Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
illustrated by the phenomenon of
Dana International, the flamboyant
transsexual singer who won the 1998
Eurovision Song Contest. It was a
victory greeted with
pride by a part of
t
he nation, while to the religious
sector it served onl
y to confirm “the
secular sickness of Israel”.
An even more contentious issue is
ownership of the land. Israel bases its
right to exist on an ancient covenant
with God, related in the Old Testament,
in which this land was promised to the
descendants of the Jewish patriarch
Abraham. This is a covenant, needless
to say, that is not recognized by
the Palestinian Arabs, who have
their own claims on the terri-
tory, based on centuries of
occupancy. During the 20th
century four major wars
were fought between
the Arabs and the
Jews. The problem is
still far from being resolved.
Conflict is no stranger to
the region. Since the Hebrew
tribes first emerged from the
desert around the 12th century
BC, this has been one of the
world's most turbulent
neighbourhoods. Every
major Near Eastern em-
pire fought here. This has resulted in
a fantastic legacy of historical remains,
including Roman
cities, Byzantine
churches and early
Islamic palaces.
Archaeologists are
constantly at work
to uncover what
other riches this
trouble d l and
might yield. Often,
their aims go far
beyond the aca-
demic: some expe-
ditions search for
Souk stall-holder in the town of Ramallah, a busy
centre of Palestinian life and culture
evidence to support territorial claims;
others are seeking fabled artifacts such
as the Holy Grail or the Ark of the
Covenant, which they believe may
hold the very key to human existence.
Amidst all this hullabaloo, one should
not forget that the Holy Land is a mar-
vellous region for the visitor. It is not
necessary to have an advanced grasp
of history to appreciate the magnifi-
cence of the region's ancient cities,
isolated monasteries and hilltop fort-
tresses, while the desert scenery of
Wadi Rum is a setting in which to live
out fantasies, and the diving in the Red
Sea is reckoned by some to be unsur-
passed anywhere in the world. Added
to this, there is plenty of fine dining
and comfortable accommodation. It
is quite possible to visit the Holy Land
and find that the only issue of concern
is getting a decent spot on the beach.
Divisive Dana
International
Beach life at Tel Aviv, the vibrant cultural and commercial capital of Israel
