Israel Changes

It is Israeli independence day today. Appropriate to have a few reflections about Israel.

I was in Israel in March this year. Everyone said it was one of the rainiest years on record. That was very evident by the lush green mountains. What a vivid contrast from two years ago. These pictures help to depict the story.

Near Bethlehem, March 2015

Judean Wilderness, March 2015

Judean Wilderness, April 2013

What a contrast!  Two years ago, it was closer to “normal.”  The desert can be an inhospitable place, where water is scarce and isolation is guaranteed.

I also want to highlight the changes that have occurred near the Western Wall at the Temple Mount.  This is the holy spot of prayer for Jews and visitors from all over the world.  I have included a picture that I took just a few months ago.

Western Wall, March 2015

But I have also shown some pictures from years back.  The Western Wall used to  be a small walkway.  But when Israel took control of that area in 1967, they opened it up to be the current “plaza” that it is today.  Here’s a few pictures from the past on the way it was and how it has changed.

1929

1967