Political Issues Ctd

Israeli politics are back in the news again - specifically in a way that is important to the United States. Since Barack Obama assumed the presidency in January last year, the Israel-US relationship has cooled considerably. After many false starts and canceled visits, Israel's Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, finally traveled back this week to Washington, D.C. for only his second meeting with his US counterpart, President Barack Obama. See below for a YouTube video of their Oval Office meeting from Britain's ITN News.

Hopefully the Obama and Netanyahu meeting will help begin to diffuse the rising level of animosity that has prevailed for much of the past year. Ultimately though, I'm certain it will take significantly longer for the average Israeli to begin to trust that President Obama has their (and Israel's) interests at heart. As the New York Time's reported yesterday:

Photographers clicked away in the Oval Office as Mr. Obama praised the prime minister as someone "willing to take risks for peace" and blamed the press for reports of discord. Mr. Netanyahu loosely quoted Mark Twain, saying, "Reports about the demise of the special relationship aren’t just premature; they’re just flat wrong."

As an American in Israel, the feeling among the Israelis I've met has been an adamant and clearly voiced dislike for our president. By all accounts, President Obama is persona non grata among most Israelis. Looking at the situation from my American perspective I definitely understand (though don't agree) with their assessment. As I've quickly come to find out, Israelis view our politics (and political leaders) only through the limited lens of how much we support (or don't support) their position regarding the Palestinian situation.

The perception (rightly or wrongly) is that President Obama is taking a more Pro-Palestinian stance than his predecessor George W. Bush. For Israelis that is unacceptable. It will be interesting to see how this issue (i.e. changing US-Israel relations) plays out over the coming months - especially as other more pressing regional issues (unrelated to Gaza, settlements in the West Bank, or the peace process generally) come to a head (e.g. Hezbollah and Lebanon, Iran's nuclear ambitions, American withdrawal from Iraq, etc.).

Political Issues

As I'm sure everyone is now aware, a flotilla of ships heading to the Gaza Strip territory was raided yesterday by a team of Israeli commandos. The world media is now debating the legitimacy of the action, as well as the long term viability of the blockade of the Gaza Strip territory. Tensions are high and opinions on both sides are heated.

Given the growing significance of this incident over the past 48 hours, in the Mediterranean off Israel, I think it's worth taking a moment to offer some brief comments as to its affect on 1) our group, 2) our program going forward, and 3) on business in general in Israel.

First, as to any immediate impact on our group, there is none. In Haifa, where we are based, we are about as far from the Gaza Strip as one can get in Israel. Additionally, as of right now, there have only been limited protests in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and the occupied territories. The feeling is, as of right now, that cooler heads will prevail. Hopefully, this will now be resolved purely through diplomatic channels.

Second, as to the long term impact on the program, this is also a non issue. To be sure, we as a group are watching and following the news with care. That being said, the direct impact on us in Haifa is muted. From my perspective, these issues could conceivably be happing on the other side of the earth - as opposed to down the coast in Gaza.

Lastly, business as usual goes on in Israel. In this part of the world, things happen. If one were unable to quickly adjust, then one would get nothing done. For example, in Haifa during the 2006 Lebanon War, over 6,500 Qassam rockets fell throughout the region. My teammates at the Technion related that they continued going to work and university throughout this period, despite the threat. For myself as an American these reactions seem cavalier and reckless. For Israelis, it's a given. Life goes on.

I will be watching with interest and with care as this issue develops over the following weeks. For now however I will follow the example of my Israeli teammates, push forward and continue working.

Heading North

This weekend found the team on the road to Northern Israel. Waking up bright and early on Sunday morning, we had a quick breakfast and then departed for a day long guided excursion to see the sights and attractions of Haifa, Acre, and Rosh HaNikra. 

After a quick drive up the coast from our base in Ramat Eshkol, first up was a quick tour through Haifa's German Colony and then up the side of Mount Carmel to the most impressive (and beautiful) view in Haifa - the Bahá'í World Centre and the Shrine of the Báb. As you can see from the picture below, the Bahá'í Gardens are gorgeous.

"View of Haifa from the top terrace of the Bahá'í Gardens"
Photo by Daniel Branscome

Leaving Haifa, we headed further up the coast to the ancient city of Acre. One of the oldest sites of human habitation, Acre has been a site of many conflicts over the past millenia - and has changed hands repeatedly. As such, Acre is home to many interesting sites, chief among them, a buried Crusader Fortress, an Ottoman Citadel, and the Khan al-Umdan. 

"inside the main hall of the Knights Hospitaller at Acre"
Photo by Kristin Thompson

No doubt about it, these places were big hits with the group and had the Dan Brown fans among us thinking back to what we'd read regarding the Knights Templar and Knights Hospitaller. Very cool stuff.

By this time, the group was getting hungry - and boy oh boy - the tour guide did not disappoint. This brings us to what I'd say is currently the odds on favorite for highlight of the trip to date - lunch in Acre. After trudging through back allies, we found ourselves in front of a packed little hummus joint in the middle of Acre's Arab souq. 

"Our tasty hummus lunch in Acre's Arab souq"
Photo by Kristin Thompson

If its not already obvious, the team really liked lunch - even as it only really consisted of warm pita, veggies, and hummus. The restaurant - whose name I never quite figured out how to pronounce - was instantly dubbed by the group as the "Ben's Chili Bowl" (Hummus Bowl?) of Acre. It was just that good.

Leaving Acre, we departed for the final site of the day, Rosh HaNikra. Directly on the border with Lebanon, these white chalk cliffs and coastal grottoes are known as the gateway to Israel. Taking a cable car down to the sea edge, we were able to explore the inside of the caves - and get up close and personal (my wet t-shirt is a testament to how close I was) with the waves that have been crashing and forming this site for ages. 

"The team enjoying the seaside sights of Rosh HaNikra"
Photo by Kristin Thompson

This was a great way to end the day - and got us all excited about the adventures to come! Next up, this week we'll be working at the Technion in Haifa. Then on Friday we depart for a weekend in Tel Aviv.