In the footsteps of the Disciples
November 7th, 2006What an extraordinary day! Names and places that have formed such a part of the background of my life from books, TV and other media started to appear in front of my eyes. I am on a visit to Israel with some other Conservative parliamentary candidates. The purpose of this trip is to see and learn more about the troubles of this cauldron of the Middle East. As we drove down to the Sea of Galilee, I could see the Golan Heights ahead of us.
We were able to see where Jesus Christ performed the Miracle of Loaves and Fishes, where St. Peter lived at Capernaum and where the Sermon on the Mount took place. We walked in the footsteps of Our Lord and his Disciples.
The realities of the present day were brought into sharp focus by a visit to the Lebanese border, the site of so much conflict in recent months. We were able to meet with some Israeli soliders, whose task it is to monitor and envigilate over the frontier area. With the help of night goggles, we could see across to Lebanon and to a new UN post. We were told that when the Israelis spotted and reported suspicious activity on the frontier, the UN were responding only about fifty per cent of the time. It is clear that the Israelis remain extremely anxious about the situation.
These young soldiers were articulate and frank - indeed, all the young people that we have met so far have impressed me with their views and the way in which they are conveyed. This still-young democracy may do and say things that sometimes cause me concern, but Israel’s right to exist has never been in any doubt in my mind.
Last night, we spent a stimulating evening discussing Israel’s foreign policy with a senior representative of the Foreign Affairs Ministry. There was a free flow of views and ideas about Israel’s future. We are off to Jerusalem today, so more about this later…
