visible views

Peace in the Holy Land?

The news from Sharm el Sheikh about the Middle East ceasefire is potentially very good - maybe it will amount to something and develop into a regional peace treaty as well as one between Israel and the Palestinians. Trouble is, it's hard for militants to let go of their way of life and learn the ways of peace. Time is not on the side of the peacemakers. It could go either way. And just in case you thought the militants were all Palestinian, think again. There are rabidly fanatical militant Jews living in Israel who don't want to give up an inch of the biblical land of Israel.

If peace breaks out, and lasts, you'll probably find that Israel, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria will become new hot-spot holiday destinations. People who have stayed away from the region will flock to it in droves and the potential for industrial and agricultural development will be immense. I'd love to go again to Israel, as a tourist, and see all the important biblical and archaeological sites. I left Jerusalem when I was four and when I was there between 1954 and 1955 I saw nothing very much except Haifa, when we arrived and left by sea, the coast road from Haifa to Tel Aviv, Tel Aviv itself, Jaffa Old Town and part of Jerusalem on a day trip.

Mind you, a holiday in Israel costs a fortune. It will never be a cheap destination because property prices are astronomical. That's one reason why the Israelis keep trying to build settlements on cheap virgin land. However, nicking the land off the local Palestinians on the pretext that it's not cultivated is a bit rich.

posted by longfuse @ 10:36 pm