This morning the weather was beautiful, and I went out for a run in the park. I intended to do my usual loop up across the wooded hillside toward the Israel Museum, then down into Sacher Park, but partway up the hill I was stopped by Israeli soldiers, who told me I had to go back down; I was getting too close to the Museum, a soldier told me as he looked at his watch, and Obama was headed there shortly. The whole hillside was off limits.
So I headed downhill again and instead ran past the monastery toward the Park. I knew Obama was headed toward the Museum this morning, to view the Dead Sea Scrolls, but I didn't know exactly what time he was scheduled to be there. Turns out he was en route during my jog. So I ran up to the road that leads to the Museum (which was closed to traffic, of course, and lined with soldiers and police on foot) to see what was going on. Though there were plenty of other runners and walkers in the park, enjoying the morning, there were only two other civilians on the roadside leading up to the Museum. I talked to one guy, a German student, who knew Obama's schedule better than I did and was explicitly waiting to see the motorcade go by. Gesturing to the empty sidewalks, he said, "I guess the Israelis don't love Obama so much. No one's here to cheer him on!" After we had talked for a minute, a police officer came across the road to stand near us, and we all waited patiently. In just a few minutes, the motorcade did show up, and I'll admit it was pretty impressive to see the caravan of police vehicles, SUVs, fire engine, ambulance, and motorcycle cops speed by us. It made me wish I could actually see the President, but I guess it was an experience to at least get as close as I did; when I returned home, Eric, who had a ticket to go hear the President's speech in the Jerusalem convention center this afternoon, joked that I probably got closer to Obama than he would. Turns out he was right. I'm going to have him jump in here to write a little bit about his day...
(Eric) ...While I have strong opinions about lots of things -- political and otherwise -- I'm generally not a fan of politicians, even some of whom I've voted for. Even worse for me is listening to soaring yet empty political rhetoric. So I hemmed and hawed about going to see a telecast -- a telecast! -- of Barack Obama at the International Convention Center. My invitation was to view the speech on a large closed-circuit television in a room adjacent to the main auditorium, with the slight chance that I'd be chosen to sit in the main auditorium if space permitted. To me, it all felt a bit like going to watch the Super Bowl at a sports bar. But Kate persuaded me to take advantage of this rare opportunity. And so, filled with guilt over leaving Kate with the boys while I went to experience this historic event, off I went.
At the convention center, there were throngs of people, mostly students and other young adults. (Contrary to what the German student thought, in fact there are many Israelis who want to see, and yes, who even "love" Obama). Buses crowded the street, waiting to dump their loads of passengers, some of whom had traveled from the University of Haifa in the north or Ben Gurion University of the Negev in the south. Media types were everywhere, as were armed soldiers and police. Hundreds of invitees swarmed around a small gate entrance, waiting for the 1pm opening. Well, one o'clock came and went. Then 1:30 passed. Suddenly, it was 2:00 and before long it was 2:30. I had moved, maybe, three feet, and that was mostly due to shuffling myself around out of boredom. The sun beat down on the right side of my face, giving me an asymmetrical tan/burn. All the while, I was asking myself "Is it worth it?" To be gone from Kate and the boys for up to 6 hours? To see a man about whom I am relatively indifferent give a speech on a large TV? As I thought about Obama's visit here to the Holy Land, I recalled a 17th-century Sephardic rabbi, Shabbatai Zvi, who people thought was the messiah, but was eventually revealed to be simply human. And I thought about how Barack Obama's ascendance has been similar. I mean, look: I, like millions -- billions -- of others had high hopes for the man, and thought he embodied a certain set of ideals that could bring our nation and world to a better place. But I was also quite skeptical. The truth is that he's mortal, and he's a politician. In the words of Public Enemy: don't believe the hype.
I finally decided that, no, it was not worth it. I turned, grumbled something in exasperation, and swam, salmon-like, through the crowd, onto the street, and home to watch the speech on TV, in our living room, with my wife and children...
... and (it's Kate again), when we couldn't even really hear the speech between the voice-over of the Hebrew translator and Alexander's irritated post-nap screeches, we ultimately turned off the TV and went up the street to check out the nearby pizza shop. Which, it turns out, is pretty good!
So much for our big chance to see President Obama. But as it turns out, his visit was, by all accounts, quite successful. From assuring Israelis that they are "not alone," to affirming his commitment to promoting dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians, to helping revive diplomatic relations between Israel and Turkey, it seems as if President Obama's visit was a positive one. Let's hope his efforts create some momentum for more peaceful interactions throughout the Middle East.
Okay, now I get it! I have to say listening to Obama's speech on the radio was great! I loved hearing the voice over translation, the comments of the Israeli,press corps, and hearing when Obama was cheered, when he was booed, and when he was heckled! But I certainly did not have to be there.....in the "for what it's worth" column, I think you made the right decision for you!
ReplyDelete