We started our trip to Israel coming in from Amman, Jordan over the Allenby bridge. Rather than flying into Ben Gurion Airport, we decided to take the land crossing, which is much more interesting because of the history of the region.
Wed, Dec 26, 2018 – Allenby Bridge, Jerusalem
We started at around 7.15 am from Amman to go to Allenby Bridge. We reached there around 8.20 am. We took a bus from the Jordanian side to the Israeli side (15 min ride) at 8.30 am.
The Allenby Bridge, also known as the King Hussein Bridge, is a bridge that crosses the Jordan River near the city of Jericho, and connects the West Bank with Jordan. The bridge is currently the sole designated exit/entry point for West Bank Palestinians traveling abroad. This bridge is entirely inside the West Bank which was captured by Israelis from Jordan in the six day war in 1967.
The original bridge was built in 1918 over a remnant of an old Ottoman colonial era bridge by the British general Edmund Allenby. The original bridge had been built in 1885 by the Ottoman government of the Mutasarrifate of Jerusalem.
During the Israeli war of independence, it was first destroyed in the Night of the bridges operation by Palmach on 16 June 1946, thus severing one of the main overland connections between Mandatory Palestine and Transjordan. It was destroyed again during the Six-Day War, but was replaced in 1968 with a temporary truss-type bridge. This bridge is still called the Allenby Bridge by Israelis; and it is also known as Al-Karameh Bridge to Palestinian Arabs, and the King Hussein Bridge to Jordanians. In 1994, subsequent to the Israel-Jordan peace treaty, a new modern paved crossing was constructed adjacent to the older wooden one with the aid of the Japanese Government.
It cost us 22 JOD from Amman to the Border, 40 JOD for exit visa and 32 JOD for the bus from the Border to the Israeli side and then $80 from Israeli Border to our apartment in Jerusalem.
Israelis are particularly sensitive about security at this checkpoint because of the Palestinians crossing through this border. At the checkpoint, when we presented our passports, Anu and I were given our passports and allowed to go through. Aditya and Sahil were asked to wait. They were two Arab-looking kids, 20ish years of age with lots of stamps on their passports. They were flagged for additional questioning. They first made them wait without any clear directions on how much time it would take. Then after 1 hour, they were questioned for about 20 mins each by a guy who was clearly doing a psychological analysis of whether they were hostile to Israel. Finally, after 2 hours they were given their passports and allowed through. It was an interesting experience, very smooth and polite, but clearly discriminatory. No photos are allowed and absolutely no joking. It is a very serious matter.
Though the Israelis were very polite, it is very clear that they are very worried about security. They clearly discriminate against the Arabs. I can imagine the plight of Palestinians who have to cross this border to go to Amman to fly abroad. They have to go through this hassle and humiliation everytime. But then, given the history of the region, I also understand the cynicism in the minds of the Israelis. They have to protect themselves.
We then went to our apartment in Nachlaot area of Jerusalem (about 15 min walk from the Old city). We kept our bags and immediately set out to join the free walking tour of the old city at Jaffa gate. Both the Jaffa Gate and Jaffa Road are named after the port of Jaffa (near Tel Aviv), from which the Prophet Jonah embarked on his sea journey and pilgrims debarked on their trip to the Holy City.
During the free walking tour, we first went to the Wailing Wall or the Western Wall. The Western Wall, Wailing Wall, or Kotel, known in Islam as the Buraq Wall, is an ancient limestone wall in the Old City of Jerusalem. It is a relatively small segment of a far longer ancient retaining wall, known also in its entirety as the “Western Wall”.
The wall was originally erected as part of the expansion of the Second Jewish Temple begun by Herod the Great, which resulted in the encasement of the natural, steep hill known to Jews and Christians as the Temple Mount, in a large rectangular structure topped by a huge flat platform, thus creating more space for the Temple itself and its auxiliary buildings. For Muslims, it is the site where the Islamic Prophet Muhammad tied his steed, al-Buraq, on his night journey to Jerusalem before ascending to paradise, and constitutes the Western border of al-Haram al-Sharif.
The Western Wall is considered holy due to its connection to the Temple Mount. Because of the Temple Mount entry restrictions, the Wall is the holiest place where Jews are permitted to pray, though the holiest site in the Jewish faith lies behind it.
Then we went to the Church of Holy Sepulchre where Jesus Christ was crucified to the Cross.
Inside the Church of Holy Sepulchre.
We finished the walking tour at around 4 pm. Then we walked back to our apartment. Jerusalem is a very modern city.
Thursday, Dec 27, 2018 – Jerusalem
From one side of the Western Wall, non-Muslims are allowed to visit the Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa Mosque between 7.30 am and 10.30 am. Muslims are allowed there for prayer at any time. Of course, the security is provided by the Israelis. But the religious sensitivities in Jerusalem are high, especially with the political situation already being so tense.. One small spark can cause a lot of unrest.
The Dome of the Rock is very beautiful. It is an Islamic shrine located on the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem. It was initially completed in 691 CE at the order of Umayyad Caliph Abd al-Malik during the Second Fitna on the site of the Second Jewish Temple, destroyed during the Roman Siege of Jerusalem in 70 CE. The original dome collapsed in 1015 and was rebuilt in 1022–23. The Dome of the Rock is in its core one of the oldest extant works of Islamic architecture.
The Foundation Stone the temple was built over bears great significance in Judaism as the place where God created the world and the first human, Adam. It is also believed to be the site where Abraham attempted to sacrifice his son, and as the place where God’s divine presence is manifested more than in any other place, towards which Jews turn during prayer. The Dome of the Rock’s great significance for Muslims derives from traditions connecting it to the creation of the world and the belief that the Prophet Muhammad’s Night Journey to heaven started from the rock at the center of the structure.
We then went through the Lion’s Gate and walked towards the Mount of Olives. The mount has been used as a Jewish cemetery for over 3,000 years and holds approximately 150,000 graves, making it central in the tradition of Jewish cemeteries. A burial on the Mount of Olives is considered very important among Jews.
Several key events in the life of Jesus, as related in the Gospels, took place on the Mount of Olives, and in the Acts of the Apostles it is described as the place from which Jesus ascended to heaven. (The Church of Ascension is also located on the Mount of Olives). Because of its association with both Jesus and Mary, the mount has been a site of Christian worship since ancient times and is today a major site of pilgrimage for Catholics, the Eastern Orthodox, and Protestants.
On the way, we saw the place where Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus, was believed to be born. It is the St. Anne Church in Jerusalem. Other accounts say that she was born in Nazareth.
We also saw the Church of Mary Magdalene, a companion to Jesus.
We finished the tour of old City of Jerusalem and then came back to our apartment in Nachlaot. Then we started for the 2 pm tour of the Knesset (pronounced with the K), the Israeli parliament. The security to the Knesset was surprisingly relaxed. They just checked my passport (you have to carry your passport everywhere in Israel) and let us through.
The current Knesset was built in 1966. It is a very modern building. The tour was totally worth it. They explained the parliamentary democracy (which was nothing new to an Indian).
We went from the Knesset to the Israeli Museum, which highlights the Israeli culture. In the museum was the recreation of a synagogue from Cochin 🙂
After finishing the Israeli museum around 5 pm, we proceeded to the Yad Vashem Museum. Established in 1953 on Mount Herzl, Yad Vashem (literally, “a monument and a name”) is Israel’s official memorial to the victims of the Holocaust. It is dedicated to preserving the memory of the dead; honoring Jews who fought against their Nazi oppressors and Gentiles who selflessly aided Jews in need; and researching the phenomenon of the Holocaust in particular and genocide in general, with the aim of avoiding such events in the future.
The museum was unlike any other museum and is totally worth it. It is an amazing museum.
We took a tram back from the Mount Herzl train station to arrive at the Machne Yehuda market, a very famous market in Jerusalem. After 8 pm, all the shops close and party time starts with a lot of coffee and alcohol shops opening at that time.
We had walked a total of 24 km that day. It was raining all the time, windy and the temperatures were 4 C. We were soaked, wet, yet we managed to cover all important sites in Jerusalem. It was a tiring day, but were were left with wonderful memories of Israel.
Jerusalem is one of the most fascinating cities in the world. It has important sites from three religions, Judaism (Temple Mount), Islam (Dome of Rock), Christianity (Church of Holy Sepulchre). The three religions live together, but there are always simmering tensions.
Friday, Dec 28, 2018 – Bethlehem, Ramallah, Palestinian Territories
From the bus stop, we walked to the Church of Nativity, where Jesus Christ was born. The church was built in 327 AD by Constantine. It is a beautiful church.
Within the church, this is the actual location where Jesus Christ was born. Lot of people were kissing that spot, cleaning it with their own handkerchief or had tears in their eyes after seeing that spot. That is the religious attachment they have to this place.
Bethlehem is a very nice place. One thing we noticed in palestine was that signs are not in Hebrew. In Israel, signs are in 3 languages, Hebrew, Arabic and English. In Palestine, it is only Arabic and English 🙂
Here is an ATM of the Bank of Palestine.
We took the bus back from Bethlehem. We were figuring out what to do for the rest of the day. For logistical reasons, Anu and I had to stay in Jerusalem. But Sahil and Aditya decided to visit Ramallah, the capital of Palestine. It was also earlier the headquarters of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) where Yasser Arafat lived.
Having seen Ramallah in the Israeli TV Series Fauda, kids did not know what to expect. But Ramallah turned out to be a modern city.
People branded as terrorists by Israel are martyrs in Palestine.
Sahil enjoying some icecream in Ramallah.
This is the location of Yasser Arafat’s tomb. In Palestine, he is a national hero.
The situation in Palestine is delicate. I sympathize with the Palestinians who are a people without real control over their own destiny. But I also admire the Israelis for having built such a strong nation when surrounded by completely hostile neighbors. I think Israelis are smart, tech-savvy and highly disciplined. I understand their cynicism about Palestine as well given the threats the Jewish nation has faced from the Arabs in the past. As an Indian, I can only be a neutral bystander commenting on what I observe in Israel.
At around 7 pm, we took a shared taxi from the Muslim quarter in Jerusalem to Tel Aviv. On Friday evening, Jerusalem was completely shut down for Shabbath. No trains, buses were running. Taxis were available only from the Muslim area near Damascus Gate, which was still functional.
Our AirBnb was in the Jaffa area of Tel Aviv. In fact, the full name of Tel Aviv is Tel Aviv-Yafo. Originally in the 1900s, Jaffa was an important port and Tel Aviv was the Jewish settlement around Jaffa. Now Tel Aviv has gained prominence and Jaffa is considered a suburb of Tel Aviv 🙂
Saturday, Dec 29, 2018 – Negev Desert, Beer Sheba, Avedat
We stopped at the ruins of Avdat. It is the site of a ruined Nabataean city in the Negev desert in southern Israel. It was the most important city on the Incense Route after Petra, between the 1st century BCE and the 7th century CE. It was founded in the 3rd century BCE, and inhabited by Nabataeans, Romans, and Byzantines.
We then stopped at the Colored Sands in Makhtesh. The sands are of different colors, yellow, green, maroon, blue. You may be able to see it to the left in the photo below.
Then we drove to David Ben Gurion‘s tomb in the Negev Desert. He was the founder and the first prime minister of Israel. He retired from political life in 1970 and lived a modest life in the Negev Desert. He died in 1973. Both he and his wife are buried next to each other.
We drove to a place called The Carpentry where the stones have been carved into small wooden brick like structure by the forces of nature.
On top of hills in the Negev desert, they have carved placed wooden structures that look like real caravans from far away 🙂
The last point of interest in the Negev was Mitzpe Ramon, a town in the Negev desert of southern Israel. The name Ramon comes from the Hebrew “Roma’im” meaning Romans. It is situated on the northern ridge at an elevation of 860 meters (2,800 feet) overlooking a sizable erosion cirque known as the Ramon Crater. The Crater is interesting because it was not caused by a meteorite crashing onto earth, but by a sea that was present in the crater being drained away over millions of years. It is a stunning view.
We had a wonderful tour of the Negev with Coby. We got to know the history of the region and also a perspective of what an Israeli thinks about various aspects of the political situation. Though he is Jewish, he is remarkably balanced in his opinion in Israeli politics. We had a great time with him.
We finished our tour of the Negev and were back in Jaffa at around 5 pm. We had invited Omkar Joglekar to have dinner with us that evening. Omkar is my friend Rajendra’s son from Pune and he is currently study at Tel Aviv university. We walked around Jaffa.
We had dinner together at a falafel restaurant. Omkar is a very balanced and mature boy. We enjoyed meeting him.
Old Jaffa, on the Mediterranean, has been renovated and it is a great place to walk around at night.
Rains continued to pursue us throughout our trip in Israel. We just used umbrellas and powered along 🙂
Sunday, Dec 30, 2018 – Tel Aviv
Then we walked along Shabazi street in the Neve Tzedek neighborhood in Tel Aviv. This was one of the first Jewish settlements outside of Jaffa.
We then walked along Rothchild Avenue on what is called the Independence Trail. It has various monuments associated with the independence of Israel.
We finally went to the beach in Tel Aviv. The Mediterranean sea was truly beautiful.
We got a short respite from the rains.
We then picked up our bags and went to Ben Gurion airport. Once again, Aditya as flagged as Security Level 6 (highest) and had to spend 1 hour in the security check with each item in his carry on bag being checked.
Aditya was leaving for the US through Moldova. Anu, Sahil and I were flying to Pune. Our flight was significantly delayed. Instead of 7.35 pm on Sunday (Dec 30), the Air India flight was leaving at 5.30 am on Monday morning (Dec 31). We slept in the lounge and caught a flight to India in the morning.
We left Israel with wonderful memories. It is an amazing country, young and full of energy. I really admire the Israelis for the progress they have made in 70 years of independence in such hostile conditions. They have gone from a fledging nation to a first-world country in two generations. It is a extremely safe and people are very friendly with Indians. I would highly recommend it to anyone considering a trip.
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If you are interested in all the countries on our trip, here are the links.
Egypt Trip – Dec 13 – 19, 2018 Blog Photos Only
Lebanon Trip – Dec 19 – 21, 2018 Blog Photos Only
