Haredi Matzo

I took a trip with some colleagues from work today to visit the Haredi community in Jerusalem. We first went to the Belz Synagogue (click the "Belz" link for an interesting history lesson), which was HUGE. It can accommodate 10,000 worshipers, has nine levels, and has a bunch of chandeliers that weigh 1,900 pounds each and provide acoustics for the hall. Pretty amazing. Oh, and the Rabbi and members of the synagogue helped construct the building.





We also went to a Haredi matzo making outfit in the ultra-religious Mea Shearim neighborhood. Check out the video.

Prime Minister Olmert

I'm actually not a huge fan of meeting famous people, but I'm sure I'll look back on it and appreciate having captured the experience in a photo.

This is me with the Israeli Prime Minister. No, I don't just ring him up and talk Middle East peace. Instead, I do (as one part of my job) all of the logistical and administrative prep work for Senators and Members of Congress who visit and I get to sometimes get in the high-profile meetings.

CODELs

One of the tasks of a US Foreign Service Officer is to help arrange and see through visits by VIPs. When a Senator or member of the House of Representatives visits, it's called a CODEL (COngressional DELegation). A lot of the work, frankly, is pretty tedious -- putting together meetings, arranging rides, etc. At least for the first few I've done, though, there are some redeeming elements, which include sitting in on meetings with the highest-level folks and waiting out on the airport tarmac for their fancy planes to arrive. I just hosted a group of seven House members and I got to meet the Prime Minister (for a second time, but this time I got my picture taken with him and I will post it as soon as they send it to me) and the person who is likely to be the next Israeli leader in about 4 weeks (Benjamin Netanyahu).

Another interesting thing is to go pick them up at the airport. Okay, it's really only interesting the first time you do it. Anyhow, you get to go on the tarmac at the airport as their military jet lands and they exit the plane straight into our awaiting vehicles. Here are a couple of pics (some El Al jets in the first, then the 737 my last CODEL flew in on).

Israeli Elections

Israel's parliamentary elections take place on 10 February. I don't have much to compare this year's elections to, but it seems pretty muted. The conflict that ended last month in Gaza probably had something to do with it. Right now it seems Likud is poised to win a plurality in a very fractured Knesset (the name of the Israeli legislature). That means former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu probably will return to that role in about a month after he forms his coalition government. The big question will be -- who will be in the government. That's what we'll all be waiting to find out.

In the meantime, I've posted some election campaign posters. Take a look. Ask me any questions you have.

http://picasaweb.google.com/mpearl055/2009ElectionsInIsrael#

Jerusalem again!

The weekend between Christmas and New Year's found me in Jerusalem again. I had to work on a visit from a senior US official, so the Embassy put me up in the David Citadel hotel (where Condoleeza stays when she's in town), just outside the Old City. After spending much of the day in preparations for the Senator's visit, the hotel's well-stocked executive lounge was a welcome dining spot just down the hall from my room.

A few strokes of luck got us on a very exclusive tour the following morning. First, I more or less got off the hook in terms of work for Saturday and second I happened to contact a friend who works at the Consulate in Jerusalem who happened to be taking some people on this tour and some of the intended participants happened to cancel since the tour was originally scheduled for Sunday and had been moved at the last minute to Saturday. So, just like that I had a plan to visit the Temple Mount, Dome of the Rock, and Al Aqsa Mosque which are typically closed to non-Muslims.

The Dome of the Rock marks the place of the tip of Mount Moriah, the place that Genesis proclaims that Abraham prepared Isaac for sacrifice. And, like all places of great historical interest, it was under major renovations inside at the time of our visit. Instead of Abraham and Isaac, we found buckets and scaffolding atop the famed mountain. The interior was still breathtaking and highly recommended. The mosque was also beautiful, with high ceilings and tall white columns and windows allowing rays of sunlight to brighten the expansive space.

After this tour we visited the Western Wall again. It was much more animated this time since it was Shabbat. The men's section was positively filled with devotees visiting the wall. The women's section was about equally filled as the previous visit. The men had various factions separated (by outward appearances) according to manner of dress: there were those in the typical black suits with hats and curls, there were those with the suits and large furry Russian looking hats, those in more modern dress wearing yarmulkes or berets, and those in various long robes and headcoverings. Each group had its own set of songs and ways of worship, and at times it seemed one group would try to outdo the rest by singing louder and more emphatically than the next. One guy in a long robe, seemingly on his own, stood at this makeshift pulpit and was seriously getting down. I mean, this guy had rhythm! And he was letting everyone know about it. We might have a photo of this scene, but it's strictly verboten, so I'm really not sure how it got on our memory card.

After the Old City, I headed over to the Israel Museum and Shrine of the Book to see the Dead Sea Scrolls. It was really neat to see these ancient remnants. They also have a model of the Old City during the Second Temple Period (when the Jewish temple sat on the Temple Mount instead of the Dome of the Rock and the Al Aqsa Mosque...destroyed by the Romans on August 4, 70 A.D.--Not sure how they have the exact date, but whatever...)

On our way back to the hotel, I got a text message that the IDF had invaded Gaza. It marked the beginning of daily uncertainty about the war's future as well as the second time war broke out during a stay in Israel, causing my family here to later remark (jokingly) that it is my fault.

A friend in "modest dress" outside the dome.

The tip of the mighty Mount Moriah...

Inside the Dome (the part that isn't being renovated).

Inside Al Aqsa Mosque.

Western Wall on Shabbat (and during Chanukkah).

Oddly enough, the Israel Museum did not have a coat check, but it DID have a weapons check!


Model of the Old City with the Second Temple on top of the Temple Mount.

Covering All Views

Part of my portfolio out here is covering the rightwing parties in the Israeli Knesset. That is how I ended up at a conference in Jerusalem last Sunday, which was entitled, "Facing Jihad." The conference was sponsored by Eryah Eldad, head of the HaTikva ("The Hope") party, who focuses almost exclusively on ensuring that Jews can settle throughout what he calls "The Land of Israel" -- all the land between the Mediterranean and the Jordan River. This territory includes the West Bank, which most of the rest of the world considers occupied Palestinian territory.

The conference focused on publicizing the "threat" these individuals feel that Islam or "Radical Islam" poses for the West. The big name on the marquee for this event was Geert Wilders, a far-right Dutch parliamentarian with flowing, bleach-blonde hair who produced a film linking violence with Islam. Critics labeled the short film -- "Fitna" -- as racist, while others threatened to kill Wilders. The Dutch MP, taking the threats seriously following the 2004 assassination of fellow countryman and critic of Islam Theo Van Gogh, travels 24/7 with a team of bodyguards, several of whom surrounded him during his presentation.

The conference provided a useful insight into one segment of the Israeli polity. I would have preferred, however, if there had been more of a give and take with critics of this strain of thought.