Maybe it's just poor exposure to world affairs on my part, but somehow I imagined the West Bank as a desolate, empty land made entirely of packed dirt and barbed wire.
Why didn't I know that Bethlehem was in West Bank? Why didn't I know that it isn't an empty land? How didn't I know that there are people there, living normal lives and building beautiful futures for themselves? I was impressed by the college students that we visited with at Bethlehem University. They're just like us. In a panel discussion, they were nearly unanimous in admitting that what each one wants from life is to get an education, raise a cute family, and have a good job. Just like me.
Sure, their situation is different from mine. They've got separation walls and checkpoints. There are family members that they can't visit and places that they can't go, but they have big plans and bright visions for the future.
Are they prejudiced against Israelis? Do they spout bitter diatribes against checkpoint soldiers? Maybe some of them do, but not the ones that I met. They were a hopeful, open-minded group. If they were at all representative of the rising generation, then I have renewed hope in Palestinian-Israeli relations.
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