Big in Israel: Why Jerusalem is holier than thou

by Matthew Firestone on

This week, Big in Japan is on vacation in the Middle East, and will be bringing you travel news and happenings from around this often misunderstood region.

Few places in the world can rest on their laurels quite like Jerusalem, the Holy City of the Promised Land that is home to some of the most sacred sites in Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Not unlike that really, really hot girl you bump into at the club, everyone seems to be fighting for a piece.

So how holy is Jerusalem you say? Well, let me assure you that it’s certainly holier than thou. While it’s difficult to fully appreciate the historical and religious significance of Jerusalem without ever actually setting foot there, today’s posting will hopefully shed some light on some of the old city’s most storied buildings and monuments.

Disclaimer: This is a travel blog, not political commentary. I certainly don’t have a solution for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, though I can certainly understand, on all sides, why Jerusalem is worth fighting for.

The Western or Wailing Wall – The western retaining wall of the Temple Mount is regarded as the most sacred site in Judaism, especially since it once surrounded the ‘Holiest of Holies,’ namely Herod’s Temple. However, following the destruction of the Second Temple by the Romans in 70 AD, Jewish worshippers have mourned their insufferable loss by wailing in front of the wall. A more modern practice involves slipping prayer slips into the cracks of the wall.

Dome of the Rock – Here is where things start to get a bit more complicated. In the centre of the Temple Mount is the Dome of the Rock, the oldest Islamic building that just happens to be resting on the former site of the Second Temple. Due to the sacred nature of this site, Jews are forbidden by rabbinical law to ascend to the top of the Temple Mount. However, Muslims regard the mosque together with adjacent Al-Aqsa (see below) as the third holiest site in Islam, primarily because the rock at the centre is from where Muhammad ascended to heaven.

Al-Aqsa Mosque – Here is where things start to get even more complicated. Also on the Temple Mount and adjacent to the Dome of the Rock is Al-Aqsa, a mosque from where prayers are 500 times stronger than at any other mosque outside of Mecca and Medina. Prior to his ascension to heaven, Muhammad rode on a winged horse from Mecca to the ‘farthest mosque’ or Al-Aqsa in Jerusalem.

At this point, the answer to your question is yes – the third holiest site in Islam literally sits on top of the holiest site in Judaism.

Church of the Holy Sepulchre – As if all of this wasn’t complicated enough, just around the corner is one of the most important churches in Christianity, especially since it is built on top of Golgotha or Calvary. From atop this hill, Jesus was crucified by the Romans, and later buried at its base. Since the 4th century, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre has existed as one of the most important pilgrimage sites in the Christian religion.

Needless to say, there is no quick and easy fix for the problems in Israel and the Palestinian territories short of more peace, understanding and dialog on all sides of the debate…

Intrigued by the Middle East? Want to know more about this often misunderstood region? Check out previous posts on the top sights in Dubai, as well as a how-to-guide for would-be travelers in the Palestinian West Bank.

Big in Palestine: How to travel safely in the West Bank

by Matthew Firestone on

This week, Big in Japan is on vacation in the Middle East, and will be bringing you travel news and happenings from around this often misunderstood region.

Today’s post will give you some tips on traveling in the West Bank, that swath of land sitting between Israel and Jordan that one day might compose the vast bulk of an independent Palestine. Please keep in mind that the security situation in Israel and the Palestinian Territories changes daily (sometimes hourly), so please use this guide as a general reference, and always seek local advice before doing something that your mother certainly wouldn’t approve of!

The once and future spark to the great powder keg that is the Middle East is Palestine, a historic geographical region located on the southern east coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The name itself actually dates to 135 AD when the Romans changed Judea to Palestine in order to incite tensions between Jews and the Philistines. Needless to say, not much has changed in the subsequent two-thousand years…

Today, Palestine refers to the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. You would need to have a serious malfunction to even consider stepping foot in Gaza, though traveling in the West Bank is a lot safer than the media would have you believe.

So, here’s how you do it:

From East Jerusalem, which is the large Palestinian neighborhood that sits beyond the ancient walls of the Muslim Quarter, take any Arab bus bound for Bethlehem, which sits on the other side of the security wall separating Jerusalem and the West Bank. Note that Jewish buses do not run to the security wall for obvious reasons. Once at the security wall, you must pass through a heavily militarized checkpoint, and you should expect some serious questioning by Israeli army and police.

Once on the other side, expect to be bombarded by taxi drivers. Even if you’re a fiercely independent traveler, it’s probably a good idea to strike up a bargain with a friendly-looking soul. Having a local guide, which shouldn’t cost more than US$30-50 a day, will buy you some serious peace of mind, and will provide some candid insight into the Palestinian situation.

Prior to the start of the infitada (uprising), the West Bank was a major tourist destination, especially since it’s home to the birthplace of Jesus, namely Bethlehem, as well as the ancient city of Jericho. Hebron and Ramallah, historic Palestinaian cities, are also extremely interesting destinations, as are the temples, monasteries and palaces scattered amidst the deserts of Judea and Samaria.

Although this should go without saying, it’s probably not a good idea to wear any obvious Judaic signs in this part of the world. However, most Palestinians you meet in the West Bank are extremely receptive to tourists, especially since they want their story to be told to the outside world. However, do keep in mind that emotions run high, so best to keep your politics to yourself, regardless of where they may lie. After all, traveling in the West Bank can be eye-opening experience, so best to come with a soft heart and an open mind.

Intrigued by the Middle East? Want to know more about this often misunderstood region? Check out yesterday’s post on traveling in Dubai.

** Special thanks to my mother for maintaining a fair measure of her sanity despite my love of adventure travel in dangerous places**

Are soccer players from violent countries more likely to get yellow cards?

by Aaron Hotfelder on

A new study [pdf] by three researchers purports to show that soccer players in European leagues who come from countries with histories of civil war are more likely to play violently on the field, as measured by their tendency to get yellow and red cards. Check out the chart here— and notice that the two countries nearly off the grid are Colombia and Israel.

So does growing up in a violent country mean you’ll be a dirtier soccer player? Well, not necessarily. There are, of course, a couple problems with the study:

  • As any Stat 101 student knows, correlation does not imply causality. Perhaps the soccer played in certain countries– Colombia, Israel, Ivory Coast, Georgia– is just more physical than the soccer in Europe.
  • Maybe the referees are biased.
  • Maybe the players are getting yellow cards for diving rather than hard tackles.
  • Maybe a lot of things.

Despite these apparent problems, I find the study ingenious and fascinating. As the study says: “Beyond providing a novel real-world measure of individuals’ willingness to commit acts of violence, this finding indicates that some aspects of national culture are persistent even when individuals are far from home in a different institutional setting, here, a professional sports league.”

More here.

Israel: Passengers must be seated half an hour before landing

by Iva Skoch on

Israel is tightening its security again, because of the fears following the recent death of a Hezbollah terror mastermind Imad Mugniyah, UPI reports. Passengers on all domestic and international flights landing in Israel must now be seated 30 minutes before landing. The prior security arrangements required only 15 minutes.

The Transport Ministry said it is giving the flight crew more time to spot suspicious passengers and to make it harder for passenger to hijack a plane.

I would think that “more time to notice suspicious passengers” should happen in the beginning of a flight, rather than at the end, but what do I know about airline security.

Big in Japan: Israel crippled by spring roll strike

by Matthew Firestone on

If you turn on the news these days, it seems that just about every other story is about war, violence and suffering in the Middle East.

And of course, at the center of most of these news items is the Holy Land of Israel, the powder keg of religious tensions that the whole world is scrapping to control.

But in the hopes of kicking off your week on a decidedly more optimistic note, I’ve stumbled across this amusing little news item that I think you’ll like.

Israel has dealt with its fair share of problems since independence, but now you can add to the list one more hardship, namely a spring roll strike.

In an event that makes foodies like myself recoil in fear, Israel is currently being crippled by a spring roll strike that could eventually spread to (gasp!) noodles and (brace yourself!) sushi.

The horror! The horror!

While Asian food has long been the rage in cosmopolitan cities such as Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, restaurants are taking popular dishes off the menu in protest.

What’s the subject of contention you ask?

Well, you’ll have to keep reading to learn more about this debilitating news item from the Middle East!

Last Tuesday, nearly 300 restaurants in the Holy Land refused to serve their customers spring rolls in any form, from Chinese-style fried vegetable rolls to Vietnamese-style rice paper rolls.

And, the food strike is on the verge of spiraling out of control, especially since eateries are threatening to cut Asian staples such as noodles and sushi from their menus.

The decision to starve their hungry patrons came in light of the government’s plan to limit the number of foreign chefs permitted to enter Israel.

Currently, work permits for Asian chefs are being cut, and next year the government decided that it will not grant any new permits.

Needless to say, with a clearly divided Jewish and gentile population, Israel has a bit of an identity crisis in terms of the religious make-up of the country.

Anyway, the Israeli Ethnic Restaurant Organisation (yes – this is a real organization) is currently waging a war against the government that may soon wind up in the Israeli Supreme Court.

According to Arnon Volosky, the head of the organization, “Customers say they are shocked and can’t live without Asian food. People have been asking to set up a petition to hand in to the government.”

Unfortunatley, the government is not keen on changing their stance, especially since they are committed to training more Israelis to become specialist chefs.

According to Shoshana Strauss, a government lawyer, “Everyone can make Chinese food, it’s not impossible to learn.”

However, the Israeli Ethnic Restaurant Organisation is not convinced.

“Some things you have to grow up with” says Volosky. “These restaurants come from a culture that we Israelis don’t have the skills or know-how or cultural behaviour to do well. You have to respect this.”

Agreed. Mr. Volosky and the Israeli Ethnic Restaurant Organisation – you have certainly captured my heart, mind and stomach.