Simon Griver - Israel

Introduction: The Promised Land

Israel defies indifference; its long history draws visitors, but the real attraction is its great diversity of people.

Israel is intense. Few locations offer as much per square kilometer to sustain the spirit, feed the intellect, and stimulate the senses. It is a place where three continents Africa, Asia, and Europe meet, and the landscape and the people are a fusion of these three continents, a sometimes infuriating mixture of conflict and harmony. After all, this is the Promised Land to which, it is said, Moses led the Children of Israel. It is where Abraham forged his covenant with God, Christ preached his sermons, and Mohammed ascended to heaven.

You dont have to be a believer to savor all this. The miracles may be a matter of personal faith, but what cant be disputed historically is that this is the land of the Bible, the cradle of monotheism, a geography familiar from childhood religious instruction. The names resonate in visitors minds and stimulate their curiosity: Jerusalem, the Galilee, Bethlehem, Nazareth, Yafo, Jericho, and the River Jordan.

At the site of the Temple you can pray at the one remaining wall the Romans left intact. You can walk along the Via Dolorosa to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. You can visit the El-Aqsa Mosque on the Temple Mount where the Prophet Mohammed came to pray during his lifetime. Around the River Jordan you can drink in the atmosphere of a place where so much history has been made in the past two millennia most recently, the emergence of modern Israel, the Jewish State and the focus of much recent conflict.

The enduring attraction

The empty stretches and open blue skies of the Arava and Negev Deserts aside, this is one of the worlds most densely packed pieces of real estate. Israels population is more than 7.5 million, while nearly 4 million Palestinians live in the adjoining Gaza Strip and West Bank. For many visitors, the enduring attraction of Israel is its people the inheritors of the rich tapestry of many invading cultures that have woven their history into the region.

Contrary to perceived stereotypes, most Israelis are neither right-wing religious zealots nor left-wing Peace Now activists. Most are middle of the road, more concerned about the performance of Tel Avivs stock market, their favorite soccer team, or the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. One attribute shared by all Israelis, whether they are religious or secular, of European or Afro/Asian origin, right-wing or left-wing, Jew or Arab, is a desire to talk to strangers. In chatting to tourists, Israelis may simply be wanting to practice their English, vent their anger at Israels perceived misrepresentation in the international media, or, more conventionally, sell something or spend time with a good-looking visitor.

Whatever the motivation, Israelis are undeniably friendly. They can also be incredibly rude and abrasive, though this should be viewed within the context of their candid behavior and tendency to treat even passing strangers like family. Israelis are known as sabras, after the indigenous prickly-pear fruit, which has a spiky, tough skin but is delicious, soft and juicy inside.

Israelis consider themselves to be part of Europe, although in fact the country, via the Sinai peninsula, forms the only continental land bridge between Asia and Africa. The European illusion is maintained in the spruce streets of Tel Aviv and Haifa, while because of Israels geopolitical isolation from the Arab world, the country is permitted to be an associate member of the European Union and a full member of most European institutions, including the UEFA soccer federation and Eurovision. Palestinians get in on the act, too, frequently describing themselves to visitors as European Arabs.