We're finally in Jerusalem. During our 20 hour layover in Warsaw, we met a really cool Pole named Alec, who showed us around, and took us to the site of the Jewish Ghetto. When we went to check in for our flight from Warsaw to Tel Aviv, security immediately took us away for questioning, and a very thorough search of or baggage and persons. After two and a half hours of questions, we were finally allowed to board the plane.
We got into Tel Aviv, and checked into our hostel, without much trouble. While we were there, B and I got into a discussion with two Israelis (one who had just immigrated from NY), who insisted that Israel didn't have any homeless or drug addicts. Within ten minutes of the conversation ending (when they revealed themselves to be racists), we saw two or three homeless men, and had these two junkies try to sell us heroin. No drug or poverty problems, eh?
We arrived in Jerusalem yesterday (Friday) afternoon, and the Israeli Police were preventing ALL young men from attending weekly prayers at Al-Aqsa, so the streets around the Damascus Gate were full of people who had been turned back by the "security" forces. Needless to say, the Palestinians I spoke to were incensed by the arbitrarily repressive decision to ban young men from practicing their religion.
We start ISM training on Tuesday, then the real work begins.
In Solidarity- R
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