Riding Through the West Bank

I remember when I told people in the US that I was moving to Israel, they would often say "is it safe?" I would usually reply, "yes, except if you are in the territories." And SOMETIMES I would go so far as to say, "yes, it is for us. We won't be driving through the territories." Well, yesterday, an old friend of Aaron and Gila's (David) offered to pick us up and take us to his home in Modiin for lunch. Great, I thought, lunch with new friends, and something to do, as well. Well, I'm sitting in the back seat and I look right and ask David "what town is that?" because it doesn't look like any Israeli town I've seen. He says, "that's the West Bank." Holy Sh-t. Then he points out the security fence on either side of the highway, and we approach a check point where they just stop the car, look in at the passengers and move you on (or not.)

I have to say, I was nervous in a weird way. I was in a car with a person who drives this road constantly. He says the terrorist attacks have gone to almost nil since the security fence was put in, and is an incredibly safe road. Still, the West Bank loomed on either side of us and we were some Jewish Americans/Israelis driving right through their territory. And to boot, Palestinians can't even drive on this road now. Prior to the second Intifada in 2000, they could, but then militant Palestinians started doing drive by shootings on Israeli drivers, and throwing Molotov cocktails.

So, I'm on a road that only Israelis can use, that gets us from one part of Israel to another, and Palestinians can't even cross the road to get to the village on the other side. I don't understand Israeli politics, and haven't been here long enough to have lived it, but it just doesn't seem right to me.

Another point: David tells us that there is a wonderful greenhouse and nursery in one of the Arab villages in the West Bank right next door to Modeiin, where there are a lot of people who have gardens. Aaron tells David that "this sounds like a wonderful business opportunity." David tells us it was, and some people from his town of Modeiin tried it, and got killed. Killed? Yes, the militant Palestinians would watch the garden center, and note the Israelis who came regularly to buy. Then, they would wait and kill them. I got the impression more than one person was killed this way.

I don't know what the solution is to this situation. I tend to want to give the Palestinians the land and be done with it, but obviously the concept of living in peace with one's neighbors takes a lot of work, and understanding on both sides.

Just seeing the West Bank, which is only 5 to 10 minutes from this apartment, has really driven home the point that this is a SMALL piece of land everyone wants, and it is incredibly close to my home. I've been thinking about this trip ever since we got back, and it has made the "Middle East conflict" much more real to me, and far more complex. I'm sure I'll have more to post about my evolving political views in the weeks and months to come.