I traveled to Israel in May, 2023 for a 12-day tour. At the time, demonstrations were ongoing all over the country as Israelis took to the streets to protest a new government proposal to reform the nation's Supreme Court. A proposal that was proving to be increasingly unpopular. At first, I wondered if these street demonstrations -- which we encountered in different parts of the country -- would have a negative impact on my stay, but I needn't have worried because they were all very peaceful in nature (at least, so far). Ironically, the protests became the least of my concerns. Five days before our tour ended, the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) launched an airstrike against Palestinian terrorists in Gaza, killing several prominent members of the Islamic Jihad, which prompted a swift retaliation by the militants who launched hundreds of rockets into Israel from Gaza over the coming days. Each morning I would wake up in my hotel room to the images on Israeli TV of rockets being blasted out of the sky by the country's Iron Dome defense system. Not the kind of experience one hopes for on a guided tour. I was amazed at how calm the country was considering the staggering amount of missiles being launched their way. I guess these skirmishes are a daily part of life for Israelis.
Despite all the drama, the tour itself was awesome. We stayed two days in Tel Aviv before traveling north along the Mediterranean coast to visit the Roman ruins of Caesarea and the gleaming white cliffs of Rosh Hanikra near the border with Lebanon. We visited the famous Crusader fortress at Acre, and ascended Mt. Carmel to have lunch in a Druze village before spending a night in the seaport city of Haifa. From here we spent two days in the Upper Galilee Region near the Syrian border, visiting the Hula Valley Wetlands, the sacred city of Safed and driving up the Golan Heights for a view of neighboring Syria. We traveled south through the Jordan Valley, making our way to the Dead Sea area where we spent one night. On our way to Jerusalem we stopped to tour the ruins of the hilltop fortress known as Masada, built by King Herod more than two thousand years ago. We finished our tour with a four day stay in the Holy City of Jerusalem. This tour allowed us to 'step back into the bible'. We visited not only the birthplace of Jesus, but also the spot where he was crucified. Although I am not Jewish, I prayed at the Wailing Wall, which is considered the holiest place in all of Judaism. Above the Wailing Wall on the Temple Mount is the Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa Mosque, considered one of the holiest sites in Islam. We experienced many other fascinating historical places, as well.
To access my photos simply scroll over the Israel icon in the New Photos section and a drop down window will appear, you can then select whatever pictures you wish from the list.
(Please note that my Israel journal will not be posted until late in the year because I am still working on my previous journal ).