Petra, Rockets, the Mayor, and More Friends

May 13, 2023

Petra--Beautiful AND Uncomfortable. We took a 2 day trip from Jerusalem to see what is considered one of the 7 wonders of the modern world. Imagine if Bryce and Zion National Parks had cities built into them, with ancient shrines/temples/graves and revolutionary water management, then you'd have Petra. It was built primarily by the Nabateans but also utilized by Greeks, Romans, and various Muslim conquerors over the centuries. It was beautiful and inspiring. I had some great hikes, and the time spent there was great, if a little tiring. We also saw Jeresh, the ruins of an Alexandrian city from 2000 years ago. We were supposed to see Mount Nebo, where Moses looked over Israel and died before entering, but the pace was too slow, and we had to skip it.

But I'm not sure this trip was worth it. It was very stressful in a variety of ways. First and foremost, it's subtle but clear that Jordanians do not like Jews. One tour guide asked if we were "real Americans." Another just couldn't say the word Israel, even when referring to the ancient land, which he could only call Canaan. We heard child buskers singing songs about Palestine, and I can't imagine they were flattering for Israel. Add to the picture that the latest round of conflict with Islamic Jihad began while we were there, and our discomfort grew. It's also uncomfortable because it felt like people were always trying to take advantage of tourists--trying to sell you something at every moment, charge you for taking a picture, charge two people different prices for the same drink at a restaurant. It just wasn't pleasant.

The travel was also stressful in two different ways. First, for a long time we were not sure we were on the right trip. We were picked up at 6:30 AM at a hotel in Jerusalem, but it was a van and a taxi, not a bus. Everyone else on our trip had a 4 day tour, while ours was 2. Were we in the right place? No one answered the emergency number. The company took good care of us, but the communication was poor. Apparently, they combine all kinds of trips together, so we separated from our group and were given a private taxi ride from Amman (not on our itinerary) to Petra. We left with a different group to return to Israel. We were hoping to get a new 3 month visa, since we will be here for 1 month past the allotted 3 month tourist visa, but instead they told us we were trying to do something illegal, which was also a little scary. Many people have told us they have left and come back so they get an automatic new 3 month visa, but it didn't work for us. We will try again on a separate trip to Cypress or somewhere else that utilizes the airport instead of a border crossing by land to Jordan. But at least we got back in. We were concerned Israel might not let anyone back in while the bombs were raining down in the South of Israel. But we made it. It is not a place I plan to return to though. Speaking of bombs...

Rockets. Once again Israel is in a mini war with the Gaza Strip, this time primarily led by Islamic Jihad rather than Hamas. Israel has targeted leaders of the terror attacks, and the response is hundreds of rockets into primarily the South of Israel. I don't really want to spend too much time again parsing out the political aspects of all this. It's tragic on a variety of levels, particularly since innocent civilians die on both sides of the border. I don't think targeted assassinations really help anything, to be honest, but I think part of Israel's mission here is that when Jihad or Hamas sends rockets over to fire at civilians, Israel can then wipe out weaponry while it is still small enough to cause minimal damage. Without doing that from time to time, as tragic as it is, it keeps the conflict from becoming the giant conflagration many of Israel's enemies would like. There is a certain surreality to it all, though. The Red Alert app on my phone goes off constantly, knowing that people all over Israel are sheltering in fear, while I am out with thousands of others at restaurants and bars in Jerusalem as if everything is just fine.

A Visit from the Mayor and Others. There is a delegation from the Bay Area sponsored by the JCRC (Jewish Community Relations Council) visiting, including San Francisco's Mayor London Breed. The JCRC puts together these amazing trips, primarily to form mutually beneficial partnerships between the Bay Area and Israel, but also so various public officials and others can understand what the real Israel is like. The story they get from others, particularly in the left wing Bay Area, is often very distorted. Great to see my friends Dara Pincas (from TBA) and Sam Lauter (back to summer camp days at El Rancho Navarro) as well. We also got to hear an Israeli Poet and a Palestinian rapper perform some very painful, poignant, and passionate works. Really interesting evening.