Fresh from the energy sapping heat of Israel’s dry, windless summer to the gale force winds of winter at Gerroa.

I sat beside a commuter on the light rail as we climbed the track to Ammunition Hill. Was he Jewish? No! A Palestinian activist who travels to a different country each month to march for peace. “Standing Together” – that’s what the writing means in Arabic and Hebrew. Ammunition Hill was critical in the victory for the Battle of Jerusalem in 1967. Inside the Remembrance Hall containing the photos of soldiers killed in the fight, we met two Jewish men. One, a real estate agent from Rose Bay Sydney and his friend from Jerusalem, the commander of a paratrooper regiment who fought in that famous battle. He pointed to photos of two young soldiers killed in the fight. His voice couldn’t hide the em

Buried under the Church of St. Peter in Gallicantu, on the slopes of Mount Zion outside the Old City, lies the House of Caiaphas. Remember him, the High Priest who issued the arrest warrant for Jesus? Deep below the house are caves and one has been converted into a cell. Archaeologists believe it’s the place where Jesus was held prisoner and whipped before being sent to Pilate. It’s likely here; Peter too was scourged for preaching, as recorded in the Book of Acts. I stood in the cell and imagined….. what have these walls witnessed? We’ve witnessed much joy in the streets of Jerusalem but many places speak of suffering. Only yesterday the Old City was closed due to the tragic shooting of two

“Who will look after your shop Michel?” “God will look after it.” Our Palestinian friend locked the door of his beautiful antique shop near the Jaffa Gate and led us down David Street towards the Western Wall, to what was once his family home, now part of the Armenian Quarter in the Old City. The family had to flee during the 1948 war and returned to find looters had removed anything of value, including doors, water pipes and light fittings. Now refugees, they moved in and struggled to make the best of it. Damage to the roof and surrounding buildings made the home increasingly unsafe. Michel showed us where he played football in the narrow street; where walked daily to fetch water; went to s

Specialist vascular surgeon, Dr Raphael Walden asks the young Palestinian rock-throwing youth his name. Israeli soldiers had retaliated. The quick assessment by the Jewish doctor - the young Arab has lost a lot of blood. The Arab hospital on the West Bank determined his case was critical and so the expertise of Dr Walden was required urgently in Jerusalem. The doctor looks into the young man’s eyes and sees hatred. “What’s your name?” “Jihad.” The Doctor, stunned by his response asks, “Can you move your toes?” Youth replies, “Jihad.” The Jewish doctor is shocked. (All this young man can think about is holy war!!!) “Can you move your legs?” “Jihad,” comes the response again. The Jewish doctor

It’s Thursday and school holidays. Bar Mitzvah processions are coming from all directions. Shofars, clarinets, drums, herald joyous groups approaching the Western Wall where proud parents smile upon their progeny. Young men dressed in festive white, surrounded by family and friends look a little awkward as they enter the public spotlight. Blue and white balloons are released, sweet cakes consumed, speeches; more singing and dancing. A joy to behold.

Chris and I have just returned from hearing from a Priest who had both his hands blown off and lost his hearing and an eye through an exploding letter bomb. Fr Michael Lapsley, held the microphone with his calliper and shared his journey of standing for justice in the violent society of South African Apartheid. He walked the road to freedom with Nelson Mandela, at a cost. Professor Mohammed Dajani addressed the packed synagogue at the Hebrew Union College on the question, “How Should Palestinians Respond to Israeli Trauma?” Prof Dajani, a Muslim from the West Bank town of Ramallah, confronted by the suffering of the Jews through a visit to Auschwitz, transformed his beliefs and became a cham

I saw Dr John Tleel’s book, “I am Jerusalem” for sale in Jerusalem. You can’t miss it! I sat down for a chat in the antique shop of my new friend Michel, an Arab Palestinian Christian. The shelves are lined with valuable icons, carvings and historic artefacts. A sprightly eighty-nine year old, walked through the door. “Let me introduce you to Dr Tleel.” The man is a legend, or can I say reverently, antique. He fitted the history and the ambiance of Michel’s shop perfectly. Dr Tleel talked to me about his life and his book. A personal story, retired dentist, his family and his city in a time of war, now a resident of the Old City of Jerusalem. He was twenty when the 1948 war broke out. As a m

The heavy iron doors of the shopfronts on David Street are still in place as we descend to the Western Wall. It’s too early for sellers to push their wares. Security – belt off – money purse on the table and through the electronic arch. Chris’s shoulders don’t require covering as we walk across the sacred area leading to the Western Wall - her top is adequate. A left-turn is required to climb the monstrosity of the wooden covered walkway constructed by the Jews to allow Muslim access to the Temple Mount. Security check again – no need to remove belt. Devout Jewish men are ‘davening’ at the Wall as we climb. Muslims have claimed The Temple Mount. It’s the third holiest site in Islam. They bel

Expect the unexpected when you travel – especially in Israel. Mitzpe Ramon is in the Negev Desert, south of Beersheba. Here, overlooking the Wilderness of Sin, Israel’s Founding Father and first Prime Minister, David Ben Gurion is buried beside his wife. The unexpected bonus - the graduation of an artillery unit, completing their basic training. Here we witnessed young soldiers struggling up the hill carrying weights on their shoulders. Parents and comrades cheered as the exhausted trainees marched into this nostalgic space, covered in dust and sweat after their challenging desert hike. Three years compulsory military service shapes Israeli young people into an impressive force that builds n

This tunnel is the result of one on the most amazing underground engineering achievements of the ancient world. The Assyrians, under Sennacherib’s leadership, lay siege to the City of David in 701 BC. King Hezekiah instructed two teams of miners to tunnel from two different locations, east and west, to divert the water supply of the city, the Gihon Spring, underground to the pool of Siloam. The plaque, commemorating the place where the two teams met is on display in the Archaeological Museum in Istanbul. This desperate, life-saving venture is recorded in 2Kings 20:20. This is the third time I waded knee-deep through the cool, clear water, fingering the chisel marks created over 2700 years ag

A great city, whose image dwells in the memory of man, is the type of some great idea. Rome represents conquest; Faith hovers over the towers of Jerusalem; and Athens embodies the pre-eminent quality of the antique world, Art. Benjamin Disraeli

Thirty-nine levels of history. I’m descending under the ancient City of David which is located outside the existing walls of Jerusalem on the south eastern corner. It’s the most active archaeological site in Israel and the most politicised. Most Muslim and Palestinian history is visible above ground. To discover Jewish history, you need to go below. That certainly is the case in Jerusalem. The funding for this excavation is by non-Israeli groups, mostly Christian. The evidence continues to deepen and strengthen the Biblical account and Jewish ownership. That’s why some Palestinian archaeologists have boycotted the site. As one political observer commented, “The site has become weaponised.” A