A Tale of Two Walls, a Tale of Two Cities, by Rory Silver, George Washington University ’12
For more photos, click here.
We arrived at the city of Jerusalem last night to the sound of Naomi Shemer’s captivating Jerusalem of Gold. Like gold, Jerusalem is beautiful and enchanting. People have traveled far and wide to capture and embrace its unique essence, taking it with them and shaping it into something close and special to them. Like gold, Jerusalem has been a canvas for humanity’s creative and idealistic potential. And like gold, Jerusalem has managed to stir in us a passion so fervent that humanity’s greatest flaws and imperfections emerge and cast a shadow over her beauty.
The idea of a Jerusalem of gold is one that we, in one way or another, have always been raised with. Today, we had the opportunity to forge a more intimate relationship with the city. In the morning, we entered the Old City’s bustling Jaffa Gate, making our way to the Western Wall. For some students, the wall manages to induce an unparalleled sense of spirituality and connection to faith. For others, it is the notion that before them stood the object of their ancestors’ hope and adulation for generations. And yet for others, a unique connection wasn’t necessarily easy to come by.
Outside the Western Wall, the Old City had much to titillate the senses with. In groups, we had the opportunity to experience the parts of the city that were perhaps less familiar to us but no less colorful. We engaged with the locals, those who call Jerusalem home, and those who, like us, simply came to visit, learn, and take something from this city, whatever it may be.
Afterwards, we traveled into West Jerusalem to the busy Mahane Yehuda shuk, or market. The market featured the various flavors of Israel’s Jewish culture; particularly those aspects derived from the Sephardim and Mizrahim, immigrants from Spain, North Africa, and the Middle East. We had the opportunity to sample the local fare and embrace this remarkable blend of culture and tradition, a representative of Israel’s diversity and a true jewel in Israeli society.
From the west of Jerusalem, we soon found ourselves in the east, and with the renowned Jerusalem expert Danny Seideman, founder and director of the Israeli NGO Terrestrial Jerusalem. We were taken beyond the walls of the Old City and beyond the façade of a united Jerusalem, visiting sites of contention that form what are perhaps the main battlegrounds of this conflict.
Whether at Sheikh Jarrah, where Palestinian families cling to their homes in the face of settler claims to their property, or beyond Mount Scopus, where settlement construction in what is known as Zone E1 threatens the contiguity of a Palestinian state. On the Mount of Olives, hidden behind the glow of the Old City and the presence of the ancient Jewish cemetery, we visited the 8 meter high concrete wall that separates Palestinians in East Jerusalem from their friends, family, and lives in Abu Dis, part of the West Bank. Throughout East Jerusalem, broken streets, overflowing trash dumpsters, and a lack of municipal services did not paint a picture of unity, and especially not one of equity.
For many students on the trip, particularly those who have never visited Israel before, bearing witness to the other realities of Jerusalem and the conflicts that are taking place not far from the city walls, and reconciling that with what you thought you understood about Jerusalem, was not an easy experience. Many felt a sense of betrayal at their discovery, while others felt a struggle between what they recognized in their head, and what they felt in their heart. For some of us who long to feel a connection to this country and to this city these revelations haven’t necessarily made things easier. Yet for me, what was seen today only deepens my commitment to a two state solution that preserves Israel’s democracy and Jewish character. As someone who not only sees the two state solution as a just resolution to an unjust conflict, but also the only means of securing Israel’s future, resolving the issue of Jerusalem is of the utmost importance.
At the end of the day, what we saw today represents an unsustainable and unjust situation, and that the tough decisions on Jerusalem need to be made. There is often talk about Jerusalem as Israel’s “eternal, undivided capital.” 2011’s municipal Jerusalem is to date the biggest Jerusalem we have ever had, and many of its villages, particularly in East Jerusalem, were only incorporated into Jerusalem after 1967. While these facts were created on the ground, infrastructure, equitable access to utilities, schools, hospitals, and efforts at integration were not. While there is no physical barrier between East and West Jerusalem, it is still very much a divided city. Its fate will undoubtedly determine the fate of the two-state solution, and ultimately the fate of Israel.
In the evening, we had dinner with Israeli Professor Hillel Cohen, who has written extensively on Israeli-Arab relations. We discussed the notion of a Jewish state, and the role that the Jewish Diaspora, particular a group like J Street, has to play in the conflict. After a stirring debriefing session amongst our group, we relaxed on the lively roads of Jerusalem’s renowned thirst-quenching institutions and met with Israeli activists like those from the Sheikh Jarrah movement. The opportunity to meet with Israeli students our age, who share our vision and ideas for a state that we love and for whom we hope to see continued prosperity, improved my connection to this place in a way that was unparalleled. For some, it’s the land itself that reinforces this connection, while for others, witnessing up close the realities of the conflict induce a wound that will take time to heal.
Rory
Rory Silver
George Washington University ’12
June 17, 2011
