Pitom Baanu

Really looking forwards to be going able to go more than 20 minutes without hearing this song being blared from the radio, car stereos, cell phones, my neighbors room, etc. Also, having some smug 16 year old kid on a skateboard shout “tarimu yad” (raise your hands) at me while I’m trying to walk up a hill with my groceries in 35 degree heat

Visual Runoff

I haven’t really been using my film camera all that much, mainly cause I’m not the best photographer and I brought a crappy 100$ Nikon digital camera (which no longer works) with me anyways. These photos were taken between mid-May and early August on the same roll of film. I got them developed earlier this week and noticed that like, the whole roll was totally fucked up. Some of the pictures came out really cloudy and dull, no contrast at all. Others were heat damaged, a few of the frames seems to have melted into each other and some were burnt through entirely. I also don’t think the developer did very good job of exposing the film. I guess three months sitting in the heat next to my window sill wasn’t really all that great for the film. Anyhow, these are the photos that came out somewhat alright.

My cousin Shai

My cousin Efhrat in her backyard in West Jerusalem

From one of the Black Lips show- Inbal, Gal and Nira, I think

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These photos were taken by my co-worker Kfir in the resort town of Eilat, during our “workplace bonding” weekend. In the distance you can see Aqaba, a Jordanian port town

The Red Sea

Taken by Kfir

Still Kfir

This was taken by me. On the left is my Australian co-worker Emma dancing with a random girl at some awful club we went to in Eilat

Today In Palestine

Recent Background of the Old City in Brief

The Old City of Jerusalem is located between the modern cities of West (Jewish) Jerusalem and East (Arab) Jerusalem. The ancient Old City has traditionally been split into 4 quarters: Jewish, Armenian, Christian and Muslim. In the 19th century, the growing population of Jerusalem- particularly in the densely populated Jewish and Muslim quarters- began spilling out beyond the city walls leading to the creation of the modern cities of West/East Jerusalem. In 1917, the British Army captured Jerusalem from the Turks, who had ruled the city since the early 16th century. From 1917-1947 the British controlled Jerusalem, as part of the British Mandate of Palestine. However, rising tensions between Arabs and Jews in the Mandate, as well as an increasingly vicious guerrilla war waged between British forces and Jewish militias, created a tenuous position for the British, who eventually decided to quit the Mandate in 1947. The United Nations was charged with coming up with a solution to the Palestine problem, issuing a Partition Plan that provided for an Israeli and Palestinian state with Jerusalem becoming an “international zone”. However, in the wars immediately preceding and following the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, Israeli and Arab forces fought for control over the Old City. Ultimately, the Jordanian Arab Legion- the most effective Arab force, trained and equipped by the British- succeeded in establishing Jordanian sovereignty over the Old City. For the next 19 years the Old City was a sort of fortress/no mans land between Israeli West Jerusalem and Jordanian East Jerusalem. During the 6-Day War of 1967, however, Israeli forces took the Old City- along with East Jerusalem and all of the West Bank- from Jordan. Since then, Israel has continued to occupy and administer the Old City. It remains one of the central obstacles to achieving peace between Israelis and Palestinians.

The Muslim Quarter

The Muslim and Jewish Quarters have traditionally been the most residential and therefore densely populated quarters of the Old City. The Christian and Armenian Quarters house mostly foreign monks, nuns, pilgrims and priests who administer and maintain the many Churches and seminaries located there. The Jewish Quarter isn’t much to look at as most of it was rebuilt in recent decades following its destruction during the fighting in 1948 and by the Jordanians in the following years. However, with its bustling markets and twisting alleys, the Muslim Quarter has retained much of its original character. Walking around the Muslim Quarter was the first time I’ve really felt out of place while here. You can feel immediately upon entering the Muslim Quarter that you aren’t in Israel anymore. Despite that West Jerusalem (or the Jewish quarter for that matter) is a stones throw away, you feel like you are in a very different world. So, welcome to Palestine.

This sign says that the person living in this building has performed the Hajj to Mecca

You see jewelry stores all over the Muslim Quarter. I asked a passerby why there are so many stores selling jewelry and he told me that people here invest their money in gold because of how often the political regime and currency changes (Turkish, British, Jordanian and Israeli in less than 100 years)

Mixed Signals

Damascus Gate- the largest gate in the Old City, leads to East Jerusalem

Israeli border police stationed outside Damascus gate- A less than subtle reminder to the Palestinians about who is in charge

Jaffa Flea Market

In the Jaffa Flea Market (shouk ha’pishpushim)

Lots of carpets for sale

Lebanese pop star Hayfa would be shocked to learn she is the “#2 best seller” at Yossi’s cd shack

A bike helmet, a broken vcr, some porn videos, some hats, a cordless phone and a witch doll

On sale for a shekel at the flea market; the sad end of Moshe Dayan

Songs that your mom and dad sang

A Moroccan restaurant

“Famous Rabbis of Morocco”

Tourist losing his money at 3-card monty The guy in the center and on the right were in on the scam

So was this girl

Prayers in a store

A Mosque

Ben-Gurion

Heres a weird sight. Four American guys from St. Louis, an Arab-Israeli from Haifa and an Israeli-Jew from Tel-Aviv. Apparently they were part of some circus for peace (no joke) traveling around Israel doing shows and whatever, for peace

From left-right: American, American, Israeli-Jew, Israeli-Arab, American, Israeli-Arab, Israeli-Jew

Dudes sitting around playing cards, a popular sight in the flea market

These guys were at it all day

Sheshbesh with a rifle

Said Aboulafia famous Arab Bakery

Jaffa Clock Tower, built by the Turks in the early 20th century

Shakshouka, a staple Israeli dish

A Floating Hat

Sweet Bike

Jaffa Beach, Tel-Aviv in the background