Travel to Israel

Duane Goehner

Travel Warning: Presently there are significant dangers in traveling to Israel. Although I did appreciate the opportunity to visit the Holy Land, I would not make the trip again. It is the first time in all my years of traveling that I have ever made such a statement. Certainly there are dangers from terrorists, but the problems I faced were not with militant groups. My rental car windows were smashed out and the stereo and other items were stolen from the vehicle while parked outside the Old City of Jerusalem on a busy street. Worse, I had a terrible encounter with the security people at Ben Gurion Airport. I was detained and my luggage recklessly searched for two and a half hours. Various gifts and other personal affects were broken or damaged during this "experience." While the overall population was wonderfully hospitable, these two cases shed a terribly black shadow on the trip. Unless there is significant change within the security forces dealing with the innocent income-bringing tourist, I highly recommend that you reconsider all travel to and from the Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv and visits to Jerusalem and surrounding areas. This warning is coming from someone who experienced five years of travel to and from Russia with it's Soviet and Communist mentality, travel in and out of Haiti during the first elections and even traveled through Heathrow a few days after the Lockerbie, Scotland disaster. Still...nothing compares with the violations that took place at the Tel Aviv airport. Travelers beware! With that "disclaimer" out of the way, may I present the more pleasant aspects of my trip:

A dark cloud hangs over Jerusalem

There are so many contrasts in Israel.
A mix of cultures: Jewish, Arab, Christian.
Devastated yet cherished throughout the centuries.
Beautiful beaches, rich fields and orchards, parched deserts.
Indeed, there is something so attractive...so mystical about the place.

A view across the Mediterranean Sea near Haifa

Please forgive the sometimes grainy photos; they were made with my video camera, not with film, so their quality is less than perfect.
I have come to prefer videotaping over still frames for the preservation of both the sights and sounds of my travel experiences.