Colors of the Wind

"But still I cannot see, if the savage one is me, how can there be so much that you don't know?"

My time here in Jerusalem has been very reflective. Actually, it is one of the most reflective moments I have had in many years. The last time I was in Jerusalem I prayed for the clarity to enter a new era of my life, college. Mainly, by keeping my religion close to me in the ways that I see fit. Since that time in my life, I have spent most of my meditations focused on self-reflection; however, this time around Israel is less of a religious experience for me and more of a eye-opening experience. This Shabbat, I am not thinking about self-improvement nearly as much as I am thinking about Israel-improvement.

I have seen all of the major sites in Jerusalem and most of the lesser known sites as well. I logically decided that this time I wanted to explore areas I have not been. Instead of staying in West Jerusalem or the Jewish Quarter, I set up home in the Christian Quarter of the Old City. My goal was to visit more Christian sites and to go to "Muslim" (Palestinian) areas. Seeing the ferver of religious conviction from holy site to holy site since the moment I got here has really brought into perspective how important this city is to people of all three Abrahamic religions. It also became more clear to me how divided this city is. Just a ten minutes walk from the plaza of Western Wall, where you mostly find Hassidim, Israeli soldiers, and tourists, you can end up in areas of the Old City where the only people in sight are Arab. This area was forbidden to me in the past for safety reasons but I fear that sheltering me from these areas has only increased my curiosity now. The feeling there is much different and the people seem, at least to me, to be living in a much more difficult world. A world that I am not sure I will ever understand.

On Friday, I had the particularly interesting experience of visiting Silwan, the largest of 28 Palestinian villages in East Jerusalem, with a group organized by J Street U. I learned about the Jewish settlers and how they forcefully and unethically remove Palestinians from their homes in the name of repopulating the area surrounding Jerusalem with Jews.  The Israeli government allows for the extremist settler group Elad Organization to commit these crimes against humanity and provides police to remove people from their homes in the middle of the night. They use only mildly accurate and extremely one sided interpretations of archeological sites (particularly the "City of David") to prove their claim over a land that was not even occupied by Israel until 1967. People who live in houses that their grandparents built are forced defend themselves in court against the racist "Absentee Property Law." These people pay their taxes but are provided very few services from the municipality and cannot vote for the Knesset (Congress) members. The only park in the neighborhood Wadi Hilweh in Silwan, an area with 5,000 people, was built by an organization of the people living there, not the state. It was created on an open piece of land and was knocked down just two weeks ago by the government that should be protecting them, not hurting them. In this same neighborhood the only school they have is an after school arts program they started with their own money. I would encourage you to read up about Silwan before you visit the "City of David" archeological park that is on property taken from this village. The profits made on the site eventually go to Elad Organization. What they don't tell you at the information center is that the park is maintained by Elad Organization through a deal created between them and the Israel Antiquities Authority and that there are settlers houses on the site. Another thing the "City of David" fails to tell you is how controversial the findings on the site are. They state many theories as facts in order to promote their interests and to give reason for continuing excavation in places like the Givati Parking Lot. In the end, it is a way to justify taking land from Palestinians without compensation. I personally feel disgusted that I have visited this site twice without ever knowing the truth. If you would like to visit, I would suggest sticking to the parts of the park that are actually open to the public and taking the information of the plaques with a grain of salt.  **I am no expert on this subject and the information stated here is my opinion. Please take the time to look into this yourself if you are interested. Here is somewhere to start: Ir Amim Information Booklet on Silwan**

Please do not take what I have written as a sign that I have turned against Israel. I love Israel. I love being a Jew. I also believe in certain morals that have shaped me as a person and are being violated here. The lessons of Jewish history (i.e., all the times we have been discriminated against and treated unfairly) have led me to be very uncomfortable with the situation in Jerusalem. I had been to the City of David before and was totally oblivious to the truth behind the site. I refuse to believe that this deception and lack of concern for the well-being of others is what G-d wants. In this, the Holy City, so many unholy things happen. These occurrences are just considered routine here and are not regarded with much interest. A riot occurred on the Temple Mount yesterday and life just went on as usual. Most tourists remained completely unaware of the tensions occurring on the Mount, arguably the holiest place on Earth and the place where the Second Intifada broke out. Life goes on in the comfortable homes of West Jerusalem as the people of East Jerusalem live in fear and with anger.

As I walked back from praying with Shira Hadasha last night, I could not help to notice how much nicer West Jerusalem is compared to Silwan. I had never really thought about it before. Now I cannot help to turn my thoughts to all the other places I have visited. How about the Arab village of Old Akko that I visited on Monday? Yeah, there were some cool sites. Yeah, Hummas Siad was delicious. But what is life like there beyond the tourist attraction? What is the reality there?

The title of this post, "Colors of the Wind," is the name of a song from film Pocahontas. If you have somehow managed to avoid seeing or hearing about this well known Disney movie, let me know. I will be impressed. Pocahontas is loosely based on the story of how John Smith, a British explorer of North America, and Pocahontas, a Native American, fall in love. The song "Colors of the Wind" is sung by Pocahontas to John. She wants to know how he can be so ignorant and how he can think that "...you own whatever land you land on." Despite the glaring inaccuracies in Pocahontas, it is still part of the moral foundation laid for me when I was a child. I see many similarities to the behavior of certain Israelis toward the native people here. The explorers were like "settlers." They took what they wanted with no regard to the people they hurt in the process. I am ashamed to live in a country that grew from such injustice and I am ashamed that Israel has followed in the same footsteps. If occupation is necessary, then the State of Israel should treat those in occupied territories like we wish we were treated in Eastern Europe. Both the history of my people and nation have made it clear to me that what is going on here is wrong.

A second way American history has informed my feelings toward Israel is the Civil Rights movement. In the style and spirit of the words of Martin Luther King (who ironically, in my opinion, has a street named after him in West Jerusalem): I dream that one day all people living in the land of Israel will have the full rights of citizens, will be provided with the appropriate resources, and will be treated as equals.

I do not want to see Israel make the same mistakes America has or the same mistakes the oppressors of the Jewish people have. With a heart filled with concern and a mind burdened by disillusionment, I went to the Western Wall last night to pray for peace. Call me naive, call me young, call me an idealist. I do not care. I will keep believing that, as Edmond Fleg wrote, "...the promise of Israel is the universal promise." Because deep down inside of me, in the same place my love for Israel and the people of Israel comes, I feel the presence of a force greater than man. I feel the force that connects all men. I feel an inner peace that I want the whole world to know.

"He will judge the Earth justly, and it's people faithfully." Psalm 96