Once upon a time in Jerusalem / Isma Noornisa Ismail

So let’s face it. The Movement Control Order (MCO) has been extended yet and yet again. Travel bans are still in effect and the hope for travel junkies seems so bleak. The only trip we can make now is just to and from home to the super¬markets. Therefore, to ease the longing in our hearts, let’s do a major throwback. And for me, the most memorable one I’ve ever had was a mother-daughter trip to Jerusalem, Palestine in 2012. It was just a short trip, and happened almost a decade ago, but I can still remember almost every detail.
My mum and I were invited to join the trip by our relative, and it was on such short notice but we agreed on a whim as such opportunities do not come by easily. It’s no news that Jerusalem has always been embroiled in conflicts leading to violence and blood sheds, which of course, made us nervous about this trip. However, our curiosity got the better of us and we decided to take the chances anyway. We began our journey with a flight from Penang to Jordan and proceeded with a bus to the border of Palestine via the King Hussein/ Allenby Bridge. This was where we first witnessed the disdain from the Jewish military. We were held back for nothing while watching tour buses from other countries easily permitted to pass through. While waiting, we were not allowed to take photos, however, one man in our tour group discreetly recorded some, probably thinking that he could outwit the Jewish authorities. Within minutes, the bus was suddenly filled with heavily armed Jews and they seized that man for interrogations. The whole bus was also ransacked by them - luggage, seats, everything! and after more than 8 hours of agonizing wait, the captured man was released, and we were finally allowed to enter the Palestinian border.