One of the benefits of being an American is that we're blessed to live in such a large, diverse, beautiful country. We're got our interesting topography and a multicultural cross-section of people -- we'd never need to leave our shores to enjoy variety. We've got it all and then some. But not venturing beyond our borders to other lands would be a shame, because what the world has to offer goes beyond what we see, hear, and believe in the United States. And at any rate, keeping a distance between "us" and "them" isn't the way to make friends.
I recently revisited the Middle East for the Saban Forum on U.S. Israeli Relations with the Brookings Institution. I sat in on sessions featuring some of the most important interlocutors in the Israeli-Palestinian dialog; Condoleezza Rice, Salam Fayyad, Ehud Olmert, Tzipi Livni, Tony Blair, Shimon Peres and Ahmed Qurei -- just to name a few. A significant part of our group was also invited to Jordon for lunch as guests of His Majesty King Abdullah II, King of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordon. (Only international and American participants were invited to attend this audience, however. For the time being, perhaps because of the high expectations being placed on current peace negotiations, Israelis were not included.)
The content of the Forum was widely reported in Israel, especially because of the anticipation and hope being projected for the upcoming peace meeting in Annapolis. The chance to listen to the thought-provoking, passionate perspectives brought forth by all sides was, needless to say, amazing. But I have been to Israel dozens of times -- and it has also been my good fortune to have met many of the above-mentioned, esteemed political personalities before as well. Without undermining in any way the importance and benefit of the sessions I attended, I must admit that the most remarkable thing about this particular visit to the Middle East was a side-trip to Petra. It was truly akin to going back in time.
Climbing around these ancient ruins and absorbing the history contained in them helped expand my understanding of what is so difficult for people who have not traveled there to grasp about the turmoil in the Middle East. The entire region is strikingly beautiful, sometimes starkly so. The area, parts of which haven't changed much in thousands of years, is steeped in tradition and has special meaning for several populations. The blend of old and new cultures is especially evident here.
Petra is an ancient city in Jordan, tucked into impossibly rugged terrain, accessible only by walking, by horse, camel, or by horse-drawn carriages which young Arab men navigate through narrow gorges framed by mammoth sandstone cliffs rising hundreds of feet on either side. The beauty of the place is so unusual that it takes your breath away. Light and shadow bounce across the cliffs, illuminating the results of millions of years-worth of weather -- the sea, the wind, and the shifting of the earth all played a part in creating this terrain. Eventually the gorge which serves as the main road opens up into a central space known as the treasury, where a gargantuan temple was long ago carved into the stone. From this point, there are numerous temples, tombs, and other carvings cut into the rose-red sandstone cliffs -- many of which were dedicated either to the rulers, or to the gods that were being worshiped at the time. The ancient city was home to numerous different populations over the course of history; the Wadi Mousa, the village that dominates the area, is said to be the place where Moses tapped his stick against the rocks to bring forth water.
As an American, I was in the distinct minority in terms of tourists visiting the site on that day, but I was nevertheless treated with typical Middle Eastern hospitality. The few local women I saw were all clothed in traditional head to toe coverings. Only men guided the camels, horses and carriages, and only men manned the souvenir shops and served food at the open-air restaurant at the bottom of the Wadi. There were a few old Bedouin women on the side of the dusty road selling jewelry, but they were the exception. Little kids rushed us to sell us bits of sandstone rock to take home as souvenirs -- I bought three.
The sights, smells, language, and fashion of the area are all different from what we're used to seeing in America. But having the opportunity of experiencing these lovely differences allows me to personalize and humanize the complicated issues of the Middle East in a way not quite possible from a distance.
For more about the Forum, visit the Brookings Institution's website.
Follow Cheryl Saban Ph.D. on Twitter: www.twitter.com/csaban
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