Update

UPDATE: I read this morning on BBC that "Israel has imposed an information blackout, making it difficult to gather first-hand accounts from the campaigners [activists from the Freedom Flotilla]" http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/10200351.stm

Sounds a bit fishy, huh? Especially for a democratic country with freedom of speech as its cornerstone, it appears that Israel is trying to cover up something...

What a tragic day...

To say that today has been a whirlwind would be an understatement. Over the past 18 hours or so, the mood of Ramallah has gone from business as usual to rage.

This morning around 4:30 am the Israeli Defense Force killed nine international activists and injured dozens on a ship in international waters while seven soldiers were wounded by activist violence. The convoy of six ships from the Free Gaza Movement was carrying humanitarian aid intended to reach Gaza. These ships were working in defiance of the three-year blockade that Israel has imposed on Gaza since Hamas took control in 2007.

The Freedom Flotilla came from Turkey carry 10,000 tons of desperately needed humanitarian aid to Gaza. As I mentioned in my last post, the situation in Gaza is dire at best, things as simple as coffee, chocolate, and coriander are forbidden to enter what is often called the world’s largest open-air prison. Sunday, the flotilla departed Cyprus to Gaza despite repeated warnings from Israel that their ships would be turned away.

This morning around 4:30 am while still in international waters, the largest of the six ships was stormed by commandos of the Israeli Defense Force. Clashes between some 500 activists aboard the ship and soldiers turned deadly as the situation immediately turned violent. The initiator of the violence still remains unknown. Israel claims that soldiers were met with pipes, knives, guns, and axes as they were lowered onto the ship via helicopter. Their reaction to open live fire was in self-defense.

Organizers of the Free Gaza Movement say that this was not intended to be violent and the images released by the IDF show activists defending themselves from unprovoked live fire shot by the Israeli soldiers. The ships were detained immediately after violence erupted so firsthand accounts from activists are not available. It is expected that passengers on the ship will either be immediately deported or detained for an unknown amount time. It will be only a matter of time before the activists’ side of the story emerges and findings from independent investigations including one by the United Nations will draw more conclusions to how this demonstration turned into a massacre, and perhaps more importantly, on whom the blame will be placed.

The international response overwhelmingly condemns the actions of Israel. Ambassadors in Spain, Greece, and Turkey have all been summoned by the respective governments to give a full explanation of this morning’s event. Demonstrations have been happening across the world at Israeli embassies and consulates. The United States has yet to make any pivotal comments calling the deaths “regretful” and that it reserving judgment until more is known about the circumstances of the raid.

The Israeli government response has been “regretful of the deaths” but supportive of the actions of the commandos. While I personally am still on the fence over who is truly at blame for the catastrophic events of the day, I am appalled by the clear propaganda Israel is using to describe the situation in Gaza and the intentions of Freedom Flotilla.

In a speech by Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon called the flotilla an “armada of hate and violence of the Hamas terror organization” and that “the organizers are well known for their ties to Global Jihad, Al-Qaeda, and Hamas.”

To me this is a clear abuse of the word terrorism and irresponsibly links the mission of humanitarian aid and terrorism. In my mind, Israel is brainwashing their own citizens into thinking that anyone who sympathizes with the Palestinian cause is a terrorist or involved in terroristic activity. I’ve seen it happen time and time again with friends doing development work in Palestine (much like I am doing here) and being deployed for being a “security threat” despite working with reputable organizations with absolutely no history of terroristic or violent activity.

I do believe that the mission of the Freedom Flotilla was to distribute much needed aid to Gaza, not provide Hamas with weapons to use against Israel. Examples of the aid carried by the flotilla were wheelchairs, food, construction materials, and medicine – all of which are not allowed into Gaza through Israeli channels as Ayalon later mentions.

Israel and the Free Gaza organizations both confirm that Israel did extend a diplomatic hand to distribute the humanitarian aid brought by the Freedom Flotilla. The Free Gaza Movement refused because they knew that very few of their supplies would actually reach the hands of Gazans. After Israel would check the aid and dispose of anything that is not included on the miniscule list of 30 items allowed into Gaza, little would actually be delivered – despite these materials being desperately needed. Israel claims that it would have distributed the humanitarian aid aboard, but in actuality, the state has a very narrow definition of humanitarian aid and considers items like tea, concrete, and wheelchairs to be either luxuries or items used to assist terrorism.

Interestingly enough, Israel denies that there is a humanitarian crisis in Gaza, boasting that it provides some 15,000 tons of humanitarian aid to the region on a weekly basis. But according to the UN and other leading human rights organizations, this is about of quarter of supplies actually needed. While not many are going hungry in Gaza, as food is the main form of aid, Gazans have just a few hours of electricity a day, very very very little adequate drinking water, extremely limited access to fuel and most importantly virtually no access to building supplies to rebuild their homes and businesses to build any sort of an economy or infrastructure. Currently there is one functioning hospital (the other three were bombed in 2008) serving over one million people in a region with one of the world’s fastest population growth rates. Furthermore, many people are still left homeless and without proper protection of the harsh weather, extremely hot summers and cold winters. The only country in the world that denies the extreme humanitarian crisis in Gaza is Israel. Even the US government, Israel’s closest ally has not only called for the end to the blockade but initiated USAID projects to help rebuild.

As more details unfold about this current crisis, I am sure tension will rise around the region. Today demonstrations took place throughout the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem. Palestine has issued a 3-day mourning period where businesses, schools, and NGOs are urged to strike. I am unsure if there will be school tomorrow. Many fear that this could initiate the third intifada that has been brewing for some months due to settlement building in East Jerusalem, the takeover of the Ibrahim Mosque, and stalled peace talks. Only time will tell, especially as the side of the activists becomes public.

As you can imagine, this is a huge obstacle for peace and security in the region. Please pray for the peace in the Middle East.

Spring has sprung!

Greetings loyal readers!

It’s a warm spring night in Ramallah. I’m currently at my home away from home, Café La Vie. It’s a cozy hangout with the best lentil soup in town and a kind wait staff. It sometimes reminds me of the infamous Purple Onion in Minneapolis, except that instead of pining over econ problem sets, I’m writing blogposts and communicating with people here and away. There are still comforting parallels. The Beatles and other old music frequent the music playlist and there is a wide selection of desserts I shouldn’t be eating. Ahhhh nostalgia.

Today marks the Israeli Memorial Day followed by Independence Day tomorrow. I was in Jerusalem last night as Israel welcomed in Memorial Day at sundown. A horn rang throughout the city and everything stopped. People stopped their cars (some in the middle of the highway) and just stood still. Many people get out of their cars and stood next to them while they observed the loss of 23,000 Israelis who have fallen in combat since the state’s creation in 1948. No matter what my opinion is of Israel’s fallen and military record, I truly was touched by this gesture of observance. In America, I feel there is an immense amount of pride and appreciation for the services that soldiers and veterans provide, but rarely does the public stop (literally stop) everything and reflect on the sacrifices made by others to maintain our security and freedom. It was an amazing sight to see.

Unfortunately a holiday for Israel usually means a day of morning for Palestine. Palestinians commemorate May 14 as the “Naqba” or catastrophe. which usually aligns with the Israeli independence day. As for why Israel is celebrating Independence Day a month early is beyond me, but according to the Gregorian calendar, the state of Israel was created on May 14, 1948….hmmmm. It was the events where Israel was granted its independence that many Palestinians lost their homes, their livelihoods, and even their lives, so it would only be appropriate that this day brings great sadness, and at times anger to the Palestinian people. I’ve been told that tensions run high throughout May, as the anniversary of the Naqba grows closer. With tensions already as high as they are, I imagine it will be a tumultuous month.

Politically, the peace process continues to be at a standstill. Palestine refuses to come to the negotiation table unless Israel suspends the building of all settlements – West Bank and Jerusalem. Israel has issued a 10-month suspension of building permits in West Bank settlements, but refuses to quit building in East Jerusalem. The argument that East Jerusalem is fair game for the Israelis to build in carries about as much weight as me annexing my neighbor’s yard and building a shed on it and claiming it as my own. Internationally speaking, Jerusalem is a divided city with East Jerusalem explicitly being designated as Palestinian territory. So the saga continues. Other international heavyweights, namely the United States, the European Union, the United Nations, and Russia have called for a halt to settlement building with the hopes of reaching a peace agreement in 2 years At the rate it’s going, this may be a difficult objective to reach.

While relations are icy between Israel and the West Bank’s governing body, relations between Gaza and Israel are still hostile. It’s important to remember that the West Bank is under the governing control of the political party, Fatah. Fatah, once an internationally recognized terror group, has gained legitimacy on a worldwide scale. Fatah, unlike Hamas, recognizes Israel is a state and is willing to negotiate peace provided that the existing preconditions are met (namely the halt to all settlement building) and represents a more politically moderate stance. Hamas, the main opposition party to Fatah, is recognized as an international terrorist organization. In its 1988 charter it calls for replace Israel with an Islamic Palestinian state in present day Israel, Gaza, and the West Bank. The terrorist accusations against Hamas mainly come from the organized launching of suicide attacks in Israelis during the second intifada and more recently frequent rocket attacks that are launched from Gaza, over the separation wall and into Israel. Though casualties are rare in such attacks (last month there were 20 independent attacks with one casualty), it often prompts IDF military action.

December 2008/January 2009 marked the deadliest military action since the invasions during the second intifada. Over the course of three weeks, 1400 Gazans were killed and billions of dollars of damage ensued. Though the IDF asserts that it was targeting militia outposts, three of Gaza’s four hospitals were leveled, the heart of Gaza’s sewage infrastructure was destroyed (this later led to a “sewage tsunami” that killed 8 people literally drowning in sewage) and countless private homes and businesses. Following these air strikes, Hamas ceased to launch rockets into Israel, though other smaller militant factions continue to do so, as I’ll explain later.

Israel has instilled a staunch blockade on Gaza since Hamas came to power in 2006, meaning there is a list of 30 items that Israel allows into the region legally. Most of these 30 items are primitive and include food, medicine, and detergent, forget about coffee, tea, musical instruments, anything made of wood, appliances, light bulbs, fabric or probably anything else you can name – their entry is forbidden. After the air strikes concluded, Gaza was in ruins. Furthermore, because it largely targeted the civilian population (a direct violation of UN international law), people were without homes and unable to gain any materials (think wood, glass, concrete – nothing) to rebuild their lost homes and businesses. Many people are still living among the rubble of what used to be their home. The blockade also means that Gaza is not allowed to export any goods, without access to any sort of commerce, goods in Gaza are extremely expensive (can anyone say around $12 for a gallon of gas?) and the unemployment rate is astronomical, around 85 percent.

Though it’s difficult, goods (and weapons) are getting into Gaza through a sophisticated tunnel system from Egypt into the blockaded region. Items as big as furniture and cars are smuggled through the tunnels to Gazans. It’s actually quite impressive. Recently though, with the help of the US Army Corps of Engineers, Egypt is building a wall between the Gaza/Egypt border that will extend some 18 meters below the surface to hopefully curtail much of the tunnel activity. Though they are well aware that the tunnels will be rebuilt, it will severely halt tunnel activity for the near future. There is no telling what this means for the people of Gaza.

Hamas has shown small signs of wishing cooperate with the Israeli government. It’s no secret that the wellbeing of Gaza is directly related to the frequency of rockets launched into Israel. Due to the Israeli casualty last month, Israel launched a small-scale air strike targeting militia outposts. The most recent rocket launches have been initiated by smaller military groups like the Islamic Jihad and others. Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniya stated in a BBC article “We are contacting other Palestinian factions in order to reach an internal consensus as to the measures we may take in order to protect our people and strengthen our unity.” In other words, Hamas is trying to maintain the smaller factions in order to maintain calm in Gaza for the “national interest.” Though small, I believe this to be a significant gesture on behalf of Hamas to suspend militant action directed at Israel. Ayman Taha, a spokesman for the Hamas government said that “The government of Gaza is in charge of the situation, and it does know clearly who launches the rockets…it is working hard to deter any faction from acting individually.” The IDF responded saying it would “not tolerate terroristic activity inside Gaza that threatens Israeli citizens.”

When thinking about a peace deal between Israel and Palestinians, it’s entirely possible that negotiations will take place between the people of the West Bank and Israel and the status quo of Gaza will remain, due to it’s unwillingness to negotiate. Unfortunately, the rift between Fatah and Hamas is so great that they may require a peace process of sorts between themselves. As Gaza and Hamas are more and more separated from the rest of the world, extremism is becoming more and more prevalent. With one of the highest birthrates and population densities in the world, Gaza’s population is growing quickly which could lead to further instability. Only time will tell.

Thanks for reading. As always, I am overwhelmed by the feedback and comments I receive from my readers. I truly appreciate you keeping me in your thoughts are prayers. Pictures from Easter and Turkey to come!

 

Ma Salma!

The past month or so...

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 3^rd 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!

Pictures

Pictures from January! Please don't miss the new blogpost below.

Beth, Issa, and I in Jaffa on New Years Day. Issa and his family have become a second family to us. We were so happy they invited us along to their New Years festivities.

Ultra-orthodox Jews on their way to Synagogue at Shabbat

Mom and Carl at Capernum, a city were Jesus and Peter retreated during the Galilee ministry.

Carl and I at the River Jordan

The Pyramids of Giza!

Ma She (it's going)

Greetings from Palestine!

I apologize for the delay in updating my blog. The beginning of 2010 has been anything but dull. It started with a wonderful visit from my parents and brother. It was great to be able to show them my life here and introduce them to good and not-so-good things of living in Israel/Palestine. Lately the biggest challenge has been overcoming a bit of homesickness. While I wouldn’t trade seeing my family for anything, I was reminded of the simplicities of living at home: speaking the language, never having to go through checkpoints, a car to get me from point A to point B, and CENTRAL HEATING. However, if I learned anything in the countless study abroad seminars I attended, halfway through one’s stay in a foreign country, he or she tends to become homesick. With that said, I am confident that this phase too, shall pass.

On the upside, there have been some changes at school that have allowed us to be more hands on with the students. Last week we had our first English Club meeting that Beth, Najua (the 8^th – 10^th grade English teacher) and I have been developing. The students involved are advanced speakers, so they’re mostly interested in moving from a proficiency level of English to a fluent level. This means that we’ll be focusing on the fun parts of the language and culture – humor, pop culture, music, and the dos and don’ts of English speaking cultures. This is, however, my first experience with a language club, and so if anyone has any ideas of how to present different aspects of English life, I would greatly appreciate suggestions. We also will be starting an English study group next week for students who want help their class material. My preparation for this will be brushing up on my English grammar. Today, I was asked what the difference was between using wish and hope. Quite honestly, I was stumped.

This past weekend was a busy one. Beth and I were in Beit Sahour for a choir retreat. Earlier this year we joined a choir as a creative outlet. The choir is a mix of Palestinians and Internationals, the rehearsals are in English, il humdilla (thank God!) and our repertoire is in English, Italian, French, Portuguese, Spanish, and Arabic. We will be giving three concerts in mid-February. There are two great things about this choir. Firstly, it’s an opportunity to incorporate music back into my life. During college, I was consumed by my boyfriend (sometimes abusive) by the name of economics. I didn’t realize how much I missed reading and making music. Secondly, the members of our choir are involved in some very meaningful work in the West Bank/Gaza. I learned so much this weekend about the “facts on the ground” from an NGO/Governmental aid standpoint. As learn more, I will certainly pass they facts along to you. I feel so lucky that I receive the kind of support that I do from this community and that we have the common interest of music.

After the retreat, Beth and I decided to feed our homesick selves by watching the Vikings/Saints game with some USAID friends. Though I classify myself a fair-weathered fan, I feel that staying up to watch the game from 1:30am to 5:30 on a school night earns me bonus points with the football gods.

Beyond my personal perils here, the current peace process seems to be at a stalemate. George Mitchell, the lead negotiator for the US has said that we will cut aid to both the PA (Palestinian Authority) and Israel if there isn’t an agreement in two years. Currently we give Israel $3 billion in a handout in addition to billions in military equipment, and we also purchase a great deal of military equipment from the Israelis at an inflated price. We also give the Palestinian territories around $1.6 billion most of which is spent in the West Bank with more funds being appropriated to the rebuilding of Gaza, though these funds have many strings attached as we do not want any of it winding up in the hands of Hamas. Hopefully this will be an incentive for the two side to get more serious about a treaty.

Lastly, I want to close my entry with a movie recommendation. I just watched “Paradise Now” about suicide bombers in Nablus. The movie is in Arabic, but has good subtitles and sheds some light on the mentality of suicide bombing.

As always, thanks for your continued prayers and support. I sincerely appreciate the comments, e-mails, and messages via my parents.

Ma Salme! (go with peace)

Cairo and New Years!

Again, I write to you from Ben Gurion airport, not because I am preparing to fly to another destination, but because in a few short hours my parents and brother are set to arrive. This past week has been one of my best. I spent 6 days in Cairo, soaking in pyramids, mosques, and Egyptian life, then I spent New Years in Ramallah with friends and their families.

Cairo was absolutely fascinating – it’s busy, it’s crowded, and there’s so many things to see and do it could take an eternity to experience it all. One thing I didn’t realize about Cairo is its shear size. It’s home to more than 20 million people and growing as birth rates continue to boom along with an influx of refugees from all over the Middle East. With this many people comes crowds that rival those of urban China, crossing the street was perhaps the most dangerous thing I’ve done in quite sometime, that is until I got in a cab.

Besides the beautiful sights, the best thing about Cairo is its affordability. Nearly 40% of Egyptians live on $1/day, meaning that the government heavily subsidizes all basic necessities. For example, a ride on the metro costs $0.15, a tank of gas will set you back around $12, and I could enjoy a dinner with an entrée and 3 sides for around $3. Despite having major issues with Islamic extremists, the biggest problem for Egypt is its economy. The subsidies have led to an economy on the brink of collapse and with Mubarak aging with no clear replacement, the future of Egypt is uncertain.

All in all, my time in Egypt was very insightful. Living in Palestine has allowed me to gather insight into the Arab world, but seeing another culture gives me a better base for the region. In general, Egypt has gained a reputation of being far more conservative than Palestine, but I found this to be not entirely true. Yes, burqas and full veils are far more common and attire expectations (with the exception of some tourists) are more conservative, but ironically, public displays of affection were nearly to the level of the United States. In Arab countries, public displays of affection between men and women is strictly forbidden, public displays of affection among straight men are not. It is not uncommon to find men holding hands, linking arms, or sharing kisses on the cheek. This kind of behavior is perfectly normal with no implications of homosexuality – as for the notion of being gay, unfortunately, the consequences can be catastrophic.

New Years was another wonderful evening. Unsure of what the night would bring, we joined one of our closest friends’ family for dinner and the countdown. It was great to experience more of Palestinian family life. We played cards, learning a few Arab games and teaching the family “spoons” which was a lot of fun. New Years day, Bethany and I went with the same family to Jaffa for a dinner with their family. With 6 kids and 4 grandkids it gets kind of hectic, but overall it was nice to feel like a part of a family for a day – something I’ve really missed.

I will post more from my family’s visit. Also, I’ve found that it’s easier to post pictures of facebook of my travels. Please feel free to “friend” me if you wish.

Happy Holidays!