t wasn't a peace treaty or a handshake. It wasn't even a declaration from some government. It was a text message. A simple text message changed my view on the current situation in the Middle East...
The downtown area and specifically Ben Yehudah Street come to mind when one thinks of an entertaining area in Jerusalem. In the past few years, this area has been considered one of the most dangerous places in Israel, a place where suicide bombings occurred often throughout the Second Intifada. Because I'm on an American program, and all American programs in Israel must inherently put the concerns of the American parents first (read: security!), Ben Yehudah Street and downtown Jerusalem are off limits. In fact, the entire area has been off limits for Year Course participants for many years now. I never thought twice about not going downtown while living in Jerusalem. It was off limits for us, and has been for years.
One afternoon, waiting to decide what I would do for the weekend, my phone vibrated, alerting me of a text message. It read, "DUE TO RECENT SECURITY CHANGES, ALL CHANICHIM ARE ALLOWED TO GO TO DOWNTOWN JERUSALEM, INCLUDING BEN YEHUDAH STREET."
My first thought: Why was that all in capital letters? Israelis don't have the best English grammar, but they certainly know when to use capital letters...or so I thought.
My second thought: I can go to Ben Yehudah Street! I can go to all the café's and shops, the bars and clubs, all the hangouts that Israelis my age go to in Jerusalem. I immediately devised my weekend plans: go to downtown Jerusalem and see everything I haven't seen yet.
The next day, on the bus ride from Tiberias to Jerusalem, I had my third thought: What does 'recent security changes' mean? What has happened when the State of Israel is willing to send her American tourists to downtown Jerusalem again?
The puzzle began to take shape. Arafat died. A new Palestinian President was elected. I'm allowed to go to downtown Jerusalem. The picture that these puzzle pieces were forming is simple: peace in the Middle East. It's beautiful to just type that phrase. Peace in the Middle East. Peace in the Middle East. Peace in the Middle East. I love it!
With all these questions running through my mind, another piece was added to the puzzle. The history books will now remember the '2005 Sharm el-Sheikh Summmit' as the defining point where the Palestinians and Israelis declared an end to violence. We've seen peace talks before, most recently at Camp David (2000), Sharm el-Sheikh (2000), and in Aqaba (2003), but the newspapers in Israel revealed why things were different this time.
The Jerusalem Post ran a cover that read "Sharon, Abbas: This time it's for real," along with a picture of the two leaders shaking hands.
The Yedi'ot Aharonot ran a cover that read "A New Hope," with a picture that explained the difference. Yes, such optimistic headlines were exciting, but it was a picture of an Egpytian security guard that explained it all. Behind the letters of the headline, flying behind the security guard, were the flags of Israel, Egypt, and (very weird to type...) Palestine. For the first time at a peace summit, the Israeli flag was flown, and nonetheless next to the Egyptian and Palestinian flag. This is a sign of a new hope, of a new peace.
Israelis have learned to be a bit pessimistic with the peace process, as Israel does not live in peace and security even to this day. But Israelis are turning their heads. Here I am, living in Israel, experiencing the peace process unfold with all of Israel.
And the puzzle pieces continue to snap into place. Palestinian police are arresting, even executing terrorists. The Israeli Defense Force has ended its policy of targeted killings. Israel has released hundreds of Palestinian prisoners...
Maybe this time it is for real. Maybe this is a new hope. And just maybe, we will see this puzzle completed soon.
***
Addendum after the P'Guah at the Stage club
Sometimes you want to fit into Israeli culture so badly, even wanting to be Israeli. Sometimes I'm embarrassed when I find myself acting Israeli. Sometimes I act Israeli and hate it...
The only place open on a Friday night (Shabbat) in Jerusalem is Domino's. My friends and I had ventured to Domino's for late night snacks. Eminem was playing on the radio as the workers cleaned up the store for closing. At around 11:50, the phone calls started. Two workers picked up their cell phones and responded with Hebrew four letter words. Then our group got a call to head inside somewhere. Needless to say, Eminem finished his song before a newsflash came onto the radio.
There was a p'guah in Tel-Aviv minutes ago. A suicide bomber attacked people my age waiting outside a bar. I've been on that street and 'hung out' in that area several times. That's the place we all go to when we go to Tel Aviv. A hostel a few short yards away is where we always stay. The pictures are too familiar...
I painstakingly scrolled through my phonebook to see if anyone I knew could have been in Tel Aviv. Some knew and oddly enough, some didn't. Some had felt it. Some had seen it. We all crowded around the television. Since I now volunteer for Magen David Adom, I paid close attention to the response by the emergency medical services, noting the strict procedure that exists for a mass casualty event. We all know it, but never want to use it.
After so much of the news, so many numbers, and the same video clips replayed over and over, we all just wanted to sleep. Another p'guah was behind us...
Can one young man derail the process for peace? I hope not. We'll have to wait and find out how one bombing affects the peace process because in Israel, all it takes is one bombing.
With my frantic calls, eyes glued to the TV, and thoughts about how Israel would respond, I noticed something. Sometimes I act Israeli and I hate it...
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