Now that I have some time to pause and reflect on the Palestinian portion of my trip, I must acknowledge the valuable service of my two very competent guides.
In most countries where one visits, guides, particularly in Europe, are very well versed in the history, politics, art, culture of the lands they share with their visitors. For the most part, these guides are licensed by the country after many years of rigorous study about their land.
My two guides were every bit as well versed about the land I was visiting. They, too, were licensed after much study.
In Israel and Palestine, however, there are additional complications and one must have a guide familiar with how to navigate these complications. ID cards, vehicle registrations, passports, which roads are permissable, location of checkpoints, location of shortcuts, are extremely important.
My guides were excellent. I would like you to meet them.
On the right is Fred Shlomka who owns and operates Green Olive Tours. He speaks excellent English (he lived in the US for several years) but knows the intimate details of the the Israel-Palesntine conflict. Even though he is a Jew living near Tel Aviv, he understands and has sympathy for the plight of the Palestinians. He has a lot of personal stories and local knowledge to share which adds color and depth to his guiding.
On the left is Mohammad Barakat, a muslim who lives in Jeruselem and who has family living in segregated Palestinian areas of the West Bank. He is quite knowledgeable about the politics and even the law, legislative enactments, judicial decisions and practical enforcements and why they are not always aligned, which creates some of the anomolies one sees as he drives around the West Bank.
Although I spent more time with Mohammad, Fred organized the four day tour and arranged for me to stay with a a Palestinian family during the tour. That arrangement was, in many ways, the highlight of the experience. The family offered clean, comfortable, friendly and private accommodations in the European style but with the best of Arabian traditions and meals. Fred also arranged for me to meet very helpful people at NGO's working in this field and interview them at length concerning their role, their observations, their needs and their perspectives in and of the Palestinian-Israeli question.
They enriched this experience in very meaningful ways.
Dick
