Firstly, thanks to everyone for being patient. I haven't been the best at sending updates on my whereabouts and doings. However, I happen to be transitioning these days, so the time for a "hello" (and more) seems appropriate.
Where to begin...
Well, my time on Kibbutz Holit has come to an end. I'll be escaping the Negev heat not a moment too soon. Just last week we had consecutive days of scorching 40+ temperatures. Celsius, mind you. 104+ F. The sand literally fries your feet. I had a blister on the bottom of my heel the size of a 5 shekel coin, from the heat of the ground alone. I suppose I could wear shoes, but I wouldn't make a very good kibbutznik...
Speaking of barefoot walking, if there was ever a place to toughen them callouses, this is it. Every plant that thrives here happens to be covered in spikes, needles, thorns, razors. There is a weed that spreads flat along the ground, whose seeds are encased in what looks like a medieval weapon scaled down to lego-size. They cling to anything and everything, spreading their little torture devices all over the kibbutz. If you don't step on one, they find their way under your finger nail while weeding. Lovely.
Palm trees are equally dangerous. Surprised? I was. We cut branches once they hang too low, and then haul them to the dump with the tractor. All species here have spikes near the base of the branch, but one in particular carries a poison. Depending on where and how badly you are spiked, the consequences vary. My finger went numb for a day. Oren (the head gardener) once took a few in the leg, and his numbness lasted a full week. He claims that a gardener on a nearby kibbutz once died from this palm's poison. Whatever the case, a numb finger was enough to convince me that there is reason to take care.
If you manage to fight off the heat and spikes, perhaps you have an ounce of strength left to swat at flies. Perhaps not. Mind over body...
All of these inhospitable qualities might lead one to question what the hell I'm doing here. There is a cactus fruit called sabra. The word itself is also used to describe a Jew born in Israel. The meaning can be extended to Middle East culture in general. Like the fruit, people here tend to appear aggressive and thick-skinned; but upon further inspection, one finds sweetness and softness inside. Cheesy, but true. The harshness of the desert has my full respect, as do the people living here.
To change gears, just because I have respect for these people does not mean I sympathize with their beliefs. After following the world's painful and confused reaction to the Gaza flotilla, I hope I can shed some light on things (or more darkness).
To put it simply, the situation is far more complicated than most people realize. I read reports from Jerusalem Post (right-wing Israel), HaAretz (left-wing Israel), Al Jazeera (Arab), NYTimes, BBC, etc. The flotilla has been shown in a myriad of ways. I've been living next door, and I couldn't tell you which holds the most truth. Neither can the average Israeli or Palestinian. Even educated Israeli youth involved in the socialist movement, therefore highly aware of all things political in this part of the world, have trouble forming an opinion.
There are so many groups fighting for power within both Israel and the Palestinian territories, misrepresenting the majorities. These power-seekers like to throw blame back and forth, to no end. This is what the world sees. This kind of behavior is why a conflict is never resolved.
The common citizen is not immune either. I've met far too many Israelis who speak about Arabs in a way that makes my stomach turn. I'm sure the same is true in reverse. To take it a step further, there is violent segregation within each community. Recently, Haredim (ultra-orthodox Jews predominantly of Eastern European origin) refused the Sephardic community (Jews expelled from the Iberian peninsula in the 14th and 15th centuries) entry into a West Bank school. In the Palestinian community, secular Muslims (the majority, mind you) are threatened by fundamentalist militant groups. Within Hamas itself, leaders are assassinated by their own (much like Yitzhak Rabin, former Prime Minister of Israel, assassinated by a right-wing religious Zionist).
There are many colors, and these are only cracks in the tip of the iceberg.
But one must remember the sabra. I refuse to believe that people are innately evil. Israelis, Palestinians, Bedouin, Druze, Russians, Argentinians, Mexicans, Ethiopians, Sudanese have all approached me with open arms. There are over 100 recognized languages spoken in this country (which happens to be the size of New Jersey). A healthy forwardness permeates throughout, which at times seems remarkable and other times inevitable.
Maybe this is due to the fact that these people have been living a war for decades, and there is little energy left when it comes to small inconveniences. On the other hand, I read (the source escapes my memory) that this behavior (aggressive body language, harsh tone of voice, physical contact) is so easily overlooked because it has been part of the culture for centuries, a trait developed to allow wandering and settled communities to interact and survive in the desert.
Whatever the source, once you are able to desensitize (pause those Southern manners, Josh), there is a unique openness available here. And it feels great.
And with that in mind, I am leaving Holit to explore the rest of Israel for the month of July. West Bank, Golan Heights, whatever lies in between. I haven't planned too much (I've been busy thinking about Europe), but I'm confident that things will fall into place. It's a small country; I can't get too lost.
August 3rd. I will fly to Riga, Latvia, walk the city during my 14-hour layover, head back to the airport, and complete my connection to Vilnius, Lithuania. All things are subject to change, but following Lithuania come Poland, Ukraine, Hungary, Slovakia, Austria, Czech Republic, and Germany.
I hope everyone is healthy, well, doin' yo thang, shakin' the world...
yala