Welcomed by separation

Our groups arrived at the beautiful modern Tel Aviv airport (which reminded me of Orlando's, with the fountain pool in the center). More than 30 of us breezed through passport control without a hitch; the grim balding agent only asked me if I were in a group. However, I felt vicariously injured because three of us were taken apart for two and a half hours of questioning before they were allowed to proceed. Driven by an understandable desire to bar possible undesirable entrants, the authorities targeted three of our people of color (although we had many more) probably because one wore a head scarf and another wore a turban. So much for a warm welcome.

Our guide Said

We met our charming and knowledgeable Palestinian guide Said, who accompanied us on a comfortable bus to the hotel. He explained the separation policy that bans cars with Palestinian plates from ever entering Israel. I felt almost imprisoned myself at one section of highway where the separation wall (ostensibly built by Israel for protection) hemmed us in on  both sides. There was attractive stone facing on our side of the wall, but Said told us it was plain cement block on the Palestinian side. He said the Palestinians  won a Supreme court case giving them the right to drive on a stretch of the highway in their territory, but it was a Pyrrhic victory because the army set up road blocks that delayed them for up to two hours so they never use it. We arrived in time for a delicious dinner at our hotel in Jerusalem, the stately St. George's Cathedral Guest House, after our welcome by separation.

St. George's