Julia M. OBrien

The first of many unsettling experiences during the LTS West Bank/Israel trip was my introduction to the Wall.  While I had read much about the "separation wall" between Israel and the Occupied Territories and even seen photos from friends, I wasn't prepared for the reality.

Most schoolkids learn to recognize and draw the Fertile Crescent, that golden arch of arable land from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean.  They learn about the ancient civilizations that blossomed there--the Sumerians, the Assyrians, the Babylonians.