Hello
I came back a week ago from spending two days in Tel Aviv and three days in Jerusalem with the supposed plan to go to Bethlehem and the west bank. What I didn't plan for was the Jewish holiday of Sukkot with increased security and semi closed borders into the west bank. I also had a stamp in my passport from visiting Lebanon earlier this year so I didn't dare to go to Bethlehem. Instead I choose to spend as much time as I could in the Palestinian areas in east-Jerusalem.
I went there to understand more of the conflict and I talked to both Jewish people, and even one settler, and I talked to Palestinians living under difficult conditions. I also found it quite interesting to witness the very liberal Tel Aviv, with girls walking half naked on the beach, with sex shops in the streets and with a very visual lbqt culture. And then the contrast by just 45 minutes on the train the very Orthodox culture in Jerusalem. Also to wander around in the old city with all the three religions having their part and story. My hotel was in the muslim quarter and I ate some amazing Palestinian food. With Sukkot, Jerusalem was packed with Orthodox Jewish people. And I found it so absurd to see civilian jewish families pushing their strollers around from one holy place to another all the while holding their kids in one hand and at the same time carrying large assault rifles in another.
I am gonna have to reflect on this trip for months..