Day Three - Tel Aviv and Jaffa

We had breakfast at the Sea Net Hotel where we are staying.  Right after breakfast we all met to have a reflections time, in which some amazing conversation ensued.  It was mainly hinged around our encounter with the spokesperson of the fire department the day before.  When asked about the role of women in the fire corps there, he said something to the effect of “we’re still in the middle east,” as though to imply that the role of women was still homely or centered around developing the home.  Our guide, Leor, seemed to counter this by clarifying that as long as ONE parent is home to raise the children, it is probably ok.  But the family unit is still of elevated importance.  We also discussed military service, the start-up economy that sells out quickly, and how Israel literally could not display the level of consumerism the U.S. has to support its large corporations because it is the size of New Jersey with only 8 million people.  A lot of really good conversation!!!

Just discussing life in the Peres center.

            After this reflections time, we got on the bus.  We drove past the beach, which is only one block away from our hotel.  We stopped at the Peres Center for Peace.  Shimon Peres was the president of Israel, is 91 years old now, and has come to symbolize the positive aspects of the Israeli state to most of the population (right or left).  He started the Peres Center for Peace as a non-political, non-government organization (NGO) that specializes in community development, creating positive interactions between ethnic groups, and fostering business relationships with schools and corporations of nearby Arab nations.  A woman named Adina (not sure about spelling) is their external relations coordinator, and she spoke to us for about an hour, telling us about many of their initiatives for peace.  She was maybe 30 years old, originally from Philadelphia, PA

Abbie (UNF) and I "getting friendly" in front of the Peres center.

(spoke English with an American accent), and very relatable to all of us students.  She answered any of our questions we had, even if they were somewhat touchy, and was not afraid to share her own political views (which were generally moderate and geared towards long-term peace).  By the end of her session, I think everyone of us wanted to work at the Peres Center.  I’m kidding.  But not really.  This was one of the most refreshing sessions we’ve had so far, and when she mentioned the word “internships,” I think we had all already been thinking it for about an hour.  We also heard from a man named Nadav, who runs a parallel organization to the Center for Peace called Peres & Associates.  This is actually a law firm and is the vessel by which Shimon Peres still has some influence in the political world. They work to improve policies and fight for justice that moves towards peace.  Also extremely insightful.

           

Abbie (UNF) and Natalie (Ohio State) posing on our beach walk.

After we left the Peres Center, we walked along the beach to Jaffa, which is the old city of Tel Aviv.  Tel Aviv was only settled about 100 years ago, and it was established mainly by Jews.  Jaffa on the other hand features structures that have been around since the 17^th century and earlier.  Jaffa is also primarily Arab.  The area was once home to a lot of crime and people of lesser character.  However at some point along the way, it was gentrified with artists, and is now full of artwork and artisan shops (not just touristy ones, either).  One such piece of art was an elevated orange tree that symbolizes the innovation of the Jaffa oranges, which were a specific breed of oranges local to this region.  These oranges could somehow stay frest despite long shipments, and they helped establish Jaffa as a place of trade.  We dispersed in a street-market section of the city, found some lunch, and then met back up.  I was very much reminded of Cairo in this area of the city.

A whale statue.  Jaffa is believed to have been where the whale spat out Jonah in the Bible.

The suspended orange tree.

Beautiful old doors.

Melanie (U Penn) and I being silly.  Natalie (Ohio State) got a little photo bomb here. 

The street market in Jaffa.

Shawarma!!!!  Yessss!!! I had this in Cairo and it is amazing.
They stack meat on a rotisserie and then shave it per serving.

Lunch family photo.  Natalie and Nathan (Ohio State), Abbie (UNF) and me! 

Natalie (Ohio State) and I found coffee at a bakery named Milk.  Abbie (UNF) photo bombs.

           

Maddie (Gonzaga) is just SO pumped
about Israeli independence.

After lunch we went to the Independence Hall, where David Ben Guiron was the first to sign the Declaration of Independence in Israel.  We learned all about how Israel had gradually formed as a British mandate and then requested independence after WWII.  There is a strong sentiment here that Jews around the world needed their own nation-state to advocate for them so that the holocaust could never happen again.  When they requested the recognition of a Jewish state from the UN, the UN approved a plan for one state with a partition of the land between the Jews and the Palestinians.  The original founders of Israeli independence seemed willing to accept this plan for the sake of having a state, though it was not totally favorable (It called for Jerusalem to be an international city with an international road).  After this was approved, but before the British mandate expired, Israel jumped ahead and declared themselves an independent state.  I’m still trying to understand if this was in-line with the vision of the UN, or if by declaring their own state, they violated the partition state plan.  They did this knowing that as soon as the British mandate was over, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and Egypt would all try to attack and come in to take their land.  Jerusalem was already under siege at the time of the declaration, so it was done in Tel Aviv instead.  The ceremony was very last minute and the version of the declaration was not decided until hours before.  It was signed in an art gallery that was once home to one of the original pioneers that settled Tel Aviv.  The site was beautiful and extremely insightful.

Left to Right: Raj (Queens College), Jared (Airforce Academy), Chad (Pace U), and Ryan (UNF).  In the Hall.

Made to look like the photos of the gallery that day.

            From there we went to Rabin Square and learned about the assassination of Prime Minister Rabin that took place there in 1995.  The killing was in reaction to his signing of the Olso Accords with Yasser Arafat.  He was attempting to move forward towards peace, but radical conservatives saw this as a move of submission to the terrorists.  His assassination was extremely important in Israel’s progress towards peace, as the general public was very remorseful for his death.  We spoke to some Israelis just walking around the square and many felt that this was a set back to peace, and that assassination was not out of the question again.

The actual spot of Rabin's shooting.

A random pair of shoes just sitting on the steps of City Hall.  Made for an artsy shot.

           

Dr. Wilf speaks.

We returned back to our hotel, but crossed the street to another hotel and went in their conference space.  There we met Dr. Einat Wilf, a former member of the Knesset (Israeli parliament) who also holds degrees from some of the best universities in the world (including PhD in Poli Sci from Cambridge).  She explained to us how Israeli politics work and told us about some of the opportunities she has had to work with Palestinian moderates.  Probably one of my favorite topics she addressed was the actual role of campus activism.  She explained that it actually has almost no influence on the decisions made on the ground, but only benefits a vehicle of learning.  She said once it becomes a mindless argument, it is useless.  She also had great things to say about how a perfect resume is not enough to get the dream job.  She said she has to go out and fight just like the rest of us.

            We ate dinner at the hotel, changed/napped, and then went out to a nearby bar for New Year’s eve!  And that’s where my blog ends… Haha Except for these two photos. Stay tuned!  Today we head to Jerusalem!

Abbie (UNF) Is-raeli excited for 2015.