No visit to Palestine would be complete without a visit to Ramallah. The stated ambition of the Palestinians is to have their capital in East Jerusalem, but for now, Ramallah is the de facto capital of Palestine. I’ve already shown you Yasser Arafat’s tomb whose surrounding buildings serve as the home of the Palestinian Authority … Continue reading
It’s been a while since Israel and Jordan have been at war, but the border region between the West Bank and Jordan is nevertheless a grim place… …with plenty of mine fields and other obstacles to persuade the Jordanians that it wouldn’t be fun for them if they attacked Israel again. Not many people make … Continue reading
A view down into the city of Nablus from Mount Gerizim: Upon making the offhand comment in Israel that we were traveling to Nablus, the reaction was almost always one of horror and a warning that Nablus was full of militants and/or terrorists. I suppose this is somewhat understandable. The Battle of Nablus that took place … Continue reading
The road to Susiya… With all of the excitement in North Korea and Syria Boston at the moment, the protests and upheaval in the West Bank over the past few months has gone relatively unnoticed by the broader world. However, enough of you have noticed it that I have gotten several email requests for more … Continue reading
When I use the term “Occupied Palestine”, I am referring to the West Bank. Although Israel and Egypt have the Gaza Strip tightly encircled, Hamas runs Gaza. And if Israel does enter Gaza, they must do so with a full-scale military invasion. That is not the case in the West Bank, which is firmly under … Continue reading
Sitting in the largest and deepest basin in the world, the Dead Sea presents us with one of the most unique environments to be found on our planet. This sign is found near the top of the cliffs that drop down to the Dead Sea… But, with its surface now almost 1,400 feet below sea … Continue reading
It may not be quite as tranquil anymore as the above poster would suggest… However, the impression below that most individuals have of the Palestinian Territories of Gaza and the West Bank is not entirely accurate either: I will certainly get into that side of the Palestinian Territories in the future. However, before launching into … Continue reading
The Velvet Rocket 