Having faith in Israel

Question of the week: “So aside from being arrested for trying to bring aid to Gaza what else would take you (forced or not) to Israel?”

Despite what you may read, see or believe Israel is much more than a conflict zone. It is one of the most historic, cultural and above all spiritual places I have ever visited.

Whether you go seeking answers to divine questions, want to discover ancient history and culture or need to see the fraught political and religious scene for yourself – the Israeli experience is one that will amaze, confuse and above all intrigue you.

This is one destination which I would implore you to research before you visit. A basic idea of the history of the country is really not enough. If you don't put the effort in before you leave home, you will be left bewildered once within Israeli borders (defined or not).

Although religion and spirituality is interesting to everyone, those who believe, who have faith in a a greater being, part of a church or not should find their visit to Israel extra special.

Each region in Israel is different geographically, but one of the prettiest area is that of Galilee, here where Jesus was reared you will find Nazareth, Mount Beatitudes, Capernaum, the Sea of Galilee and Jordan River. A beautiful area, the Sea of Galilee (a lake) looks just how those who would imagine it from the bible – a working lake with fishermen still hauling in fish.

For me the place which stood out in this area was the River Jordan, where Jesus was baptised. It looked like paradise with flowers in bloom, otters and fish swimming merrily and people singing hymns as those dressed all in white descended down the steps into the important water.

The Jordan River, Israel
(c) fifiheavey

Close by to the Dead Sea (a must visit) in the south is the majestic Masada mountain. An important site for the Jews, Masada was a site of mass suicide by a group of rebel Jewish who would not allow themselves to be captured by the Romans. It is difficult not to feel proud of those rebels, to admire their will and to reflect on the Jewish people on top of that desert fortress.

At Masada
(c) fifiheavey

Jerusalem. The word evokes emotions, feelings and pictures that probably differ for everyone. Some people see Jesus dying on a cross, others see the Wailing Wall or the Dome of the Rock. Others again see violence and destruction. But no matter how you feel about this place, it is epic.

Religion is central here, but so is history.

The ancient city is surrounded by walls, inside it is a maze of tiny streets, of Jewish, Christan, Muslim and Armenian quarters, school children, trades people, pilgrims ans tourists. Despite the outward appearance this is a working live city.

Outside the great walls, the Garden of Gethsemane is an important site for Christians. Although the garden is disappointing, the church makes up for it. Inside the town, I was let down by the lack of a table in the Room of the Last Supper, but did not expect to see the tomb of King David underneath the building.

The Stone of Anointing, also known as The Stone of Unction, which claims to be the spot where Jesus' body was prepared for burial.
(c) fifiheavey

And then there is the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. It is massive, it is dark and bright, you shuffle upstairs and down, you see blood stains on stones, wood from crucifixes, alters and shrines. And in the middle is the tomb, the tomb of the resurrection.

“Here Jesus was crucified in the middle of two others – and here is where he resurrected.”

Simple to say, not so easy to comprehend.

But there it is, in front you, you can touch the stone, you can see the sacred decorations, hear the wailing pilgrims, smell the incense.

Looking up at the Wailing Wall
(c) fifiheavey

Away from the intensity of the Holy Sepulchre is the Wailing wall. Mysterious and majestic, it beckons you, you move closer, you touch it – see the requests, hear the crying. And it is special.

The glare from the gold roof of the Dome of the Rock, commands your respect and your intrigue.

No all your questions will not be answered in Israel – but ask the right ones and you may be enlightened.

Too much trust in tour guides

Depending on location, situation and age we all have different expectations from tours and tour guides, but there should be one quality that we all agree on: Tour guides should be unbiased.

Stopping for a picture below a watch tower in Bethlehem October 2011
(c) fifiheavey

Everywhere in the world, at some time has experienced conflict, political, religious, cultural or racial disturbances. And one thing that we are sure of: there is always two sides (maybe even three, four, five – but definitely two) sides to the story.

When I visit a place which has or currently is experiencing some sort of conflict I like to walk away from there with a rounded understanding to all the facts, opinions and ideas that surround the situation – not the propaganda I can get from staying at home.

Recently I stopped off in Israel and Palestine for three days, with a severe shortage on time, the best and only way to see, hear and touch the places I wanted, was to go on a tour.

Israel has intrigued me for a long time, as a Roman Catholic I have grown up hearing stories from the Bible, tracking the life of Jesus Christ, the places he visited and the miracles and lessons he conducted. Place names in Israel have been embedded into my mind from the repetition of these tales.

Israel and Palestine have been glaring at me from my TV set for years and although very removed from the situation, the topic is a lively one in Ireland.

Days before we set off on our cruise to the Holy Land the question of UN statehood for Palestine had dominated pages of Irish newspapers, as our Tanaiste openly stated he would back Palestine in the vote.

A common sign outside Holy places in Israel
(c) fifiheavey

But I had a limited knowledge on the background, history, divides, opinions etc. I had done some research but the more I read the more confused I got. So I left the research and instead placed all my trust in the tour I had booked.

We had booked the Christian tour, I wanted to know about all the religious places in Israel, but again time was limited, so we had decided it was best to start where we at least had some previous knowledge.

On our first day in Israel we visited Nazareth and Galilee, our tour guide was a born Israeli Jew. Although he left hardly no time for photos at destinations and moved super quickly through the landmarks, his information was second to none. He really knew his stuff, he had charts, photos and so much background information that a migraine was inevitable at the end of the day. He was a liberal man who had traveled throughout Europe, experienced other cultures and came back to his home nation with an open mind.

He was exactly the tour guide we needed for day two: Jerusalem and Palestine. But on that day we got a different tour guide, an American who had met the love of his life un Israel and converted to Judaism. His speech was clear, he was easy to listen to, did not rush through important places and did not produce any migraines.

But he was biased, he really was an American Israeli and as we set off towards Palestine (or the West Bank as he called it) we were left in no doubt who was right and wrong in the current conflict, who he was backing and how the one sided situation came about.

My friend and I were the only Europeans on the bus full of Middle Americans, so political questions seeking a little more info were sort of taboo.

Posters about the UN vote and deceased Palestine Leader Yasser Arafat on the streets of Bethlehem
(c) fifiheavey

Although annoyed, we accepted this as we knew we were getting a Palestine tour guide as we crossed the (undefined) border – but he was even worse. He stuck rigidly to the Christian religious side of the tour, there was no mention of any border, conflict or even slight disagreement. With a limited English vocabulary, questions once again were off limit.

On the third day we were once again returned to our original tour guide, but we had moved on from Palestine. We did get to ask him some questions and did come home with a much better understanding of the situation, but our disappointment with the transparency of the guides is hard to forget.

Slap on the wrists for leaving the responsibility of my education to the tour guides. 

My bad experience has given me the resolve to read up on the conflict and return to the Holy and contentious land.

Do we place too much trust in tour guides?