WEBVTT 00:00.250 --> 00:02.917 Hi, I'm Rick Steves, back with more travels. 00:02.917 --> 00:05.375 This time we're exploring the Holy Land, 00:05.375 --> 00:07.041 Israel and Palestine. 00:07.041 --> 00:07.999 It's harvest time. 00:07.999 --> 00:09.999 Our goal -- to understand and enjoy 00:09.999 --> 00:12.999 the people who love this land and call it home. 00:12.999 --> 00:15.083 Thanks for joining us. 00:46.999 --> 00:48.625 The land Israelis and Palestinians occupy is, 00:48.625 --> 00:51.999 for a third of humanity, Israel is, literally, holy land, 00:51.999 --> 00:54.542 and Jerusalem marks its sacred center. 00:54.542 --> 00:55.083 For Christians, 00:55.083 --> 00:56.999 this is where Jesus was crucified and resurrected. 00:56.999 --> 01:00.083 For Muslims, this is from where Muhammad journeyed to Heaven. 01:00.083 --> 01:03.709 And for Jews, the Temple of Solomon stood right here. 01:03.709 --> 01:05.750 The crossroads of three great religions, 01:05.750 --> 01:11.083 the Holy Land has been coveted and fought over for centuries. 01:11.875 --> 01:15.208 While Israelis and Palestinians have overlapping claims 01:15.208 --> 01:17.041 and struggle to share it peacefully, 01:17.041 --> 01:20.917 this land has a rich and fascinating heritage. 01:20.917 --> 01:21.999 We'll go beyond the sights, 01:21.999 --> 01:23.709 opening our minds to both narratives 01:23.709 --> 01:27.875 to better understand and empathize with the people. 01:27.875 --> 01:29.792 In Israel, we'll explore Jerusalem 01:29.792 --> 01:32.166 and learn some of the religious customs 01:32.166 --> 01:34.999 and ideas that shape society here. 01:34.999 --> 01:36.583 and we'll walk the Golan Heights, 01:36.583 --> 01:39.583 where the importance of maintaining Israel's security 01:39.583 --> 01:40.542 is an enduring lesson. 01:40.542 --> 01:44.583 And now we have to make sure that we are on the high ground, 01:44.583 --> 01:45.999 never to let it happen again. 01:45.999 --> 01:48.166 In Palestine, by harvesting olives, 01:48.166 --> 01:51.333 making a home visit, and popping into a university, 01:51.333 --> 01:54.000 we'll get to know a land few travelers visit 01:54.000 --> 01:57.917 and a point of view few people consider. 01:57.917 --> 01:59.709 The whole of my whole country. 01:59.709 --> 02:01.375 I don't know my country. 02:01.375 --> 02:03.792 And along the way, we'll hear a few 02:03.792 --> 02:05.792 of the many perspectives here. 02:05.792 --> 02:08.709 We'll learn about security walls, 02:08.709 --> 02:09.999 controversial settlements, 02:09.999 --> 02:13.750 and the persistent challenges facing the region. 02:13.750 --> 02:16.375 At the east end of the Mediterranean Sea, 02:16.375 --> 02:18.458 the region west of the Jordan River 02:18.458 --> 02:21.166 is split between Israel, predominately Jewish, 02:21.166 --> 02:23.999 and Palestine, predominately Muslim and Arab, 02:23.999 --> 02:27.125 which is made up of the West Bank and Gaza. 02:27.125 --> 02:30.000 We'll start in Jerusalem, and in Israel, 02:30.000 --> 02:31.875 we'll visit Tel Aviv, 02:31.875 --> 02:32.834 the Sea of Galilee, 02:32.834 --> 02:35.917 and the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights. 02:35.917 --> 02:36.875 Then, in the West Bank, 02:36.875 --> 02:40.333 we'll venture to Bethlehem, Hebron, Nablus, 02:40.333 --> 02:42.667 and finish in Ramallah. 02:42.667 --> 02:44.999 The Muslims and Jews that call this region home 02:44.999 --> 02:48.542 share a family tree that goes back nearly 4,000 years. 02:48.542 --> 02:50.999 That's when the patriarch, or prophet, 02:50.999 --> 02:51.667 Abraham had two sons. 02:51.667 --> 02:56.542 From Isaac came the Israelites, and Ismael spawned the Arabs. 02:56.542 --> 03:00.999 This ancient ethnic mix is complicated by religions. 03:00.999 --> 03:03.999 Israelites were Jewish. 03:03.999 --> 03:05.375 Christians worship Jesus, 03:05.375 --> 03:08.041 a Jew who brought his own message. 03:08.041 --> 03:10.000 And today, most Arabs here are Muslim, 03:10.000 --> 03:13.583 a religion that arrived much later with their prophet, 03:13.583 --> 03:15.750 Muhammad, in the 7th century. 03:15.750 --> 03:16.999 Throughout the centuries, 03:16.999 --> 03:19.041 this region endured waves of conquerors, 03:19.041 --> 03:23.333 from ancient Romans to Christian Crusaders 03:23.333 --> 03:25.500 to Muslim Ottomans. 03:25.500 --> 03:26.999 Until the 20th century, 03:26.999 --> 03:29.999 the entire area was called Palestine, 03:29.999 --> 03:32.166 as it was in Roman times. 03:32.166 --> 03:34.667 While Muslims generally outnumbered 03:34.667 --> 03:35.542 Jews and Christians, 03:35.542 --> 03:38.500 the various communities generally got along peacefully. 03:38.500 --> 03:42.041 In the 20th century, the Jewish population grew, 03:42.041 --> 03:43.500 especially with the creation 03:43.500 --> 03:46.083 of the state of Israel after World War II. 03:46.083 --> 03:50.458 Today, the combined population of Israel and Palestine 03:50.458 --> 03:51.667 is about 12 million, 03:51.667 --> 03:54.999 roughly half Jews and half Muslim Arabs 03:54.999 --> 03:57.125 and only a couple percent Christian. 03:57.125 --> 04:01.500 In 2012, the United Nations recognized 04:01.500 --> 04:04.625 Palestine as a state. 04:04.625 --> 04:06.834 Okay, I know, this is complicated, 04:06.834 --> 04:07.834 and it's contentious. 04:07.834 --> 04:09.999 And I imagine some people on both sides 04:09.999 --> 04:11.291 are already upset with me. 04:11.291 --> 04:13.583 But I'm a travel writer, and the beauty for me 04:13.583 --> 04:15.542 is to come here with an open mind and learn. 04:15.542 --> 04:19.083 We'll visit each side, and we'll do it in alphabetical order -- 04:19.083 --> 04:21.333 first Israel then Palestine. 04:21.333 --> 04:21.999 Let's go. 04:21.999 --> 04:24.166 Israel is the size of New Jersey, 04:24.166 --> 04:28.875 with 8 million people, twice the population of Palestine. 04:28.875 --> 04:30.999 While the state of Israel is young, 04:30.999 --> 04:33.917 the Jewish people have a history here 04:33.917 --> 04:35.000 going back 4,000 years. 04:35.000 --> 04:36.125 There's history everywhere, 04:36.125 --> 04:38.458 and within a two-hour drive of Jerusalem, 04:38.458 --> 04:41.999 you can take a sweeping tour of sights illustrating 04:41.999 --> 04:43.667 its tumultuous past. 04:43.667 --> 04:50.333 2,000 years ago, Caesarea was a mighty Roman seaport. 04:50.333 --> 04:51.125 Further up the coast 04:51.125 --> 04:55.625 is the 12th century Crusader town of Akko. 04:55.625 --> 04:56.917 And in the 16th century, 04:56.917 --> 04:58.375 after the return of Muslim dominance, 04:58.375 --> 05:01.959 the Ottoman Turks surrounded Jerusalem 05:01.959 --> 05:03.417 with this mighty wall. 05:03.417 --> 05:06.999 And the 20th century has left reminders 05:06.999 --> 05:08.625 of the determined struggle 05:08.625 --> 05:11.583 that built today's Jewish state. 05:16.999 --> 05:20.041 In 1947, after the Holocaust and the end of World War II, 05:20.041 --> 05:23.999 the United Nations helped found the modern state of Israel, 05:23.999 --> 05:26.500 and Jews, long dispersed across the world, 05:26.500 --> 05:28.291 returned to their ancient homeland. 05:28.291 --> 05:31.999 In the process, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians 05:31.999 --> 05:33.083 were displaced, and to this day, 05:33.083 --> 05:36.792 both people struggle to find an equitable and peaceful way 05:36.792 --> 05:39.750 to share what each consider their rightful homeland. 05:39.750 --> 05:43.999 The dividing of the Holy Land hasn't been easy. 05:43.999 --> 05:48.375 The 1947 United Nations plan of partition, creating 05:48.375 --> 05:49.875 an independent Jewish state 05:49.875 --> 05:51.417 and an independent Arab state, 05:51.417 --> 05:53.458 was rejected by the Arabs. 05:53.458 --> 05:55.999 Civil war broke out, which led 05:55.999 --> 05:58.999 to the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. 05:58.999 --> 06:02.999 After a year of fighting, with Israel mostly victorious, 06:02.999 --> 06:04.917 a cease-fire was declared 06:04.917 --> 06:05.875 and temporary borders, 06:05.875 --> 06:07.750 known as the Green Line, were established. 06:07.750 --> 06:12.834 In the 1960s, Arab-Israeli relations again deteriorated 06:12.834 --> 06:16.083 to the point where war broke out in 1967. 06:16.083 --> 06:19.917 With a quick and decisive victory in the Six-Days War, 06:19.917 --> 06:25.999 Israel increased its territory substantially. 06:25.999 --> 06:28.917 [Gunshot] 06:28.917 --> 06:29.875 Later, Palestinians, 06:29.875 --> 06:32.999 chafing at the loss of their land and freedom, 06:32.999 --> 06:36.250 staged two uprisings, or intifadas. 06:36.250 --> 06:38.750 [Shouting] 06:38.750 --> 06:41.458 Approximately 1,000 Israeli civilians 06:41.458 --> 06:44.333 were killed by Palestinian suicide bombers 06:44.333 --> 06:48.125 as violence intensified during the Second Intifada, 06:48.125 --> 06:50.999 from 2000 to 2005. 06:50.999 --> 06:55.250 In response, Israel asserted itself more aggressively, 06:55.250 --> 06:57.917 building a controversial fence or wall 06:57.917 --> 06:59.000 around the West Bank 06:59.000 --> 07:03.291 in the name of security from terrorism. 07:03.291 --> 07:05.083 The epic stories of the world's 07:05.083 --> 07:06.917 three great monotheistic religions 07:06.917 --> 07:09.125 have played out on this tiny piece of real estate. 07:09.125 --> 07:11.500 It's been a difficult mix, and Jerusalem's 07:11.500 --> 07:16.041 the most contested city within this contested land. 07:19.333 --> 07:22.333 Jerusalem is a sprawling and modern city 07:22.333 --> 07:24.166 of about 800,000 people. 07:24.166 --> 07:27.333 But its core, The Old City, 07:27.333 --> 07:29.000 is home to just 35,000. 07:29.000 --> 07:31.917 Its venerable walls corral a tangle 07:31.917 --> 07:35.291 of many of this planet's holiest sites. 07:35.291 --> 07:36.375 Within a 10-minute walk, 07:36.375 --> 07:39.166 you can see the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, 07:39.166 --> 07:40.959 so sacred to Christians... 07:40.959 --> 07:44.250 the Dome of the Rock, revered by Muslims... 07:44.250 --> 07:47.999 and the holiest place in Judaism, 07:47.999 --> 07:50.583 the Western Wall. 07:50.583 --> 07:52.542 For so many people, 07:52.542 --> 07:55.125 Jerusalem is the closest place on earth 07:55.125 --> 07:56.458 to heaven. 07:56.458 --> 08:01.166 Much of Jerusalem's importance rests upon this holy site, 08:01.166 --> 08:03.917 which is both an inspiration and a flash point 08:03.917 --> 08:05.291 for the religions that share it. 08:05.291 --> 08:09.959 Muslims believe Muhammad journeyed to heaven from here, 08:09.959 --> 08:14.875 and they've worshipped on this spot for 1,300 years. 08:14.875 --> 08:19.792 Jews teach that here Abraham, as a test of his faith, 08:19.792 --> 08:22.458 was asked to sacrifice his son. 08:22.458 --> 08:24.999 God intervened and saved Isaac. 08:24.999 --> 08:26.999 They call this place Temple Mount, 08:26.999 --> 08:29.250 believe it to be the center of the earth, 08:29.250 --> 08:33.542 and have worshipped here for 3,000 years. 08:35.417 --> 08:37.083 A thousand years before Christ, 08:37.083 --> 08:39.999 King David united the 12 tribes of Israel 08:39.999 --> 08:41.083 and captured Jerusalem. 08:41.083 --> 08:44.834 His son, Solomon, built the First Temple right here. 08:44.834 --> 08:47.917 It was later destroyed, and the Second Temple was built. 08:47.917 --> 08:51.333 Then came the catastrophic year for the Jews -- 70 AD -- 08:51.333 --> 08:53.999 when the Romans destroyed their temple 08:53.999 --> 08:55.083 and ushered in the Diaspora. 08:55.083 --> 08:58.458 That's when the Jews became a people without a land 08:58.458 --> 09:00.999 and dispersed throughout the world. 09:00.999 --> 09:02.375 The western foundation 09:02.375 --> 09:05.834 of this ancient temple complex survives. 09:05.834 --> 09:08.875 Here at what's called the Western Wall, 09:08.875 --> 09:11.667 Jews mourn a horrible past and pray for a better future. 09:11.667 --> 09:16.291 The square operates as an open-air synagogue, 09:16.291 --> 09:19.041 with men and women separated by a barrier. 09:19.041 --> 09:21.458 The faithful believe prayers left in cracks 09:21.458 --> 09:23.999 between the stones of the Western Wall 09:23.999 --> 09:25.999 will be answered. 09:25.999 --> 09:29.041 Bar mitzvahs and festivals enliven the scene. 09:29.041 --> 09:32.917 Holding the Torah high, joyous families celebrate 09:32.917 --> 09:35.834 at the most holy place in Judaism. 09:35.834 --> 09:37.999 [Singing in Hebrew] 09:37.999 --> 09:42.500 Radiating out from Temple Mount is Jerusalem's Old City, 09:42.500 --> 09:44.542 It's divided into four quarters -- 09:44.542 --> 09:48.208 Jewish, Muslim, Armenian, and Christian. 09:48.208 --> 09:51.333 Through the Christian quarter winds the Via Dolorosa, 09:51.333 --> 09:55.542 the route it's believed Jesus walked as he carried the cross. 09:55.542 --> 09:58.999 Pilgrims come from around Christendom 09:58.999 --> 09:59.999 to retrace his steps. 09:59.999 --> 10:04.375 Their journey culminates at the site of Jesus' crucifixion, 10:04.375 --> 10:07.875 marked by the Church of the Holy Sepulchre 10:07.875 --> 10:10.166 on Calvary Hill, or Golgotha. 10:10.166 --> 10:13.291 Today, the dark, sprawling church 10:13.291 --> 10:16.999 is the most sacred site in Christendom. 10:16.999 --> 10:18.999 Built on the site believed to be 10:18.999 --> 10:20.792 where Jesus died and was resurrected, 10:20.792 --> 10:24.625 pilgrims line up to pray at the place of the crucifixion. 10:24.625 --> 10:28.000 And a few steps away, under a grand dome, 10:28.000 --> 10:31.999 they gather to enter Jesus' tomb, or sepulchre 10:31.999 --> 10:36.083 and place a candle where he was buried. 10:45.458 --> 10:48.834 Exploring Jerusalem's Old City, with its tight quarters 10:48.834 --> 10:52.750 and religious passions, I was impressed by the diversity, 10:52.750 --> 10:55.583 the feeling of community, and how, all in all, 10:55.583 --> 10:58.000 things seem to work together. 10:59.375 --> 11:01.667 The Jewish Quarter is more orderly 11:01.667 --> 11:03.542 and modern than the other quarters. 11:03.542 --> 11:06.999 Much of this area was destroyed during the 1948 fighting 11:06.999 --> 11:10.500 or under the ensuing period of Jordanian occupation. 11:10.500 --> 11:14.999 After Israelis took control of Jerusalem in 1967, 11:14.999 --> 11:17.125 they rebuilt this quarter. 11:17.125 --> 11:20.125 While it's not convenient or economic 11:20.125 --> 11:22.709 to live in this medieval tangle, 11:22.709 --> 11:24.750 devout Jews find great joy 11:24.750 --> 11:26.625 in living here and raising their families 11:26.625 --> 11:29.542 so close to the Western Wall. 11:33.999 --> 11:34.917 The Muslim Quarter, 11:34.917 --> 11:38.291 with over half the Old City's population, is Arab. 11:38.291 --> 11:39.999 Like the Jewish quarter, 11:39.999 --> 11:41.999 it stretches out from Temple Mount, 11:41.999 --> 11:45.667 which is crowned by that glittering Dome of the Rock. 11:45.667 --> 11:48.875 Like the Jews worship at the base of Temple Mount, 11:48.875 --> 11:52.250 Muslim's worship on its top, in the shadow of the dome, 11:52.250 --> 11:55.999 with its intricate geometric designs in stone and tile 11:55.999 --> 11:59.583 fitting regally within its pure and simple lines. 11:59.583 --> 12:02.083 Holy as this spot is for Muslims, 12:02.083 --> 12:03.959 it's controlled by Israel, 12:03.959 --> 12:04.999 and residents of Palestine 12:04.999 --> 12:07.208 are generally not allowed to worship here. 12:07.208 --> 12:10.417 Most of those praying here are Israeli citizens, 12:10.417 --> 12:13.792 part of Israel's Palestinian minority. 12:13.792 --> 12:14.999 Here in the Muslim Quarter, 12:14.999 --> 12:17.999 a bustling and labyrinthine marketplace 12:17.999 --> 12:19.208 is popular with local Arabs. 12:19.208 --> 12:21.999 Today, on the eve of a Muslim holiday, 12:21.999 --> 12:25.125 the market is particularly busy. 12:34.000 --> 12:36.250 While wandering the Muslim Quarter, 12:36.250 --> 12:39.417 you may see houses fortified and festooned 12:39.417 --> 12:40.667 with Israeli flags, 12:40.667 --> 12:43.458 homes of Zionist families determined to stake out 12:43.458 --> 12:46.667 this bit of the Old City for their Jewish community. 12:46.667 --> 12:49.333 Considering the rich historic heritage 12:49.333 --> 12:50.917 of each of these communities, 12:50.917 --> 12:53.291 it's understandable that both vie 12:53.291 --> 12:54.625 for this sacred real estate. 12:54.625 --> 12:57.208 This struggle over control of Jerusalem 12:57.208 --> 13:01.959 is a huge political challenge. 13:03.041 --> 13:06.917 While complete Muslim control of Jerusalem is unrealistic, 13:06.917 --> 13:10.458 many Arabs envision an independent Palestinian State 13:10.458 --> 13:12.125 with this part of Jerusalem -- 13:12.125 --> 13:13.999 East Jerusalem -- as their capital. 13:13.999 --> 13:17.999 It's a very contentious issue, and Israel seems determined 13:17.999 --> 13:21.250 to keep Jerusalem whole and in its control. 13:21.250 --> 13:23.417 An icon of the tension 13:23.417 --> 13:27.999 is the wall that Israel has built between it and Palestine. 13:27.999 --> 13:30.625 What Israelis call a "security fence," 13:30.625 --> 13:34.291 Palestinians consider an affront to their dignity 13:34.291 --> 13:36.834 and a land grab, as it often reaches 13:36.834 --> 13:39.999 over the internationally agreed upon border 13:39.999 --> 13:41.709 and into Palestinian territory. 13:41.709 --> 13:44.959 Just five miles from the Dome of the Rock 13:44.959 --> 13:46.041 is a checkpoint in the wall, 13:46.041 --> 13:49.667 where I can walk from Jerusalem right into Bethlehem. 13:49.667 --> 13:52.792 Like at border towns between rich and poor lands 13:52.792 --> 13:53.999 all over the world, 13:53.999 --> 13:55.999 each day, workers with special passes 13:55.999 --> 13:58.999 cross the wall on their commute from the poor side for 13:58.999 --> 14:02.208 higher-paying jobs in the more affluent country 14:02.208 --> 14:03.208 As long as times are calm, 14:03.208 --> 14:06.250 the West Bank's wide open for the adventurous traveler. 14:06.250 --> 14:07.917 You don't need a visa, the currency's 14:07.917 --> 14:09.999 the same as Israel, good guidebooks lead the way, 14:09.999 --> 14:13.500 and you certainly won't find any tourist crowds. 14:13.500 --> 14:16.625 Bethlehem, a leading Palestinian city, 14:16.625 --> 14:20.041 is the perfect first stop in the West Bank. 14:20.041 --> 14:23.625 For me, no Holy Land visit is complete or balanced 14:23.625 --> 14:24.999 without crossing the wall 14:24.999 --> 14:28.041 and learning from both narratives -- 14:28.041 --> 14:29.250 Israeli and Palestinian. 14:29.250 --> 14:32.750 Suddenly, there's not a yarmulke in sight. 14:32.750 --> 14:35.083 Wandering Palestinian streets and markets, 14:35.083 --> 14:38.083 I kept thinking how easy it is to get here, 14:38.083 --> 14:39.375 how little I knew of it, 14:39.375 --> 14:42.667 and how rarely visited this land is. 14:42.667 --> 14:44.208 While beloved among Christians 14:44.208 --> 14:46.375 as the place where Jesus was born, 14:46.375 --> 14:49.417 Bethlehem is now a mostly Muslim town. 14:49.417 --> 14:53.333 Its thriving market is a classic Arab souk. 14:53.333 --> 14:56.999 The main square bustles with commerce, 14:56.999 --> 15:00.458 and the main traffic circle comes with a memorial 15:00.458 --> 15:04.500 to locals doing time in Israeli prisons. 15:11.125 --> 15:13.583 Bethlehem's skyline is a commotion 15:13.583 --> 15:15.250 of both crescents and crosses, 15:15.250 --> 15:19.291 a reminder that the town, while now mostly Muslim, 15:19.291 --> 15:21.999 still has many Christians. 15:21.999 --> 15:23.999 While all Palestinians are Arabs, 15:23.999 --> 15:26.709 not all Palestinians are Muslims. 15:26.709 --> 15:27.291 In fact, 15:27.291 --> 15:30.667 a small minority are Arab Christians. 15:30.667 --> 15:33.625 Nativity Square marks the center of Bethlehem. 15:33.625 --> 15:36.834 Here the Church of the Nativity is built upon the spot 15:36.834 --> 15:39.999 believed to be where Jesus was born. 15:41.333 --> 15:45.000 Inside, you feel the history. 15:45.000 --> 15:46.125 Emperor Constantine, 15:46.125 --> 15:48.291 the first Christian Roman emperor, 15:48.291 --> 15:50.999 had this church built in 326. 15:50.999 --> 15:54.999 A steady stream of pilgrims and tourists come here 15:54.999 --> 15:56.375 from all over Christendom 15:56.375 --> 15:58.667 to remember that first Christmas 15:58.667 --> 16:02.333 and to pray on the spot where tradition says 16:02.333 --> 16:04.999 Jesus was born. 16:08.208 --> 16:11.166 Many assume that Palestinian or Arab Christians 16:11.166 --> 16:12.999 were converted in modern times, 16:12.999 --> 16:14.542 but in fact, their Christian roots 16:14.542 --> 16:16.792 go all the way back to the time of Christ. 16:16.792 --> 16:18.750 By the way, a century ago, about 20% 16:18.750 --> 16:20.792 of all Palestinians were Christian. 16:20.792 --> 16:22.999 Today, that number's down to less than 2%, 16:22.999 --> 16:25.583 and most of those live here in Bethlehem. 16:25.583 --> 16:26.999 Along with Christians, 16:26.999 --> 16:29.583 Muslims also consider this a holy site. 16:29.583 --> 16:31.792 In fact, for over a thousand years, 16:31.792 --> 16:35.750 a mosque has also stood on Nativity Square. 16:37.083 --> 16:41.542 It's Friday, and Muslims have gathered to pray. 16:41.542 --> 16:43.999 [Prayer] 16:43.999 --> 16:46.792 Travel, especially here in Palestine, 16:46.792 --> 16:48.999 is filled with opportunities to learn. 16:48.999 --> 16:50.375 After prayer, I met a cleric 16:50.375 --> 16:53.750 and enjoyed a conversation about Islam. 16:53.750 --> 16:54.417 What do you hope for? 16:54.417 --> 16:57.083 And what do you see in the future here in Palestine? 16:57.083 --> 17:00.500 I hope, in whole of the world, to be one family. 17:00.500 --> 17:02.291 -One family. -One family. 17:02.291 --> 17:02.999 We need this for life. 17:02.999 --> 17:07.834 No fightings, no killings, no explosions, no violence, 17:07.834 --> 17:09.250 to be good people. 17:09.250 --> 17:10.875 Every Friday, 17:10.875 --> 17:13.875 I say this message for everybody. 17:13.875 --> 17:15.041 So I hope for everybody, 17:15.041 --> 17:18.959 and I say to you, I like to come to take you, 17:18.959 --> 17:23.458 your hand from here to go with each other to heavens, 17:23.458 --> 17:24.291 not alone. 17:24.291 --> 17:26.041 -I'm not selfish man. -Right. 17:26.041 --> 17:29.208 I love you, I love him, I love everybody. 17:29.208 --> 17:31.792 I like -- This is my religion. 17:31.792 --> 17:32.959 When on the road, 17:32.959 --> 17:35.250 the more people I can talk to, the better. 17:35.250 --> 17:37.542 To get the most out of this opportunity 17:37.542 --> 17:39.125 to better understand Palestine, 17:39.125 --> 17:41.375 we're joined by local guide Kamal Mukarkar. 17:41.375 --> 17:43.999 So there's churches but there's mosques also in Bethlehem. 17:43.999 --> 17:47.166 KAMAL: Bethlehem is a very holy city for the Muslims 17:47.166 --> 17:49.000 as well as the Christians. 17:49.000 --> 17:49.667 For the Muslims, 17:49.667 --> 17:51.583 Jesus is the second important prophet. 17:51.583 --> 17:53.999 They also believe in Mary, they worship her. 17:53.999 --> 17:57.417 She has a whole section in the Koran just named after her. 17:57.417 --> 18:00.166 A whole book in the Koran named after Mary? 18:00.166 --> 18:00.917 Yes, exactly, 18:00.917 --> 18:03.500 and that's why she's very important for them. 18:03.500 --> 18:04.750 We're dropping by Kamal's place 18:04.750 --> 18:07.999 to meet his family and enjoy an evening together. 18:07.999 --> 18:09.999 It's typical in Palestinian culture 18:09.999 --> 18:13.041 that many generations live under the same roof. 18:13.041 --> 18:16.500 We're meeting Kamal's mother, fiancée, 18:16.500 --> 18:18.709 his sister, and her children. 18:18.709 --> 18:21.375 After some good conversation in the living room, 18:21.375 --> 18:24.291 Kamal's mother calls us to the dinner table. 18:24.291 --> 18:27.792 She's cooked up a classic tajine. 18:27.792 --> 18:28.709 I think it's impossible 18:28.709 --> 18:30.999 for a traveler to be hungry in Palestine. 18:30.999 --> 18:32.917 The food just keeps on coming. 18:32.917 --> 18:35.542 And you have to keep something on your plate, 18:35.542 --> 18:38.333 'cause if you don't keep something on your plate, food, 18:38.333 --> 18:39.792 you'll get another time food. 18:39.792 --> 18:41.999 As anywhere, actually making friends 18:41.999 --> 18:44.333 and getting into a home gives an intimate insight 18:44.333 --> 18:46.625 into the everyday worlds of the people you meet. 18:46.625 --> 18:50.250 I think this is a beautiful, beautiful welcome here. 18:50.250 --> 18:53.375 -Sahtein. -And what is that? 18:53.375 --> 18:54.417 Bon appetite. 18:54.417 --> 18:55.333 -Sahtein. -Sahtein. 18:55.333 --> 18:59.917 KAMAL: Translated, it's "cheers to your health twice," 18:59.917 --> 19:01.333 like two times for your health. 19:01.333 --> 19:05.125 STEVES: Two times for your health,sahtein. 19:07.083 --> 19:09.625 Heading back across the wall to Jerusalem, 19:09.625 --> 19:11.750 the contrasts between the West Bank 19:11.750 --> 19:14.834 and Israel are immediately obvious. 19:14.834 --> 19:16.208 Outside the Old City, 19:16.208 --> 19:19.166 we're immersed in modern Jerusalem. 19:20.667 --> 19:22.375 Joining locals in an afternoon stroll 19:22.375 --> 19:25.166 down Ben Yehuda Street in Jerusalem's New City, 19:25.166 --> 19:28.166 we appreciate this culture's compelling mix 19:28.166 --> 19:32.041 of east and west, secular and sacred, 19:32.041 --> 19:33.917 modern and traditional. 19:33.917 --> 19:36.999 About three quarters of all Israelis are Jewish. 19:36.999 --> 19:41.500 But most of these are secular Jews -- non-practicing. 19:41.500 --> 19:44.625 About 15% of Israeli Jews are Orthodox, 19:44.625 --> 19:47.792 very religious and living conservative lifestyles 19:47.792 --> 19:52.583 that require them to be apart in many ways. 19:52.583 --> 19:56.999 Entire districts of Jerusalem are known as ultra-Orthodox. 19:56.999 --> 20:00.999 About 20% of the population are Arab citizens of Israel, 20:00.999 --> 20:03.834 generally Palestinians who never left 20:03.834 --> 20:05.250 after the formation of Israel. 20:05.250 --> 20:07.834 Christians, who are mostly Arabs, 20:07.834 --> 20:12.542 make up a small and shrinking minority. 20:13.291 --> 20:16.834 Israel is a melting pot nation like none other. 20:16.834 --> 20:20.709 Nearly half the country is first generation immigrants, 20:20.709 --> 20:23.500 evident in the cultural makeup of the soldiers 20:23.500 --> 20:25.291 who seem to be everywhere. 20:25.291 --> 20:27.999 Nearly all 18 year olds do time in the military. 20:27.999 --> 20:31.458 This service is a kind of cultural boot camp, 20:31.458 --> 20:34.792 as even fresh-off-the-boat immigrants emerge 20:34.792 --> 20:36.999 as good Hebrew-speaking Israelis. 20:36.999 --> 20:39.542 While I found most Israelis look and live 20:39.542 --> 20:41.625 as contemporary as any modern American, 20:41.625 --> 20:45.125 there are corners where traditions are very strong. 20:45.125 --> 20:47.999 This is especially evident in places of worship 20:47.999 --> 20:49.959 and in ultra-Orthodox neighborhoods. 20:49.959 --> 20:52.875 With the help of my Jewish guide, Abie Bresler, 20:52.875 --> 20:55.999 observing the way people dress comes with cultural insights. 20:55.999 --> 20:59.166 Walking down the street, there are so many different fashions, 20:59.166 --> 21:00.417 different ways people dress. 21:00.417 --> 21:02.999 BRESLER: Well, that's because they express 21:02.999 --> 21:05.792 their belonging to a certain group 21:05.792 --> 21:07.500 and following a certain rabbi. 21:07.500 --> 21:09.583 Different rabbis set standards 21:09.583 --> 21:12.291 of how their followers should be dressed. 21:12.291 --> 21:15.417 STEVES: What does the block on the forehead indicate? 21:15.417 --> 21:16.417 BRESLER: Well, in the Scripture, 21:16.417 --> 21:19.417 it says you should always have the love of God on your mind, 21:19.417 --> 21:21.041 so in that capsule, 21:21.041 --> 21:24.792 they have a parchment with that Scripture. 21:24.792 --> 21:27.000 STEVES: What's the significance of the yarmulke? 21:27.000 --> 21:27.999 BRESLER: Jews wear yarmulkes 21:27.999 --> 21:30.375 because they are constantly reminding themselves 21:30.375 --> 21:32.417 that God is above them. 21:32.417 --> 21:35.667 STEVES: Ah, so everybody who's wearing a yarmulke, 21:35.667 --> 21:37.875 it's a constant reminder their Maker is up above. 21:37.875 --> 21:38.792 BRESLER: Definitely. 21:38.792 --> 21:40.291 STEVES: Now, you see a lot of Orthodox, 21:40.291 --> 21:41.875 even the little boys, with long earlocks. 21:41.875 --> 21:45.917 BRESLER: Regarding the earlocks, the Torah is very specific -- 21:45.917 --> 21:48.417 "Thou shalt not shave the sides of your face." 21:48.417 --> 21:52.583 And these people take those words as it is written. 21:52.583 --> 21:55.041 STEVES: You notice women are dressed quite modestly. 21:55.041 --> 21:59.041 BRESLER: The Orthodox women are always dressed modestly. 21:59.041 --> 22:00.999 But when they get married, 22:00.999 --> 22:02.959 they take it one step upwards, 22:02.959 --> 22:04.999 and they cover their hair in public. 22:04.999 --> 22:07.959 Regarding the hats, it's part of, actually, 22:07.959 --> 22:11.083 the uniform defining which movement you belong to. 22:11.083 --> 22:13.208 So, by looking at somebody, 22:13.208 --> 22:15.999 you can tell if he's Ashkenazi 22:15.999 --> 22:18.333 and which movement amongst the Ashkenazi. 22:18.333 --> 22:21.999 Or Sephardi or Lithuanian, and so on and so forth. 22:21.999 --> 22:24.291 STEVES: So there are many different stripes 22:24.291 --> 22:26.291 of Orthodoxy in the Jewish faith. 22:26.291 --> 22:27.166 BRESLER: Definitely. 22:27.166 --> 22:29.959 In Jerusalem, 19 amongst the ultra-Orthodox. 22:29.959 --> 22:31.999 STEVES: And it's like the rabbis are almost like pop stars. 22:31.999 --> 22:34.750 They have their own following. These are the great teachers. 22:34.750 --> 22:35.834 BRESLER: More than pop stars. 22:35.834 --> 22:38.834 -More than? -More than pop stars, sure. 22:38.834 --> 22:42.166 Put it this way, they're spiritual stars, 22:42.166 --> 22:44.625 without the pop. 22:44.625 --> 22:48.000 The state of Israel was born, in part, out of the Holocaust, 22:48.000 --> 22:51.875 a defining event in the long history of the Jews. 22:51.875 --> 22:54.125 To appreciate the impact of the Holocaust, 22:54.125 --> 22:58.375 critical in understanding the psyche of today's Israel, 22:58.375 --> 22:59.792 visit Yad Vashem. 22:59.792 --> 23:02.458 This powerful museum and memorial 23:02.458 --> 23:05.083 chronicles the systematic slaughter 23:05.083 --> 23:08.999 of six million Jews by Nazi Germany. 23:10.083 --> 23:12.999 Its Hall of Names is a project designed 23:12.999 --> 23:15.125 to give every victim the dignity 23:15.125 --> 23:17.458 of simply being named and recorded. 23:17.458 --> 23:23.166 This archive aspires to catalog and, therefore, remember 23:23.166 --> 23:27.333 each of the six million victims. 23:31.999 --> 23:34.208 Yad Vashem also celebrates 23:34.208 --> 23:36.917 the creation of modern Israel. 23:36.917 --> 23:38.166 It shows the spirit of Zionism, 23:38.166 --> 23:40.458 that determination of those who came 23:40.458 --> 23:43.208 both as concentration camp survivors 23:43.208 --> 23:44.458 and refugees from Europe 23:44.458 --> 23:48.041 to forge for themselves a state for the Jewish people. 23:48.041 --> 23:51.875 Photographs of the first settlers show early Zionists 23:51.875 --> 23:54.417 returning to their ancestral homeland, 23:54.417 --> 23:56.125 starting as a trickle in the 19th century 23:56.125 --> 24:01.083 and becoming a flood after World War II. 24:03.083 --> 24:05.542 Today, just a couple generations later, 24:05.542 --> 24:09.542 the skyscrapers of Tel Aviv stand like exclamation points, 24:09.542 --> 24:12.291 declaring, "We've come a long way." 24:12.291 --> 24:14.542 There was a popular slogan back then -- 24:14.542 --> 24:17.750 "A land without a people for a people without a land." 24:17.750 --> 24:20.083 That was inspirational, but it ignored the reality 24:20.083 --> 24:22.083 of the Palestinians who actually lived here 24:22.083 --> 24:24.625 and were displaced with the creation of Israel. 24:24.625 --> 24:27.166 Still, it's impressive how the true grit 24:27.166 --> 24:28.458 of those early Jewish settlers 24:28.458 --> 24:31.999 turned sand dunes into Tel Aviv and built modern Israel. 24:31.999 --> 24:33.375 The historic town of Jaffa, 24:33.375 --> 24:35.999 now consumed by the sprawl of Tel Aviv, 24:35.999 --> 24:38.083 was the Ellis Island of the new state. 24:38.083 --> 24:42.834 This was where new arrivals first set foot in Israel. 24:42.834 --> 24:47.208 Much of Jaffa, historically an important Arab town, 24:47.208 --> 24:50.875 was destroyed in 1948 in what Israelis call 24:50.875 --> 24:52.458 their "War of Independence." 24:52.458 --> 24:55.125 As in any war, there are winners 24:55.125 --> 24:56.417 and there are losers. 24:56.417 --> 24:58.125 And while Israelis celebrate 24:58.125 --> 25:00.458 the birth of their nation, Palestinians call 25:00.458 --> 25:04.500 Israel's Independence Day "The Day of Catastrophe." 25:04.500 --> 25:06.041 They remember their loss -- 25:06.041 --> 25:10.000 the destruction of many Arab villages that once thrived here 25:10.000 --> 25:11.917 and how hundreds of thousands of those who fled 25:11.917 --> 25:17.709 ended up in refugee camps over a newly drawn border. 25:21.750 --> 25:23.083 Just a 10-minute drive north 25:23.083 --> 25:24.834 of the old stone buildings of Jaffa 25:24.834 --> 25:29.166 are the new glass and steel buildings of modern Tel Aviv. 25:29.166 --> 25:32.709 Gleaming Tel Aviv feels as modern and busy 25:32.709 --> 25:34.333 as any American city its size. 25:34.333 --> 25:38.333 While its history only goes back a century, 25:38.333 --> 25:41.542 the original main drag, Rothschild Boulevard, 25:41.542 --> 25:43.999 is lined with venerable buildings. 25:43.999 --> 25:47.583 And Tel Aviv's beach scene is filled with 25:47.583 --> 25:50.999 a live-for-today vibrancy. 25:50.999 --> 25:53.583 In this culture, food is love, 25:53.583 --> 25:57.291 and seems to celebrate the bounty of the land. 25:57.291 --> 26:00.917 We sat down with our Israeli guide, Benny, and driver, Kobi, 26:00.917 --> 26:04.458 to get an edible lesson in this part of their culture. 26:04.458 --> 26:06.625 Hey, cheers. L'chaim. 26:06.625 --> 26:07.999 L'chaim. Very good. 26:07.999 --> 26:10.875 So, Benny, could you say this is typical Israeli? 26:10.875 --> 26:12.999 Yeah, you can say this is typical Israeli. 26:12.999 --> 26:15.792 Everything that you see here is grown here locally. 26:15.792 --> 26:17.999 STEVES: Now, you could say this is Israeli, 26:17.999 --> 26:19.333 but it's also Arab cuisine. 26:19.333 --> 26:21.542 BENNY: Yes. We call it now Israeli food, 26:21.542 --> 26:22.999 but you can find it in the Arab countries, 26:22.999 --> 26:25.999 you can find it in Lebanon, you can find it all over the place. 26:25.999 --> 26:29.333 Here we have eggplants with olive oil and tahini. 26:29.333 --> 26:30.792 Here we have the tahini itself. 26:30.792 --> 26:34.000 Here we have another eggplant salad with vegetables. 26:34.000 --> 26:35.166 That's the hummus. 26:35.166 --> 26:37.542 Very famous hummus made from chickpeas. 26:37.542 --> 26:40.875 This is something special. This we call tabbouleh. 26:40.875 --> 26:44.834 It's made of burghul and parsley and cucumbers. 26:44.834 --> 26:46.000 Very special, very tasty. 26:46.000 --> 26:49.875 It's okay to reach and dip your pita bread into it. 26:49.875 --> 26:51.375 You dip it in each of the salads, 26:51.375 --> 26:53.625 and that's the way to do it, no need of a fork or a knife. 26:53.625 --> 26:56.417 And, Kobi, how do you say bon appétitin Hebrew? 26:56.417 --> 26:58.500 -Beteavon. -Bete... 26:58.500 --> 27:00.999 -Beteavon. -Beteavon. 27:00.999 --> 27:01.875 Thank you. 27:01.875 --> 27:05.166 -L'chaim. -L'chaim. L'chaim. 27:06.250 --> 27:10.667 STEVES: Israel is small and laced by modern freeways. 27:10.667 --> 27:12.000 Getting around is easy. 27:12.000 --> 27:14.999 Road signs are in three languages and three scripts. 27:14.999 --> 27:19.458 Hebrew and Arabic for Jewish and Arab citizens of Israel 27:19.458 --> 27:20.999 and English for visitors. 27:20.999 --> 27:25.208 A short drive up the coastline takes us to Haifa, 27:25.208 --> 27:28.917 a prosperous and open city famous for its tolerance. 27:28.917 --> 27:32.999 Many people here are part of Israel's Arab minority. 27:32.999 --> 27:37.208 I was impressed at the youthful and positive energy. 27:37.208 --> 27:39.500 It feels like young Israelis here, 27:39.500 --> 27:41.999 whether from Muslim or Jewish families, 27:41.999 --> 27:43.125 are most interested 27:43.125 --> 27:44.959 in living free from the religious 27:44.959 --> 27:46.709 and ethnic baggage of their parents. 27:46.709 --> 27:52.333 In a trendy café, it was hard to tell who's who. 27:52.333 --> 27:54.750 Talking with a local Arab-Israeli family, 27:54.750 --> 27:56.834 we learned that, while problems persist, 27:56.834 --> 27:58.875 they consider this land their home. 27:58.875 --> 28:01.999 Now, what is it like socially in Haifa, 28:01.999 --> 28:06.041 if you're an Arab-Israeli with Jewish-Israelis? 28:06.041 --> 28:08.999 Is it separate, or can you mix? 28:08.999 --> 28:12.999 Well, we mix in restaurants, at work, 28:12.999 --> 28:15.999 we socialize here and there. 28:15.999 --> 28:16.583 But... 28:16.583 --> 28:19.083 Some neighborhoods, some streets are mixed. 28:19.083 --> 28:21.834 Some streets. Not a lot. 28:21.834 --> 28:27.750 I used to hear from her that, once, they were more together. 28:27.750 --> 28:28.542 Yeah. 28:28.542 --> 28:31.041 Like she had neighbors that used to... 28:31.041 --> 28:32.041 -Really? -Yeah. 28:32.041 --> 28:33.999 To do everything together. Now, no. 28:33.999 --> 28:36.959 STEVES: And what do you see for the future? 28:36.959 --> 28:37.999 For Israeli Arabs 28:37.999 --> 28:40.375 and Israeli Jews together, your children, 28:40.375 --> 28:41.792 what do you hope for? 28:41.792 --> 28:44.041 Everybody hopes for peace 28:44.041 --> 28:47.041 and a better life, but I doubt it. 28:47.041 --> 28:48.625 -I doubt it. -The reality is? 28:48.625 --> 28:49.542 The reality is not like that. 28:49.542 --> 28:52.667 Even with all the problems that there is here, 28:52.667 --> 28:54.125 this is our roots, you know? 28:54.125 --> 28:55.999 We'll never, never give it up. 28:55.999 --> 28:58.375 With everything that happens around us. 28:58.375 --> 29:01.041 STEVES: That's beautiful. I like to hear that. 29:01.041 --> 29:04.250 Yes. We love it here. 29:04.250 --> 29:06.458 Heading into the interior takes us down, 29:06.458 --> 29:10.250 700 feet below sea level, to the Sea of Galilee. 29:10.250 --> 29:12.709 Israel's primary source of water, 29:12.709 --> 29:16.041 it's both fed and drained by the Jordan River. 29:16.041 --> 29:19.999 Galilee is popular among Christian pilgrims. 29:19.999 --> 29:20.999 It's famous as the place 29:20.999 --> 29:23.750 where Jesus did his three years of ministry 29:23.750 --> 29:26.333 and where so many Bible stories were set -- 29:26.333 --> 29:27.667 from loaves and fishes 29:27.667 --> 29:32.500 and Sermon on the Mount, to Christ walking on water. 29:36.999 --> 29:40.999 When exploring the Holy Land, your sight-seeing careens 29:40.999 --> 29:43.291 from ancient holy sites to reminders 29:43.291 --> 29:45.542 of 20th century strife and wars. 29:45.542 --> 29:47.208 Overlooking the Sea of Galilee 29:47.208 --> 29:50.792 stands the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. 29:50.792 --> 29:53.792 Taken from Syria in the 1967 war, 29:53.792 --> 29:56.999 and now firmly under Israeli control, 29:56.999 --> 29:59.999 a visit here helps explain Israel's commitment 29:59.999 --> 30:03.709 to holding the high ground. 30:05.458 --> 30:07.250 See, now, a former Syrian position... 30:07.250 --> 30:10.583 Our guide, Benny, show us the strategic significance 30:10.583 --> 30:13.250 of this area from an old Syrian pillbox. 30:13.250 --> 30:16.041 Standing here on a former Syrian position, 30:16.041 --> 30:18.999 one can understand how vulnerable was 30:18.999 --> 30:21.333 the settlements, the villages 30:21.333 --> 30:25.583 and the kibbutzim of Israel before 1967. 30:25.583 --> 30:26.999 For a whole generation, 30:26.999 --> 30:29.999 the Syrians were here on the Golan, 30:29.999 --> 30:31.999 on the edge of the cliff, 30:31.999 --> 30:33.500 targeting and shooting 30:33.500 --> 30:36.999 every single village and kibbutz of ours. 30:36.999 --> 30:39.125 Every day, they looked up to Golan, saying, 30:39.125 --> 30:41.542 "Is it going to be a day of shelling today?" 30:41.542 --> 30:43.458 STEVES: Artillery from this little base -- boom. 30:43.458 --> 30:48.375 Mortar shells, artillery, tank shells, machine gun fire. 30:48.375 --> 30:49.834 STEVES: And the Sea of Galilee was 30:49.834 --> 30:52.041 the source of the freshwater for Israel. 30:52.041 --> 30:52.875 Still is. 30:52.875 --> 30:54.999 BENNY: The Sea of Galilee was always and still is 30:54.999 --> 30:57.208 the most important water reservoir we have, 30:57.208 --> 30:57.959 and that's why, 30:57.959 --> 31:00.792 today, it's very difficult for us even to conceive 31:00.792 --> 31:05.709 leaving the Golan, allowing anyone to be here. 31:05.709 --> 31:08.208 Above all, we must maintain our security. 31:08.208 --> 31:12.208 The security of the Israelis, the families, the children. 31:12.208 --> 31:15.999 Then we can speak about all the other things. 31:17.458 --> 31:20.250 Control of land is the crux of the problem 31:20.250 --> 31:22.125 between Israelis and Palestinians, 31:22.125 --> 31:26.959 and occupying the high ground is more than a military issue, 31:26.959 --> 31:28.709 it's a civilian one, as well. 31:28.709 --> 31:30.750 Israel is developing settlements, 31:30.750 --> 31:33.959 fortified communities on the tops of hills, 31:33.959 --> 31:35.417 deep into the West Bank. 31:35.417 --> 31:36.709 Essentially Israeli towns, 31:36.709 --> 31:40.000 these controversial developments reach far into 31:40.000 --> 31:44.999 what Palestinians consider their territory. 31:44.999 --> 31:48.208 Many Israelis make the case that developing this land 31:48.208 --> 31:50.834 is justified because the land was unused. 31:50.834 --> 31:52.999 And many Jews believe it's God's will 31:52.999 --> 31:55.834 that they occupy Biblical Judea and Samaria, 31:55.834 --> 31:59.000 which is what they call the West Bank. 31:59.999 --> 32:02.500 Roughly half a million Israeli Jews 32:02.500 --> 32:04.999 now live in settlements in Palestine. 32:04.999 --> 32:08.625 These planned and gated communities 32:08.625 --> 32:10.750 come with all the comforts. 32:10.750 --> 32:12.999 And with Israeli government subsidies 32:12.999 --> 32:14.667 for housing and transportation, 32:14.667 --> 32:16.875 young Jewish families can afford to live here 32:16.875 --> 32:21.458 and commute from West Bank settlements back into Israel. 32:21.458 --> 32:22.999 As in other democracies, 32:22.999 --> 32:25.041 there are disagreements over government policy, 32:25.041 --> 32:28.125 and many moderate Israelis oppose construction 32:28.125 --> 32:30.291 of settlements in the West Bank. 32:30.291 --> 32:32.875 But Government policies still allow 32:32.875 --> 32:35.917 the ongoing construction of these settlements. 32:35.917 --> 32:40.208 I chatted with several settlers to get their perspectives. 32:40.208 --> 32:41.375 And to get another narrative, 32:41.375 --> 32:43.375 I talked with my Palestinian guides, 32:43.375 --> 32:45.917 both residents of the West Bank. 32:45.917 --> 32:48.125 Now, there's a lot of confusion in America 32:48.125 --> 32:49.999 about settlements and so on. 32:49.999 --> 32:50.999 Is this a settlement? 32:50.999 --> 32:52.959 Is this what you would consider a settlement? 32:52.959 --> 32:56.291 Well, the word "settlement" has all kinds of connotations. 32:56.291 --> 32:57.709 We consider it a city. 32:57.709 --> 33:02.250 And just like Seattle's a city, so is Ma'aleh Adumim a city. 33:02.250 --> 33:04.125 There is some dispute in the world 33:04.125 --> 33:07.709 as to what this should be and what its status is. 33:07.709 --> 33:08.417 Are you settlers? 33:08.417 --> 33:12.417 Or what do you -- how do you consider the name? 33:12.417 --> 33:13.959 I don't have name for that. 33:13.959 --> 33:16.291 We live in Israel, this is Israel. 33:16.291 --> 33:17.500 Yeah, so this is your town. 33:17.500 --> 33:19.999 -Yeah, this is my country. -Exactly. 33:19.999 --> 33:22.333 Now, what is Ma'aleh, what is Jordan Valley? 33:22.333 --> 33:24.291 It's Israel. Everything, it's Israel. 33:24.291 --> 33:25.999 Israelis, I've heard, would say, 33:25.999 --> 33:27.875 "Well, the land is unused anyway. 33:27.875 --> 33:29.792 It sits on the top of the hills." 33:29.792 --> 33:31.750 Yeah, that's -- [Laughs] 33:31.750 --> 33:35.000 That's a good excuse, but why it's unused? 33:35.000 --> 33:37.750 Because we are not allowed to use it. 33:37.750 --> 33:41.208 I'm sure you have a thousand dollars in your bank account, 33:41.208 --> 33:43.125 and you're not using it, you know, 33:43.125 --> 33:45.083 so it's still your money, you know. 33:45.083 --> 33:46.333 -That's a good analogy. -Yeah. 33:46.333 --> 33:48.208 Whenever you want to use it, you want to use it. 33:48.208 --> 33:51.083 Whenever you don't want to use it, you don't want to use it. 33:51.083 --> 33:52.999 It's our land. It's our right. 33:52.999 --> 33:55.999 What would you say to an Arab that says, 33:55.999 --> 34:00.709 "This is on the other side of the line defining the West Bank, 34:00.709 --> 34:03.333 and it's Palestinian territory, and you don't belong here." 34:03.333 --> 34:05.000 What would you say to them? 34:05.000 --> 34:05.709 I don't know. 34:05.709 --> 34:09.291 My history goes back not to the line, whatever the line is. 34:09.291 --> 34:11.709 My history goes back thousands of years, 34:11.709 --> 34:13.999 and in my history, this is part of Israel. 34:13.999 --> 34:17.250 Why should I leave my country? I was born and raised here. 34:17.250 --> 34:18.834 My grandfather, his grandfather, 34:18.834 --> 34:21.999 his great, great, great, great, great grandfather, 34:21.999 --> 34:23.999 and we still here, we didn't leave. 34:23.999 --> 34:26.333 We do need to find a way to fix everything, 34:26.333 --> 34:28.667 but I don't know how easy it's going to be, 34:28.667 --> 34:30.333 and if it's going to be possible now. 34:30.333 --> 34:34.000 You know that, daily, there are settlements are buildings, 34:34.000 --> 34:35.333 the wall is being built, 34:35.333 --> 34:38.000 and the Palestinians don't do anything about it. 34:38.000 --> 34:41.208 We don't fight, we don't do anything against it. 34:41.208 --> 34:42.834 We just want to show the world 34:42.834 --> 34:44.999 that we are a people that want peace. 34:44.999 --> 34:46.542 We want to show them 34:46.542 --> 34:47.417 we're accepting this now, 34:47.417 --> 34:49.999 because we want to show you this is not who we are. 34:49.999 --> 34:51.999 We are people who want to achieve something. 34:51.999 --> 34:54.999 My hunch is they've learned that there's only one future, 34:54.999 --> 34:57.333 and that is to respect Israel and not be violent. 34:57.333 --> 35:00.999 I don't know if they've learned. I'm not convinced yet. 35:00.999 --> 35:02.834 STEVES: I'm hopeful. That's my hope. 35:02.834 --> 35:03.999 -That's my hope. -That's your hope. 35:03.999 --> 35:06.792 I think we're all hopeful. I don't think we've seen it yet. 35:06.792 --> 35:09.291 Those settlements are making these -- 35:09.291 --> 35:12.166 this idea of us building the states 35:12.166 --> 35:13.166 on that land impossible. 35:13.166 --> 35:16.792 If you want peace, if you want a two-state solution, 35:16.792 --> 35:18.834 help us achieving that, you know. 35:18.834 --> 35:21.417 The settlements, for sure, they don't help. 35:21.417 --> 35:23.834 I know this is the big, million-dollar question, 35:23.834 --> 35:26.083 but do you think the future -- the best future 35:26.083 --> 35:28.917 is a two-state solution or a one-state solution? 35:28.917 --> 35:30.917 -You answer. -I don't know. 35:30.917 --> 35:33.000 I'm not in politics. I'm a computer programmer. 35:33.000 --> 35:36.999 I'm hoping -- and that's part of the things I'm involved in -- 35:36.999 --> 35:39.500 to create, plant seeds, 35:39.500 --> 35:42.458 hopefully, maybe 10 years, 15 years from now, 35:42.458 --> 35:45.000 people will realize the importance 35:45.000 --> 35:46.000 of living together 35:46.000 --> 35:48.417 and having one pluralistic democratic state. 35:48.417 --> 35:51.917 You can't do one country to Israeli and to Palestine. 35:51.917 --> 35:53.999 'Cause it's not going to work, it's not going to work. 35:53.999 --> 35:57.333 It's not going to work. It's going to make only war. 35:57.333 --> 35:59.750 Yes. 36:01.041 --> 36:01.875 Being here, 36:01.875 --> 36:04.667 I can see the appeal of these neighborhoods, 36:04.667 --> 36:06.083 especially for young families. 36:06.083 --> 36:08.999 But I've learned that these Israeli enclaves 36:08.999 --> 36:13.417 embitter the Palestinians as much as violent resistance 36:13.417 --> 36:14.125 embitters Israelis. 36:14.125 --> 36:18.750 And many fear that the more the West Bank is fragmented 36:18.750 --> 36:19.792 by Israeli settlements, 36:19.792 --> 36:22.999 the more elusive a mutually agreeable solution 36:22.999 --> 36:26.875 to this region's troubles will become. 36:27.583 --> 36:30.125 The Palestinian perspective of the situation 36:30.125 --> 36:31.999 is illustrated by maps like this, 36:31.999 --> 36:34.291 showing how their land holdings are shrinking 36:34.291 --> 36:40.041 since the creation of Israel in 1948 with each passing decade. 36:40.041 --> 36:42.999 And there's the wall, begun in 2003 by Israel 36:42.999 --> 36:45.709 to defend its border with the West Bank. 36:45.709 --> 36:48.542 Israeli's say this is a security fence, 36:48.542 --> 36:51.999 built after losing a thousand of its citizens 36:51.999 --> 36:55.000 to suicide bombers in the previous decade. 36:55.000 --> 36:57.333 And they claim it's been effective, 36:57.333 --> 36:59.625 noting that, since its construction, 36:59.625 --> 37:01.500 there's been almost no terrorism. 37:01.500 --> 37:06.250 Palestinians counter by saying that the wall was built 37:06.250 --> 37:08.375 with the pretense of security. 37:08.375 --> 37:10.999 They say it's actually a land grab 37:10.999 --> 37:14.333 designed to hobble a Palestinian state. 37:14.333 --> 37:15.999 The fence or wall, 37:15.999 --> 37:17.458 which is over 300 miles long, 37:17.458 --> 37:21.959 generally runs well within Palestinian territory. 37:21.959 --> 37:23.999 And it's nearly twice as long 37:23.999 --> 37:26.917 as the border it claims to defend, 37:26.917 --> 37:29.000 redrawn in order to secure settlements, 37:29.000 --> 37:30.333 aquifers, good farmland, 37:30.333 --> 37:34.291 and holy places within the West Bank for Israel. 37:37.875 --> 37:38.999 While it's landscaped 37:38.999 --> 37:40.999 and can look attractive from the Israeli side, 37:40.999 --> 37:44.583 the wall is unfinished and feels demoralizing 37:44.583 --> 37:47.000 from the Palestinian side. 37:54.375 --> 37:56.041 This struggle has been difficult, 37:56.041 --> 37:57.999 with killings and tragedy on both sides. 37:57.999 --> 38:01.375 While one man's terrorist may be another man's freedom fighter, 38:01.375 --> 38:02.999 the fact is, in recent decades, 38:02.999 --> 38:04.792 both sides have suffered terribly. 38:04.792 --> 38:07.500 Israeli Jews have been killed by Palestinians, 38:07.500 --> 38:10.083 and Palestinians have been killed by Israelis. 38:10.083 --> 38:14.417 I can certainly understand Israel's need for security, 38:14.417 --> 38:16.999 but walls are designed to keep people apart, 38:16.999 --> 38:18.999 and to me, that's part of the problem. 38:18.999 --> 38:24.125 I felt that young generations on both sides want to connect, 38:24.125 --> 38:25.250 but with this barrier, 38:25.250 --> 38:27.125 which many call "the separation wall," 38:27.125 --> 38:30.333 people connecting to find common ground 38:30.333 --> 38:32.999 is not an option. 38:34.083 --> 38:36.500 Beyond the infrastructure of conflict, 38:36.500 --> 38:39.333 it's the treasured land that defines Palestine. 38:39.333 --> 38:43.125 Rejoined by our Palestinian guide, Kamal, 38:43.125 --> 38:45.792 our first stop is Battir Natural Park, 38:45.792 --> 38:48.542 famed for its hikes through olive groves 38:48.542 --> 38:50.583 and ancient terraces. 38:50.583 --> 38:51.750 Here in the Holy Land, 38:51.750 --> 38:54.625 the land itself is holy to its inhabitants, 38:54.625 --> 38:57.166 and for Palestinians, the olive tree 38:57.166 --> 39:00.542 is a kind of lifeblood for their culture. 39:00.542 --> 39:01.999 KAMAL: We are in Palestine. 39:01.999 --> 39:03.250 This is Palestine here. 39:03.250 --> 39:05.999 These are the biblical terraces of Battir. 39:05.999 --> 39:10.999 And we call them biblical because they're over 39:10.999 --> 39:12.291 2,000 years of age. 39:12.291 --> 39:14.999 My ancestors came here and carved these terraces 39:14.999 --> 39:15.709 into the mountains. 39:15.709 --> 39:19.208 It was the only way for them to survive. 39:19.208 --> 39:20.834 You know, the mountains are hilly. 39:20.834 --> 39:22.709 You need the terraces to plant on them. 39:22.709 --> 39:25.291 They did that at that time, and guess what? 39:25.291 --> 39:28.083 We exist to today. We're still here. 39:28.083 --> 39:29.000 Only though them. 39:29.000 --> 39:30.500 That's why I love this place. 39:30.500 --> 39:34.000 This tells me this is where I belong, 39:34.000 --> 39:35.709 tells me this is Palestine. 39:35.709 --> 39:39.500 STEVES: What do olives mean to the Palestinian people? 39:39.500 --> 39:41.709 KAMAL: Olives, they're the best trees. 39:41.709 --> 39:45.291 They're the poor man's tree because the olive tree 39:45.291 --> 39:46.417 gives without taking. 39:46.417 --> 39:50.542 The olive tree gives us the olives without even 39:50.542 --> 39:53.417 needing us to do anything for it. 39:53.417 --> 39:55.583 It's October, and across the land, 39:55.583 --> 39:57.291 as they have since ancient times, 39:57.291 --> 39:59.667 families gather in the olive groves 39:59.667 --> 40:00.291 for the harvest. 40:00.291 --> 40:02.999 Children are let out of school for the week 40:02.999 --> 40:05.999 so they can work the trees with their parents. 40:05.999 --> 40:07.500 In the West Bank, 40:07.500 --> 40:10.375 60% of the trees are olive trees. 40:10.375 --> 40:13.083 To Palestinians, the beloved olive tree 40:13.083 --> 40:15.875 represents their past and their future. 40:15.875 --> 40:17.542 They say, "It was planted 40:17.542 --> 40:19.667 by our grandfathers for us to eat, 40:19.667 --> 40:22.999 and we plant it for our grandchildren 40:22.999 --> 40:24.999 to eat." 40:26.083 --> 40:28.709 In nearby villages, families take their olives 40:28.709 --> 40:31.083 to the communal press to make oil. 40:31.083 --> 40:33.208 The traditional technique survives, 40:33.208 --> 40:35.417 though boosted by hard-working machinery, 40:35.417 --> 40:38.667 as a busy crew in oil-soaked shirts meets 40:38.667 --> 40:40.625 the demands of the harvest season. 40:40.625 --> 40:46.375 Rounds of olive paste are pressed into a weeping mass. 40:46.375 --> 40:48.542 The fresh oil, after filtering, becomes 40:48.542 --> 40:53.667 a golden liquid poured into jugs to be taken home. 40:57.166 --> 41:00.959 As if rising out of those ancient olive groves, 41:00.959 --> 41:03.999 the ancient city of Hebron, with over 200,000 people, 41:03.999 --> 41:07.792 is the largest city in the West Bank, 41:07.792 --> 41:09.834 and it's the bustling commercial capital, 41:09.834 --> 41:14.208 with nearly a third of the entire West Bank economy. 41:14.999 --> 41:16.583 Just strolling the streets, 41:16.583 --> 41:17.625 dodging cars, 41:17.625 --> 41:18.542 and mixing with the people, 41:18.542 --> 41:20.999 I feel the energy of an economy 41:20.999 --> 41:22.917 that seems primed to grow. 41:22.917 --> 41:24.999 Commerce spills out everywhere. 41:24.999 --> 41:26.625 Exploring the market streets, 41:26.625 --> 41:28.875 I'm immersed in Palestinian life. 41:28.875 --> 41:33.792 Experiences like these are why we travel. 41:35.999 --> 41:38.208 Along with all the market activity and commerce 41:38.208 --> 41:40.291 comes high security and tension. 41:40.291 --> 41:43.083 That's because this city has the tomb of Abraham, 41:43.083 --> 41:46.208 so sacred to both Israelis and Palestinians. 41:46.208 --> 41:50.500 Here, Jews live literally atop Palestinian Muslims, 41:50.500 --> 41:51.999 as the two communities struggle 41:51.999 --> 41:55.000 to be near the tomb of their common patriarch. 41:55.000 --> 41:58.208 While the city is mostly Palestinian, 41:58.208 --> 42:00.333 a determined and well-protected community 42:00.333 --> 42:02.000 of several hundred Israeli settlers 42:02.000 --> 42:04.166 has staked out the high ground. 42:04.166 --> 42:07.875 The tension between the communities is illustrated 42:07.875 --> 42:09.041 by a wire net that protects 42:09.041 --> 42:10.999 the Arab food and clothing market 42:10.999 --> 42:15.000 from the garbage of the Jewish residents above. 42:15.000 --> 42:18.375 Israeli troops are posted here in the name of security. 42:18.375 --> 42:22.750 Turnstiles and checkpoints are a way of life. 42:22.750 --> 42:25.542 A no-man's land with Jewish political art 42:25.542 --> 42:30.999 decorating closed buildings divides the two communities. 42:31.375 --> 42:35.875 And it's all about this very sacred and complicated site -- 42:35.875 --> 42:38.166 an ancient structure capped by a medieval church 42:38.166 --> 42:42.166 which now functions both as a mosque and a synagogue 42:42.166 --> 42:45.417 holding the tombs of Abraham and his family. 42:45.417 --> 42:50.083 The focal point for both faiths is this, 42:50.083 --> 42:51.583 the tomb of Abraham. 42:51.583 --> 42:53.999 Poignantly, access for the feuding 42:53.999 --> 42:57.000 descendants of Abraham is divided by a pane 42:57.000 --> 43:00.542 of bullet-proof glass. 43:00.542 --> 43:02.500 On one side of the glass, 43:02.500 --> 43:04.041 Jews worship in the synagogue, 43:04.041 --> 43:05.999 the second-most holy place in Judaism. 43:05.999 --> 43:07.999 It's enlivened with singing, studying, 43:07.999 --> 43:13.375 and praying among the tombs of their great patriarchs. 43:14.834 --> 43:17.333 The other half is a mosque, where Muslims worship 43:17.333 --> 43:21.709 before their shared patriarch with equal fervor. 43:21.709 --> 43:22.875 Its exquisite minbar, 43:22.875 --> 43:25.500 where the imam stands to give sermons, 43:25.500 --> 43:29.208 is a rare original from the 12th century, 43:29.208 --> 43:32.208 with inlaid wood and no nails. 43:32.208 --> 43:35.999 Unfortunately, this holy place's history 43:35.999 --> 43:38.834 has a tragic aura. 43:41.875 --> 43:43.917 For centuries, Jews were generally 43:43.917 --> 43:44.750 not allowed to worship here. 43:44.750 --> 43:48.125 Then, after the Israeli victory in the war of 1967, 43:48.125 --> 43:51.583 the space was shared by Jews and Muslims. 43:51.583 --> 43:54.208 But during a Muslim service in 1994, 43:54.208 --> 43:56.750 an Israeli settler entered here with his gun 43:56.750 --> 43:59.792 and killed 29 Palestinian worshippers. 43:59.792 --> 44:02.999 Since then, this holy space has been divided, 44:02.999 --> 44:05.999 emblematic of the difficult challenges 44:05.999 --> 44:08.709 that permeate the Holy Land. 44:09.291 --> 44:13.000 As a visitor traveling from Palestinian city to city 44:13.000 --> 44:13.917 on fine modern freeways, 44:13.917 --> 44:17.250 it's easy to underestimate the complexity of the region 44:17.250 --> 44:19.417 and the extent of Israeli control. 44:19.417 --> 44:22.208 Palestinians living in the West Bank, 44:22.208 --> 44:23.834 while nominally autonomous, 44:23.834 --> 44:26.333 are living under an Israeli occupation. 44:26.333 --> 44:30.125 Israel has granted sections of the West Bank 44:30.125 --> 44:32.291 various degrees of autonomy. 44:32.291 --> 44:36.250 Palestinian cities are generally Palestinian-run 44:36.250 --> 44:39.208 with their own security forces. 44:39.208 --> 44:41.583 These islands of relative independence 44:41.583 --> 44:44.375 are surrounded by zones controlled by 44:44.375 --> 44:45.959 Israeli military. 44:45.959 --> 44:47.999 Most of the West Bank population 44:47.999 --> 44:50.458 is in Palestinian-controlled cities, 44:50.458 --> 44:53.999 but Israel still controls most of the roads 44:53.999 --> 44:56.583 and most of the land. 44:57.458 --> 44:58.999 If there's a problem or unrest, 44:58.999 --> 45:01.750 Israel can activate checkpoints like this 45:01.750 --> 45:02.583 all across the country 45:02.583 --> 45:04.375 and stop all traffic in the West Bank. 45:04.375 --> 45:07.333 Within minutes, they can lock down and isolate 45:07.333 --> 45:08.999 every Palestinian city. 45:08.999 --> 45:11.583 Palestinian cars have green plates. 45:11.583 --> 45:13.999 Israelis have yellow plates. 45:13.999 --> 45:17.208 Generally, most West Bank roads are open to all. 45:17.208 --> 45:20.999 But when times are tense, checkpoints are manned 45:20.999 --> 45:23.625 and only yellow plates are allowed. 45:23.625 --> 45:25.999 Things are pretty quiet during our visit, 45:25.999 --> 45:27.959 and we're able to move fast and free, 45:27.959 --> 45:32.750 even with our green plates, throughout the West Bank. 45:32.750 --> 45:36.208 Some of the most dramatic and evocative scenery here 45:36.208 --> 45:39.542 is in the vast and arid Judean Desert. 45:39.542 --> 45:41.125 Hiding in folds of the desert 45:41.125 --> 45:44.166 are fabled monasteries which, since ancient times, 45:44.166 --> 45:48.999 have given hermits the isolation of their dreams. 45:50.999 --> 45:54.583 Our ears pop as we continue deeper into the desert 45:54.583 --> 45:55.999 and drop below sea-level. 45:55.999 --> 45:59.999 The road ends at the lowest place on earth, 45:59.999 --> 46:03.208 the fabled Dead Sea. 46:03.208 --> 46:06.291 Palestinians living in the West Bank 46:06.291 --> 46:08.000 have no access to waterfront. 46:08.000 --> 46:11.625 Officially, there's no seaside, riverbank, 46:11.625 --> 46:13.917 or lakefront in the West Bank. 46:13.917 --> 46:14.917 Israel adjusted the border 46:14.917 --> 46:17.750 to control the entire Dead Sea shoreline. 46:17.750 --> 46:20.583 But when tensions are low, 46:20.583 --> 46:21.999 Palestinian families 46:21.999 --> 46:27.834 are allowed to enjoy some Israeli Dead Sea resorts. 46:29.583 --> 46:31.750 Approaching any Palestinian city, 46:31.750 --> 46:33.999 a bold, red sign makes it clear -- 46:33.999 --> 46:37.834 you're leaving the realm of the Israeli military 46:37.834 --> 46:38.999 and entering the zone 46:38.999 --> 46:41.291 controlled by Palestinian security. 46:41.291 --> 46:44.125 This comes with a checkpoint, sometimes manned, 46:44.125 --> 46:47.166 sometimes unmanned in a simple drive-through. 46:47.166 --> 46:49.834 Regardless, there's always a watchtower, 46:49.834 --> 46:51.333 reminding those coming and going 46:51.333 --> 46:53.333 that Israel is keeping an eye on things. 46:53.333 --> 46:58.834 Nablus is the second city of the West Bank in population, 46:58.834 --> 47:01.917 with a fine modern center and a long history. 47:01.917 --> 47:04.709 In Ancient times the Roman Emperor named it 47:04.709 --> 47:07.417 the new city -- that's Neapolis or Nablus. 47:07.417 --> 47:10.542 The people of Nablus are relatively conservative. 47:10.542 --> 47:13.999 And immersed in this vibrant city's commercial commotion, 47:13.999 --> 47:16.792 I found simply being part of the scene 47:16.792 --> 47:18.000 a powerful experience. 47:18.000 --> 47:20.792 Famed or notorious for its fighting spirit, 47:20.792 --> 47:24.834 the city has walls crusty with political posters. 47:24.834 --> 47:26.125 These young local men, 47:26.125 --> 47:30.291 considered terrorists or freedom fighters, 47:30.291 --> 47:31.667 depending on your perspective, 47:31.667 --> 47:33.625 are mostly in Israeli prisons or dead. 47:33.625 --> 47:36.583 Yet, they live on with posters that celebrate 47:36.583 --> 47:39.999 their commitment to Palestinian independence. 47:39.999 --> 47:42.208 As these posters fade, 47:42.208 --> 47:44.041 I'm hoping that what seems to me 47:44.041 --> 47:46.625 like a new spirit of nonviolence 47:46.625 --> 47:48.875 to address the region's problems 47:48.875 --> 47:52.166 reflects a permanent shift in Palestinian strategy. 47:52.166 --> 47:56.999 A recurring symbol throughout Palestine is the key. 47:56.999 --> 47:58.875 Many towns display a big key 47:58.875 --> 48:01.542 as a reminder of a big issue here -- 48:01.542 --> 48:04.959 refugees, the hundreds of thousands of Palestinians 48:04.959 --> 48:09.750 who were displaced with the creation of Israel in 1948. 48:09.750 --> 48:12.750 Here in the West Bank, over 60 years later, 48:12.750 --> 48:14.999 many refugee camps are still filled 48:14.999 --> 48:17.792 with Palestinian families who fled 48:17.792 --> 48:19.999 when their land became Israel. 48:19.999 --> 48:23.375 To this day, these people -- whose parents and grandparents, 48:23.375 --> 48:25.542 thinking they'd be returning home soon, 48:25.542 --> 48:27.542 grabbed their keys and fled back in 1948 -- 48:27.542 --> 48:30.999 treasure those old keys and are happy to tell their story. 48:30.999 --> 48:33.542 MAN: Around the 19th of October, 1948, 48:33.542 --> 48:36.417 my family was forced to leave their village. 48:36.417 --> 48:38.875 They closed their house and moved away, 48:38.875 --> 48:42.625 waiting for two weeks, and then they will be coming back. 48:42.625 --> 48:45.000 65 years later, we are in a refugee camp, 48:45.000 --> 48:48.417 still waiting for this return, which never happened. 48:48.417 --> 48:52.999 Two-thirds of Palestinian people became refuges in 1948, 48:52.999 --> 48:55.417 dispersed in 59 refugee camps, 48:55.417 --> 48:58.834 and most of them have these old rusty keys 48:58.834 --> 49:01.709 for doors that do or do not exist anymore. 49:01.709 --> 49:04.792 Among the many refugee camps in the West Bank, 49:04.792 --> 49:07.083 the biggest, with over 20,000 people, 49:07.083 --> 49:10.999 is Balata, just outside of Nablus. 49:10.999 --> 49:11.999 The 10' x 10' platting, 49:11.999 --> 49:16.458 marking where tents were posted back in 1948, survives. 49:16.458 --> 49:18.625 Only now the tents are gone, 49:18.625 --> 49:20.999 replaced by multistory cinder block tenements. 49:20.999 --> 49:25.250 Throughout the world, there are refugee camps like this. 49:25.250 --> 49:26.291 Wandering these lanes, 49:26.291 --> 49:30.750 I can't imagine living in such dense population... 49:30.750 --> 49:32.999 the lack of privacy... 49:32.999 --> 49:36.458 Being a parent with children and little money... 49:36.458 --> 49:40.542 the frustration of an uncertain future. 49:40.542 --> 49:42.792 For over 60 years, the United Nations 49:42.792 --> 49:45.917 has maintained a calming and helpful presence. 49:45.917 --> 49:49.792 When the UN-run-and-funded school lets out, 49:49.792 --> 49:52.875 the streets flood with children happy to practice their English 49:52.875 --> 49:56.041 with a rare traveler venturing into their world. 49:56.041 --> 49:57.667 [All shouting] 49:57.667 --> 49:58.375 [Steves laughs] 49:58.375 --> 50:01.999 A women's co-op provides training and helps kick-start 50:01.999 --> 50:05.000 cottage industries run by traditional artisans. 50:05.000 --> 50:08.083 And the commerce enlivening the main street of the camp 50:08.083 --> 50:09.709 is like that of a town. 50:09.709 --> 50:11.208 We're joining little Mustafa, 50:11.208 --> 50:14.875 who's been sent by his mother to get chicken for dinner. 50:14.875 --> 50:18.125 [Chicken squawking] 50:22.917 --> 50:25.834 Around here, pride can come in little triumphs, 50:25.834 --> 50:31.041 and Mustafa is heading home with dinner for the family. 50:32.000 --> 50:33.959 Life goes on in these camps, 50:33.959 --> 50:38.667 as the refugees wait for a resolution to their plight. 50:40.750 --> 50:44.999 It's time to move on to our final stop in the West Bank. 50:44.999 --> 50:46.750 It's October, and the landscape 50:46.750 --> 50:49.291 is pretty brown after a scorching summer. 50:49.291 --> 50:52.959 Today's vistas feel timeless. 50:52.959 --> 50:55.709 In fact, I can imagine Abraham, Jesus, 50:55.709 --> 51:00.750 or Muhammad each traversing these same valleys. 51:02.125 --> 51:03.417 The city of Ramallah 51:03.417 --> 51:07.917 functions as the de facto capital of Palestine. 51:08.500 --> 51:11.000 While most Palestinians consider Jerusalem 51:11.000 --> 51:13.166 their rightful capital, so do Israelis, 51:13.166 --> 51:15.999 and sharing the city seems unlikely for now. 51:15.999 --> 51:20.208 That leaves Ramallah to host the Palestinian government 51:20.208 --> 51:21.834 and international agencies. 51:21.834 --> 51:24.917 Adjacent the president's headquarters 51:24.917 --> 51:28.834 stands the tomb of Yasser Arafat. 51:30.667 --> 51:34.083 While he certainly has plenty of detractors, 51:34.083 --> 51:35.834 this Palestinian statesman, 51:35.834 --> 51:38.208 who led the PLO from 1969 until 2004, 51:38.208 --> 51:41.208 is without a doubt the father of modern Palestine. 51:41.208 --> 51:45.417 Call him what you like, people here celebrate Arafat 51:45.417 --> 51:47.959 as the man who did more than anyone else 51:47.959 --> 51:50.999 to raise awareness of the Palestinian struggle 51:50.999 --> 51:52.083 for independence. 51:52.083 --> 51:54.250 With its international professionals 51:54.250 --> 51:56.917 and university students, Ramallah has an almost 51:56.917 --> 52:00.917 cosmopolitan energy you feel nowhere else in Palestine. 52:00.917 --> 52:04.999 Whether coming together at the Square of the Lions 52:04.999 --> 52:07.458 or browsing down a stylish shopping street, 52:07.458 --> 52:11.417 Ramallah helps me envision a peaceful and prosperous 52:11.417 --> 52:14.875 Palestine of the future. 52:14.875 --> 52:16.792 Nearby, at Bir Zeit University, 52:16.792 --> 52:19.709 with its beautiful campus and 9,000 students, 52:19.709 --> 52:24.083 you feel a younger generation working hard 52:24.083 --> 52:24.834 and engaged. 52:24.834 --> 52:27.667 A stroll through the campus gives me a chance 52:27.667 --> 52:29.959 to connect with students and learn a bit 52:29.959 --> 52:33.083 about both their culture and their aspirations. 52:33.083 --> 52:34.000 In a university like this, 52:34.000 --> 52:36.583 are there more men or more women studying? 52:36.583 --> 52:37.999 Women, I believe, women, yes. 52:37.999 --> 52:40.792 STEVES: What is it like for a woman in Palestine? 52:40.792 --> 52:43.667 They live freely, like womens in the world. 52:43.667 --> 52:44.750 Yes, we can do everything today. 52:44.750 --> 52:47.542 We can go out together, and no judgmental, nothing. 52:47.542 --> 52:49.041 This feels so free and beautiful here, 52:49.041 --> 52:52.208 and you have such a future, but you're living behind a wall. 52:52.208 --> 52:52.999 What is that like? 52:52.999 --> 52:57.125 It is like I don't see the whole of my country. 52:57.125 --> 52:59.166 I can't go to Jerusalem, also. 52:59.166 --> 53:03.291 I can't go to the sea. I can't see the sea. 53:03.291 --> 53:04.709 I don't know my country. 53:04.709 --> 53:07.375 STEVES: Because it's on the other side of the wall? 53:07.375 --> 53:10.208 Yeah. There was a history of violence 53:10.208 --> 53:11.709 during different struggles, 53:11.709 --> 53:14.667 but I feel today that there's a recognition 53:14.667 --> 53:17.500 that violence is not a winning strategy. 53:17.500 --> 53:19.999 What is the thinking in Palestine 53:19.999 --> 53:21.667 about violent resistance now? 53:21.667 --> 53:24.709 For us to stick together, to be together, 53:24.709 --> 53:26.208 to be one unite, you know. 53:26.208 --> 53:27.667 And this is our victory to us, 53:27.667 --> 53:29.667 for us to keep together, to stay together, 53:29.667 --> 53:32.667 and never let them make us feel, at the end, that, yes, 53:32.667 --> 53:35.041 to accept the idea that we are the bad guys. 53:35.041 --> 53:35.999 'Cause we are not. 53:35.999 --> 53:39.458 So what is the hope for -- for the future? 53:39.458 --> 53:43.875 Of course, to live in peace, to have peace and to be -- 53:43.875 --> 53:49.417 To have all your family around, to go abroad 53:49.417 --> 53:50.709 whenever you want. 53:50.709 --> 53:51.999 We're very happy that you're coming 53:51.999 --> 53:55.000 and give you these points and these thoughts about us, 53:55.000 --> 53:58.792 because we know that Americans and public in general, 53:58.792 --> 54:00.291 they know the bad idea about us. 54:00.291 --> 54:02.875 So it's our pleasure to have this opportunity 54:02.875 --> 54:05.208 to give our thoughts and who we really are. 54:05.208 --> 54:07.166 STEVES: Free women with a good future. 54:07.166 --> 54:08.999 -Yes. -Insha'Allah. 54:08.999 --> 54:10.834 Insha'Allah, insha'Allah. 54:10.834 --> 54:14.250 STEVES: Traveling here humanizes the Holy Land. 54:14.250 --> 54:16.500 On both sides of the wall, 54:16.500 --> 54:18.000 you feel the religious passion, 54:18.000 --> 54:19.999 the historical suffering, 54:19.999 --> 54:21.291 and the national pride. 54:21.291 --> 54:24.625 And you meet endearing people. 54:24.625 --> 54:27.875 Good people motivated by fear and love. 54:27.875 --> 54:30.417 Land is treasured, 54:30.417 --> 54:32.709 land is disputed, 54:32.709 --> 54:35.500 and land is the basis of dreams. 54:35.500 --> 54:37.999 Both communities have inflicted pain, 54:37.999 --> 54:40.792 and both communities have endured pain. 54:40.792 --> 54:43.083 And peace is possible only when both sides 54:43.083 --> 54:45.999 move beyond the past and make real concessions. 54:45.999 --> 54:48.583 The United States is clearly a stakeholder, 54:48.583 --> 54:50.125 and it's hard to imagine a roadmap 54:50.125 --> 54:53.999 to peace in the Holy Land without American involvement. 54:53.999 --> 54:55.999 There's no easy answer. 54:55.999 --> 54:59.959 Yet, traveling here, I feel there's a growing realization 54:59.959 --> 55:02.417 that neither side is going away, 55:02.417 --> 55:03.625 violence is not the answer, 55:03.625 --> 55:07.875 and everyone will be better off when dignity, security, 55:07.875 --> 55:11.333 and economic justice are provided to all. 55:11.333 --> 55:13.083 I know the hurdles are high, 55:13.083 --> 55:15.625 but after hearing both narratives, 55:15.625 --> 55:19.542 I can envision a peaceful and prosperous Holy Land, 55:19.542 --> 55:23.458 with a secure Israel and a free Palestine. 55:23.458 --> 55:25.999 And I'm hopeful. 55:27.959 --> 55:31.750 In this land, so treasured by Jews, Muslims, and Christians, 55:31.750 --> 55:35.417 I'm reminded that the prophets of each of these religions 55:35.417 --> 55:36.500 taught us to love our neighbors. 55:36.500 --> 55:40.000 And the lessons learned from traveling here in the Holy Land 55:40.000 --> 55:43.125 can inspire us all to strive for that ideal. 55:43.125 --> 55:44.000 I'm Rick Steves. 55:44.000 --> 55:46.291 Until next time, keep on traveling. 55:46.291 --> 55:50.500 Shalom, salaam,and peace. 55:51.792 --> 55:52.999 You can order a DVD of this Holy Land special 55:52.999 --> 55:56.999 and other Rick Steves programs at ricksteves.com. 55:57.999 --> 55:58.999 You'll also find more information, 55:58.999 --> 56:00.333 including a script, extended interviews, 56:00.333 --> 56:03.750 and an opportunity to continue our Holy Land discussion 56:03.750 --> 56:06.291 at ricksteves.com.