November 28th, 2019
Happy Thanksgiving to all those back home! My day was definitely different than any other Thanksgiving I have had. I walked to the bus station and took a bus to Bethlehem. Bethlehem is not far from Jerusalem (only about 30-40 minutes) but it is in the West Bank which is part of the Palestinian territories. This makes Bethlehem somewhere Israelis do not go. After being in Israel, I began to have a better understanding of the deep seeded conflict between Israel and Palestine. I was a little hesitant to go as there can be some safety concerns and it is not unusual for there to be riots and things like that in the area. However, Bethlehem also receives millions of tourists and pilgrims since it is known for the place where Jesus was born. I had talked to some others from the hostel who made the trip the day before and they did say there were some riots when they were there but advised me how to avoid those areas. I thought I would be okay and went ahead, and I am certainly glad I did. It was a really good educational experience to be able to see the Palestinian side of things. When you get there the language switches from Hebrew to Arabic and there are taxi drivers lined up hoping to sell you on letting them drive you around for the day. I had read about this so was prepared with my polite but stern “No” and started my own self-guided walking tour.
I had looked online where to find all the Banksy art pieces around the city. For those of you who do not know, Banksy is an anonymous street artist and political activist who has become very famous for their work. I saw a few famous Banksy pieces before making my way to the “Wall” which is a barrier to the West Bank. Israel calls it a barrier against terrorism while Palestinians call its racial segregation or apartheid wall. Interestingly enough the United Nations calls any system of racial segregation a crime against humanity, but the wall still stands and is a constant reminder to those living in its shadow of the series of regulations it represents. The wall has become a canvas for street artists and a place people share their voice and their stories so it is extremely interesting to walk down. Banksy also has a hotel right at the wall with a gallery and museum that I went in. This was definitely a museum for the Palestinian side of the story and I felt lucky to experience both sides during my time in Israel. I was appreciative of gaining more knowledge and insight into the Palestinian way of life but I definitely left feeling a bit sad and discouraged about the situation. It seems so crazy to have fighting go on for this long, and I didn’t really get the feeling of a resolution being close. I more saw the cycle of generation after generation being fueled with hatred towards the other side. Both sides have suffered tremendous loss and it seems to just perpetuate the cycle of hatred and violence. Hopefully I am wrong and there are more things in the works for peace and equality, but it wasn’t the feeling I got.
After leaving the wall and the Banksy Hotel, I set off for the biggest religious site in Bethlehem which is the Church of the Nativity and the birthplace of Jesus.
Earlier in the trip we went to the birthplace of Buddha so I am lucky to check off some of the world’s most spiritual and significant places. I felt incredibly fortunate as I had heard this church can be insanely busy with millions of people.
For me, it was calm and easy to walk around. I ran into a group from my hostel and decided to join them for lunch. We walked through some of Bethlehem’s markets and found a falafel spot.
No one was from the States so Thanksgiving was not a thing for anyone. However, this nice man from London ended up buying my pita and said he knew it was a holiday for me, so Happy Thanksgiving! I tried to refuse as I felt bad for a stranger to buy my lunch, but he insisted and it was very sweet. Thank you kind man from England! Your random act of kindness certainly stood out and made it a Thanksgiving meal I will never forget.
After lunch the group from the hostel was headed to the Wall where I had already been, so I went back to the Church of the Nativity to see how long the line would be to go down to the actual spot where Jesus was considered to be born. Once again, I was incredibly lucky and got there at a moment when there was NO LINE. I walked right down to the spot and got on my knees to touch it as I copied what others did in front of me.
After that, I walked up a big hill to go to the Milk Grotto. This is a church where the legend has it that while Mary was nursing Jesus, a drop of milk fell to the ground and turned the rock white. This was a lot busier and I walked in right after a huge group of Indian tourists. They all went to this sacred spot and we were crammed in a tiny space and they started to sing and pray. I found it really special to see this group that was obviously very moved by being in this certain spot. I listened to them sing for a while before I left for the next site.
On my way back down the hill, I got great views of the city and surrounding area.
It was a fairly long walk but I finally made it to the best Banksy piece of art, in my opinion, which was the “Flower Thrower”. This was a huge piece that took up an entire wall. It is on the side of a working auto shop so when I walked up, the workers pointed me around the building to find the art as they know everyone who comes there is looking for it.
Such an awesome statement and work of art! It was well worth the long walk there and the long walk back to the bus stop afterward. I went back to the bus stop and was on a bus before dark back to Jerusalem.
I felt totally comfortable and safe in Bethlehem and was thankful to visit there with no problems or uneasiness. It really completed my trip to Israel and I am so glad I went. On the way back the bus stops at the Israeli border and soldiers come on to check passports. Anyone with a foreign passport can stay on the bus while all the Palestinians have to get off the bus and be searched, and have their permits scrutinized to cross the border. It honestly didn’t feel right that I was up high on the bus (with zero questions asked) looking down at all the Muslims going through a completely different process. It felt like I was going back in time to segregation. I couldn’t help but think that with all the intelligence, there has to be a better way to fight the war on terror. But even after all I have learned, I know that I do not know much. It was definitely a very different experience.
I made it back to Jerusalem and to the hostel. After taking a shower I was extremely exhausted and could not bring myself to go out and get dinner. My legs and feet were so tired from walking, all I wanted to do was lie down. So, by my own choice I went to bed hungry since I had only eaten the one pita today. Not mentioning that for sympathy, but I just found it a funny coincidence I was going to bed hungry on Thanksgiving. Another first which made it a completely unforgettable day. I have a LOT to be thankful for!