Tel Aviv

I decided to take a trip to Tel Aviv, on the Mediterranean coast to the west of Jerusalem. This meant taking a bus to Jerusalem, tram to the bus station and express coach to Tel Aviv. I thought that the contrast with the West Bank might help me to understand the situation there. 

This is Israel, so no checkpoints, although there was a bag check at both Jerusalem and Tel Aviv bus stations. I was a little surprised when I realised that the young girl dressed in casual clothes and a tattoo sitting across the gangway on the bus was carrying an automatic rifle!

We walked through the southern part of Tel Aviv, which is where the markets and cheaper housing is, compared with the central business district which is more high rise building and commercial. 

It struck me rather like many American and European cities that I had visited in my research on urban development. We wandered through cosmopolitan areas where it was even difficult to recognise the architecture. Dress is more liberal, with fewer people with obvious Jewish or Muslim dress. I understand the the culture of Tel Aviv is generally more liberal, with greater acceptance of sexual orientation. 

We emerged at the coast and this was stunning.Miles of glorious beaches (deserted as this is winter despite the warm sunshine). We walked south to the adjoining town of Jaffa (which is referred to as Joppa in the Bible).

Jaffa has the most amazing history of any city I have heard of. It was captured by the Pharaohs, mentioned in Joshua, part of the territory of the tribe of Dan. The Canaanites and Philistines retook it until King David recaptured it. Solomon brought cedars for the temple in through Jaffa. Jonah sailed from Jaffa, and Peter had a vision of a sheet filled with animals there. Saladin captured Jaffa for the arabs in 1187, and Richard I retook it in 1192. Napoleon captured Jaffa in 1799. The British led by General Allenby captured Jaffa in 1917. 

Between 1921 and 1948, Jaffa was at the heart of the tensions between the Jews, who were settling in Tel Aviv to the north and the arabs, most of whom were in Jaffa to the south. In 1936 the British blew up much of Jaffa in order to isolate the arabs fighting from there. 

Jaffa was subject to disputes in the discussions leading up to partition, but was finally allocated to the arabs in the UN 1947 partition plan. However, in 1948 Jewish attacks on the city resulted in most of the arabs leaving. The population has gradually increased and is now around 46,000, with 30,000 jews and 16,000 muslims. Jaffa has become "unified" with Tel Aviv which is now called Tel Aviv-Jafo. 

There are still tensions here. The arabs complain about being evicted from their properties, while the authorities say they are illegal squatters. Many areas of Jaffa have high crime and drug problems. 



Another interesting day with much to ponder.

The three children in the house where I am living have never seen the sea.