The ultra-orthodox Haredi community consists of about a million people but keeps to themselves within their neighborhoods in Israel. Gender segregation within the religion can often been seen on the outside as oppressive, but the women within the community pride themselves on being extremely progressive, contradicting preconceived Western notions.
Two Israeli soldiers patrol the border of the Gaza Strip. Less than a half a mile away, the pair only in their second week of training, watch for tanks, rockets and other threats to the border-ing villages. This time, Hamas militia seemed to be transporting troops from one area of the border to an unknown location. This activity is unusual, one of the soldiers said, so they will remain on a close watch.
Seemingly out of thin air, billionaire developer Bashar Masri masterminded the first planned Palestinian city in the West Bank, defying the standards of Israeli occupation. The high-tech city, with an estimated projection of between 25,000-40,000 residents when completed, creates an all-inclusive atmosphere, with features such as shopping center, outdoor activities and Roman-inspired amphitheater. The city aims at “combining the energy of the young, with the wisdom of the old,” Masri said.
Eyes closed, hundreds of women bow their heads and sway back and forth as they pray at the Western Wall, a piece of limestone that sits 62 feet tall outside of the Temple Mount. Not allowed within the Temple Mount, the Wall outside is the holiest site in the Jewish faith to pray.
Eyes closed, hundreds of women bow their heads and sway back and forth as they pray at the Western Wall, a piece of limestone that sits 62 feet tall outside of the Temple Mount. Not allowed within the Temple Mount, the Wall outside is the holiest site in the Jewish faith to pray.
Deep within the heart of the Old City of Jerusalem, up a worn stairway in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, a woman lights a candle next to the Calvary, traditionally recognized as the site of Jesus’ crucifixion.
Fatme lives in a city unlike any other in Israel. Haifa, the third largest city, is home to both Jews and Arabs, sharing the society between the two cultures. Although only 10 percent of the population is Arab, Fatme feels safe in her home, directly behind the market stall that her husband bought for her for her birthday. “It’s a special place,” she said. “It feels like a village within a city.”
A vendor checks over his produce for sale in the Hisbeh Street marketplace, down one of the five roads that branch off the main square in Ramallah. Directly in the heart of the West Bank, Ramallah’s vibrant market is not easily missed, distinguishable by colorful umbrellas and the cries of street vendors to passerby
