Middle East - Anthony Ham [209]
The majority of Israelis, though, (around 76%) are Jewish, a tie that binds in a collective memory of persecution at the hands of the Holocaust, and in the state’s history of defending its existence against its mostly Muslim neighbours. The army, to which young Israeli men and women (excluding most Israeli Arab Muslims and Christians, and ultra-Orthodox Jews) are drafted at the age of 18 (men for three years, women for almost two), creates strong bonds of unity within its youthful population, though in recent years, growing numbers of ‘refuseniks’ are challenging the necessity of compulsory military service. There are increasingly options – mostly for women – to perform community service instead. Nevertheless, most Israeli men under the age of 40 carry out one month of military service per year, and there remains a strong sense of the necessity of constant defence against would-be attackers, fuelled by regular skirmishes with Lebanon’s Hezbollah, the Palestinian Territories’ Hamas and other militant groups.
Despite being planted very much at the heart of the Middle East, Israel leans toward Europe, and increasingly to America, in its lifestyle, culture and business proclivities. For Israel, inclusion in European events, especially the Eurovision Song Contest (a country-wide favourite) and the Euroleague basketball and football championships are a chance to commune with the neighbours on the opposite side of the Med. In the business world, too, Israel has forged strong and successful links to Europe and the USA. It had one of the world’s highest GDPs in early 2008, created by a keen sense of entrepreneurism and huge advances in the fields of high-tech and medical research. Large numbers of young Israelis still depart each year to study and work in Europe and the US; ask most, though, and they’ll tell you that they miss the sunshine, the family and the hummus, and that they’re planning to return home one day.
The Palestinian Territories, just across the disputed border, has a national psyche based on a troubled recent history of hardship, violence and deprivation. While Islam plays a major role in its worldview, its key defining characteristic is the desire for an independent homeland. For many civilian Palestinians, years of deprivation, unemployment, poverty and food shortages have led to a collective sense of desperation and powerlessness. For others, these factors still lead to a need to stand up against their ‘oppressors’, joining militant organisations in order to fight for Palestinian freedom, using any tactic possible.
Recently, increasing numbers of Palestinians have left home to seek a better life abroad: for example, Bethlehem’s Christian population has shrunk considerably, as those who have sought refugee status overseas. Like Israeli emigrants, though, their ties to the homeland remain strong, and many hope to return eventually.
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HOW MUCH?
Newspaper 10NIS
Dorm bed in guesthouse 35NIS to 80NIS
Internet connection per hour 15NIS
City bus ticket 5.50NIS
Museum admission 25NIS to 40NIS
LONELY PLANET INDEX
Litre of petrol 6.50NIS
Litre of bottled water 8NIS
Bottle of Maccabee beer 18NIS
Souvenir T-shirt 20NIS to 30NIS
Shwarma 15NIS
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Daily Life
Though Israel and the Palestinian Territories are, in many ways, like chalk and cheese, there are a number of elements of daily life that are remarkably similar on either side of the ‘security wall’. For both populations, family life is of prime importance; many Israeli families eat dinner together each Friday night, before the younger generation head off to nightclubs and the older generation to bed. Similarly, extended families are highly valued in the Palestinian Territories, and grandparents frequently live with or close by their younger family members. For both Israelis and Palestinians, religious holidays – be it Christmas, Eid or Rosh Hashanah – are the perfect excuse for big family celebrations, with meals, parties and barbeques stretching for up to a week at a time.
The second uniting factor between the