On my first trip to Israel in 1989, we spent a few days in the Judean Desert, hiking, exploring, and even sleeping in the open air desert for two nights. I hadn’t thought about that part of my first trip in a very long time until we spent Friday back in the Judean Desert and the Jordan Valley. It is remarkable both how much and how little has changed since 1989. One thing that has changed dramatically is the ability of Israel to grow fruits and vegetables in the desert. We headed to the Jordan Valley and Judean Desert on a beautiful day. By the time we got there, it was incredibly hot. It was also early in the morning. We met with Ziv Leiba, a local farmer. He grows dates in the desert. It was incredible to see how he has actually made the desert bloom. As I looked at what he has done, I thought to myself that in another 20 or 30 years the entire desert may be green like this.

He served us some of his dates, and they were the best I have ever eaten. Big, juicy, and incredibly flavorful. He shared how he grows them and the process to ensure they are so delicious. I ended up buying 3 kilos from him to bring home (although I’m here for another week, so I may only bring home 2 kilos!!) After learning about his date farm, we also talked about the strategic importance of agriculture in the Jordan Valley. Before this trip, I had never thought of agriculture as a strategic defense strategy, but now I understand both how and why it is.

After leaving the farm with my haul of dates, we headed to the Jordan Valley Memorial. At the memorial, we had a chance to honor those who gave their lives to defend the eastern border of Israel. One of things that is always present in Israel is remembering those who made the ultimate sacrifice to ensure Israel remains safe. Every family is affected in one way or another. It may be the loss of a child, sibling, cousin, neighbor, or friend. Unlike in America, where most people don’t know our soldiers who die in combat, in Israel, everybody knows somebody who gave their life for Israel. It is sombering, and also fills me with gratitude.

Our next stop was Qasr al-Yahud, the historic and spiritual waters of the Jordan River, where it is believed that Jesus was baptized. We watched as people got baptized in the waters and appreciated that it only under Israeli control that the holy sites of all religions are protected and accessible. While we were limited with access to the Muslim sites, that limitation was made by the Muslim community, and those sites are open to any Muslim. The Christian and Jewish sites are open to everybody. The Bahai Gardens are open to everybody as long as you have a Bahai guide through the gardens. People of the Bahai faith have full access to them. It is a remarkable thing to understand, and yet the world doesn’t pay any attention to it. There is no appreciation for what it takes to make that happen, and how itis only Israel that ensures it.

We finished our time in the Jordan Valley by going to the northern edge of the Dead Sea, where it was clear how much it has receded over time. I’ve often heard the phrase, “The Dead Sea is dying,” and this was a clear indication of what that means. We saw a hotel that used to be a 5-star on the water of the Dead Sea, now in ruins, because the water had receded so drastically. The rocks on the ground are actually salt that was left behind as the water receded. Israel is working to both stop the loss of water and to supplement the water flowing into the Dead Sea from the Jordan River. Saving the Dead Sea is a big goal of Israel.

We headed back to Jerusalem for our hotel to prepare for Shabbat. It was a great day in the Jordan Valley, understanding the strategic importance of the area, how agriculture plays a critical role in that security, and watching the desert bloom before our eyes. The technology Israel uses for agriculture is astonishing and not discussed enough. I’ve been to farms in the desert where they grow carrots and potatoes in the sand. Where they use drip irrigation in the desert to grow strawberries and tomatoes. The ingenuity Israel uses to reclaim water from sewage and desalination to irrigate crops and make the desert bloom. Growing up, I thought Ben Gurion’s belief that Israel would make the desert bloom and that the Negev would be the future of Israel was a bit of a folly. Yet as I looked at the date trees in the Judean desert and saw the massive green in an area that never had it before, I realized he was simply ahead of his time. He didn’t know how it would happen, only that Israelis would make it happen. And they are.

Israel is an amazing country on so many fronts. Technology. Medical advances. Agriculture. Education. Community building. Democracy. The world only wants to focus on the conflict instead of all the remarkable things that come out of Israel. I often wonder how different things would be if the media chose to discuss all that Israel gives to the world instead of the conflict. What things would look like today if Arafat or Abbas had accepted the peace offerings Israel gave them multiple times?

The reality is that you can’t appreciate Israel unless you come visit. Until you see it with your own eyes, there is no way to truly communicate the diversity of the people who live here. There is no way to understand the freedom Israeli Arabs have in Israel that they don’t have anywhere else in the world. Walking the streets of Jerusalem and seeing religious Arabs walking next to religious Jews. Being in the Old City of Jerusalem and watching Jews of all kinds walking through the Arab Quarter to get to the Kotel for Shabbat services. The media will never give Israel a far shake, so the only way to understand is to come here. So I do. Over and over again. More in love with the country each time I am here. Israel is not perfect, and the people who live here will tell you all the problems that exist. They don’t give up. They work to resolve the problems, to address the flaws, and to build a better society. It is why I love Israel because of her flaws, not despite them.

We traveled all over the country this week. Judea. Sameria. Jordan Valley. The South. The North. Jerusalem. We saw so much. We learned so much. During my 26th visit, I went places I have never been and saw things I’ve never seen. I learned things I never knew. Twenty-six trips, and I’m still learning. I look forward to trips thirty and forty and still learning. Israel is that type of place.