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The tiny nation aches from the perpetual conflict that remains rooted inside its unstable boundaries. Throughout the country there are some districts inhabited predominantly by Muslims, and others comprised mainly of Jews. Each group sticks basically to itself, and casually points its collective finger at the other when asked why true peace cannot exist in the region. The difficulties are so deeply rooted in ancient history that today's population seems utterly incapable of seeing today.

The today that I saw was only partly about historic ruins and religious sites. It was less about varying religious beliefs or ethnic backgrounds, and more about color and vibrance, diversity and charm. In each of the country’s corners, my senses were inundated by contrasting costumes, aromatic scents, colorful languages and ever-changing scenery.

Tel Aviv

On the sandy beaches of the most modern of Israeli cities, Tel Aviv, local teens in swimsuits play volleyball and dance Capoeira to the sound of beating drums. In the background, office towers and contemporary apartment complexes watch over the cool, dark waters of the Mediterranean, while restaurants, nightclubs and retail stores vie for the attention of locals and tourists in the streets. A brisk 20-minute walk south of central Tel Aviv brings you to the ancient walled city of Jaffa, where the more traditional Muslim community runs a flea market and various small businesses.

The North

North from Tel Aviv along the Mediterranean coast lies Haifa, a busy industrial town rising up against the slopes of Mt. Carmel. It is home to the country’s most brazen reminder that Judaism and Islam are not the only religions that consider Israel a central base. The Bahá’í faith’s spiritual and business center is here, perched in the middle of an immense, immaculately manicured and steeply sloping garden. An hour’s train ride north of Haifa lies Akko, another stone fortress on the banks of the Mediterranean inhabited at one time by Alexander the Great, the Egyptians and the Romans, and as of late, largely by Muslims. Wandering through the narrow, winding streets you are easily lost, then found, then lost again, but always intrigued by the faces and sights that lay around each corner. As with many of Israel’s ancient cities, a more modern Jewish community has developed outside Old Akko’s walls, and an army base on the perimeter reminds everyone that Israel remains a state on perpetual guard.

The northern-most tip of the country is home to the wine and war producing Golan Heights and the vast, freshwater Sea of Galilee, as well as a nature reserve and a modest ski-resort. A full-day tour will provide you with an introduction not only to the recent political history of this hotly contested area, but also to a series of ancient temples and ruins that tell the story of an earlier time, when olive oil was made using large horse-drawn presses and the world’s religions were still in their infancy. On a drive south from Galilee towards Jerusalem, visitors encounter yet another distinct member-group of the Israeli population, the Bedouins. Traditionally nomadic, they are now largely a stationary bunch living in tents along the sides of the highway with their sheep, goats and the occasional pick up truck.

The South

In stark contrast to the north, the southern half of Israel is dominated by the thick salty waters of the Dead Sea, the arid and inhospitable Negev Desert, and the hedonistic resort town of Eilat on the northern shores of the Red Sea. A mere six hour drive will take you through each of these incredibly distinct and unique regions, though each deserves to be explored for its own merit over the course of a couple of days. Surpassing all expectations, a float in the Dead Sea cannot help but impress and delight even the most inept of swimmers. The Negev’s immense Ramon Canyon inspires an equally intense though more humbling reaction, particularly at sunset when the rich colors of the rocky gorge come to life in a brilliant desert palette.

Jerusalem

And then there is the most controversial, and most engaging, of them all: Jerusalem. At the geographical, political and religious center of Israel, Jerusalem is a chaotic collision of sights, sounds and all other forms of sensory stimulation. In one moment you are surrounded by the traditional black dress of the Ultra-Orthodox Jewish male. A white shirt and four sets of white tassels dangling from the waist provide the only visible relief from the hot, black head-to-toe attire that custom demands. The women, much less frequently seen, are likewise dressed from neck to toe, although the choice of color and fabric seems to be their own. In the next moment you are awed by a bustling crowd of traditionally dressed Muslims with their loose, floor length galabia, sandaled feet and tightly adorned headscarves. Although women are seen almost as often as men, all you see of some of them is their eyes and feet, while others reveal their whole face and don brightly colored make-up to accentuate their beauty. Before you know it, there is little sign of religious dress and you are surrounded instead by smiling local youths in hip clothes with pierced navels and eyebrows, hugging each other with an obvious sincerity and mingling with travelers in broken but efficient English.

At the heart of Jerusalem is yet another ancient gated community, known as the Old City. It is a bewildering maze of narrow pedestrian-streets lined with churches, synagogues, mosques and countless vendors in tiny shops selling fresh produce, fish, meat, spices, leather goods, traditional clothing and house wares. Originally built in the mid-1500s, the walled city has been extensively renovated and is now divided into quarters: Armenian, Christian, Jewish and Muslim. Damascus Gate, the busiest of the seven entrances to the Old City, is somewhat of a hub, so you often see both Muslims and Jews in traditional dress, along with clergymen and nuns and a smattering of local youths and travelers whose religion, if they have one, is not revealed by their attire. As you people watch, you breathe in the mouth-watering scents of the fresh sage, rosemary and cardamom being sold by Muslim women seated along the edges of the walkway. You hear vendors loudly announcing their day's offerings and prices in Arabic or Hebrew. At a small eatery, you sip mint tea and snack on a freshly baked pastry while you tirelessly absorb all that there is here to absorb.

A fifteen-minute walk from the Old City’s gates is Mea She’arim, a classic Jewish shtetl – or ghetto – where the Ultra-Orthodox community keeps time standing shockingly still. A mere four blocks from there, in the more modern Jewish West Jerusalem, crowds of locals and tourists travel wide-open streets, dining on international cuisine, shopping for produce in the Jewish Market and listening to the driving beat of techno and trance coming from the stereos of cars cruising the strip.

The Point

And so they continue to wonder when and how peace will truly prevail. I wonder when it will too. I wonder when they will see that the differences that exist between them are the very differences that give their desert landscape its color.

Perhaps one day they will see the beauty that I have seen. After all, it is right in front of them.

Text and photographs © 2000-2002 Treva Braun

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