I never blogged on our spring break trip to Lebanon, Syria, and Israel. Jillian posted the article linked above to her Facebook profile, and I think it sums up the way we all felt after seeing the situation firsthand.
At least I know that I am totally with Kristof until the end--I've been there, I've crossed through the checkpoints. As it is now, it's degrading and annoying -- we were 3 American girls, and we still had to wait 6 hours on the way in --but if that's needed, then fine. But there must be a less restrained flow of tourists and commerce, however possible. The communities that have been walled off are literally sucked dry. No tourists, no income -- even Bethlehem, which should be teeming with pilgrims -- was virtually deserted. If people have nothing to lose, then what's to discourage becoming a suicide bomber?
It should also be said that all residents we met (and graffiti on the wall) considered America to be completely complicit in the building of the wall and equally responsible for their subsequent suffering, so this directly affects our interests as Americans. Our taxi driver was Palestinian and, pointing out the illegal settlement next to Bethlehem, addresses us, truly baffled, "Americans, why?"
Below are photos of the wall, known euphemistically as a "security fence." It's also worth noting that Israel has been building this structure further into the Palestinian territory than their actual border goes. The last one is especially telling:
In case you can't tell, that's a gate in the wall, an Israeli soldier, and an American one-dollar bill.
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