Danny and Nachama pick us up for dinner, but suggest that instead of going to the Italian restaurant at which we have made reservations, we travel instead out to the Arab village of Abu Ghosh. This prosperous Arab village is famous for remaining neutral during the 1948 Arab-Israel war (and thus essentially supporting Israel) and at 10 km from Jerusalem it is a favorite spot for Jerusalem residents to get excellent Middle Eastern food. However, the history of the place is not quite as simple as generally presented – for even though the villagers lent active support to Israel in the war, in the following years most of the residents were forced into exile by the Israeli military – not once, but twice. Only after protests to the Knesset and a public outcry were they allowed back into their village. An interesting detail which somehow is left out of the tourist information in the guidebooks or the Israeli tourist web sites.
In any case, Danny takes us to the Lebanese Food Restaurant for a wonderful meal of hummus, Lebenah, tahini, falafel, and chicken shishlik. If you have some extra miles on your frequent flyer account using them to get to the Lebanese Food Restaurant is not a bad idea. Finally, on the way back to Jerusalem Danny turns off of Highway 1 to take us down the old road to Jerusalem, through the Motza neighborhood in the Judean Hills at the far western edge of Jerusalem with its wonderful views of the city. We are once again struck by how generous people have been with their time and how eager they are to showcase their country.
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