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Israeil Chinese wall

by Gad Nahshon

Kalkilia is a Palestinian town, always in the news. Its location: very, very close to the city of Kfar Saba. Often its residents conducting their life when noise of war is in their background.

This region is very popular. There are more beautiful cities in this region such as Hod Hasharon. This region is very proud of its high quality of life. But Kalkilia is for the residents of this region, a non-stop nightmare, a center of Palestinian terrorism.

No, Israelis are not afraid. They come to live in Kfar Saba like my nephew Shoni Dichter, a distinguished electronics engineer, a member of Israel's new prestigious hi-tech tribe.

So we visited Kfar Saba, a city that was a target of terrorism. Children were killed. Many children suffer from trauma. They are afraid to go to toy stores!

It is very hard for me to predict the reality of a solution. Israeli Chinese wall is supposed to stop terrorism. Near Kalkilia, I saw the beginning of this wall with many electronic sensors that will divide Israel from the Palestinian areas.

Israelis will live in a new ghetto. But what about Jerusalem, the united one? No one knows the answer. It is not even clear if the Israeli future government (Jan. 28, 2003) will continue to build this Chinese wall.

Since we did not know the answer we went to a small but historical town called Bat Shlomo (near Mount Carmel). This place is authentic. The place never changed its face for 100 years. And it is proud of its old wall which was built to defend the small Jewish settlement against the Arabs. The local leader (Muchtar in Arabic) is the colorful person Ziv Shwartzman.

He is the owner of a unique superb culinary miracle "Au Revoir Ziv Shwartzman." The best place in the world for cheese. (Tel: 06-6396107 Israel).

Ziv is carrying the torch of three generations of cheese makers, olive growers, and producers of pure olive oil. This place should be a tourist attraction, just go to Moshava Bat Shlomo. The place is also a small museum which documents the history of Bat Shlomo as early as 1889. It is also the history of generations of pioneers, Zionist pioneers or the Shwartzmans.

Ziv feels the burden of history on his shoulders. Therefore, he fights against those who like to develop the Moshava or dismantle its landmarks. It is not easy to stop the jaws of progress. But today, Bat Shlomo is a beautiful little pearl, a must for cheese lovers and unbelievable tasty pita.

Indeed, tourists are not visiting Israel. It is a sad period for Israel's tourist attraction. One of them we decided to visit: Zippori National Park. The major attraction is the luxurious Roman residence with mosaic floor built early in the 3rd century and was damaged in the earthquake of 363 C.E. The digging in the region of Zippori has not been completed because of lack of funds.

My dream to see this great mosaic came true thanks to my dear friend, the great journalist and distinguished P.R., David Zohar and his wife Sara Zohar. Years ago I visited other landmarks in Zippori such as the tomb of Rabbi Yodan Nessiya. One should also visit the Crusade Citadel and Zippori's old Roman Theater (Tel: 06-6568272 Israel).