The Holy Land...

I have not traveled yet to the Holy Land, a land that is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Jordan River and Jordan to the east, Syria and Lebanon to the north and Egypt to the south.

This relatively small land is now significantly under the control of Israel, a new nation created in 1948 after the World War II. But, the tapestry of this land is as complex as it can be. The complexity centers around primarily its people and their religions.

The land is occupied mostly by Israelites and Arabs with equal proportion. They all have a long history of their own ancestors and cultures, arguing about their legitimate rights to the land. They share one common origin: Abraham. Abraham had two sons: Isaac born through Sarah and Ishmael born through Hagar. Isaac, through his son Jacob, became the forefather of the current Israel while Ishmael became the forefather of all Arabs.

Moreover, three different religions claim this land to be holy with their own legitimate rights and reasons. They are the Jewish, the Islam and the Christianity.

The Jewish claims the holiness of the land because Abraham passed the test of faith when he was instructed to offer his son Isaac, and the Temple of Solomon was there. The western wall, called Wailing Wall, still stands and attracts so many Jewish people to come and repent of their sins, particularly on Yom Kipur.

Islam's claims is based on the prophet Mohamed's ascension to the heaven at a site in Jerusalem, currently where the golden dome stands.

Christianity claims the land to be holy because Jesus was born in Bethlehem, currently in the Palestinian occupancy. He died on the cross on a hill called Calvary located in Jerusalem, resurrected in three days and, after 40 days of living a resurrected life, ascended to heaven in Jerusalem. Also, the Sea of Galilee was the main region where Jesus lived his public ministry life.

Their conflicts and strife are not new. They date back to thousands of years ago. Depending on how far you want to go, their claim for the land can change.

I have run into a video that documents an outsider's perspectives to the complex reality of the Israel and the Palestinian state. I found it fascinating and educational for anyone who wants to understand the situation easily without too much complexity.

It is Rick Steve's Holy Land: Israelis and Palestinians Today

Risk is an expert in travel, particularly to Europe. His comments and explanations are concise and to the point.

In this video, he tries to be as much neutral and unbiased  as possible, due to the sensitivity of two states. But, he goes into significant details of the roots of the issues without expressing his opinions explicitly.

Travel is education for living.

As he says at the end of every video, "Until next time, keep on traveling!" - Jeffrey

If you want to see this video, click the following link:

The Holy Land...Today...