Day One, by Chad!
It's only our first full day in Israel and I've already started to tackle my main goals that I have for this trip - meeting new people (both Israelis of various backgrounds and fellow American students) and challenging my views. We've also covered an impressive amount of territory since yesterday afternoon; after landing at Ben Gurion airport in suburban Tel Aviv I resisted a tempting nap and enjoyed the scenic drive to our moshav in the north of the country, as we first passed by towns on the eastern periphery of Israel proper before then entering the Galilee region. The moshav (small farming community similar to a kibbutz) that we are staying in is Amiad which is known throughout Israel for developing an innovative water treatment system - water availability is of great importance in this relatively arid country. Before we were finally permitted to succumb to our jet lag we enjoyed our first dinner, which included some tasty schnitzel and kibbeh, at Amiad.
We had an early start this morning as today was our 'Golan Heights day' and my first chance to explore this beautiful and strategic piece of contested territory. For those family and friends who don't know, the Golan Heights are located at the intersection of Syria, Lebanon, and Israel, in the far northeast of the country. From 1948 (Israel's establishment) until 1967 (when it was conquered by Israel) it was administered by Syria and its high elevation provided optimal conditions for Syrian incursions into Israeli territory. The Golan Heights are also a major source of freshwater in the region and much of Israel's water flows in from there, making Syrian diversion or contamination of streams originating in the Golan Heights a threat to Israel's welfare. My understanding of the importance of the Golan Heights to Israel's security was broadened as we drove into them; even when deep into the territory we could view all of the Sea of Galilee (the largest body of freshwater in Israel and the Middle East), including Tiberias, one of the four holiest cities of Judaism.
Our first excursion was to the Zavitan stream, which we hiked along before arriving at the Meshushim Pool, a small lake surrounded by hexagonal volcanic rock formations, for a swimming break. From there we drove up Mount Bental, a dormant volcano that overlooks the border with Syria, to gain more perspective on Israel's relations with its neighbors. At the top were bunkers that we explored as well as a clear view into Syria, including the abandoned town of Quneitra, which has been subjected to fighting between the Assad regime and rebels, as well as a UN base. We were also able to see the slopes of Mount Hermon, which is the highest point in all of Israel and home to the country's only ski resort (winter only, of course). Before descending we also had the chance to speak with two UN peacekeeping volunteers whose entire job is to keep an eye on developments in Syria by looking through binoculars.
From Bental we drove to Katzrin, which is known as the capital of the Golan and is the second largest locality in the territory after Majdal Shams (a Druze town near Mount Hermon) and the only Jewish city there, with a whopping 7,000 residents. There we enjoyed lunch at an eatery that claims to serve the world's best falafel - it was pretty good! After we left the Golan Heights and drove to Kfar Blum for rafting on the Jordan River. On the dozens of rafts were an array of people - American birthright participants, Israelis, and Palestinians, all sharing in the fun while others were having barbecues on the river bank. When we finished rafting it was already late afternoon and time to head back to Amiad to prepare for our first shabbat in Israel!
