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Hi, I'm Rick Steves, 
back with more travels.

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This time we're exploring 
the Holy Land,

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Israel and Palestine.

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It's harvest time.

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Our goal -- 
to understand and enjoy

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the people who love this land 
and call it home.

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Thanks for joining us.

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The land Israelis 
and Palestinians occupy is,

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for a third of humanity, 
Israel is, literally, holy land,

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and Jerusalem marks 
its sacred center.

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For Christians,

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this is where Jesus was 
crucified and resurrected.

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For Muslims, this is from where 
Muhammad journeyed to Heaven.

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And for Jews, the Temple 
of Solomon stood right here.

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The crossroads 
of three great religions,

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the Holy Land has been coveted 
and fought over for centuries.

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While Israelis and Palestinians 
have overlapping claims

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and struggle to 
share it peacefully,

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this land has a rich 
and fascinating heritage.

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We'll go beyond the sights,

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opening our minds 
to both narratives

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to better understand 
and empathize with the people.

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In Israel, 
we'll explore Jerusalem

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and learn some 
of the religious customs

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and ideas 
that shape society here.

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and we'll walk 
the Golan Heights,

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where the importance of 
maintaining Israel's security

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is an enduring lesson.

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And now we have to make sure 
that we are on the high ground,

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never to let it happen again.

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In Palestine, 
by harvesting olives,

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making a home visit, 
and popping into a university,

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we'll get to know a land 
few travelers visit

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and a point of view 
few people consider.

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The whole of my whole country.

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I don't know my country.

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And along the way, 
we'll hear a few

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of the many perspectives here.

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We'll learn about 
security walls,

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controversial settlements,

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and the persistent challenges 
facing the region.

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At the east end of 
the Mediterranean Sea,

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the region west 
of the Jordan River

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is split between Israel, 
predominately Jewish,

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and Palestine, 
predominately Muslim and Arab,

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which is made up of 
the West Bank and Gaza.

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We'll start in Jerusalem, 
and in Israel,

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we'll visit Tel Aviv,

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the Sea of Galilee,

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and the Israeli-controlled 
Golan Heights.

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Then, in the West Bank,

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we'll venture to Bethlehem, 
Hebron, Nablus,

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and finish in Ramallah.

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The Muslims and Jews that 
call this region home

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share a family tree that 
goes back nearly 4,000 years.

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That's when the patriarch, 
or prophet,

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Abraham had two sons.

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From Isaac came the Israelites, 
and Ismael spawned the Arabs.

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This ancient ethnic mix 
is complicated by religions.

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Israelites were Jewish.

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Christians worship Jesus,

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a Jew who brought 
his own message.

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And today, 
most Arabs here are Muslim,

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a religion that arrived 
much later with their prophet,

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Muhammad, 
in the 7th century.

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Throughout the centuries,

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this region endured 
waves of conquerors,

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from ancient Romans 
to Christian Crusaders

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to Muslim Ottomans.

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Until the 20th century,

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the entire area 
was called Palestine,

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as it was in Roman times.

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While Muslims generally 
outnumbered

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Jews and Christians,

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the various communities 
generally got along peacefully.

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In the 20th century, 
the Jewish population grew,

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especially with the creation

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of the state of Israel 
after World War II.

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Today, the combined population 
of Israel and Palestine

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is about 12 million,

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roughly half Jews 
and half Muslim Arabs

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and only a couple percent 
Christian.

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In 2012, 
the United Nations recognized

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Palestine as a state.

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Okay, I know, 
this is complicated,

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and it's contentious.

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And I imagine some people 
on both sides

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are already upset with me.

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But I'm a travel writer, 
and the beauty for me

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is to come here with 
an open mind and learn.

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We'll visit each side, and we'll 
do it in alphabetical order --

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first Israel then Palestine.

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Let's go.

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Israel is the size 
of New Jersey,

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with 8 million people, twice 
the population of Palestine.

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While the state of Israel 
is young,

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the Jewish people have 
a history here

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going back 4,000 years.

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There's history everywhere,

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and within a two-hour drive 
of Jerusalem,

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you can take a sweeping tour 
of sights illustrating

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its tumultuous past.

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2,000 years ago, Caesarea was 
a mighty Roman seaport.

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Further up the coast

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is the 12th century Crusader 
town of Akko.

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And in the 16th century,

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after the return 
of Muslim dominance,

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the Ottoman Turks surrounded 
Jerusalem

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with this mighty wall.

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And the 20th century 
has left reminders

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of the determined 
struggle

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that built today's 
Jewish state.

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In 1947, after the Holocaust 
and the end of World War II,

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the United Nations helped found 
the modern state of Israel,

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and Jews, long dispersed 
across the world,

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returned to their 
ancient homeland.

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In the process, hundreds 
of thousands of Palestinians

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were displaced, and to this day,

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both people struggle to find 
an equitable and peaceful way

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to share what each consider 
their rightful homeland.

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The dividing of the Holy Land 
hasn't been easy.

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The 1947 United Nations 
plan of partition, creating

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an independent Jewish state

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and an independent Arab state,

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was rejected by the Arabs.

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Civil war broke out, 
which led

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to the 1948 Arab-Israeli War.

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After a year of fighting, 
with Israel mostly victorious,

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a cease-fire was declared

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and temporary borders,

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known as the Green Line, 
were established.

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In the 1960s, Arab-Israeli 
relations again deteriorated

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to the point where 
war broke out in 1967.

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With a quick and decisive 
victory in the Six-Days War,

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Israel increased 
its territory substantially.

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[Gunshot]

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Later, Palestinians,

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chafing at the loss of 
their land and freedom,

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staged two uprisings, 
or intifadas.

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[Shouting]

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Approximately 1,000 
Israeli civilians

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were killed by Palestinian 
suicide bombers

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as violence intensified 
during the Second Intifada,

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from 2000 to 2005.

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In response, Israel asserted 
itself more aggressively,

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building a controversial fence 
or wall

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around the West Bank

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in the name of security 
from terrorism.

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The epic stories 
of the world's

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three great 
monotheistic religions

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have played out on this 
tiny piece of real estate.

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It's been a difficult mix, 
and Jerusalem's

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the most contested city 
within this contested land.

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Jerusalem is a sprawling 
and modern city

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of about 800,000 people.

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But its core, 
The Old City,

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is home to just 35,000.

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Its venerable walls 
corral a tangle

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of many of this planet's 
holiest sites.

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Within a 10-minute walk,

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you can see the Church 
of the Holy Sepulchre,

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so sacred to Christians...

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the Dome of the Rock, 
revered by Muslims...

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and the holiest place 
in Judaism,

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the Western Wall.

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For so many people,

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Jerusalem is the closest place 
on earth

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to heaven.

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Much of Jerusalem's importance 
rests upon this holy site,

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which is both an inspiration 
and a flash point

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for the religions 
that share it.

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Muslims believe Muhammad 
journeyed to heaven from here,

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and they've worshipped on 
this spot for 1,300 years.

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Jews teach that here Abraham, 
as a test of his faith,

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was asked to sacrifice 
his son.

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God intervened and saved Isaac.

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They call this place 
Temple Mount,

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believe it to be 
the center of the earth,

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and have worshipped here 
for 3,000 years.

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A thousand years before Christ,

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King David united 
the 12 tribes of Israel

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and captured Jerusalem.

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His son, Solomon, built 
the First Temple right here.

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It was later destroyed, 
and the Second Temple was built.

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Then came the catastrophic year 
for the Jews -- 70 AD --

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when the Romans 
destroyed their temple

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and ushered in the Diaspora.

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That's when the Jews became 
a people without a land

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and dispersed 
throughout the world.

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The western foundation

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of this ancient temple complex 
survives.

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Here at what's called 
the Western Wall,

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Jews mourn a horrible past 
and pray for a better future.

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The square operates as 
an open-air synagogue,

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with men and women 
separated by a barrier.

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The faithful believe 
prayers left in cracks

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between the stones 
of the Western Wall

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will be answered.

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Bar mitzvahs and festivals 
enliven the scene.

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Holding the Torah high, 
joyous families celebrate

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at the most holy place 
in Judaism.

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[Singing in Hebrew]

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Radiating out from Temple Mount 
is Jerusalem's Old City,

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It's divided into 
four quarters --

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Jewish, Muslim, Armenian, 
and Christian.

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Through the Christian quarter 
winds the Via Dolorosa,

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the route it's believed Jesus 
walked as he carried the cross.

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Pilgrims come from around 
Christendom

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to retrace his steps.

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Their journey culminates at 
the site of Jesus' crucifixion,

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marked by the Church 
of the Holy Sepulchre

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on Calvary Hill, or Golgotha.

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Today, the dark, 
sprawling church

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is the most sacred site 
in Christendom.

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Built on the site 
believed to be

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where Jesus died 
and was resurrected,

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pilgrims line up to pray at 
the place of the crucifixion.

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And a few steps away, 
under a grand dome,

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they gather to enter 
Jesus' tomb, or sepulchre

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and place a candle 
where he was buried.

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Exploring Jerusalem's Old City, 
with its tight quarters

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and religious passions, I was 
impressed by the diversity,

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the feeling of community, 
and how, all in all,

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things seem to work together.

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The Jewish Quarter 
is more orderly

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and modern 
than the other quarters.

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Much of this area was destroyed 
during the 1948 fighting

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or under the ensuing period 
of Jordanian occupation.

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After Israelis took control 
of Jerusalem in 1967,

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they rebuilt this quarter.

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While it's not convenient 
or economic

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to live in this 
medieval tangle,

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devout Jews 
find great joy

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in living here 
and raising their families

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so close to the Western Wall.

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The Muslim Quarter,

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with over half the Old City's 
population, is Arab.

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Like the Jewish quarter,

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it stretches out 
from Temple Mount,

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which is crowned by that 
glittering Dome of the Rock.

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Like the Jews worship 
at the base of Temple Mount,

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Muslim's worship on its top, 
in the shadow of the dome,

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with its intricate geometric 
designs in stone and tile

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fitting regally within its pure 
and simple lines.

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Holy as this spot 
is for Muslims,

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it's controlled by Israel,

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and residents of Palestine

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are generally not allowed 
to worship here.

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Most of those praying here 
are Israeli citizens,

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part of Israel's 
Palestinian minority.

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Here in the Muslim Quarter,

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a bustling and labyrinthine 
marketplace

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is popular with local Arabs.

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Today, on the eve 
of a Muslim holiday,

255
00:12:21,999 --> 00:12:25,125
the market is 
particularly busy.

256
00:12:34,000 --> 00:12:36,250
While wandering 
the Muslim Quarter,

257
00:12:36,250 --> 00:12:39,417
you may see houses 
fortified and festooned

258
00:12:39,417 --> 00:12:40,667
with Israeli flags,

259
00:12:40,667 --> 00:12:43,458
homes of Zionist families 
determined to stake out

260
00:12:43,458 --> 00:12:46,667
this bit of the Old City 
for their Jewish community.

261
00:12:46,667 --> 00:12:49,333
Considering the rich 
historic heritage

262
00:12:49,333 --> 00:12:50,917
of each of these communities,

263
00:12:50,917 --> 00:12:53,291
it's understandable 
that both vie

264
00:12:53,291 --> 00:12:54,625
for this sacred real estate.

265
00:12:54,625 --> 00:12:57,208
This struggle 
over control of Jerusalem

266
00:12:57,208 --> 00:13:01,959
is a huge 
political challenge.

267
00:13:03,041 --> 00:13:06,917
While complete Muslim control 
of Jerusalem is unrealistic,

268
00:13:06,917 --> 00:13:10,458
many Arabs envision 
an independent Palestinian State

269
00:13:10,458 --> 00:13:12,125
with this part of Jerusalem --

270
00:13:12,125 --> 00:13:13,999
East Jerusalem -- 
as their capital.

271
00:13:13,999 --> 00:13:17,999
It's a very contentious issue, 
and Israel seems determined

272
00:13:17,999 --> 00:13:21,250
to keep Jerusalem whole 
and in its control.

273
00:13:21,250 --> 00:13:23,417
An icon of the tension

274
00:13:23,417 --> 00:13:27,999
is the wall that Israel has 
built between it and Palestine.

275
00:13:27,999 --> 00:13:30,625
What Israelis call 
a "security fence,"

276
00:13:30,625 --> 00:13:34,291
Palestinians consider 
an affront to their dignity

277
00:13:34,291 --> 00:13:36,834
and a land grab, 
as it often reaches

278
00:13:36,834 --> 00:13:39,999
over the internationally 
agreed upon border

279
00:13:39,999 --> 00:13:41,709
and into Palestinian territory.

280
00:13:41,709 --> 00:13:44,959
Just five miles from 
the Dome of the Rock

281
00:13:44,959 --> 00:13:46,041
is a checkpoint in the wall,

282
00:13:46,041 --> 00:13:49,667
where I can walk from Jerusalem 
right into Bethlehem.

283
00:13:49,667 --> 00:13:52,792
Like at border towns 
between rich and poor lands

284
00:13:52,792 --> 00:13:53,999
all over the world,

285
00:13:53,999 --> 00:13:55,999
each day, 
workers with special passes

286
00:13:55,999 --> 00:13:58,999
cross the wall on their commute 
from the poor side for

287
00:13:58,999 --> 00:14:02,208
higher-paying jobs in 
the more affluent country

288
00:14:02,208 --> 00:14:03,208
As long as times are calm,

289
00:14:03,208 --> 00:14:06,250
the West Bank's wide open 
for the adventurous traveler.

290
00:14:06,250 --> 00:14:07,917
You don't need a visa, 
the currency's

291
00:14:07,917 --> 00:14:09,999
the same as Israel, 
good guidebooks lead the way,

292
00:14:09,999 --> 00:14:13,500
and you certainly won't find 
any tourist crowds.

293
00:14:13,500 --> 00:14:16,625
Bethlehem, a leading 
Palestinian city,

294
00:14:16,625 --> 00:14:20,041
is the perfect first stop 
in the West Bank.

295
00:14:20,041 --> 00:14:23,625
For me, no Holy Land visit 
is complete or balanced

296
00:14:23,625 --> 00:14:24,999
without crossing the wall

297
00:14:24,999 --> 00:14:28,041
and learning 
from both narratives --

298
00:14:28,041 --> 00:14:29,250
Israeli and Palestinian.

299
00:14:29,250 --> 00:14:32,750
Suddenly, there's not 
a yarmulke in sight.

300
00:14:32,750 --> 00:14:35,083
Wandering Palestinian 
streets and markets,

301
00:14:35,083 --> 00:14:38,083
I kept thinking how 
easy it is to get here,

302
00:14:38,083 --> 00:14:39,375
how little I knew of it,

303
00:14:39,375 --> 00:14:42,667
and how rarely visited 
this land is.

304
00:14:42,667 --> 00:14:44,208
While beloved among Christians

305
00:14:44,208 --> 00:14:46,375
as the place where 
Jesus was born,

306
00:14:46,375 --> 00:14:49,417
Bethlehem is now a mostly 
Muslim town.

307
00:14:49,417 --> 00:14:53,333
Its thriving market 
is a classic Arab souk.

308
00:14:53,333 --> 00:14:56,999
The main square 
bustles with commerce,

309
00:14:56,999 --> 00:15:00,458
and the main traffic circle 
comes with a memorial

310
00:15:00,458 --> 00:15:04,500
to locals doing time 
in Israeli prisons.

311
00:15:11,125 --> 00:15:13,583
Bethlehem's skyline 
is a commotion

312
00:15:13,583 --> 00:15:15,250
of both crescents 
and crosses,

313
00:15:15,250 --> 00:15:19,291
a reminder that the town, 
while now mostly Muslim,

314
00:15:19,291 --> 00:15:21,999
still has many Christians.

315
00:15:21,999 --> 00:15:23,999
While all Palestinians 
are Arabs,

316
00:15:23,999 --> 00:15:26,709
not all Palestinians 
are Muslims.

317
00:15:26,709 --> 00:15:27,291
In fact,

318
00:15:27,291 --> 00:15:30,667
a small minority 
are Arab Christians.

319
00:15:30,667 --> 00:15:33,625
Nativity Square marks 
the center of Bethlehem.

320
00:15:33,625 --> 00:15:36,834
Here the Church of the Nativity 
is built upon the spot

321
00:15:36,834 --> 00:15:39,999
believed to be 
where Jesus was born.

322
00:15:41,333 --> 00:15:45,000
Inside, 
you feel the history.

323
00:15:45,000 --> 00:15:46,125
Emperor Constantine,

324
00:15:46,125 --> 00:15:48,291
the first Christian 
Roman emperor,

325
00:15:48,291 --> 00:15:50,999
had this church 
built in 326.

326
00:15:50,999 --> 00:15:54,999
A steady stream of pilgrims 
and tourists come here

327
00:15:54,999 --> 00:15:56,375
from all over Christendom

328
00:15:56,375 --> 00:15:58,667
to remember 
that first Christmas

329
00:15:58,667 --> 00:16:02,333
and to pray on the spot 
where tradition says

330
00:16:02,333 --> 00:16:04,999
Jesus was born.

331
00:16:08,208 --> 00:16:11,166
Many assume that Palestinian 
or Arab Christians

332
00:16:11,166 --> 00:16:12,999
were converted 
in modern times,

333
00:16:12,999 --> 00:16:14,542
but in fact, 
their Christian roots

334
00:16:14,542 --> 00:16:16,792
go all the way back to 
the time of Christ.

335
00:16:16,792 --> 00:16:18,750
By the way, a century ago, 
about 20%

336
00:16:18,750 --> 00:16:20,792
of all Palestinians 
were Christian.

337
00:16:20,792 --> 00:16:22,999
Today, that number's down 
to less than 2%,

338
00:16:22,999 --> 00:16:25,583
and most of those 
live here in Bethlehem.

339
00:16:25,583 --> 00:16:26,999
Along with Christians,

340
00:16:26,999 --> 00:16:29,583
Muslims also consider this 
a holy site.

341
00:16:29,583 --> 00:16:31,792
In fact, 
for over a thousand years,

342
00:16:31,792 --> 00:16:35,750
a mosque has also stood 
on Nativity Square.

343
00:16:37,083 --> 00:16:41,542
It's Friday, and Muslims have 
gathered to pray.

344
00:16:41,542 --> 00:16:43,999
[Prayer]

345
00:16:43,999 --> 00:16:46,792
Travel, especially here 
in Palestine,

346
00:16:46,792 --> 00:16:48,999
is filled with 
opportunities to learn.

347
00:16:48,999 --> 00:16:50,375
After prayer, I met a cleric

348
00:16:50,375 --> 00:16:53,750
and enjoyed a conversation 
about Islam.

349
00:16:53,750 --> 00:16:54,417
What do you hope for?

350
00:16:54,417 --> 00:16:57,083
And what do you see in 
the future here in Palestine?

351
00:16:57,083 --> 00:17:00,500
I hope, in whole of the world, 
to be one family.

352
00:17:00,500 --> 00:17:02,291
-One family. 
-One family.

353
00:17:02,291 --> 00:17:02,999
We need this for life.

354
00:17:02,999 --> 00:17:07,834
No fightings, no killings, 
no explosions, no violence,

355
00:17:07,834 --> 00:17:09,250
to be good people.

356
00:17:09,250 --> 00:17:10,875
Every Friday,

357
00:17:10,875 --> 00:17:13,875
I say this message 
for everybody.

358
00:17:13,875 --> 00:17:15,041
So I hope for everybody,

359
00:17:15,041 --> 00:17:18,959
and I say to you, 
I like to come to take you,

360
00:17:18,959 --> 00:17:23,458
your hand from here to go 
with each other to heavens,

361
00:17:23,458 --> 00:17:24,291
not alone.

362
00:17:24,291 --> 00:17:26,041
-I'm not selfish man. 
-Right.

363
00:17:26,041 --> 00:17:29,208
I love you, I love him, 
I love everybody.

364
00:17:29,208 --> 00:17:31,792
I like -- This is my religion.

365
00:17:31,792 --> 00:17:32,959
When on the road,

366
00:17:32,959 --> 00:17:35,250
the more people 
I can talk to, the better.

367
00:17:35,250 --> 00:17:37,542
To get the most 
out of this opportunity

368
00:17:37,542 --> 00:17:39,125
to better understand 
Palestine,

369
00:17:39,125 --> 00:17:41,375
we're joined by local guide 
Kamal Mukarkar.

370
00:17:41,375 --> 00:17:43,999
So there's churches but there's 
mosques also in Bethlehem.

371
00:17:43,999 --> 00:17:47,166
KAMAL: Bethlehem is 
a very holy city for the Muslims

372
00:17:47,166 --> 00:17:49,000
as well as the Christians.

373
00:17:49,000 --> 00:17:49,667
For the Muslims,

374
00:17:49,667 --> 00:17:51,583
Jesus is the second 
important prophet.

375
00:17:51,583 --> 00:17:53,999
They also believe in Mary, 
they worship her.

376
00:17:53,999 --> 00:17:57,417
She has a whole section in 
the Koran just named after her.

377
00:17:57,417 --> 00:18:00,166
A whole book in the Koran 
named after Mary?

378
00:18:00,166 --> 00:18:00,917
Yes, exactly,

379
00:18:00,917 --> 00:18:03,500
and that's why she's 
very important for them.

380
00:18:03,500 --> 00:18:04,750
We're dropping by Kamal's place

381
00:18:04,750 --> 00:18:07,999
to meet his family and enjoy 
an evening together.

382
00:18:07,999 --> 00:18:09,999
It's typical 
in Palestinian culture

383
00:18:09,999 --> 00:18:13,041
that many generations 
live under the same roof.

384
00:18:13,041 --> 00:18:16,500
We're meeting Kamal's mother, 
fiancée,

385
00:18:16,500 --> 00:18:18,709
his sister, 
and her children.

386
00:18:18,709 --> 00:18:21,375
After some good conversation 
in the living room,

387
00:18:21,375 --> 00:18:24,291
Kamal's mother calls us 
to the dinner table.

388
00:18:24,291 --> 00:18:27,792
She's cooked up 
a classic tajine.

389
00:18:27,792 --> 00:18:28,709
I think it's impossible

390
00:18:28,709 --> 00:18:30,999
for a traveler to be 
hungry in Palestine.

391
00:18:30,999 --> 00:18:32,917
The food just keeps on coming.

392
00:18:32,917 --> 00:18:35,542
And you have to keep 
something on your plate,

393
00:18:35,542 --> 00:18:38,333
'cause if you don't keep 
something on your plate, food,

394
00:18:38,333 --> 00:18:39,792
you'll get another time food.

395
00:18:39,792 --> 00:18:41,999
As anywhere, 
actually making friends

396
00:18:41,999 --> 00:18:44,333
and getting into a home 
gives an intimate insight

397
00:18:44,333 --> 00:18:46,625
into the everyday worlds 
of the people you meet.

398
00:18:46,625 --> 00:18:50,250
I think this is a beautiful, 
beautiful welcome here.

399
00:18:50,250 --> 00:18:53,375
-Sahtein. 
 -And what is that?

400
00:18:53,375 --> 00:18:54,417
Bon appetite.

401
00:18:54,417 --> 00:18:55,333
-Sahtein. 
-Sahtein.

402
00:18:55,333 --> 00:18:59,917
KAMAL: Translated, it's 
"cheers to your health twice,"

403
00:18:59,917 --> 00:19:01,333
like two times for your health.

404
00:19:01,333 --> 00:19:05,125
STEVES: Two times for 
your health, sahtein.

405
00:19:07,083 --> 00:19:09,625
Heading back across 
the wall to Jerusalem,

406
00:19:09,625 --> 00:19:11,750
the contrasts 
between the West Bank

407
00:19:11,750 --> 00:19:14,834
and Israel 
are immediately obvious.

408
00:19:14,834 --> 00:19:16,208
Outside the Old City,

409
00:19:16,208 --> 00:19:19,166
we're immersed in modern 
Jerusalem.

410
00:19:20,667 --> 00:19:22,375
Joining locals 
in an afternoon stroll

411
00:19:22,375 --> 00:19:25,166
down Ben Yehuda Street 
in Jerusalem's New City,

412
00:19:25,166 --> 00:19:28,166
we appreciate this culture's 
compelling mix

413
00:19:28,166 --> 00:19:32,041
of east and west, 
secular and sacred,

414
00:19:32,041 --> 00:19:33,917
modern and traditional.

415
00:19:33,917 --> 00:19:36,999
About three quarters 
of all Israelis are Jewish.

416
00:19:36,999 --> 00:19:41,500
But most of these are secular 
Jews -- non-practicing.

417
00:19:41,500 --> 00:19:44,625
About 15% of Israeli Jews 
are Orthodox,

418
00:19:44,625 --> 00:19:47,792
very religious and living 
conservative lifestyles

419
00:19:47,792 --> 00:19:52,583
that require them to be apart 
in many ways.

420
00:19:52,583 --> 00:19:56,999
Entire districts of Jerusalem 
are known as ultra-Orthodox.

421
00:19:56,999 --> 00:20:00,999
About 20% of the population 
are Arab citizens of Israel,

422
00:20:00,999 --> 00:20:03,834
generally Palestinians 
who never left

423
00:20:03,834 --> 00:20:05,250
after the formation of Israel.

424
00:20:05,250 --> 00:20:07,834
Christians, 
who are mostly Arabs,

425
00:20:07,834 --> 00:20:12,542
make up a small 
and shrinking minority.

426
00:20:13,291 --> 00:20:16,834
Israel is a melting pot nation 
like none other.

427
00:20:16,834 --> 00:20:20,709
Nearly half the country 
is first generation immigrants,

428
00:20:20,709 --> 00:20:23,500
evident in the cultural makeup 
of the soldiers

429
00:20:23,500 --> 00:20:25,291
who seem to be everywhere.

430
00:20:25,291 --> 00:20:27,999
Nearly all 18 year olds do time 
in the military.

431
00:20:27,999 --> 00:20:31,458
This service is a kind 
of cultural boot camp,

432
00:20:31,458 --> 00:20:34,792
as even fresh-off-the-boat 
immigrants emerge

433
00:20:34,792 --> 00:20:36,999
as good Hebrew-speaking 
Israelis.

434
00:20:36,999 --> 00:20:39,542
While I found most Israelis 
look and live

435
00:20:39,542 --> 00:20:41,625
as contemporary 
as any modern American,

436
00:20:41,625 --> 00:20:45,125
there are corners where 
traditions are very strong.

437
00:20:45,125 --> 00:20:47,999
This is especially evident 
in places of worship

438
00:20:47,999 --> 00:20:49,959
and in ultra-Orthodox 
neighborhoods.

439
00:20:49,959 --> 00:20:52,875
With the help of my Jewish 
guide, Abie Bresler,

440
00:20:52,875 --> 00:20:55,999
observing the way people dress 
comes with cultural insights.

441
00:20:55,999 --> 00:20:59,166
Walking down the street, there 
are so many different fashions,

442
00:20:59,166 --> 00:21:00,417
different ways people dress.

443
00:21:00,417 --> 00:21:02,999
BRESLER: Well, 
that's because they express

444
00:21:02,999 --> 00:21:05,792
their belonging 
to a certain group

445
00:21:05,792 --> 00:21:07,500
and following a certain rabbi.

446
00:21:07,500 --> 00:21:09,583
Different rabbis set standards

447
00:21:09,583 --> 00:21:12,291
of how their followers 
should be dressed.

448
00:21:12,291 --> 00:21:15,417
STEVES: What does the block 
on the forehead indicate?

449
00:21:15,417 --> 00:21:16,417
BRESLER: Well, in the Scripture,

450
00:21:16,417 --> 00:21:19,417
it says you should always have 
the love of God on your mind,

451
00:21:19,417 --> 00:21:21,041
so in that capsule,

452
00:21:21,041 --> 00:21:24,792
they have a parchment 
with that Scripture.

453
00:21:24,792 --> 00:21:27,000
STEVES: What's the significance 
of the yarmulke?

454
00:21:27,000 --> 00:21:27,999
BRESLER: Jews wear yarmulkes

455
00:21:27,999 --> 00:21:30,375
because they are constantly 
reminding themselves

456
00:21:30,375 --> 00:21:32,417
that God is above them.

457
00:21:32,417 --> 00:21:35,667
STEVES: Ah, so everybody 
who's wearing a yarmulke,

458
00:21:35,667 --> 00:21:37,875
it's a constant reminder 
their Maker is up above.

459
00:21:37,875 --> 00:21:38,792
BRESLER: Definitely.

460
00:21:38,792 --> 00:21:40,291
STEVES: Now, you see 
a lot of Orthodox,

461
00:21:40,291 --> 00:21:41,875
even the little boys, 
with long earlocks.

462
00:21:41,875 --> 00:21:45,917
BRESLER: Regarding the earlocks, 
the Torah is very specific --

463
00:21:45,917 --> 00:21:48,417
"Thou shalt not shave 
the sides of your face."

464
00:21:48,417 --> 00:21:52,583
And these people take those 
words as it is written.

465
00:21:52,583 --> 00:21:55,041
STEVES: You notice women are 
dressed quite modestly.

466
00:21:55,041 --> 00:21:59,041
BRESLER: The Orthodox women 
are always dressed modestly.

467
00:21:59,041 --> 00:22:00,999
But when they get married,

468
00:22:00,999 --> 00:22:02,959
they take it one step upwards,

469
00:22:02,959 --> 00:22:04,999
and they cover their hair 
in public.

470
00:22:04,999 --> 00:22:07,959
Regarding the hats, 
it's part of, actually,

471
00:22:07,959 --> 00:22:11,083
the uniform defining 
which movement you belong to.

472
00:22:11,083 --> 00:22:13,208
So, by looking at somebody,

473
00:22:13,208 --> 00:22:15,999
you can tell if he's Ashkenazi

474
00:22:15,999 --> 00:22:18,333
and which movement amongst 
the Ashkenazi.

475
00:22:18,333 --> 00:22:21,999
Or Sephardi or Lithuanian, 
and so on and so forth.

476
00:22:21,999 --> 00:22:24,291
STEVES: So there are many 
different stripes

477
00:22:24,291 --> 00:22:26,291
of Orthodoxy 
in the Jewish faith.

478
00:22:26,291 --> 00:22:27,166
BRESLER: Definitely.

479
00:22:27,166 --> 00:22:29,959
In Jerusalem, 19 amongst 
the ultra-Orthodox.

480
00:22:29,959 --> 00:22:31,999
STEVES: And it's like the rabbis 
are almost like pop stars.

481
00:22:31,999 --> 00:22:34,750
They have their own following. 
These are the great teachers.

482
00:22:34,750 --> 00:22:35,834
BRESLER: More than pop stars.

483
00:22:35,834 --> 00:22:38,834
-More than? 
-More than pop stars, sure.

484
00:22:38,834 --> 00:22:42,166
Put it this way, 
they're spiritual stars,

485
00:22:42,166 --> 00:22:44,625
without the pop.

486
00:22:44,625 --> 00:22:48,000
The state of Israel was born, 
in part, out of the Holocaust,

487
00:22:48,000 --> 00:22:51,875
a defining event in the long 
history of the Jews.

488
00:22:51,875 --> 00:22:54,125
To appreciate the impact 
of the Holocaust,

489
00:22:54,125 --> 00:22:58,375
critical in understanding 
the psyche of today's Israel,

490
00:22:58,375 --> 00:22:59,792
visit Yad Vashem.

491
00:22:59,792 --> 00:23:02,458
This powerful museum 
and memorial

492
00:23:02,458 --> 00:23:05,083
chronicles 
the systematic slaughter

493
00:23:05,083 --> 00:23:08,999
of six million Jews 
by Nazi Germany.

494
00:23:10,083 --> 00:23:12,999
Its Hall of Names 
is a project designed

495
00:23:12,999 --> 00:23:15,125
to give every victim 
the dignity

496
00:23:15,125 --> 00:23:17,458
of simply being named 
and recorded.

497
00:23:17,458 --> 00:23:23,166
This archive aspires to catalog 
and, therefore, remember

498
00:23:23,166 --> 00:23:27,333
each of 
the six million victims.

499
00:23:31,999 --> 00:23:34,208
Yad Vashem also celebrates

500
00:23:34,208 --> 00:23:36,917
the creation of modern Israel.

501
00:23:36,917 --> 00:23:38,166
It shows the spirit of Zionism,

502
00:23:38,166 --> 00:23:40,458
that determination 
of those who came

503
00:23:40,458 --> 00:23:43,208
both as concentration camp 
survivors

504
00:23:43,208 --> 00:23:44,458
and refugees from Europe

505
00:23:44,458 --> 00:23:48,041
to forge for themselves a state 
for the Jewish people.

506
00:23:48,041 --> 00:23:51,875
Photographs of the first 
settlers show early Zionists

507
00:23:51,875 --> 00:23:54,417
returning to 
their ancestral homeland,

508
00:23:54,417 --> 00:23:56,125
starting as a trickle 
in the 19th century

509
00:23:56,125 --> 00:24:01,083
and becoming a flood 
after World War II.

510
00:24:03,083 --> 00:24:05,542
Today, just a couple 
generations later,

511
00:24:05,542 --> 00:24:09,542
the skyscrapers of Tel Aviv 
stand like exclamation points,

512
00:24:09,542 --> 00:24:12,291
declaring, 
"We've come a long way."

513
00:24:12,291 --> 00:24:14,542
There was a popular slogan 
back then --

514
00:24:14,542 --> 00:24:17,750
"A land without a people 
for a people without a land."

515
00:24:17,750 --> 00:24:20,083
That was inspirational, 
but it ignored the reality

516
00:24:20,083 --> 00:24:22,083
of the Palestinians 
who actually lived here

517
00:24:22,083 --> 00:24:24,625
and were displaced with 
the creation of Israel.

518
00:24:24,625 --> 00:24:27,166
Still, it's impressive 
how the true grit

519
00:24:27,166 --> 00:24:28,458
of those early Jewish settlers

520
00:24:28,458 --> 00:24:31,999
turned sand dunes into Tel Aviv 
and built modern Israel.

521
00:24:31,999 --> 00:24:33,375
The historic town of Jaffa,

522
00:24:33,375 --> 00:24:35,999
now consumed by the sprawl 
of Tel Aviv,

523
00:24:35,999 --> 00:24:38,083
was the Ellis Island 
of the new state.

524
00:24:38,083 --> 00:24:42,834
This was where new arrivals 
first set foot in Israel.

525
00:24:42,834 --> 00:24:47,208
Much of Jaffa, historically 
an important Arab town,

526
00:24:47,208 --> 00:24:50,875
was destroyed in 1948 
in what Israelis call

527
00:24:50,875 --> 00:24:52,458
their "War of Independence."

528
00:24:52,458 --> 00:24:55,125
As in any war, 
there are winners

529
00:24:55,125 --> 00:24:56,417
and there are losers.

530
00:24:56,417 --> 00:24:58,125
And while Israelis celebrate

531
00:24:58,125 --> 00:25:00,458
the birth of their nation, 
Palestinians call

532
00:25:00,458 --> 00:25:04,500
Israel's Independence Day 
"The Day of Catastrophe."

533
00:25:04,500 --> 00:25:06,041
They remember their loss --

534
00:25:06,041 --> 00:25:10,000
the destruction of many Arab 
villages that once thrived here

535
00:25:10,000 --> 00:25:11,917
and how hundreds of thousands 
of those who fled

536
00:25:11,917 --> 00:25:17,709
ended up in refugee camps 
over a newly drawn border.

537
00:25:21,750 --> 00:25:23,083
Just a 10-minute drive north

538
00:25:23,083 --> 00:25:24,834
of the old stone buildings 
of Jaffa

539
00:25:24,834 --> 00:25:29,166
are the new glass and steel 
buildings of modern Tel Aviv.

540
00:25:29,166 --> 00:25:32,709
Gleaming Tel Aviv 
feels as modern and busy

541
00:25:32,709 --> 00:25:34,333
as any American city its size.

542
00:25:34,333 --> 00:25:38,333
While its history 
only goes back a century,

543
00:25:38,333 --> 00:25:41,542
the original main drag, 
Rothschild Boulevard,

544
00:25:41,542 --> 00:25:43,999
is lined with 
venerable buildings.

545
00:25:43,999 --> 00:25:47,583
And Tel Aviv's beach scene 
is filled with

546
00:25:47,583 --> 00:25:50,999
a live-for-today vibrancy.

547
00:25:50,999 --> 00:25:53,583
In this culture, 
food is love,

548
00:25:53,583 --> 00:25:57,291
and seems to celebrate 
the bounty of the land.

549
00:25:57,291 --> 00:26:00,917
We sat down with our Israeli 
guide, Benny, and driver, Kobi,

550
00:26:00,917 --> 00:26:04,458
to get an edible lesson in this 
part of their culture.

551
00:26:04,458 --> 00:26:06,625
Hey, cheers. 
L'chaim.

552
00:26:06,625 --> 00:26:07,999
L'chaim. 
 Very good.

553
00:26:07,999 --> 00:26:10,875
So, Benny, could you say 
this is typical Israeli?

554
00:26:10,875 --> 00:26:12,999
Yeah, you can say this 
is typical Israeli.

555
00:26:12,999 --> 00:26:15,792
Everything that you see here 
is grown here locally.

556
00:26:15,792 --> 00:26:17,999
STEVES: Now, you could say 
this is Israeli,

557
00:26:17,999 --> 00:26:19,333
but it's also Arab cuisine.

558
00:26:19,333 --> 00:26:21,542
BENNY: Yes. 
We call it now Israeli food,

559
00:26:21,542 --> 00:26:22,999
but you can find it in 
the Arab countries,

560
00:26:22,999 --> 00:26:25,999
you can find it in Lebanon, you 
can find it all over the place.

561
00:26:25,999 --> 00:26:29,333
Here we have eggplants 
with olive oil and tahini.

562
00:26:29,333 --> 00:26:30,792
Here we have the tahini itself.

563
00:26:30,792 --> 00:26:34,000
Here we have another eggplant 
salad with vegetables.

564
00:26:34,000 --> 00:26:35,166
That's the hummus.

565
00:26:35,166 --> 00:26:37,542
Very famous hummus 
made from chickpeas.

566
00:26:37,542 --> 00:26:40,875
This is something special. 
This we call tabbouleh.

567
00:26:40,875 --> 00:26:44,834
It's made of burghul and parsley 
and cucumbers.

568
00:26:44,834 --> 00:26:46,000
Very special, very tasty.

569
00:26:46,000 --> 00:26:49,875
It's okay to reach and dip 
your pita bread into it.

570
00:26:49,875 --> 00:26:51,375
You dip it in each 
of the salads,

571
00:26:51,375 --> 00:26:53,625
and that's the way to do it, 
no need of a fork or a knife.

572
00:26:53,625 --> 00:26:56,417
And, Kobi, how do you say 
bon appétit in Hebrew?

573
00:26:56,417 --> 00:26:58,500
-Beteavon. 
-Bete...

574
00:26:58,500 --> 00:27:00,999
-Beteavon. 
-Beteavon.

575
00:27:00,999 --> 00:27:01,875
Thank you.

576
00:27:01,875 --> 00:27:05,166
-L'chaim. 
-L'chaim. L'chaim.

577
00:27:06,250 --> 00:27:10,667
STEVES: Israel is small 
and laced by modern freeways.

578
00:27:10,667 --> 00:27:12,000
Getting around is easy.

579
00:27:12,000 --> 00:27:14,999
Road signs are in three 
languages and three scripts.

580
00:27:14,999 --> 00:27:19,458
Hebrew and Arabic for Jewish 
and Arab citizens of Israel

581
00:27:19,458 --> 00:27:20,999
and English for visitors.

582
00:27:20,999 --> 00:27:25,208
A short drive up the coastline 
takes us to Haifa,

583
00:27:25,208 --> 00:27:28,917
a prosperous and open city 
famous for its tolerance.

584
00:27:28,917 --> 00:27:32,999
Many people here are part 
of Israel's Arab minority.

585
00:27:32,999 --> 00:27:37,208
I was impressed at the youthful 
and positive energy.

586
00:27:37,208 --> 00:27:39,500
It feels like 
young Israelis here,

587
00:27:39,500 --> 00:27:41,999
whether from Muslim 
or Jewish families,

588
00:27:41,999 --> 00:27:43,125
are most interested

589
00:27:43,125 --> 00:27:44,959
in living free 
from the religious

590
00:27:44,959 --> 00:27:46,709
and ethnic baggage 
of their parents.

591
00:27:46,709 --> 00:27:52,333
In a trendy café, 
it was hard to tell who's who.

592
00:27:52,333 --> 00:27:54,750
Talking with a local 
Arab-Israeli family,

593
00:27:54,750 --> 00:27:56,834
we learned that, 
while problems persist,

594
00:27:56,834 --> 00:27:58,875
they consider 
this land their home.

595
00:27:58,875 --> 00:28:01,999
Now, what is it like 
socially in Haifa,

596
00:28:01,999 --> 00:28:06,041
if you're an Arab-Israeli 
with Jewish-Israelis?

597
00:28:06,041 --> 00:28:08,999
Is it separate, 
or can you mix?

598
00:28:08,999 --> 00:28:12,999
Well, we mix in 
restaurants, at work,

599
00:28:12,999 --> 00:28:15,999
we socialize here and there.

600
00:28:15,999 --> 00:28:16,583
But...

601
00:28:16,583 --> 00:28:19,083
Some neighborhoods, 
some streets are mixed.

602
00:28:19,083 --> 00:28:21,834
Some streets. 
Not a lot.

603
00:28:21,834 --> 00:28:27,750
I used to hear from her that, 
once, they were more together.

604
00:28:27,750 --> 00:28:28,542
Yeah.

605
00:28:28,542 --> 00:28:31,041
Like she had neighbors 
that used to...

606
00:28:31,041 --> 00:28:32,041
-Really? 
-Yeah.

607
00:28:32,041 --> 00:28:33,999
To do everything together. 
Now, no.

608
00:28:33,999 --> 00:28:36,959
STEVES: And what do you see 
for the future?

609
00:28:36,959 --> 00:28:37,999
For Israeli Arabs

610
00:28:37,999 --> 00:28:40,375
and Israeli Jews together, 
your children,

611
00:28:40,375 --> 00:28:41,792
what do you hope for?

612
00:28:41,792 --> 00:28:44,041
Everybody hopes for peace

613
00:28:44,041 --> 00:28:47,041
and a better life, 
but I doubt it.

614
00:28:47,041 --> 00:28:48,625
-I doubt it. 
-The reality is?

615
00:28:48,625 --> 00:28:49,542
The reality is not like that.

616
00:28:49,542 --> 00:28:52,667
Even with all the problems 
that there is here,

617
00:28:52,667 --> 00:28:54,125
this is our roots, you know?

618
00:28:54,125 --> 00:28:55,999
We'll never, 
never give it up.

619
00:28:55,999 --> 00:28:58,375
With everything 
that happens around us.

620
00:28:58,375 --> 00:29:01,041
STEVES: That's beautiful. 
I like to hear that.

621
00:29:01,041 --> 00:29:04,250
Yes. 
We love it here.

622
00:29:04,250 --> 00:29:06,458
Heading into the interior 
takes us down,

623
00:29:06,458 --> 00:29:10,250
700 feet below sea level, 
to the Sea of Galilee.

624
00:29:10,250 --> 00:29:12,709
Israel's primary source 
of water,

625
00:29:12,709 --> 00:29:16,041
it's both fed and drained 
by the Jordan River.

626
00:29:16,041 --> 00:29:19,999
Galilee is popular among 
Christian pilgrims.

627
00:29:19,999 --> 00:29:20,999
It's famous as the place

628
00:29:20,999 --> 00:29:23,750
where Jesus did his 
three years of ministry

629
00:29:23,750 --> 00:29:26,333
and where so many Bible stories 
were set --

630
00:29:26,333 --> 00:29:27,667
from loaves and fishes

631
00:29:27,667 --> 00:29:32,500
and Sermon on the Mount, 
to Christ walking on water.

632
00:29:36,999 --> 00:29:40,999
When exploring the Holy Land, 
your sight-seeing careens

633
00:29:40,999 --> 00:29:43,291
from ancient holy sites 
to reminders

634
00:29:43,291 --> 00:29:45,542
of 20th century strife 
and wars.

635
00:29:45,542 --> 00:29:47,208
Overlooking the Sea of Galilee

636
00:29:47,208 --> 00:29:50,792
stands the Israeli-occupied 
Golan Heights.

637
00:29:50,792 --> 00:29:53,792
Taken from Syria 
in the 1967 war,

638
00:29:53,792 --> 00:29:56,999
and now firmly under 
Israeli control,

639
00:29:56,999 --> 00:29:59,999
a visit here helps explain 
Israel's commitment

640
00:29:59,999 --> 00:30:03,709
to holding the high ground.

641
00:30:05,458 --> 00:30:07,250
See, now, a former 
Syrian position...

642
00:30:07,250 --> 00:30:10,583
Our guide, Benny, show us 
the strategic significance

643
00:30:10,583 --> 00:30:13,250
of this area 
from an old Syrian pillbox.

644
00:30:13,250 --> 00:30:16,041
Standing here on 
a former Syrian position,

645
00:30:16,041 --> 00:30:18,999
one can understand 
how vulnerable was

646
00:30:18,999 --> 00:30:21,333
the settlements, the villages

647
00:30:21,333 --> 00:30:25,583
and the kibbutzim 
of Israel before 1967.

648
00:30:25,583 --> 00:30:26,999
For a whole generation,

649
00:30:26,999 --> 00:30:29,999
the Syrians were here 
on the Golan,

650
00:30:29,999 --> 00:30:31,999
on the edge of the cliff,

651
00:30:31,999 --> 00:30:33,500
targeting and shooting

652
00:30:33,500 --> 00:30:36,999
every single village 
and kibbutz of ours.

653
00:30:36,999 --> 00:30:39,125
Every day, they looked up 
to Golan, saying,

654
00:30:39,125 --> 00:30:41,542
"Is it going to be a day 
of shelling today?"

655
00:30:41,542 --> 00:30:43,458
STEVES: Artillery from 
this little base -- boom.

656
00:30:43,458 --> 00:30:48,375
Mortar shells, artillery, 
tank shells, machine gun fire.

657
00:30:48,375 --> 00:30:49,834
STEVES: 
And the Sea of Galilee was

658
00:30:49,834 --> 00:30:52,041
the source of the freshwater 
for Israel.

659
00:30:52,041 --> 00:30:52,875
Still is.

660
00:30:52,875 --> 00:30:54,999
BENNY: The Sea of Galilee 
was always and still is

661
00:30:54,999 --> 00:30:57,208
the most important water 
reservoir we have,

662
00:30:57,208 --> 00:30:57,959
and that's why,

663
00:30:57,959 --> 00:31:00,792
today, it's very difficult 
for us even to conceive

664
00:31:00,792 --> 00:31:05,709
leaving the Golan, 
allowing anyone to be here.

665
00:31:05,709 --> 00:31:08,208
Above all, we must maintain 
our security.

666
00:31:08,208 --> 00:31:12,208
The security of the Israelis, 
the families, the children.

667
00:31:12,208 --> 00:31:15,999
Then we can speak about 
all the other things.

668
00:31:17,458 --> 00:31:20,250
Control of land 
is the crux of the problem

669
00:31:20,250 --> 00:31:22,125
between Israelis 
and Palestinians,

670
00:31:22,125 --> 00:31:26,959
and occupying the high ground 
is more than a military issue,

671
00:31:26,959 --> 00:31:28,709
it's a civilian one, as well.

672
00:31:28,709 --> 00:31:30,750
Israel is developing 
settlements,

673
00:31:30,750 --> 00:31:33,959
fortified communities 
on the tops of hills,

674
00:31:33,959 --> 00:31:35,417
deep into the West Bank.

675
00:31:35,417 --> 00:31:36,709
Essentially Israeli towns,

676
00:31:36,709 --> 00:31:40,000
these controversial 
developments reach far into

677
00:31:40,000 --> 00:31:44,999
what Palestinians consider 
their territory.

678
00:31:44,999 --> 00:31:48,208
Many Israelis make the case 
that developing this land

679
00:31:48,208 --> 00:31:50,834
is justified because 
the land was unused.

680
00:31:50,834 --> 00:31:52,999
And many Jews believe 
it's God's will

681
00:31:52,999 --> 00:31:55,834
that they occupy 
Biblical Judea and Samaria,

682
00:31:55,834 --> 00:31:59,000
which is what they call 
the West Bank.

683
00:31:59,999 --> 00:32:02,500
Roughly half a million 
Israeli Jews

684
00:32:02,500 --> 00:32:04,999
now live in settlements 
in Palestine.

685
00:32:04,999 --> 00:32:08,625
These planned 
and gated communities

686
00:32:08,625 --> 00:32:10,750
come with all the comforts.

687
00:32:10,750 --> 00:32:12,999
And with Israeli 
government subsidies

688
00:32:12,999 --> 00:32:14,667
for housing 
and transportation,

689
00:32:14,667 --> 00:32:16,875
young Jewish families 
can afford to live here

690
00:32:16,875 --> 00:32:21,458
and commute from West Bank 
settlements back into Israel.

691
00:32:21,458 --> 00:32:22,999
As in other democracies,

692
00:32:22,999 --> 00:32:25,041
there are disagreements 
over government policy,

693
00:32:25,041 --> 00:32:28,125
and many moderate Israelis 
oppose construction

694
00:32:28,125 --> 00:32:30,291
of settlements 
in the West Bank.

695
00:32:30,291 --> 00:32:32,875
But Government policies 
still allow

696
00:32:32,875 --> 00:32:35,917
the ongoing construction 
of these settlements.

697
00:32:35,917 --> 00:32:40,208
I chatted with several settlers 
to get their perspectives.

698
00:32:40,208 --> 00:32:41,375
And to get another narrative,

699
00:32:41,375 --> 00:32:43,375
I talked with 
my Palestinian guides,

700
00:32:43,375 --> 00:32:45,917
both residents 
of the West Bank.

701
00:32:45,917 --> 00:32:48,125
Now, there's a lot 
of confusion in America

702
00:32:48,125 --> 00:32:49,999
about settlements and so on.

703
00:32:49,999 --> 00:32:50,999
Is this a settlement?

704
00:32:50,999 --> 00:32:52,959
Is this what you would 
consider a settlement?

705
00:32:52,959 --> 00:32:56,291
Well, the word "settlement" 
has all kinds of connotations.

706
00:32:56,291 --> 00:32:57,709
We consider it a city.

707
00:32:57,709 --> 00:33:02,250
And just like Seattle's a city, 
so is Ma'aleh Adumim a city.

708
00:33:02,250 --> 00:33:04,125
There is some dispute 
in the world

709
00:33:04,125 --> 00:33:07,709
as to what this should be 
and what its status is.

710
00:33:07,709 --> 00:33:08,417
Are you settlers?

711
00:33:08,417 --> 00:33:12,417
Or what do you -- 
how do you consider the name?

712
00:33:12,417 --> 00:33:13,959
I don't have name for that.

713
00:33:13,959 --> 00:33:16,291
We live in Israel, 
this is Israel.

714
00:33:16,291 --> 00:33:17,500
Yeah, so this is your town.

715
00:33:17,500 --> 00:33:19,999
-Yeah, this is my country. 
-Exactly.

716
00:33:19,999 --> 00:33:22,333
Now, what is Ma'aleh, 
what is Jordan Valley?

717
00:33:22,333 --> 00:33:24,291
It's Israel. 
Everything, it's Israel.

718
00:33:24,291 --> 00:33:25,999
Israelis, I've heard, 
would say,

719
00:33:25,999 --> 00:33:27,875
"Well, the land 
is unused anyway.

720
00:33:27,875 --> 00:33:29,792
It sits on the top 
of the hills."

721
00:33:29,792 --> 00:33:31,750
Yeah, that's -- 
[Laughs]

722
00:33:31,750 --> 00:33:35,000
That's a good excuse, 
but why it's unused?

723
00:33:35,000 --> 00:33:37,750
Because we are not 
allowed to use it.

724
00:33:37,750 --> 00:33:41,208
I'm sure you have a thousand 
dollars in your bank account,

725
00:33:41,208 --> 00:33:43,125
and you're not using it, 
you know,

726
00:33:43,125 --> 00:33:45,083
so it's still your money, 
you know.

727
00:33:45,083 --> 00:33:46,333
-That's a good analogy. 
-Yeah.

728
00:33:46,333 --> 00:33:48,208
Whenever you want to use it, 
you want to use it.

729
00:33:48,208 --> 00:33:51,083
Whenever you don't want to use 
it, you don't want to use it.

730
00:33:51,083 --> 00:33:52,999
It's our land. 
It's our right.

731
00:33:52,999 --> 00:33:55,999
What would you say 
to an Arab that says,

732
00:33:55,999 --> 00:34:00,709
"This is on the other side of 
the line defining the West Bank,

733
00:34:00,709 --> 00:34:03,333
and it's Palestinian territory, 
and you don't belong here."

734
00:34:03,333 --> 00:34:05,000
What would you say to them?

735
00:34:05,000 --> 00:34:05,709
I don't know.

736
00:34:05,709 --> 00:34:09,291
My history goes back not to 
the line, whatever the line is.

737
00:34:09,291 --> 00:34:11,709
My history goes back 
thousands of years,

738
00:34:11,709 --> 00:34:13,999
and in my history, 
this is part of Israel.

739
00:34:13,999 --> 00:34:17,250
Why should I leave my country? 
I was born and raised here.

740
00:34:17,250 --> 00:34:18,834
My grandfather, his grandfather,

741
00:34:18,834 --> 00:34:21,999
his great, great, great, 
great, great grandfather,

742
00:34:21,999 --> 00:34:23,999
and we still here, 
we didn't leave.

743
00:34:23,999 --> 00:34:26,333
We do need to find a way 
to fix everything,

744
00:34:26,333 --> 00:34:28,667
but I don't know how easy 
it's going to be,

745
00:34:28,667 --> 00:34:30,333
and if it's going to be 
possible now.

746
00:34:30,333 --> 00:34:34,000
You know that, daily, there are 
settlements are buildings,

747
00:34:34,000 --> 00:34:35,333
the wall is being built,

748
00:34:35,333 --> 00:34:38,000
and the Palestinians 
don't do anything about it.

749
00:34:38,000 --> 00:34:41,208
We don't fight, we don't do 
anything against it.

750
00:34:41,208 --> 00:34:42,834
We just want to show the world

751
00:34:42,834 --> 00:34:44,999
that we are a people 
that want peace.

752
00:34:44,999 --> 00:34:46,542
We want to show them

753
00:34:46,542 --> 00:34:47,417
we're accepting this now,

754
00:34:47,417 --> 00:34:49,999
because we want to show you 
this is not who we are.

755
00:34:49,999 --> 00:34:51,999
We are people who want 
to achieve something.

756
00:34:51,999 --> 00:34:54,999
My hunch is they've learned 
that there's only one future,

757
00:34:54,999 --> 00:34:57,333
and that is to respect Israel 
and not be violent.

758
00:34:57,333 --> 00:35:00,999
I don't know if they've learned. 
I'm not convinced yet.

759
00:35:00,999 --> 00:35:02,834
STEVES: I'm hopeful. 
That's my hope.

760
00:35:02,834 --> 00:35:03,999
-That's my hope. 
-That's your hope.

761
00:35:03,999 --> 00:35:06,792
I think we're all hopeful. 
I don't think we've seen it yet.

762
00:35:06,792 --> 00:35:09,291
Those settlements 
are making these --

763
00:35:09,291 --> 00:35:12,166
this idea of us 
building the states

764
00:35:12,166 --> 00:35:13,166
on that land impossible.

765
00:35:13,166 --> 00:35:16,792
If you want peace, if you want 
a two-state solution,

766
00:35:16,792 --> 00:35:18,834
help us achieving that, 
you know.

767
00:35:18,834 --> 00:35:21,417
The settlements, for sure, 
they don't help.

768
00:35:21,417 --> 00:35:23,834
I know this is the big, 
million-dollar question,

769
00:35:23,834 --> 00:35:26,083
but do you think the future -- 
the best future

770
00:35:26,083 --> 00:35:28,917
is a two-state solution 
or a one-state solution?

771
00:35:28,917 --> 00:35:30,917
-You answer. 
-I don't know.

772
00:35:30,917 --> 00:35:33,000
I'm not in politics. 
I'm a computer programmer.

773
00:35:33,000 --> 00:35:36,999
I'm hoping -- and that's part of 
the things I'm involved in --

774
00:35:36,999 --> 00:35:39,500
to create, plant seeds,

775
00:35:39,500 --> 00:35:42,458
hopefully, maybe 10 years, 
15 years from now,

776
00:35:42,458 --> 00:35:45,000
people will realize 
the importance

777
00:35:45,000 --> 00:35:46,000
of living together

778
00:35:46,000 --> 00:35:48,417
and having one pluralistic 
democratic state.

779
00:35:48,417 --> 00:35:51,917
You can't do one country 
to Israeli and to Palestine.

780
00:35:51,917 --> 00:35:53,999
'Cause it's not going to work, 
it's not going to work.

781
00:35:53,999 --> 00:35:57,333
It's not going to work. 
It's going to make only war.

782
00:35:57,333 --> 00:35:59,750
Yes.

783
00:36:01,041 --> 00:36:01,875
Being here,

784
00:36:01,875 --> 00:36:04,667
I can see the appeal 
of these neighborhoods,

785
00:36:04,667 --> 00:36:06,083
especially for young families.

786
00:36:06,083 --> 00:36:08,999
But I've learned that 
these Israeli enclaves

787
00:36:08,999 --> 00:36:13,417
embitter the Palestinians 
as much as violent resistance

788
00:36:13,417 --> 00:36:14,125
embitters Israelis.

789
00:36:14,125 --> 00:36:18,750
And many fear that the more 
the West Bank is fragmented

790
00:36:18,750 --> 00:36:19,792
by Israeli settlements,

791
00:36:19,792 --> 00:36:22,999
the more elusive a mutually 
agreeable solution

792
00:36:22,999 --> 00:36:26,875
to this region's troubles 
will become.

793
00:36:27,583 --> 00:36:30,125
The Palestinian perspective 
of the situation

794
00:36:30,125 --> 00:36:31,999
is illustrated 
by maps like this,

795
00:36:31,999 --> 00:36:34,291
showing how their land holdings 
are shrinking

796
00:36:34,291 --> 00:36:40,041
since the creation of Israel in 
1948 with each passing decade.

797
00:36:40,041 --> 00:36:42,999
And there's the wall, 
begun in 2003 by Israel

798
00:36:42,999 --> 00:36:45,709
to defend its border 
with the West Bank.

799
00:36:45,709 --> 00:36:48,542
Israeli's say this is 
a security fence,

800
00:36:48,542 --> 00:36:51,999
built after losing 
a thousand of its citizens

801
00:36:51,999 --> 00:36:55,000
to suicide bombers 
in the previous decade.

802
00:36:55,000 --> 00:36:57,333
And they claim 
it's been effective,

803
00:36:57,333 --> 00:36:59,625
noting that, 
since its construction,

804
00:36:59,625 --> 00:37:01,500
there's been almost 
no terrorism.

805
00:37:01,500 --> 00:37:06,250
Palestinians counter by saying 
that the wall was built

806
00:37:06,250 --> 00:37:08,375
with the pretense of security.

807
00:37:08,375 --> 00:37:10,999
They say it's actually 
a land grab

808
00:37:10,999 --> 00:37:14,333
designed to hobble 
a Palestinian state.

809
00:37:14,333 --> 00:37:15,999
The fence or wall,

810
00:37:15,999 --> 00:37:17,458
which is over 300 miles long,

811
00:37:17,458 --> 00:37:21,959
generally runs well within 
Palestinian territory.

812
00:37:21,959 --> 00:37:23,999
And it's nearly twice as long

813
00:37:23,999 --> 00:37:26,917
as the border 
it claims to defend,

814
00:37:26,917 --> 00:37:29,000
redrawn in order 
to secure settlements,

815
00:37:29,000 --> 00:37:30,333
aquifers, 
good farmland,

816
00:37:30,333 --> 00:37:34,291
and holy places within 
the West Bank for Israel.

817
00:37:37,875 --> 00:37:38,999
While it's landscaped

818
00:37:38,999 --> 00:37:40,999
and can look attractive 
from the Israeli side,

819
00:37:40,999 --> 00:37:44,583
the wall is unfinished 
and feels demoralizing

820
00:37:44,583 --> 00:37:47,000
from the Palestinian side.

821
00:37:54,375 --> 00:37:56,041
This struggle 
has been difficult,

822
00:37:56,041 --> 00:37:57,999
with killings 
and tragedy on both sides.

823
00:37:57,999 --> 00:38:01,375
While one man's terrorist may be 
another man's freedom fighter,

824
00:38:01,375 --> 00:38:02,999
the fact is, 
in recent decades,

825
00:38:02,999 --> 00:38:04,792
both sides have 
suffered terribly.

826
00:38:04,792 --> 00:38:07,500
Israeli Jews have been 
killed by Palestinians,

827
00:38:07,500 --> 00:38:10,083
and Palestinians have 
been killed by Israelis.

828
00:38:10,083 --> 00:38:14,417
I can certainly understand 
Israel's need for security,

829
00:38:14,417 --> 00:38:16,999
but walls are designed 
to keep people apart,

830
00:38:16,999 --> 00:38:18,999
and to me, that's 
part of the problem.

831
00:38:18,999 --> 00:38:24,125
I felt that young generations 
on both sides want to connect,

832
00:38:24,125 --> 00:38:25,250
but with this barrier,

833
00:38:25,250 --> 00:38:27,125
which many call 
"the separation wall,"

834
00:38:27,125 --> 00:38:30,333
people connecting 
to find common ground

835
00:38:30,333 --> 00:38:32,999
is not an option.

836
00:38:34,083 --> 00:38:36,500
Beyond the infrastructure 
of conflict,

837
00:38:36,500 --> 00:38:39,333
it's the treasured land 
that defines Palestine.

838
00:38:39,333 --> 00:38:43,125
Rejoined by our 
Palestinian guide, Kamal,

839
00:38:43,125 --> 00:38:45,792
our first stop is 
Battir Natural Park,

840
00:38:45,792 --> 00:38:48,542
famed for its hikes 
through olive groves

841
00:38:48,542 --> 00:38:50,583
and ancient terraces.

842
00:38:50,583 --> 00:38:51,750
Here in the Holy Land,

843
00:38:51,750 --> 00:38:54,625
the land itself is holy 
to its inhabitants,

844
00:38:54,625 --> 00:38:57,166
and for Palestinians, 
the olive tree

845
00:38:57,166 --> 00:39:00,542
is a kind of lifeblood 
for their culture.

846
00:39:00,542 --> 00:39:01,999
KAMAL: We are in Palestine.

847
00:39:01,999 --> 00:39:03,250
This is Palestine here.

848
00:39:03,250 --> 00:39:05,999
These are the biblical terraces 
of Battir.

849
00:39:05,999 --> 00:39:10,999
And we call them biblical 
because they're over

850
00:39:10,999 --> 00:39:12,291
2,000 years of age.

851
00:39:12,291 --> 00:39:14,999
My ancestors came here 
and carved these terraces

852
00:39:14,999 --> 00:39:15,709
into the mountains.

853
00:39:15,709 --> 00:39:19,208
It was the only way 
for them to survive.

854
00:39:19,208 --> 00:39:20,834
You know, 
the mountains are hilly.

855
00:39:20,834 --> 00:39:22,709
You need the terraces 
to plant on them.

856
00:39:22,709 --> 00:39:25,291
They did that at that time, 
and guess what?

857
00:39:25,291 --> 00:39:28,083
We exist to today. 
We're still here.

858
00:39:28,083 --> 00:39:29,000
Only though them.

859
00:39:29,000 --> 00:39:30,500
That's why I love this place.

860
00:39:30,500 --> 00:39:34,000
This tells me 
this is where I belong,

861
00:39:34,000 --> 00:39:35,709
tells me this is Palestine.

862
00:39:35,709 --> 00:39:39,500
STEVES: What do olives mean to 
the Palestinian people?

863
00:39:39,500 --> 00:39:41,709
KAMAL: Olives, 
they're the best trees.

864
00:39:41,709 --> 00:39:45,291
They're the poor man's tree 
because the olive tree

865
00:39:45,291 --> 00:39:46,417
gives without taking.

866
00:39:46,417 --> 00:39:50,542
The olive tree gives us 
the olives without even

867
00:39:50,542 --> 00:39:53,417
needing us to do 
anything for it.

868
00:39:53,417 --> 00:39:55,583
It's October, 
and across the land,

869
00:39:55,583 --> 00:39:57,291
as they have since 
ancient times,

870
00:39:57,291 --> 00:39:59,667
families gather in 
the olive groves

871
00:39:59,667 --> 00:40:00,291
for the harvest.

872
00:40:00,291 --> 00:40:02,999
Children are let out of 
school for the week

873
00:40:02,999 --> 00:40:05,999
so they can work the trees 
with their parents.

874
00:40:05,999 --> 00:40:07,500
In the West Bank,

875
00:40:07,500 --> 00:40:10,375
60% of the trees 
are olive trees.

876
00:40:10,375 --> 00:40:13,083
To Palestinians, 
the beloved olive tree

877
00:40:13,083 --> 00:40:15,875
represents their past 
and their future.

878
00:40:15,875 --> 00:40:17,542
They say, 
"It was planted

879
00:40:17,542 --> 00:40:19,667
by our grandfathers 
for us to eat,

880
00:40:19,667 --> 00:40:22,999
and we plant it for 
our grandchildren

881
00:40:22,999 --> 00:40:24,999
to eat."

882
00:40:26,083 --> 00:40:28,709
In nearby villages, 
families take their olives

883
00:40:28,709 --> 00:40:31,083
to the communal press 
to make oil.

884
00:40:31,083 --> 00:40:33,208
The traditional technique 
survives,

885
00:40:33,208 --> 00:40:35,417
though boosted by 
hard-working machinery,

886
00:40:35,417 --> 00:40:38,667
as a busy crew in 
oil-soaked shirts meets

887
00:40:38,667 --> 00:40:40,625
the demands of 
the harvest season.

888
00:40:40,625 --> 00:40:46,375
Rounds of olive paste are 
pressed into a weeping mass.

889
00:40:46,375 --> 00:40:48,542
The fresh oil, 
after filtering, becomes

890
00:40:48,542 --> 00:40:53,667
a golden liquid poured 
into jugs to be taken home.

891
00:40:57,166 --> 00:41:00,959
As if rising out of 
those ancient olive groves,

892
00:41:00,959 --> 00:41:03,999
the ancient city of Hebron, 
with over 200,000 people,

893
00:41:03,999 --> 00:41:07,792
is the largest city 
in the West Bank,

894
00:41:07,792 --> 00:41:09,834
and it's the bustling 
commercial capital,

895
00:41:09,834 --> 00:41:14,208
with nearly a third of 
the entire West Bank economy.

896
00:41:14,999 --> 00:41:16,583
Just strolling the streets,

897
00:41:16,583 --> 00:41:17,625
dodging cars,

898
00:41:17,625 --> 00:41:18,542
and mixing with the people,

899
00:41:18,542 --> 00:41:20,999
I feel the energy 
of an economy

900
00:41:20,999 --> 00:41:22,917
that seems 
primed to grow.

901
00:41:22,917 --> 00:41:24,999
Commerce spills out 
everywhere.

902
00:41:24,999 --> 00:41:26,625
Exploring the market streets,

903
00:41:26,625 --> 00:41:28,875
I'm immersed in 
Palestinian life.

904
00:41:28,875 --> 00:41:33,792
Experiences like these 
are why we travel.

905
00:41:35,999 --> 00:41:38,208
Along with all 
the market activity and commerce

906
00:41:38,208 --> 00:41:40,291
comes high security 
and tension.

907
00:41:40,291 --> 00:41:43,083
That's because this city 
has the tomb of Abraham,

908
00:41:43,083 --> 00:41:46,208
so sacred to both Israelis 
and Palestinians.

909
00:41:46,208 --> 00:41:50,500
Here, Jews live literally 
atop Palestinian Muslims,

910
00:41:50,500 --> 00:41:51,999
as the two communities struggle

911
00:41:51,999 --> 00:41:55,000
to be near the tomb 
of their common patriarch.

912
00:41:55,000 --> 00:41:58,208
While the city is 
mostly Palestinian,

913
00:41:58,208 --> 00:42:00,333
a determined 
and well-protected community

914
00:42:00,333 --> 00:42:02,000
of several hundred 
Israeli settlers

915
00:42:02,000 --> 00:42:04,166
has staked out 
the high ground.

916
00:42:04,166 --> 00:42:07,875
The tension between 
the communities is illustrated

917
00:42:07,875 --> 00:42:09,041
by a wire net that protects

918
00:42:09,041 --> 00:42:10,999
the Arab food 
and clothing market

919
00:42:10,999 --> 00:42:15,000
from the garbage of 
the Jewish residents above.

920
00:42:15,000 --> 00:42:18,375
Israeli troops are posted here 
in the name of security.

921
00:42:18,375 --> 00:42:22,750
Turnstiles and checkpoints 
are a way of life.

922
00:42:22,750 --> 00:42:25,542
A no-man's land with 
Jewish political art

923
00:42:25,542 --> 00:42:30,999
decorating closed buildings 
divides the two communities.

924
00:42:31,375 --> 00:42:35,875
And it's all about this very 
sacred and complicated site --

925
00:42:35,875 --> 00:42:38,166
an ancient structure 
capped by a medieval church

926
00:42:38,166 --> 00:42:42,166
which now functions both 
as a mosque and a synagogue

927
00:42:42,166 --> 00:42:45,417
holding the tombs of 
Abraham and his family.

928
00:42:45,417 --> 00:42:50,083
The focal point for 
both faiths is this,

929
00:42:50,083 --> 00:42:51,583
the tomb of Abraham.

930
00:42:51,583 --> 00:42:53,999
Poignantly, 
access for the feuding

931
00:42:53,999 --> 00:42:57,000
descendants of Abraham 
is divided by a pane

932
00:42:57,000 --> 00:43:00,542
of bullet-proof glass.

933
00:43:00,542 --> 00:43:02,500
On one side of the glass,

934
00:43:02,500 --> 00:43:04,041
Jews worship in the synagogue,

935
00:43:04,041 --> 00:43:05,999
the second-most holy place 
in Judaism.

936
00:43:05,999 --> 00:43:07,999
It's enlivened with singing, 
studying,

937
00:43:07,999 --> 00:43:13,375
and praying among the tombs 
of their great patriarchs.

938
00:43:14,834 --> 00:43:17,333
The other half is a mosque, 
where Muslims worship

939
00:43:17,333 --> 00:43:21,709
before their shared patriarch 
with equal fervor.

940
00:43:21,709 --> 00:43:22,875
Its exquisite minbar,

941
00:43:22,875 --> 00:43:25,500
where the imam stands 
to give sermons,

942
00:43:25,500 --> 00:43:29,208
is a rare original 
from the 12th century,

943
00:43:29,208 --> 00:43:32,208
with inlaid wood 
and no nails.

944
00:43:32,208 --> 00:43:35,999
Unfortunately, 
this holy place's history

945
00:43:35,999 --> 00:43:38,834
has a tragic aura.

946
00:43:41,875 --> 00:43:43,917
For centuries, 
Jews were generally

947
00:43:43,917 --> 00:43:44,750
not allowed 
to worship here.

948
00:43:44,750 --> 00:43:48,125
Then, after the Israeli victory 
in the war of 1967,

949
00:43:48,125 --> 00:43:51,583
the space was shared 
by Jews and Muslims.

950
00:43:51,583 --> 00:43:54,208
But during a Muslim service 
in 1994,

951
00:43:54,208 --> 00:43:56,750
an Israeli settler 
entered here with his gun

952
00:43:56,750 --> 00:43:59,792
and killed 29 
Palestinian worshippers.

953
00:43:59,792 --> 00:44:02,999
Since then, this holy space 
has been divided,

954
00:44:02,999 --> 00:44:05,999
emblematic of 
the difficult challenges

955
00:44:05,999 --> 00:44:08,709
that permeate the Holy Land.

956
00:44:09,291 --> 00:44:13,000
As a visitor traveling from 
Palestinian city to city

957
00:44:13,000 --> 00:44:13,917
on fine modern freeways,

958
00:44:13,917 --> 00:44:17,250
it's easy to underestimate 
the complexity of the region

959
00:44:17,250 --> 00:44:19,417
and the extent 
of Israeli control.

960
00:44:19,417 --> 00:44:22,208
Palestinians 
living in the West Bank,

961
00:44:22,208 --> 00:44:23,834
while nominally autonomous,

962
00:44:23,834 --> 00:44:26,333
are living under 
an Israeli occupation.

963
00:44:26,333 --> 00:44:30,125
Israel has granted sections 
of the West Bank

964
00:44:30,125 --> 00:44:32,291
various degrees 
of autonomy.

965
00:44:32,291 --> 00:44:36,250
Palestinian cities 
are generally Palestinian-run

966
00:44:36,250 --> 00:44:39,208
with their own security forces.

967
00:44:39,208 --> 00:44:41,583
These islands of 
relative independence

968
00:44:41,583 --> 00:44:44,375
are surrounded by 
zones controlled by

969
00:44:44,375 --> 00:44:45,959
Israeli military.

970
00:44:45,959 --> 00:44:47,999
Most of the West Bank 
population

971
00:44:47,999 --> 00:44:50,458
is in Palestinian-controlled 
cities,

972
00:44:50,458 --> 00:44:53,999
but Israel still controls most 
of the roads

973
00:44:53,999 --> 00:44:56,583
and most of the land.

974
00:44:57,458 --> 00:44:58,999
If there's 
a problem or unrest,

975
00:44:58,999 --> 00:45:01,750
Israel can activate 
checkpoints like this

976
00:45:01,750 --> 00:45:02,583
all across the country

977
00:45:02,583 --> 00:45:04,375
and stop all traffic 
in the West Bank.

978
00:45:04,375 --> 00:45:07,333
Within minutes, 
they can lock down and isolate

979
00:45:07,333 --> 00:45:08,999
every Palestinian city.

980
00:45:08,999 --> 00:45:11,583
Palestinian cars 
have green plates.

981
00:45:11,583 --> 00:45:13,999
Israelis have 
yellow plates.

982
00:45:13,999 --> 00:45:17,208
Generally, most West Bank roads 
are open to all.

983
00:45:17,208 --> 00:45:20,999
But when times are tense, 
checkpoints are manned

984
00:45:20,999 --> 00:45:23,625
and only yellow plates 
are allowed.

985
00:45:23,625 --> 00:45:25,999
Things are pretty quiet 
during our visit,

986
00:45:25,999 --> 00:45:27,959
and we're able 
to move fast and free,

987
00:45:27,959 --> 00:45:32,750
even with our green plates, 
throughout the West Bank.

988
00:45:32,750 --> 00:45:36,208
Some of the most dramatic 
and evocative scenery here

989
00:45:36,208 --> 00:45:39,542
is in the vast and arid 
Judean Desert.

990
00:45:39,542 --> 00:45:41,125
Hiding in folds of 
the desert

991
00:45:41,125 --> 00:45:44,166
are fabled monasteries which, 
since ancient times,

992
00:45:44,166 --> 00:45:48,999
have given hermits 
the isolation of their dreams.

993
00:45:50,999 --> 00:45:54,583
Our ears pop as we continue 
deeper into the desert

994
00:45:54,583 --> 00:45:55,999
and drop below sea-level.

995
00:45:55,999 --> 00:45:59,999
The road ends at the lowest 
place on earth,

996
00:45:59,999 --> 00:46:03,208
the fabled Dead Sea.

997
00:46:03,208 --> 00:46:06,291
Palestinians living 
in the West Bank

998
00:46:06,291 --> 00:46:08,000
have no access to waterfront.

999
00:46:08,000 --> 00:46:11,625
Officially, there's no seaside, 
riverbank,

1000
00:46:11,625 --> 00:46:13,917
or lakefront in the West Bank.

1001
00:46:13,917 --> 00:46:14,917
Israel adjusted the border

1002
00:46:14,917 --> 00:46:17,750
to control the entire 
Dead Sea shoreline.

1003
00:46:17,750 --> 00:46:20,583
But when tensions are low,

1004
00:46:20,583 --> 00:46:21,999
Palestinian families

1005
00:46:21,999 --> 00:46:27,834
are allowed to enjoy some 
Israeli Dead Sea resorts.

1006
00:46:29,583 --> 00:46:31,750
Approaching any 
Palestinian city,

1007
00:46:31,750 --> 00:46:33,999
a bold, red sign 
makes it clear --

1008
00:46:33,999 --> 00:46:37,834
you're leaving the realm 
of the Israeli military

1009
00:46:37,834 --> 00:46:38,999
and entering the zone

1010
00:46:38,999 --> 00:46:41,291
controlled by Palestinian 
security.

1011
00:46:41,291 --> 00:46:44,125
This comes with a checkpoint, 
sometimes manned,

1012
00:46:44,125 --> 00:46:47,166
sometimes unmanned 
in a simple drive-through.

1013
00:46:47,166 --> 00:46:49,834
Regardless, there's always 
a watchtower,

1014
00:46:49,834 --> 00:46:51,333
reminding those 
coming and going

1015
00:46:51,333 --> 00:46:53,333
that Israel is keeping 
an eye on things.

1016
00:46:53,333 --> 00:46:58,834
Nablus is the second city of 
the West Bank in population,

1017
00:46:58,834 --> 00:47:01,917
with a fine modern center 
and a long history.

1018
00:47:01,917 --> 00:47:04,709
In Ancient times the Roman 
Emperor named it

1019
00:47:04,709 --> 00:47:07,417
the new city -- 
that's Neapolis or Nablus.

1020
00:47:07,417 --> 00:47:10,542
The people of Nablus are 
relatively conservative.

1021
00:47:10,542 --> 00:47:13,999
And immersed in this vibrant 
city's commercial commotion,

1022
00:47:13,999 --> 00:47:16,792
I found simply being 
part of the scene

1023
00:47:16,792 --> 00:47:18,000
a powerful experience.

1024
00:47:18,000 --> 00:47:20,792
Famed or notorious 
for its fighting spirit,

1025
00:47:20,792 --> 00:47:24,834
the city has walls crusty 
with political posters.

1026
00:47:24,834 --> 00:47:26,125
These young local men,

1027
00:47:26,125 --> 00:47:30,291
considered terrorists 
or freedom fighters,

1028
00:47:30,291 --> 00:47:31,667
depending on your perspective,

1029
00:47:31,667 --> 00:47:33,625
are mostly in Israeli prisons 
or dead.

1030
00:47:33,625 --> 00:47:36,583
Yet, they live on with posters 
that celebrate

1031
00:47:36,583 --> 00:47:39,999
their commitment 
to Palestinian independence.

1032
00:47:39,999 --> 00:47:42,208
As these posters fade,

1033
00:47:42,208 --> 00:47:44,041
I'm hoping that 
what seems to me

1034
00:47:44,041 --> 00:47:46,625
like a new spirit of 
nonviolence

1035
00:47:46,625 --> 00:47:48,875
to address 
the region's problems

1036
00:47:48,875 --> 00:47:52,166
reflects a permanent shift 
in Palestinian strategy.

1037
00:47:52,166 --> 00:47:56,999
A recurring symbol throughout 
Palestine is the key.

1038
00:47:56,999 --> 00:47:58,875
Many towns display a big key

1039
00:47:58,875 --> 00:48:01,542
as a reminder of 
a big issue here --

1040
00:48:01,542 --> 00:48:04,959
refugees, the hundreds of 
thousands of Palestinians

1041
00:48:04,959 --> 00:48:09,750
who were displaced with 
the creation of Israel in 1948.

1042
00:48:09,750 --> 00:48:12,750
Here in the West Bank, 
over 60 years later,

1043
00:48:12,750 --> 00:48:14,999
many refugee camps 
are still filled

1044
00:48:14,999 --> 00:48:17,792
with Palestinian 
families who fled

1045
00:48:17,792 --> 00:48:19,999
when their land became Israel.

1046
00:48:19,999 --> 00:48:23,375
To this day, these people -- 
whose parents and grandparents,

1047
00:48:23,375 --> 00:48:25,542
thinking they'd be 
returning home soon,

1048
00:48:25,542 --> 00:48:27,542
grabbed their keys 
and fled back in 1948 --

1049
00:48:27,542 --> 00:48:30,999
treasure those old keys and are 
happy to tell their story.

1050
00:48:30,999 --> 00:48:33,542
MAN: Around the 19th 
of October, 1948,

1051
00:48:33,542 --> 00:48:36,417
my family was forced 
to leave their village.

1052
00:48:36,417 --> 00:48:38,875
They closed their house 
and moved away,

1053
00:48:38,875 --> 00:48:42,625
waiting for two weeks, and then 
they will be coming back.

1054
00:48:42,625 --> 00:48:45,000
65 years later, 
we are in a refugee camp,

1055
00:48:45,000 --> 00:48:48,417
still waiting for this return, 
which never happened.

1056
00:48:48,417 --> 00:48:52,999
Two-thirds of Palestinian people 
became refuges in 1948,

1057
00:48:52,999 --> 00:48:55,417
dispersed in 59 refugee camps,

1058
00:48:55,417 --> 00:48:58,834
and most of them have 
these old rusty keys

1059
00:48:58,834 --> 00:49:01,709
for doors that do 
or do not exist anymore.

1060
00:49:01,709 --> 00:49:04,792
Among the many refugee camps 
in the West Bank,

1061
00:49:04,792 --> 00:49:07,083
the biggest, 
with over 20,000 people,

1062
00:49:07,083 --> 00:49:10,999
is Balata, 
just outside of Nablus.

1063
00:49:10,999 --> 00:49:11,999
The 10' x 10' platting,

1064
00:49:11,999 --> 00:49:16,458
marking where tents were posted 
back in 1948, survives.

1065
00:49:16,458 --> 00:49:18,625
Only now the tents are gone,

1066
00:49:18,625 --> 00:49:20,999
replaced by multistory 
cinder block tenements.

1067
00:49:20,999 --> 00:49:25,250
Throughout the world, there are 
refugee camps like this.

1068
00:49:25,250 --> 00:49:26,291
Wandering these lanes,

1069
00:49:26,291 --> 00:49:30,750
I can't imagine living 
in such dense population...

1070
00:49:30,750 --> 00:49:32,999
the lack of privacy...

1071
00:49:32,999 --> 00:49:36,458
Being a parent with children 
and little money...

1072
00:49:36,458 --> 00:49:40,542
the frustration 
of an uncertain future.

1073
00:49:40,542 --> 00:49:42,792
For over 60 years, 
the United Nations

1074
00:49:42,792 --> 00:49:45,917
has maintained a calming 
and helpful presence.

1075
00:49:45,917 --> 00:49:49,792
When the UN-run-and-funded 
school lets out,

1076
00:49:49,792 --> 00:49:52,875
the streets flood with children 
happy to practice their English

1077
00:49:52,875 --> 00:49:56,041
with a rare traveler venturing 
into their world.

1078
00:49:56,041 --> 00:49:57,667
[All shouting]

1079
00:49:57,667 --> 00:49:58,375
[Steves laughs]

1080
00:49:58,375 --> 00:50:01,999
A women's co-op provides 
training and helps kick-start

1081
00:50:01,999 --> 00:50:05,000
cottage industries 
run by traditional artisans.

1082
00:50:05,000 --> 00:50:08,083
And the commerce enlivening 
the main street of the camp

1083
00:50:08,083 --> 00:50:09,709
is like that of a town.

1084
00:50:09,709 --> 00:50:11,208
We're joining little Mustafa,

1085
00:50:11,208 --> 00:50:14,875
who's been sent by his mother 
to get chicken for dinner.

1086
00:50:14,875 --> 00:50:18,125
[Chicken squawking]

1087
00:50:22,917 --> 00:50:25,834
Around here, pride can come 
in little triumphs,

1088
00:50:25,834 --> 00:50:31,041
and Mustafa is heading home 
with dinner for the family.

1089
00:50:32,000 --> 00:50:33,959
Life goes on in these camps,

1090
00:50:33,959 --> 00:50:38,667
as the refugees wait for 
a resolution to their plight.

1091
00:50:40,750 --> 00:50:44,999
It's time to move on to our 
final stop in the West Bank.

1092
00:50:44,999 --> 00:50:46,750
It's October, 
and the landscape

1093
00:50:46,750 --> 00:50:49,291
is pretty brown 
after a scorching summer.

1094
00:50:49,291 --> 00:50:52,959
Today's vistas feel timeless.

1095
00:50:52,959 --> 00:50:55,709
In fact, I can imagine 
Abraham, Jesus,

1096
00:50:55,709 --> 00:51:00,750
or Muhammad each traversing 
these same valleys.

1097
00:51:02,125 --> 00:51:03,417
The city of Ramallah

1098
00:51:03,417 --> 00:51:07,917
functions as the de facto 
capital of Palestine.

1099
00:51:08,500 --> 00:51:11,000
While most Palestinians 
consider Jerusalem

1100
00:51:11,000 --> 00:51:13,166
their rightful capital, 
so do Israelis,

1101
00:51:13,166 --> 00:51:15,999
and sharing the city seems 
unlikely for now.

1102
00:51:15,999 --> 00:51:20,208
That leaves Ramallah to host 
the Palestinian government

1103
00:51:20,208 --> 00:51:21,834
and international agencies.

1104
00:51:21,834 --> 00:51:24,917
Adjacent the president's 
headquarters

1105
00:51:24,917 --> 00:51:28,834
stands the tomb of 
Yasser Arafat.

1106
00:51:30,667 --> 00:51:34,083
While he certainly has 
plenty of detractors,

1107
00:51:34,083 --> 00:51:35,834
this Palestinian statesman,

1108
00:51:35,834 --> 00:51:38,208
who led the PLO 
from 1969 until 2004,

1109
00:51:38,208 --> 00:51:41,208
is without a doubt the father 
of modern Palestine.

1110
00:51:41,208 --> 00:51:45,417
Call him what you like, 
people here celebrate Arafat

1111
00:51:45,417 --> 00:51:47,959
as the man who did more 
than anyone else

1112
00:51:47,959 --> 00:51:50,999
to raise awareness of 
the Palestinian struggle

1113
00:51:50,999 --> 00:51:52,083
for independence.

1114
00:51:52,083 --> 00:51:54,250
With its international 
professionals

1115
00:51:54,250 --> 00:51:56,917
and university students, 
Ramallah has an almost

1116
00:51:56,917 --> 00:52:00,917
cosmopolitan energy you feel 
nowhere else in Palestine.

1117
00:52:00,917 --> 00:52:04,999
Whether coming together 
at the Square of the Lions

1118
00:52:04,999 --> 00:52:07,458
or browsing down 
a stylish shopping street,

1119
00:52:07,458 --> 00:52:11,417
Ramallah helps me envision 
a peaceful and prosperous

1120
00:52:11,417 --> 00:52:14,875
Palestine of the future.

1121
00:52:14,875 --> 00:52:16,792
Nearby, 
at Bir Zeit University,

1122
00:52:16,792 --> 00:52:19,709
with its beautiful campus 
and 9,000 students,

1123
00:52:19,709 --> 00:52:24,083
you feel a younger generation 
working hard

1124
00:52:24,083 --> 00:52:24,834
and engaged.

1125
00:52:24,834 --> 00:52:27,667
A stroll through the campus 
gives me a chance

1126
00:52:27,667 --> 00:52:29,959
to connect with students 
and learn a bit

1127
00:52:29,959 --> 00:52:33,083
about both their culture 
and their aspirations.

1128
00:52:33,083 --> 00:52:34,000
In a university like this,

1129
00:52:34,000 --> 00:52:36,583
are there more men 
or more women studying?

1130
00:52:36,583 --> 00:52:37,999
Women, I believe, 
women, yes.

1131
00:52:37,999 --> 00:52:40,792
STEVES: What is it like for 
a woman in Palestine?

1132
00:52:40,792 --> 00:52:43,667
They live freely, 
like womens in the world.

1133
00:52:43,667 --> 00:52:44,750
Yes, we can do everything today.

1134
00:52:44,750 --> 00:52:47,542
We can go out together, 
and no judgmental, nothing.

1135
00:52:47,542 --> 00:52:49,041
This feels so free 
and beautiful here,

1136
00:52:49,041 --> 00:52:52,208
and you have such a future, 
but you're living behind a wall.

1137
00:52:52,208 --> 00:52:52,999
What is that like?

1138
00:52:52,999 --> 00:52:57,125
It is like I don't see 
the whole of my country.

1139
00:52:57,125 --> 00:52:59,166
I can't go to Jerusalem, also.

1140
00:52:59,166 --> 00:53:03,291
I can't go to the sea. 
I can't see the sea.

1141
00:53:03,291 --> 00:53:04,709
I don't know my country.

1142
00:53:04,709 --> 00:53:07,375
STEVES: Because it's on 
the other side of the wall?

1143
00:53:07,375 --> 00:53:10,208
Yeah. There was 
a history of violence

1144
00:53:10,208 --> 00:53:11,709
during different struggles,

1145
00:53:11,709 --> 00:53:14,667
but I feel today that 
there's a recognition

1146
00:53:14,667 --> 00:53:17,500
that violence is not 
a winning strategy.

1147
00:53:17,500 --> 00:53:19,999
What is the thinking 
in Palestine

1148
00:53:19,999 --> 00:53:21,667
about violent resistance now?

1149
00:53:21,667 --> 00:53:24,709
For us to stick together, 
to be together,

1150
00:53:24,709 --> 00:53:26,208
to be one unite, you know.

1151
00:53:26,208 --> 00:53:27,667
And this is our victory to us,

1152
00:53:27,667 --> 00:53:29,667
for us to keep together, 
to stay together,

1153
00:53:29,667 --> 00:53:32,667
and never let them make us feel, 
at the end, that, yes,

1154
00:53:32,667 --> 00:53:35,041
to accept the idea 
that we are the bad guys.

1155
00:53:35,041 --> 00:53:35,999
'Cause we are not.

1156
00:53:35,999 --> 00:53:39,458
So what is the hope for -- 
for the future?

1157
00:53:39,458 --> 00:53:43,875
Of course, to live in peace, 
to have peace and to be --

1158
00:53:43,875 --> 00:53:49,417
To have all your family around, 
to go abroad

1159
00:53:49,417 --> 00:53:50,709
whenever you want.

1160
00:53:50,709 --> 00:53:51,999
We're very happy 
that you're coming

1161
00:53:51,999 --> 00:53:55,000
and give you these points 
and these thoughts about us,

1162
00:53:55,000 --> 00:53:58,792
because we know that Americans 
and public in general,

1163
00:53:58,792 --> 00:54:00,291
they know the bad idea about us.

1164
00:54:00,291 --> 00:54:02,875
So it's our pleasure 
to have this opportunity

1165
00:54:02,875 --> 00:54:05,208
to give our thoughts 
and who we really are.

1166
00:54:05,208 --> 00:54:07,166
STEVES: Free women 
with a good future.

1167
00:54:07,166 --> 00:54:08,999
-Yes. 
-Insha'Allah.

1168
00:54:08,999 --> 00:54:10,834
Insha'Allah, insha'Allah.

1169
00:54:10,834 --> 00:54:14,250
STEVES: Traveling here 
humanizes the Holy Land.

1170
00:54:14,250 --> 00:54:16,500
On both sides of the wall,

1171
00:54:16,500 --> 00:54:18,000
you feel the religious passion,

1172
00:54:18,000 --> 00:54:19,999
the historical suffering,

1173
00:54:19,999 --> 00:54:21,291
and the national pride.

1174
00:54:21,291 --> 00:54:24,625
And you meet 
endearing people.

1175
00:54:24,625 --> 00:54:27,875
Good people motivated 
by fear and love.

1176
00:54:27,875 --> 00:54:30,417
Land is treasured,

1177
00:54:30,417 --> 00:54:32,709
land is disputed,

1178
00:54:32,709 --> 00:54:35,500
and land is 
the basis of dreams.

1179
00:54:35,500 --> 00:54:37,999
Both communities 
have inflicted pain,

1180
00:54:37,999 --> 00:54:40,792
and both communities 
have endured pain.

1181
00:54:40,792 --> 00:54:43,083
And peace is possible 
only when both sides

1182
00:54:43,083 --> 00:54:45,999
move beyond the past 
and make real concessions.

1183
00:54:45,999 --> 00:54:48,583
The United States 
is clearly a stakeholder,

1184
00:54:48,583 --> 00:54:50,125
and it's hard 
to imagine a roadmap

1185
00:54:50,125 --> 00:54:53,999
to peace in the Holy Land 
without American involvement.

1186
00:54:53,999 --> 00:54:55,999
There's no easy answer.

1187
00:54:55,999 --> 00:54:59,959
Yet, traveling here, I feel 
there's a growing realization

1188
00:54:59,959 --> 00:55:02,417
that neither side 
is going away,

1189
00:55:02,417 --> 00:55:03,625
violence is not the answer,

1190
00:55:03,625 --> 00:55:07,875
and everyone will be better off 
when dignity, security,

1191
00:55:07,875 --> 00:55:11,333
and economic justice 
are provided to all.

1192
00:55:11,333 --> 00:55:13,083
I know the hurdles are high,

1193
00:55:13,083 --> 00:55:15,625
but after hearing 
both narratives,

1194
00:55:15,625 --> 00:55:19,542
I can envision a peaceful 
and prosperous Holy Land,

1195
00:55:19,542 --> 00:55:23,458
with a secure Israel 
and a free Palestine.

1196
00:55:23,458 --> 00:55:25,999
And I'm hopeful.

1197
00:55:27,959 --> 00:55:31,750
In this land, so treasured by 
Jews, Muslims, and Christians,

1198
00:55:31,750 --> 00:55:35,417
I'm reminded that the prophets 
of each of these religions

1199
00:55:35,417 --> 00:55:36,500
taught us to love our neighbors.

1200
00:55:36,500 --> 00:55:40,000
And the lessons learned from 
traveling here in the Holy Land

1201
00:55:40,000 --> 00:55:43,125
can inspire us all 
to strive for that ideal.

1202
00:55:43,125 --> 00:55:44,000
I'm Rick Steves.

1203
00:55:44,000 --> 00:55:46,291
Until next time, 
keep on traveling.

1204
00:55:46,291 --> 00:55:50,500
Shalom, salaam, and peace.

1205
00:55:51,792 --> 00:55:52,999
You can order a DVD 
of this Holy Land special

1206
00:55:52,999 --> 00:55:56,999
and other Rick Steves programs 
at ricksteves.com.

1207
00:55:57,999 --> 00:55:58,999
You'll also find 
more information,

1208
00:55:58,999 --> 00:56:00,333
including a script, 
extended interviews,

1209
00:56:00,333 --> 00:56:03,750
and an opportunity to continue 
our Holy Land discussion

1210
00:56:03,750 --> 00:56:06,291
at ricksteves.com.