Masa il khair (good evening!)
It never ceases to amaze me how quickly the time passes by here. It's difficult for me to believe that it is in fact, March. As I’ve entered the second half of my time here, I’m starting to think about reentry and what my next step will be post-volunteer year. It’s still very much an overwhelming feeling, especially as I attempt to quantify this experience within the confines of a resume and CV. I’m not entirely sure what path I want to take from here. I’ve been looking at postings from corporate America to the CIA. If anyone is aware of opportunities that sound interesting, I’m all ears…
This past weekend was our mid-year retreat in Jordan. Despite the Jordanian border being just 20 kilometers away, it still takes a considerable amount of time to get there. Vehicles are not allowed to pass like they do at the US-Canada border, so it requires a relay of taxis, busses, and shuttles to get from Jerusalem to Amman – Jordan’s capital. All in all, it took us about 6 hours to get from the shuttle station in Jerusalem to our hotel in Amman.
Unfortunately, we were met by one of the worst rains Amman has seen in some time. In my mind, it’s no coincidence that the Arabic word for rain is shitta. Despite the crummy weather, Amman was the perfect mid-year location for a retreat. Day one included a trip to Mecca Mall and taking in Valentine’s Day at the movie theater. Words can’t describe how good it felt to spend a few mindless hours watching a movie in English after a delicious meal at the food court full of familiar restaurants: Pizza Hut, Subway, McDonalds, Burger King, KFC, Popeyes, Sbarro, and others. Nearly every ethnicity of food was represented (except Mexican – sad) and I even enjoyed a veggie burger.
Mecca Mall in Amman is a great representation of what a free Arab country can look like. In 1994, Jordan declared peace with Israel that earned it legitimacy from Western countries and the aid from the United States and other wealthy countries poured in. The infrastructure is significantly better than in the West Bank and Egypt, there are fewer honks and whistles from the shabab (young men) and people enjoy the freedoms that come with unlimited mobility and being able to build and update their properties. People are living their lives in peace and are free of the uncertainty that the occupation brings.
Relations between Israel and Jordan are still strained. Currently around 60% of people living in Jordan are Palestinian. There is a definite divide between “real Jordanians” and Palestinians. Many Palestinians site experiencing a glass ceiling in governmental positions and from the interactions we had with Jordanians, the divide was quite clear. “We like Palestinians that are in Palestine, not Palestinians that are in Jordan” said one shopkeeper at Petra. Now Jordan faces a new refugee crisis as Iraqis are fleeing the US invasion and seeking refuge in neighboring Jordan and Syria. I doubt they are being met warmly.
After a day of taking in Amman, or rather the mall, we drove 3 hours south to Petra. Petra, the “Rose-red City”, was built in the 3rd century BC by the Nabateans who carved palaces, temples, tombs, storerooms, and stables from rocky cliffs. This became a trade route from Damascus to Arabia where spices, silk, and slaves passed through. The city was “discovered” in 1812 after being lost for some 1000 years. Bedouins (nomadic Arabs) turned the area into a tourist destination and continue to live and operate there.
Unfortunately, my camera took a tumble at the Dome of the Rock a few weeks ago, so I have no personal pictures of Petra. I’m hoping to get some from my fellow volunteers that I can post. However, I don’t think pictures can capture Petra's beauty. The magnificent colors in the rock and the intricacy of the carvings are something that can only be appreciated in person. It’s an unbelievable place.
We spent the night in Wadi Rum, a small tourist town near Petra before heading back to Amman on Sunday. Again, in Amman we were met by showers, so back to the Mecca Mall we went. After a leisurely shopping day and a failed attempt to see sights in the Old City of Amman, we headed to the Lutheran Church for service. In order to accommodate the schedules of the parishioners, worship is held at 6:30pm on Sunday evening, as Sunday is a work day in the Muslim-majority country.
It was clear that the rain deterred many members from coming to service but it was great to talk to the parishioners. True to Middle Eastern hospitality, we spent our time after the service drinking tea and dancing to everything from “I Will Survive” to popular Arabic music. We left for the border on Monday morning. Thankfully the lines were short and we were able to pass through without any issues.
PEACE UPDATE:
Politically, the conditions in Israel/Palestine are tense. Three significant events of the past month and a half are hindering the peace process. The murder of Mahmoud Al-Mabhouh in Dubai on January 20, Netanyahu’s declaration of the Tomb of the Patriochs (or Ibrahim Mosque) and Rachel’s Tomb as a Israeli heritage site on February 21, and the 112-unit expanision of Beitar Illit on March 8 have played major roles in Palestinian strikes and riots.
Mahmoud Al-Mabhouh was the second in command for the Islamic militant group, Hamas, who has control over the Gaza Strip. Al-Mabhouh who was residing in Syria, traveled to Dubai for business purposes (perhaps to acquire arms). There he was electrocuted and suffocated by an 11-person hit team, all carrying counterfeited European passports. This action has outraged the European countries that had citizens with stolen identities. Israeli ambassadors have been summoned to meet with the respective country’s officials. Israel neither admits nor denies involvement in the murder, but Dubai has issued warrants for the arrest of Benjamin Netanyahu (Prime Minister of Israel) and Meir Dagan ( head of the Israeli intelligence unit, Mossad), though it’s doubtful either will ever be turned over to UAE authorities.
The press in Israel is mixed about the murder of Al-Mabhouh. No news outlet questions whether or not Israel was involved, the motives are too strong in favor of a Mossad led assassination. The counterfeited passports have caused considerable strains between Israel and the European countries involved. This has led to intense criticism from the press as Israel is already experiencing major backlash from Europe for international law violations. Other news outlets hail this as a “victory in the war on terror” and is unconcerned with the bad publicity.
On February 21, Netanyahu announced that the Tomb of the Patriarchs (or as Muslims call it – Ibrahim Mosque) and Rachel’s Tomb would undergo renovation and be declared an Israeli heritage site. The Tomb of the Patriarchs is a sacred site for Muslims, Jews, and Christians as it houses the tombs of Abraham, Jacob, Isaac, and their wives. Normally, this wouldn’t seem like such a bad idea, but the site is in Hebron, not at all under Israeli jurisdiction. It would be like Mexico declaring the Alamo in San Antonio a Mexican heritage site because of its connection to Mexicans. And then taking control over it – without the consent of the US. You can imagine the outrage. Rachel’s Tomb is also sacred for Muslims, Jews, and Christians but in Bethlehem. After the declaration, cities all across the West Bank went on strike – meaning nothing was open and schools were closed. Recently, there have been intense riots in the Old City of Jerusalem following Friday prayers, and fires at checkpoints.
Today, Israel OKed a 112-unit expansion on a West Bank settlement despite a freeze on settlement building. Pressure from the US caused Israel to put a 10-month building freeze on West Bank settlements in November (though unfortunately not East Jerusalem settlements – an action that has outraged Palestinians who want to see Jerusalem as its capital one day) though construction continued on some 3000 units already in progress. This announcement comes days before Vice President Joe Biden is set to visit the region; undoubtedly, it will be considered a major hurdle in the peace process. Palestine refuses to negotiate peace until building is stopped in all settlements on the West Bank and in East Jerusalem. Unfortunately there is no end to that in sight. Peace negotiations have been taking place via US mediator George Mitchell. Face-to-face meetings between Abbas and Netanyahu will not happen until the settlement preconditions are met.
All in all, it’s been great here. Currently it’s 85 degrees and it won’t be long until I’m at the beach. School has been going well and I enjoy being involved with the English club. As always, I am so grateful for the response to my blog via comments, e-mail, and mail. I have a new e-mail address at laurie.ann.blank@gmail.com, please feel free to send me a line.
Ma Salama!
