Visiting Jerusalem: A Tourist in the Holy Land

During my recent press trip to Israel, I saw a side of Israel rarely presented via the mainstream media channels. According to our Israeli tour guide Ikey Korin (http://www.israelguidedtour.com), when the majority of American journalists come to Jerusalem, they stay at the city's finer hotels and dine at some of Israel's upscale eateries. Their days are spent running to the West Bank or following the dignitary of the day around. Then they return just in time to give their broadcast from the Mount of Olives with the Dome of the Rock glistening in the background.

Yes, that's a story but in the interest of presenting what Fox News terms, "fair and balanced" reporting, I have to wonder why they never seem to present human interest features that highlight the other side of Israel?

When I first arrived at Ben Gurion Airport, I wasn't sure how this predominantly Jewish country would accept me. After all of Israel's 6,990,700 citizens, only approximately 146,000 are Christian, and most of those are Arab Christians. Suffice to say though, even though I've lived in New York City for most of my adult life, I never had a nice Jewish doctor ask me for my phone number until I visited Jerusalem. 'Nuf said.

When I traveled to the Holy Land as a tourist recently, I got to experience the Israel that Ikey, and my Arab driver, were proud to call their home. From the ruins of Masada to the hills of Megiddo (Bring on Armageddon!), the biblical history came to live amidst these ancient ruins. As I saw fishermen casting their lines in the Sea of Galilee in search of St. Peter's fish (tilapia) and witnessed a new convert being baptized in the River Jordan (http://www.yardenit.com), or floated in the Dead Sea, I would feel the power behind these holy waters.

One of the many highlights was a dinner at Neve Midbar (http://www.neve-midbar.co.il/index2.html), a West Bank spa and restaurant managed by a German Jewish woman, who lived in a kibbutz for the past 25 years. She described to us how Israeli and Arab groups frequent her restaurant with limited problems. I gather that some of the more repressed Muslims react to Israeli girls in bikinis the same way Southern Baptist boys get the first time they see their daddy's Playboy.

A small contingency of us went on our own to Bethlehem where once we passed security, I met another group of people who seldom make the news. There's so much more to Bethlehem than breeding bombers though you'd never know it form some of the mainstream news coverage.

Then there's the food. I was a moderate fan of Middle Eastern food but mainly because I never had freshly made hummus, tabbouleh, and falafel. As much as I enjoyed the David Citadel Hotel's (http://www.tdchotel.com) Israeli breakfasts, nothing beats having your driver take you to what he claims is "the best falafel in Israel." Something tells me heaven is sitting on the sidewalk in the Mea Shearim (ultra-Orthodox Jewish) section of Jerusalem eating a freshly made falafel pita bread sandwich until the juice soiled my black pants.

Coincidentally, Condoleezza Rice was staying at the David Citadel Hotel during my stay in Jerusalem. (I knew when she was in the Presidential suite holding court because my bags were inspected upon entering the hotel. If she had left the building, I only had to give my room number to gain access.) As I saw her motorcade cascade with the white van packed with news makers bringing up the rear, I wondered if Condi has ever been able to explore this country that in only one short week, I had come to love.

Now, I admit that I too have an imperfect snapshot of this country. (Hence, the desire to return to soak up more of the culture.) In particular, as I did not speak with any political leaders or venture into say Ramallah as did those news hounds who followed the US Secretary of State around like lapdogs, my view does not represent the full scope of this country either. But what I was able to see during my week's stay has me yearning to return.