Crossing Borders

It was almost time to say goodbye to Jordan.  Over the course of a mere 6 days, I had been exposed to a history and a culture that was almost entirely new to me.  I had gained valuable knowledge and understanding of this part of the Middle East, not only through visiting some amazing sights from the past but also by talking to the Jordanians of today. The insights I gained shattered many of my preconceived ideas.  Many thanks to Nader, my superb guide, for enhancing this eye- and mind-opening experience for me.  I’ll always think of him as Jordan's unofficial ambassador.  

I admit that before I arrived, I felt the slightest bit uneasy about being in an Arab country.  I wasn’t even sure if I should reveal my Jewish identity.  That feeling evaporated almost instantly.  All of the Jordanians I encountered were gracious and welcoming. I’m especially grateful that our group had a chance to spend an evening with a Jordanian family at our OAT-arranged home hosted dinner on our final evening in Amman.  It wasn’t just the cooking that we enjoyed although I have to mention the menu.  

There was the usual array of mouthwatering mezze, followed by a main course of maclouba, which translates as “upside down.”  It’s a traditional dish made with beautifully seasoned rice, vegetables, and chicken, all cooked separately and then combined in a large pan before being dramatically turned out onto a serving platter.  The final course was a variety of homemade desserts, including honey-sweetened mini pastries, a rice pudding flavored with mastic and sprinkled with pistachios, and a refreshing chilled beverage that combined lemon and mint. 

Even more memorable than the food was the conversation with the family members (father, mother, and two of their four children, an 8 year old daughter and a daughter in the mid-20s). The younger daughter was a delightful helper who is already learning English at her private school.  The older daughter, Sarah, is a law student in Amman. Her American-accented English was absolutely fluent.  Sarah looked like she would fit in on any college campus in the US and was extremely articulate as she explained her goals of going to graduate school in Canada and eventually working as a human rights lawyer.  

As we all sat around the long dining table, no conversation topics were off limits.  We were especially curious about how women fare in Jordanian society.  Since the women in the family were not wearing hijabs, we asked who makes that determination.  The father said it was usually the husband.  There was laughter all around the table when Sarah and her mother vigorously protested that they would make their own decision.  

I was quite surprised by the family’s liberal attitudes and wondered if this was typical of middle-class Jordanians.  Not really, the father indicated.  Within his own extended family, there is some disagreement about how closely to follow traditions.  He explained that he listens politely to his more observant older brother, and then does exactly what he wants to do.  It was a good reminder about the dangers of generalizing about the people of any country. 

On the day of our long drive (3 ½ hours) north from Petra to the border crossing into Israel, we spoke at length with Nad about a variety of subjects, including religion, drugs, income tax, education (very important with a large number of universities), birth control (available to all), the economy (see below), and government (the king has final authority over the legislature and judiciary).

He noted several challenges facing Jordan today. First of all, there is a pressing need to improve the infrastructure.  Secondly, Nad mentioned the large number of refugees still entering the country.  Many years ago, Jordan took in a large number of Palestinian refugees (including Nad’s family), many of whom settled permanently in Jordan and became Jordanian citizens.  Nowadays, most refugees come from Syria, hoping to escape that country’s violence and turmoil.  It’s uncertain as to if and when they will ever be able to return to their home country. 

There are also economic problems related to employment.  Every year, a large percentage of highly qualified young people who graduate from Jordanian educational institutions are forced to go abroad to find employment.  Meanwhile, the Jordanian economy attracts workers from other developing countries to fill lower-paying jobs in the construction and hospitality industries.  

Lacking oil and gas reserves, Jordan struggles to find the financial resources to deal with the problems it faces. The country relies on tourism for a large part of its revenue. It also exports minerals from the Dead Sea.  

Speaking of the Dead Sea (the lowest spot on earth), after about an hour into our journey north, we began to descend in altitude.  Within a short distance, we went from 900-1000 meters above sea level to 400 meters below sea level.  The desolate rocky landscape closer to Petra gave way to fields being readied for winter planting of wheat and barley.  Orchards, groves of olive trees, and clusters of pine trees and cypresses dotted the landscape. 

The border crossing procedure was complicated but not overly time-consuming.  We arrived at the King Hussein Bridge (known in Israel as the Allenby Bridge) at precisely noon. After Jordanian officials examined our passports, which took about15 minutes, Nad bid us farewell.  He would remain behind in Jordan while we traversed a strip of “no man’s land” on our Amman-based bus. When we approached the Israeli checkpoint another 15 minutes later, we got off the bus, collected our luggage, and walked into the Israeli zone.  Once our passports were examined and our luggage was screened, we were free to go. 

With Alon, our new Israeli guide, in charge, we were soon on our way to the city of Tel Aviv.  As we settled in for the ride, he told us that we’d be passing through Israel’s three geographic zones:  the valley, the mountains and the coastal plains. That sounded like a lot of geographic change within a distance of less than 200 kilometers (120 miles).  

Our route took us through the West Bank (aka “occupied territories” or “Judea and Samaria,” depending on who is speaking). Media images of rock-throwing, flag-waving Palestinians, Israeli soldiers and army tanks, bulldozers and settlements came to mind. Was I really here in this area that I had read and heard about so often in the news?  It looked so deceptively normal as we traveled west on the highway, with Alon pointing out the city of Jericho in the distance on the right. 

He also called our attention to the color of the cars’ license plates. I looked out the bus window and saw some cars with yellow license plates and others with green plates.  The cars with yellow plates were carrying Israelis while those with green plates belonged to Palestinians. The type of license plate you have determines the parts of the West Bank you can enter.  

To explain further, Alon gave us a quick overview of the system of administration currently in place in the West Bank. As established by the 1995 Oslo II Accord, there are three designations for territories within the West Bank:

Area A – comprises 18% of the West Bank; includes eight major Palestinian towns and their surrounding areas.  The Palestinian Authority has military and political control.  Israelis may not enter these areas. 

Area B – comprises 22% of the West Bank; includes smaller Palestinian villages.  In recent years, there have been some Israeli settlements as well.  The Israeli military and the Palestinian Authority share security control here.  The PA is in charge of administration and policing of the Arab population while Israel has jurisdiction over Jewish settlements.  

Area C – the remaining area, comprises 60% of the West Bank.  More sparsely populated with the majority of Israeli settlements. Israel has exclusive control in this area.  

It sounds simple enough, but if you look at a map, you’ll see a complicated picture, as towns designated Area A are not contiguous with each other.  The same is true for Area B towns and settlements.  In other words, the large Area C surrounds the clusters of Area A and Area B towns and settlements.  

How in the world did it get this way?  I was so intrigued that I decided to do a little research.  In brief, I learned that Jordan conquered East Jerusalem and the West Bank during the Arab-Israeli War that followed the end of the British Mandate.  In 1950, Jordan formally annexed the territory and granted the residents Jordanian citizenship.  However, most countries didn’t recognize the Jordanian annexation as legal. 

East Jerusalem and the West Bank remained part of Jordan until Israel wrested control of them in the 1967 war.  Israel never formally annexed the West Bank.  In 1988, the King of Jordan relinquished his country’s claim to the West Bank, recognized the PLO as the representative of the Palestinians, and endorsed the creation of a separate Palestinian state.  After several unsuccessful attempts at negotiating a settlement, Israel and the PLO signed the Oslo I Accord in 1993 and the Oslo II Accord in 1995, setting up the system that remains in place in the West Bank today. 

As we approached Jerusalem, we quickly started gaining altitude, reaching nearly 3000 feet above sea level as we crossed the mountains just north of the city.  Traffic was heavy on Route 1, the major road linking Jerusalem to Tel Aviv.  Fortunately, it was still daylight when we reached our hotel, located just off Dizengoff Square (which is really a circle).  

The first thing I wanted to do after I dropped off my bag was to get a view of the sea before the sun set. Something indescribable was pulling me towards the Mediterranean.  As I stood looking out at the darkening blue waters, I had a deep sense of returning home. Was it the people who looked like me, or the signs everywhere in the familiar Hebrew alphabet?  It was actually more than that.  It was the realization that if I looked out far enough into the distance, I’d see the familiar shoreline of the French Riviera, taking me back to my life in France with Elliott.  He always spoke about his desire to visit Israel.  We talked about it for years, but kept postponing making travel plans because of his concerns about safety and security.  So it was finally up to me to make the trip for him. 

On the shore of the Mediterranean in Tel Aviv 

Sunset over the Mediterranean in Tel Aviv