When we drove down to Jerusalem from the Sea of Galilee, you’re basically following the River Jordan all the way down. And thus the Jordanian border. Which is fine. I been to Jordan, its all cool. But then you realise that if Jordan’s on your right, that funny kind’a checkpoint thingy that you just kind’a went through without thinking was in fact you (as in ME) passing into the West Bank. The Occupied Territories!!! Which is Israel, but not Israel. Some of it is governed by Israel, some not. Some has ‘settlements’ in, but you can’t see them. You go past Jericho, and Bethlehem, but neither offer entry to Israelis. There are warning signs. None of which specifically mention Europeans of a soon-to-be non-European nature.

Basically, you’re on a fucking road. Where it goes is to Jerusalem. In between, who cares? So we stopped for a coffee and to eat our lunch, which was kindly provided by our previous hotel, though they were unaware of this benevolence because we stole it from breakfast. And we had a lovely coffee, stolen lunch (who said there’s no such thing as a free one?) and sat there pleasantly in the sunshine. It was only a day later when we realised we’d been in the ‘WEST BANK!!!!’ that we decided to panic. Retrospectively.

Yet this is the reality of the Israel they never mention on the news. That there are terrorists and there are nutters everywhere in the world. Thank whichever God you like; they’re in a minority. Because everyone else just gets on with living. Together. As you see on the West Bank. No-one asks your religion, your nationality, nuffink. It’s just people.

And the most homogenous city in the world must surely be Jerusalem. Where there are hundreds of thousands of Jews and Muslims simply living together, going about their daily lives. And there’s Christians, FFS! Who invited them? Well, no-one, they came with the Crusades so someone could later write the hymn (and did those feet; in ancient times…). Though Jesus’s presence is strong here. He felt the force. Unfortunately it was the force of the Roman Empire. The church of the Holy Sepulchre is where Jesus died, was resurrected, did some other shit, and in the Armenian and Christian Quarters there’s lots of other churches too.

So you have the Dome of the Rock, the final resting place of Mohammed, and its Al Aska Mosque, just behind the Western Wall. And you have churches. And all, if not exactly harmonious, at least superficially getting along just fine. And peace will return when the Messiah comes. The only question will be: ‘whose Messiah?’ So many to choose from.

Meanwhile I’ll be in a cafe in the Arab Quarter eating hummus and felafel.

Happy Tuesday

A xxxx