Jarunee Taemsamran


When I told people I was planning to visit Israel, a few eyebrows were raised. My mother tried to persuade me not to go; friends warned me to be careful.

At the time, the country was still reeling from the assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, and there was concern about the fragile peace process. Would if be safe.

But life is a journey and the journey is life, I told myself. Don't believe what you hear unless you see it.

I was one of the six journalists who joined to trip co-hosted by the Ministry of Tourism and El Al Israel Airlines, the national flag carrier.

Israeli time is five hours behind Thailand, but after we landed at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, I felt as if we had taken a time machine back 4,000 years, so rich in history is the Jewish state.

From the airport, we drove for half and hour and had lunch at a fish restaurant in Jaffa port, one of the world's oldest.

Our tour leader, Dalia Lipshitz, said Jaffa had existed for 4,000 years and had served sailors since the time of the ancient Egyptians. It is believed to be the only port in the world that has been inhabited continuously throughout its existence.

Jaffa port has been an integral part of Tel Aviv, Israel's second largest city, since the day it was liberated during the War of Independence. There we could see the sea splashing against the old walls, small fishing boats moored to the piers, calmly rising and falling with the tide amid the chill wind of January. The scene offered a hint of more historical sites to come.

Just one-fifth the size of Thailand, Israel is surrounded by Arab nations and at the crossroads of three continents-Asia, Europe and Africa. It is home to more than five million people, most of them Jews.

It is very much immigrant country, since the state's policy is to embrace Jews from all corners of the world. To them it has long been known as the "Promised Land."

Judaism traces its roots back some 4,000 years to the story of Abraham, who made of promise to God that he would follow his teachings. In return, God promised Abraham and his descendants the land were Israeli now lies.

To other major faiths-Christianity and Muslim-also had their origins in the Middle East, and to this day Israel and its many sacred sites attract thousands of pilgrims annually-upto 25% of all visitors to the state, according to tourism officials.

Visitors who are not Jewish, Muslim or Christian may not experience the same profound feelings when visiting these sites, but my own experience proved that the journey back in history could bring its own pleasures.

To get to all of the major sites around the country, visitors will be constantly packing and unpacking their belongings. Most visits will begin in Jelusalem, the capital city, where religious and archeological sites of different ages are especially rich.

Jelusalem is divided into and Old City and a New City, we saw modern structures nestled beside many ancient buildings. What they all had in common, though, were their natural brick colors.

We had two days to get to know Jerusalem. Our guide led us on a walking tour through the Old City, where the holy sites of three faiths are to be found. We walked along the Via Dolorado (Road of Sorrows) to the Church of the Holy Sepulchure, following the footsteps of Jesus.

Along the Via Dolorosa, which leads to the site where Jesus was crucified, flagstones are arranged to indicate the 14 Stations of the Cross. Each one marks a different stage in the suffering of Jesus as he carried the heavy cross on which he would die. Ancient paving stones are interspersed with newly cut Jerusalem stones, creating a moving experience for Christian pilgrims.

As the guide described the tribulations of Jesus at each stations inside the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchure and in the Tomb of Christ.

But as we walked along this storied and holy route, we were also aware of the very secular presence of the areas hustling, bustling commercial market. From time to time our guide's explanations where almost drowned out by the shouts of merchants seeking tourists to buy their wares.

From the Holy Sepulchure, we walked past the Jewish Quarter and the Cardo and went to the Wailing Wall, one of the holiest sites of the Jewish people. A huge crowd of worshippers had gathered, men all on the left and women all on the right. As we moved closer we saw many of the women praying, and some were weeping.

The Wailing Wall or Western Wall is the only remaining part of the Second Temple compound, where Jewish worshippers recall the tragedies that befell their forbears in ancient times. Many people pray and write messages on pieces of paper that they press into cracks in wall, believing that God will hear their pleas.

The six of us felt compelled to write down messages of our own and place them in the wall, in the hope that God might take our wishes into consideration.

It may be hard for non-Jews to comprehend the depth of feeling Israelis have for their lands. For historical context, a visit to Yad Vashem is a must.

Yad Vashem is the country's memorial to the martyrs of the Holocaust. A walk through may bring to mind chilling scenes from the movie Schindler's List, which depicts the massacre of some six million Jews during Adolf Hitler's reign of terror in Europe.

Against this background, it is easy to understand the powerful beliefs that have shaped modern Israel.

To understand more, Beth Hatefutsoth, the Jewish Diaspora Museum, offers insights into how Jewish people survived centuries of hardship and hatred. The history, traditions and heritage of Jewish people around the world are brought to life in murals, reconstructions, dioramas, audio visual displays, documentary films and interactive multi-media presentations.

Separate sections ranged from Family, Community, Faith, Among The Nations (an instructive history of how the Jewish people have always adapted to their environment) and Return to Zion.
As we followed the tour guide, we saw several big groups of young people. The guide said most of them were new immigrants eager to learn. "Nobody forces them to come here but they do it."

For Muslims, the Dome of the Rock on the Temple Mount in the Old City is a major religious pilgrimage site.

Israel is also a haven for archeologists. Several continuing dig sites can be found throughout the country. Among those worth a visit is Caesarea National Park on the Mediteranean coast, site of the most ancient theater found in Israel. This ancient site was the largest fortified city in the country during the Byzantine period toward the end of the sixth century A.D.

Other interesting archaeological sites include the Bet She'an National Park, excavations of the Roman-Byzantine city, and Akko, an ancient Phoenecian crusader seaport.

Extensive excavations are being conducted at many of these sites as part of plans to develop more tourist attractions in the future.

Getting There
El Al Israel Airlines operates flights from Bangkok to Tel Aviv via Bombay three times a week: LY086 leaves every Wednesday at 12:20 a.m; and LY082 every Sunday at 12:10 a.m. For bookings, call 249-8818-9 or 671-6145-7