Israel Day 16 – to Beer Sheva

Today we travelled south of Tel Aviv to the edge of the Negev Desert to the town of Beer Sheva.  This is a town of about 200,00 people and has grown from a vision that David Ben-Gurion (the first Israeli prime minister) had to develop the south of Israel.  It wasn’t as desert-like as we had anticipated but the town still does come out of very barren country, other than the trees that have been planted and the crops.  The trip down went through countryside that reminded us of the mid-north of South Australia.

First we went to the Park of the Australian Soldier. A Foundation was established between the Australian Government and the City of Beer Sheva to erect a statue of the Lighthorsemen from the charge on Beer Sheva, in 1917.

 This also includes a playground for disabled children.  We didn’t get to see this as it was being used and there was concerned the more disabled children would get spooked by people staring at them.

We were running late so it was a very quick visit and then we were off to the Ben Gurion University to hear some people speaking on various health topics, such as Bedouin women, neonatal services to Ghana and working with Ethiopians, who use self-harm as a way of coping with stress as part of their normal culture.

Then to lunch at a kibbutz, hosted by the “CEO” who told us about his community being kicked out of the Sinai and re-located to the Gaza strip, then being booted out of there, leaving behind large orchards etc, to be relocated in the exact centre of Israel. 

It was interesting hearing this history, and about the community life, with the running of the kibbutz largely done by committees.  They have plans to build a large hotel complex, and in answer to the question about who would stay there, he replied that millions come to look at the Amish people in Pennsylvania.  Hmm, with logic like that this hotel might not materialise.  Like everything else it seems in Israel, if something looks impressive chances are it’s been built with donated money.  And so it was here, with this seriously impressive playground being built with Australian jewish philanthropy.

Back to the hotel by 4.30 to tart ourselves up slightly for our visit to a reception hosted by the Australian ambassador, then “a walk to the wharf for pizza afterwards”, presumably because there won’t be much nosh put on by the Aussies.