Bethlehem Walk

After dinner last night I took my walk to Bethlehem. What a sobering experience. The wall between Israel and Palestine is an ugly experience.

Once I found out where I was supposed to enter I made it through the check-point without a problem. After showing my passport to the guard behind bullet proof glass I was sent across a "no man's land" and through the wall. A walkway with iron bars on either side spit me out in a very poor area of Bethlehem. Since the wall went up, the shops in this area have lost a lot of business since people can't come from the north to shop there. The wall on the Palestinian side is covered with artwork/graffiti calling for freedom and the removal of the wall. I found the location of this peace pole ironic (or perfect) with the gate of the wall in the background. I didn't make it too far into Bethlehem since I wanted to get back through the checkpoint before the sun set. I'm glad I did. The return to the Israeli side was more difficult and humbling.

I'm sure I will see another side of Bethlehem in the course of my class, but there was nothing pastoral or peaceful about this Bethlehem experience. It did, however, motivate me to do some research on the wall and the tensions in this area when I got back to my room in the evening.

I've now moved out of Tantur and have arrived at Jerusalem University College. I will check into my hotel after lunch. Class starts tomorrow at 8:00 a.m.