An Adventure in the Middle East

On 29 March, I leave for Israel. I will spend eight days traveling through the country, as well as the Occupied Territories in the West Bank with a good friend (and former guest blogger), Alicia Fitzpatrick, as well as one of her close friends, Amy. We arrive in Tel Aviv on the afternoon of 30 March and will spend the night in that city. The next day, Alicia and I will travel by bus to Jerusalem and spend the day enjoying and seeing the city’s many remarkable sites of historical and contemporary significance. We will spend 01 April doing the same, staying the night on that day, as well. On 02 April, Alicia’s friend and former co-student in the University of Southern New Hampshire’s masters program in international development, Anwar, who serves as a director for a non-profit microfinance organization based in Ramallah with 11 branches within the Occupied Territories (6 in the West Bank and five in the Gaza Strip) will meet us in Jerusalem and take us back to his home in Ramallah. With him, we will make important stops in Nablus, Hebron, and Jericho, each of which promises to hold a unique and informative experience both on the history of the region, as well as the evolution of the Arab-Israeli Conflict, which, unfortunately, burns just as fiercely today as it ever has. During the remainder of my trip, we will make stops in Bethlehem and also spend a day basking in the glory of the Dead Sea. I hear that the waters of this, the lowest elevated body of water in the world, has sensational cleansing power for the skin, and I look forward to reporting back with first-hand testimony at the conclusion of my voyage.

All told, this trip should be remarkable in many regards. First, the Arab-Israeli Conflict arguably constitutes the most significant dynamic in contemporary international affairs, with its impact affecting power relations amongst countries in the Middle East and stretching across the world. Secondly, the importance of this region in world history is unparalleled. I cannot wait to observe the religious sites of Jerusalem, which marks one of the most relevant settings for the Western World’s three major religions: Islam, Judaism, and Christianity. Finally, growing up in the U.S. we receive a perspective of the Conflict which focuses predominantly on the security struggle of Israeli’s and that state’s ongoing battle to solidify its existence as an independent country. What we hear less about is the plight of Palestinians in places like the West Bank, Gaza, as well as Arab-Israelis, the discrimination against whom is powerful, but not as widely reported in the U.S. media as that facing Israeli citizens and the Israeli state, more generally. I look forward to experiencing all of these things first-hand and feel exceedingly fortunate to have the opportunity to take a trip that will shape my thinking on the world in a profound way for years to come. Stay tuned for updates.