Last week I talked about my pilgrimage to the Holy Land trying to find my faith.
Sadly to no avail.
This week I want to tell you about the place itself.
Even though I was in Israel and Palestine I did feel secure, even though there are armed police and troops at every corner.
Whoever we spoke to were open to share their views and politics. We met so many people, from a Rabi to spending the evening with a Palestinian family.
I can’t start to talk about the politics of this piece of land, as I am not knowledgeable enough, but I will say that one night a while ago on my late night talk show I had a Palestinian expert versus an Israeli expert.
Both professors at university. I asked one question.
Why can’t people in the Holy Land live together?
I gave them two hours to talk about it, and I sat in silence.
These two learned men had a very heated debate – and if they could not get on, what chances have the people of Israel and Palestine got?
READ MORE: My spiritual journey to Israel and Palestine
A few things that stayed with me from the trip. The amount of checkpoints we had to go through.
Leaving a temple something happened in front of us, armed soldiers pushed some old women – and two fell to the floor.
We were told to just keep walking. And a beautiful Jewish family of eight, all in white walking with not a care in the world.
What surprised me were two of the young men carrying sub-machine guns.
Apparently Nation Service in Israel is mandatory for all Israeli citizens over the age of 18 – men and women.
So the young men I saw were allowed to carry these firearms as they have been in the military.
It was interesting when I visited the Dead Sea in the land-locked West Bank territory, bordering on Jordan.
This chunk of land which is home to nearly 3 million Palestinians seems to be epicentre, but no leaders of either country have ever agreed on where to draw the border line.
So the trip looking for my faith, and seeing the politics on this side of the world has left me with no answers, and a very heavy heart.