Nablus is the second city of the West Bank in population and, like so many cities in the Middle East, it goes way back. The name is an Arabic version of its original name, Neapolis (New City) — it was founded by Roman Emperor Vespasian in A.D. 72. It’s a socially conservative city and feels that way. They say if you go to Egypt you must see the pyramids, and if you go to Nablus you must eat kunafeh — a shredded wheat, cheese, and syrup-soaked delight. I’m not one to put desserts in the category of ancient wonders, but kunafeh was the tastiest treat I’ve encountered so far in the Middle East. I made a point to eat it everywhere I could.
Nablus was considered a capital of terrorism during the Second Intifada. Its residents hit Israel hard, and Israel hit back hard. Its old town streets still show bomb damage. Today, Nablus feels unrepentant, and the town center is decorated with posters of what locals call martyrs. Looking into the eyes of these young men (many of them just teenagers) and seeing how they are portrayed heroically in such posters — and then imagining the anger and hopelessness of the poor street kids today — made me feel sad…and not very optimistic. But there’s always ice cream.
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Well, Rick, as you say, there’s always ice cream, as if ice cream is something god ( which I agree,it is).
Of course, the poster at TE bottom right is for ice cream, and is in…HEBREW,
Interesting. Their children rush, in their hatred of Jews, to martyr themselves, but their ice cream ads are in Hebrew. Shows you that this whole mess is…complicated.
Happy travels.
Did you take any photos of the kunafeh? It’s my favorite dessert, also!
Thanks, Rick, for this sobering post. You’re right–this situation is very sad. Your post has really helped me to realize just how the problems in this area continue to perpetuate themselves. Not sure what the solution is–I doubt anyone does.
I used to live in Nablus and spent time living in Balata. Thank you so much for showing this gorgeous city (and the occupation’s problems) to the world.
The ice-cream advert says “American Ice-Cream” and it’s an ad for a place in a fancy joint in Tel Aviv – I assume it’s a classic poster, perhaps from the 70s. That adds even more of the complexity to the situation.
I knew one of the martyrs in those posters – when I lived in this city the Israelis invaded every night. They would shoot people and drag them off to prison/interrogation. The city was surrounded by seven checkpoints a few years back – thank god it has gotten better and is easier to get in and out, but the Israelis handed many of their duties over to the PA army/police. You must see those armed thugs walking around the city. They were trained by the US at a military base near Jericho.
There are no “children rushing”, in hatred of Jews, to martyr themselves – at least no more than what Israeli Jewish children do. I don’t know what Dennis is talking about. Most of the martyrs were involved in their communities and people who felt an obligation to protect their homes in the camps, to which some were expelled after TWO displacements (’48 and then ’67). These people were more likely to be popular, political, and teachers – probably like Rick. Research also shows that fighters tend to be boys who witnessed the Israeli army humiliate their father in front of them – so in that respect their trauma is gained in childhood, but it is a bit dishonest to simply state that “their children rush into martyrdom”. You are aware that Israeli Jews all go into the military and the entire culture is steeped in militancy, Jewish supremacy, and straight up violence and racism expressed to non-Jewish others.
I lived in Nablus and Balata and now I live in Tel Aviv, where I have lived and worked for a number of years. Ask anyone who has had experience living in both cultures for some length of time – Israeli culture is far more extremist and violent. Palestinians in my experience are inviting, proud, and restrained to action – whereas Israelis are rude, arrogant, and quick to attack.
The solution is stop getting all goo-goo eyed about Israel. It’s not a Western country, it’s a Middle East country – so understand our behavior in the context of the neighborhood. However with that being given, stop giving BILLIONS to us. Stop giving us weapons. Stop blindly supporting our actions. Jeez – when you do that stuff in this region, it ends badly. Remember the Taliban? Al Qaeda? There is no reason Israel would be any exception. Force Israel to make one-state and become democratic and to drop the weird pretension of having an ethnically pure state. Jews have done very well here – they will survive – they will lead in the region – stop making it worse by supporting the delusional bits.
In 2002 or 2003 Palestinians made up a story about Isreal killing 500 people in Jenin. Every claim they make should be taken with a lot of salt.
When Woody says “martyr” he probably is referring to a terrorist. Contrary to their Oslo accord agreement, the Palestinians teach their children to hate Jews. The Palestinians even had a factory to manufacture belts for suicide bombers. The chcekpoints he complains about prevent Palestinians from smuggling bombs. The armed thugs Woody complains about are Palestinians.
Israel has to have all of its citizens join the military given the Arabs promise to wipe the country off of the face of the earth. The checkpoints Woody complains about are necessary to stop bombers. Ten years ago the Palestinians used ambulances to smuggle bombs. When the bombing drops off, so do the checkpoints.
The “displacements” resulted from wars the Arabs started in an attempt to wipe out Israel. The Arabs never set up a Palestinian state when they had a chance. Arabs and Turks controlled Palestine for centuries without setting up a Palestinian state, or even giving the area their own name.
The Palestinians are not “inviting, proud, and restrained.” Their president, Abbas, does not set foot in Gaza out of fear he would be killed. I doubt if Rick Steves will go to Gaza. Arrafat’s first attack on Israel was in 1964, before the Israelis took over the territory.
The U.S. give plenty of money to the Palestinians through UN relief agencies. Much of it ends up in Zurich. It is malicious to group Israel with al Qaeda and the Taliban; they have nothing in common. It was the Palestinians who cheered the 9/11 attacks. The grouping is also false; the US never funded al Qaeda or bin Laden.
Israel is already a democracy; it doesn’t claim to be ethnically pure. Arab citizens vote and have at least as many rights as Arabs in any Arab-ruled country. It is the Palestinian president who rules years after his term expired.
The “one state” Woody wants for Israel will cause its destruction. It will not survive if Woody has his way.
I find Woody’s comments interesting. Israel is bad, but where does he choose to live?
We see the same thing in the US and Europe. Many Muslims move to these western countries logically because there is something better there than their place or origin. They then make efforts to set up a society like the one from which they made an effort to leave.
It is interesting that Egyptians revolted against an autocratic despot, yet freely voted for another.