967 and as the regional superpower, will never agree to return to the '67 lines after all of the money and time spent building settlements in the region, and they will never divide Jerusalem again. The Palestinian demands for, at minimum, East Jerusalem, are also not possible according to the Israelis (who will not divide their capital). The best case scenario for a Palestinian state today would be one consisting of only part of the West Bank, with Ramallah as its capital. The state would be demilitarized and Israel would most likely handle security. Israel has made it abundantly clear since 1967 that Jerusalem will never be divided again, and that it is, now and forever more, the eternal capital of the Jewish people. The Palestinians need to recognize this reality, and shift their focus from the realm of dreams to the realm of the achievable.

The Slow Death of the Two State Solution

Recently, Secretary of State John Kerry said that "The Two State Solution has, at best, two years to live. We have to come up with a solution in that amount of time." In my classes, there is agreement between my various professors that the two state solution is dying, or may already be dead. This is coming about because of several factors. One is the slow but steady Israeli settlement and building projects in the West Bank, which no one in the international community is disinclined to stop at this time, and is slowly taking more and more of the West Bank for Israel. Israeli settlements, roads, and military bases are scattered across the West Bank, leaving the Palestinian controlled areas in the region looking like a checkerboard on the map. Another factor is the continued Palestinian fixation with demands that have very little chance of ever being granted, such as the Right of Return of Palestinian refugees and part or all of the city of Jerusalem. Israel is steadfast in its refusal to these two demands, but the Palestinian leadership still talk about them as if they are viable negotiating points. Another factor is the fact that neither the Palestinians nor the Israelis know what they want in an agreement between the two sides. Israelis do not know what borders they want, preferring to be vague rather than present a specific map. The Palestinian leadership still periodically talks of taking back the entirety of Palestine, an impossible undertaking. Also, if any agreement is reached, it is likely that many of the Israeli settlements in the West Bank will remain, along with, in all probability, Israeli troops, in order to handle security. The Israelis will insist on keeping the strategic Jordan Valley along the Jordan River for defense purposes, ensuring that any future Palestinian state is fully surrounded by Israeli forces. Altering perspectives for just a bit, another obstacle to reaching a solution is the fact that the Palestinians are not united. The Palestinians have two governments that distrust each other almost as much as they distrust the Israelis, one based in the Gaza Strip and one in the West Bank. The terrorist organization Hamas rules Gaza with an iron fist, and they are opposed to any reconciliation with Israel. They are the guys you see on the news that periodically fire rockets at Israel. The Palestinian party Fatah controls the West Bank. While they are, on paper, in favor of a two state solution, their leadership is plagued by inconsistent language. In English, they talk of peace; in Arabic, they persist in telling their people that they will take back the whole of Palestine. Needless to say, the Israelis don't trust either group. The last factor I will talk about is the withdrawal of the United States from the peace process. With the Cold War won, and with it the critical need of reaching an agreement between the Palestinians and Israel, U.S. Presidents have started looking at the crisis, in the words of Thomas Friedman, "As a hobby". The importance of the conflict has receded from view as the United States focuses on other matters. Along with this, the U.S. is no longer dependent on Middle Eastern oil, robbing the Arab states of their greatest weapon to bring the United States to the table. Because of Israel's slow advance across the West Bank and little or no international incentive to stop them, experts have proclaimed that the two state solution is in critical condition. In my classes here, this turn of events has resulted in intense discussion. Various proposals have been advocated. One of them is the three state solution, with independent Palestinian states in Gaza and the West Bank, which would take care of the problem of Palestinian disunity. Another option is a bi-national state, where Palestinian and Jew live together in one state stretching from the Jordan to the sea. Israel opposes this option because that would spell the end of the Jewish state; the first election would see a Palestinian majority in the Knesset, and the first act would be changing the name of the country from Israel to Palestine. Another option that received a lot of debate and seemed to be viewed in favor by most of the students is bringing the Jordanians in and having them annex part or all the West Bank into Jordan. Because Jordan was originally part of the territory called "Palestine" until it was split off by the British in 1922, and because of the majority of Jordan's population being Palestinian, it was argued that Jordan could be the Palestinian state that is being called for. The Israelis would support such a measure, because the only country that they trust in the Middle East is Jordan. The Palestinians and the Jordanian monarchy will have no part in such a plan, however, so the debate is academic. One of my classmates jokingly suggested that we give the Palestinians Detroit, because "They can't do a worse job with it than we have, and they just might fix it." Regardless of the viewpoint, the issue of "where do we go from here" has consumed several class periods, with ideas and solutions being bounced around, defended, and critiqued. One class kept track of the ideas that were put forth, and at the end of the class 56 different options were on the board. Regardless of what you believe should be done, I think we can all agree that a finding a solution will not be easy.

Memorial Day at the Wall

Tonight, Israel's military held an official ceremony at the Wailing Wall in the Old City of Jerusalem in order to mark the beginning of Israel's Memorial Day, when Israel remembers all of the soldiers who died defending their country during its countless wars of survival over the past 65 years. The service started at 8 PM, and I had class until 6, so as soon as class was over I ran out to the gate, met up with a friend, and grabbed a cab. We were dropped off at the base of the Old City's eastern walls, as the road to the Kotel (Wailing Wall) were already blocked off by police barriers, with heavily armed soldiers and policemen patrolling the streets. We walked the length of the walls to get to the Dung Gate, the quickest access to the Wall. While on the way to the Wall, I was able to get some great pictures of the Mount of Olives at sunset, situated across from us and separated from the Old City by the Kidron Valley. Once we got through the gate, went through heavy security, and emerged in the Western Wall plaza, I realized how military this ceremony was going to be. Soldiers were everywhere, some armed, some not, and all in uniform. I got some pictures with some and shook hands with others, telling them that America stood with them today to honor their sacrifice. Foreign military attaches were also present, and I saw the American, British, French, Chinese (maybe Vietnamese), and possibly German attaches, all in dress uniform. Shin Bet agents were everywhere, decked out in suits and ear-bud radios, looking just like our Secret Service. Later on, we understood the reason for their heavy presence, as Israeli President Shimon Peres appeared and was the keynote speaker for the event. He spoke of loss and sadness over the deaths of men and women who had sacrificed all for their country. He continued by stressing the need to always remember those who had died so that Israel might live, and to live every day to ensure that their sacrifice was not in vain. He concluded by reassuring his audience that Israel is strong, and will continue to survive and prosper in this region. He was speaking in Hebrew, but there was a guy a short ways away giving a running translation for those of us who were foreigners. There were several speakers after him, concluded by a Rabbi, who spoke, prayed, and then sang a very stirring prayer to God that echoed throughout the plaza and could probably be heard throughout the city. Throughout the service, an honor guard of soldiers from all branches of the Israeli military stood at attention around a flame of remembrance, guarding it and honoring the memory of their comrades who had paid the ultimate sacrifice. Once the Rabbi concluded his hymn, a different singer started to sing Hatikva, Israel's national anthem. This was taken up by the soldiers and packed crowd with great enthusiasm, so that thousands of voices were lifted to the heavens in praise of Israel and in supplication to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It was one of the most beautiful things I have ever witnessed, and I was proud to be among the Israelis at their service of remembrance.

Holocaust Remembrance and the Nature of Evil

Today is the day when Israel remembers the Holocaust, its victims and those who risked their lives to save as many Jews as possible from death. Tonight at Yad Vashem (the national Holocaust memorial and museum), a service took place in which the Prime Minister, President of Israel, and various dignitaries and religious leaders all took part. It was held in the square commemorating the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, in which the Jews rebelled against their Nazi captors and fought them for a month before they were defeated and lead off to the gas chambers. The memorial is broken into two parts: the people being lead meekly to their deaths, and those who chose to resist and fight their oppressors. During the service, in front of the memorial to the resistance, 6 paratroopers stood as mute tribute to the fallen warriors and to remind the world that they were there to ensure that another Holocaust never occurs. Sadly, I was not able to go to this service because of classes, but we looked at pictures and video clips of past services. The International Date of Commemoration for the remembrance of the Holocaust is January 27th, the date Auschwitz was liberated. In Poland, the annual march of the living takes place, with survivors walking the road to Auschwitz to commemorate the walk of death, when countless Jews and other peoples were herded down that road to their deaths in the gas chambers. The walk is lead by the Chief of Staff of the Israeli Defense Forces, to remind the world that the IDF always stands between the Jewish people and the threat of another Holocaust. There is a famous picture, that I'm sure many of you have seen, of Israeli fighter jets flying over Auschwitz, to give the world this same message. Tomorrow, the memorial continues, with a siren sounding at 10 in the morning and lasting for two minutes. During the time that the siren sounds, everything comes to a halt. People walking on the street stop and bow their heads. Cars on the roads stop and people get out. The radio and television interrupt their broadcasts. The country shuts down, and everyone pauses. I will take part in this tomorrow, as Gentile and Jew unite in mourning a barbaric act of mass murder and hatred against an innocent people. A favorite literary character of mine, Dr. Mordechai, said "The problem with you Americans is that you don't believe in evil. Your nation cannot conceive that evil men will do evil things, while my nation was born out of the ashes of the Holocaust." He is right: my country, even after all we have faced, still cannot bring itself to believe that evil is present and at work in this world. Sure, some Americans have perceived its existence: Didn't President Reagan call the Soviet Union the "Evil Empire"? And didn't President Bush say on 9/11 "Today, our nation saw evil," and then go on to brand Iraq, Iran, and North Korea the "Axis of Evil"? But by and large, we just can't seem to make ourselves believe that there is an unseen force on this earth that makes men do the unspeakable. We hide from it by branding these dictators, tyrants, and others who do such despicable things as "unstable", "unhinged", "psychotic", and other academic terms, and no doubt those who commit such acts are all of these things. But there is more to it than that, something beneath the surface, that makes these people go beyond the usual acts of madness. I believe that evil exists, and is alive and well in our world today. What was Newtown, if not an incredible act of evil? What about Aurora? 9/11? Columbine? The list goes on and on, and yet we will still not face the truth. Remember that iconic scene in the Dark Knight when a disbelieving mob boss says to the Joker "You're crazy!" The Joker looks back and states quite calmly "I'm not. No, I'm not." And he was right; he wasn't. Something else drove him. As Michael Caine wisely said "Some men just want to watch the world burn." The Jewish people acknowledge the existence of evil; they've had to live through more evil dictators and evil acts of attempted genocide than any other people in recorded history. This country was founded out of the ashes of the most evil event in history. We all know the famous Edmund Burke quote: "All it takes for evil to succeed is for good men to do nothing." We've all stood together at Holocaust memorials and shouted passionately "Never Again!" When the chips are down though, and when the next Holocaust looms on the horizon, as it does now, will we keep our word? Will we stand with the Jews this time? Or will we cower, and attempt to "Appease" evil, as Chamberlain tried to do at Munich? I do not know what the future holds, but I do know this: the lessons of history are brutally clear. Appeasement has been tried, and we all know of its result. Just imagine what might have happened if Chamberlain had said "No" at Munich? How different history might have been! I don't have all the answers, and I don't know what tomorrow will bring. What I do know is this: evil exists, it is real, and it has left a trail of blood across the pages of history. Joel Rosenberg said "To misunderstand the nature and threat of evil is to risk being blindsided by it." On this day, the memorial to the most evil act in history, let us acknowledge evil's existence, and resolve to fight rather than appease it.