Sunday morning we enjoyed a very politically charged tour with Ir Amim of some of the West Bank Jewish settlements in East Jerusalem and discussed a map showing the different lines/borders of the Israeli and Palestinian areas of the region surrounding the city. There was an interesting discussion about potential and previously suggested "solutions" for the lines of separation and what areas to include that completely reinforced the idea of just how complicated and intricate the entire situation is here in Israel, particularly in Jerusalem and the surrounding areas.
It is typical in Israeli culture to not have or to ignore lines, and just cross or speak out of order, etc. Something to consider is how this plays into the lines of the "border" around the West Bank, Jewish settlements inside the West Bank area and the wall/fence.
Leaving Jerusalem, we headed south to Kfar HaNokdim, a Bedouin oasis camp, where we experienced a camel ride through the desert before settling in for a feast and an evening around the campfire with drums and singing.
To conclude the evening, most of the group took a short walk late in the evening out into the desert, away from the unnatural lights of camp, and we were able to experience our own moments of silence and contemplation in the desert, and to see the stars in a way that is incomparable to anything I've experienced in the past. It adds to the experience to think of just how many of the biblical conversations are described as having happened out in the desert, and to again feel that historical connection to this land.