In Poignant Palestine

The landscape has changed dramatically since we left Europe, entered Turkey, drove through Georgia into Azerbaijan and its vibrant capital city of Baku and now as we continue into the Middle East. The warm reception from Amman, Jordan, lingers as we enter Palestine. There is a poignancy to Palestine that’s hard to fathom or describe- and this is not a political statement. Just the land – it speaks to those who tread it in a powerful undercurrent that makes you naturally subdued and respectful.

Sadhguru is getting sandblasted after the freezing iciness of Europe. Though the plan is to spend a good half a day in Palestine, we run into an unanticipated roadblock (quite literally)—the security checkpoint. We reach Palestine early morning but it takes nearly 8 hours to enter the State because of the elaborate process of security clearance.

Sadhguru wants to put out a message of healing and rebuilding for future generations and he does that from a date tree nursery. “Wonderful to be here, the sacred lands…” he begins and talks about Palestine’s rich agricultural history. “Just in 1960s, 90% of the population was engaged in agriculture; over 50% of the country’s economy, the region’s economy was from agriculture.”

Acknowledging the conflict, Sadhguru urges people to “keep the bitterness of the past aside and pave a wonderful future for our children. It’s my wish that we support the Palestinian people to enhance the richness in their soil, to save their soils so that future generations can live on this and once again bring back agriculture as a significant force in their life,” he says in a moving heartfelt appeal.

For the team, the highlight of Palestine is the visit to the Yasser Arafat Museum. It is designed by the late Palestinian architect Jafar Touqan. It is a spacious, well-designed modern building. It supports Palestinian creative expression, promoting art and artists of the region. It is also a research-based education center making a diligent effort to present to the world, the complexity and multi-layered aspects of the long-running conflict and its impact on the people of Palestine. It’s a sobering visit. 

Sadhguru connects virtually for a video call with Dr. Mohammad Shyatteh, the Prime Minister of Palestine. If you missed the conversation, you can watch it here: