On the holy earth without change
This time I flew to Tel Aviv flight "Transaero" And therefore, he got off the answers to the simple questions of our security officer: if I had in Israel and why I fly there now. Immediately remembered 1999 and my previous visit to the land promised. Then I took a ticket to the flight of Israel EL. The smiling girl I was at first at the stewardess, checking the tickets, offered me to remember if I had familiar arabs, tell me what I do, why I’m going to Israel and T. NS. Our conversation was completely unofficial – no protocols, so, empty chatter. Half-hour later I saw this girl in the plane surrounded by the same smiling young people. They had pistols on the belt, on my unprofessional look, extremely large-caliber.
We flew to Israel a few hours before the onset of the day (Yom Kippur, who was celebrated in October this time). In Yom Kipur, the country stops – airports are closed and do not take aircraft, enterprises, shops and even TV channels do not work. But it is not worth exaggerating the religiousness of the Israelis, as they did in 1973, the Arabs attacked by the holiday covered by the holiday. In history, this attack entered the name of the War of the Judgment Day, which ended with the unconditional victory of Israelis. In the evening I still got to friends, and with the onset of darkness we went out to go. Past the dark deserted street slowly driving, Merzaya signal lights, police car.
But even the police may suffer from religious extremists – not Palestinian, but relatives, Israeli. Although no one prohibits any religious holiday in any religious holiday in any way, civilians should not risk and ride on the vessel’s day by car. Orthodoxs can throw stones. Another detail: On the vessel, the owners of the apartment in which I stopped, afraid to turn on the vacuum cleaner – suddenly the neighbors will hear.
I must say that the Palestinian extremists in Israel is enough. The day before my arrival, they blew up a cafe in Haifa, after which Israeli planes immediately bombed something in Syria. It did not scare me: just at this time in Moscow caught shakhid.
But in general there is no sense of war. If I did not talk about this cafe, I would have thought that it was just burned. And I saw it when we went to how to swim in Haifa. According to my feelings, compared with 1999, the year did not become more often. I remember, then I sat in a cafe in the resort town of Netanya. And after a few days he blew him. Just this country lost the global information war – everyone suddenly began to pay attention to what was not noticed before. Although one radical difference from 1999 is still.
Then, in order to get into any crowded place, such as a shopping center, it was necessary to undergo inspection. Such inspections resemble searches at the airport of any country of the world (to the Israeli airport to get even more difficult). For example, if you need to go to the building of the Jerusalem bus station, you first searched, and then things are also shining. Somehow I decided that buses are not aircraft and therefore you can do without these formalities. An attempt to shogle the turn ended for me in addition to the inspection also and the traditional interrogation: why, where, where, from where. Now such guards are in every cafe. True, friends told me that the guard prevented an explosion in a cafe only once – managed to grab the hands of a terrorist and not give to closer an explosive device. They say that Ariel Sharon came to congratulate him.
It seemed to me that after Russia I should not shock the number of weapons. But when the next buddy after a pair of a glass of vodka took out from behind his back "Punch", "So as not to interfere", This is impressed. As a result, I managed to hold a few Galil automata (another modification of our "Kalashnikov") And Beretta Pistol. Shoot, however, did not give.
Way to holy places
Probably somewhat safer than other microscopic resort on the Red Sea Eilat (right at half an hour walk Egypt, on the left – Jordan, on the horizon Arab Emirates). I did not hear the explosions there. But this is the only city in Israel, where the personal inspection is carried out not only when passing into the club or hotel, but also on the crowded streets. Guaranteed safely in Eilat, probably, you can get by plane – the airport is right in the city center, so airplanes sit down and take off right above the heads of sunbathing. I arrived in Eilat on a car through a few deserts and the valley of the Dead Sea – the lowest point on the ground. Journey is hard and considered dangerous. When we stopped at nine in the morning of the October Autumn morning in the sands, it was 40 degrees. What is happening there in the summer, I’m afraid to imagine. During the trip along the Dead Sea Valley, you have to drink several liters of water – dehydration of the body and death are very quick. Go to Eilat you need along the Jordan border. I was told that Israel with Jordan Peace. Nevertheless, we regularly slowed down at the checkpoints, and on the highway, heavy army jeeps were kicked with open novel rear doors (and this at a temperature of 40 °!) – Soldiers sitting there should be able to start shooting instantly.
Being predensive and non-original, I recommend looking first of all Jerusalem. Driving to him, we were mistaken for a development and turned into Arab settlement. Through a hundred meters, we turned around and immediately fell into a traffic jam – all these peaceful Arabs were stopped on the checkpoint, the cars were dragged to the side, and things were thrown out into the street. I noticed to the right crowd of women in scarves, waiting for search and interrogation. With us on the checkpoint cost the friendly – greeted and explained in detail how and where to go.
About the old town should be said especially: on the territory of one square kilometer, fenced with the fortress walls, the main events of world history took place. This kilometer somehow managed to divide into four parts – Jewish, Armenian, Arab Christian and Arab Muslim. Moreover, there are still a few hundred thousand people. In the old town, narrow streets, and on the sides of the shop. And on these streets still drive cars. You can only walk in the Jewish part and a small Arab site. Armenians do not allow others to themselves. And to delve into the Arab part, despite the Jewish automatic machines and video cameras at every step, I do not want.
I remember, as in 1999 – before the start of intifada – the crowds of tourists wandered along these streets. I especially remember one Italian group – they were dragged by Via Dolorosa a few huge wooden crosses and collectively prayed on the ground, where, by making a congestion, Christ stopped. At the end of 2003, I was able to compare my impressions. Old city was empty. Residents, of course, remained, but there were no tourists. In the Temple of the Mernel Coffin (he takes him all Calvary and divided between Christian confessions, so every minute of the last days of Christ is under the patronage of different churches) was empty.
The most guarded place in the old town is the area in front of the crying wall. Precautions taken there are unprecedented. With me because of one orthodox – a huge bearded kids in a shaggy hat, stockings and a bathrobe, which, probably, does not know that there are terrorists on Earth, formed a long queue from the framework of the metal detector. He took everything out of his pockets, but continued to ring. And he was not allowed. I also met the beggar Hasid, the speaker seemed to be in all languages. He rushed to me – to tie a woolen thread from demons. I refused – begging for it it was necessary to give a coin. But he did not stop and defended me from demons for free. At the same time, finding out where I come from, he spoke with me on five and six languages, until I found the right.
Jewish interrogation
Accompanied the holy land to the interrogation. Driving to the airport of Ben-Gurion, we stopped several times on the blocks. On one we asked, on what road we were driving, you carefully looked at the passengers of our car. Kept friendly. I wonder how they turn to the Arabs who enter the airport through a separate entrance?
But the most interesting began inside the airport. Before registration, each passenger must pass an interview with the security officer. Girl came up and began to ask idiotic questions. How did you come here? In which the hour went to the airport? Did not stop where on the road? Themselves puffed things? Anyone helped you in this? Are your bags all?
And then I made a mistake. Not wanting to call extra questions, instead of honestly admit that this backpack with childish things I need to transfer a common acquaintance, I said that all my bags.
Our conversation continued.
Do I have photos? Showing photos. Smiling pestils did not get tired of interested in: And who is, and this, and if you have a camera?
I have already resembled me to interrogate Swweyke: whether he can photograph stations.
Where I work? Journalist. What I write? About business. And about politics? No. Why? This question put me in a dead end, and another individual joined our conversation. Over the next hour they found out all. No personal inspection, this is the case of border guards – only talk. In different languages, I was asked almost alone and the same questions: asked my friends phones, began to call them and ask for me. And then I dawned on me: the reason for my infants in the same bag I had to take to Russia. Somewhere one hour ago I was painted: she was not mine! Next, apparently, it turned out my connections, appearance. Finally, the ill-fated bag suffered and stuck in some kind of car. Then I learned that with the help of this unit simulates the rise of the aircraft, and if there is a bomb in the bag, it should work. The bag did not explode. My interlocutors were fun – the investigation will not be deceive – and let me go. Thank God, we arrived at the airport in advance, and before the departure there was another hour.
