This pic was written a few months ago… but I only published now.

I will be the first to confess that I lived a pretty sheltered live. I am the only daughter of a upper middle class academic family, and despite living in a conflict area- I’ve been lucky then the majority of the people that live here. I guess because of that I always had problems to step out of my comfort zone, I am not a naturally brave or spontaneous person- that’s way my visit to Bethlehem a week ago was such a surprise.
About a month ago Mazin Qumsiyeh (http://qumsiyeh.org) left a massage on Mepeace, inviting people to visit him in Bethlehem , I decided to jump on the opportunity- and try and see the situation in the ‘other‘ side. Of course it took me about a month to have the courage to finally call a friend from Me peace , and go on a daily visit to Bethlehem.
Now I can’t say it was an easy step to make- there is a lot of fear when it comes to a visit like that. Both sides has been separated for so long- that most of us only get the bad picture when it comes to the other side- our leaders have been so busy demonizing the other side, that most Israeli and Palestinians only met each other on bad circumstances. My automatic reaction to the West Bank cities is a negative one- mainly of fear. I still have memories of the 2nd intefada, and they are not very pleasant.
But I decided to go for it, and tighter with my friend Eva- we ventured forward 10 minutes from my house into unknown territory.
I won’t write everything we saw, some stuff affected me more some stuff less.
But I must say that the most important thing for me- and what influenced me the most (and helped changed my prospective on the conflict) is seeing the Wall. How it cuts people live, how it prevented people from living in their houses (cause they are behind the wall)… but what struck me the most is the graffiti written all over the wall- how the wall became a a place to vent your fastrations , and your artistic ambitions… how the wall became one big peace of art- and a beautiful one… very similar to the Berlin wall…
Thankfully all walls must fall- and I hope this one will as well… and soon!!!