We had heard about the graffiti wall on the Northern border of Israel with Lebanon, but had been unable to located it in day trips past. So it was with great anticipation when we drove up there with Israeli friends a few weeks ago. The world seems to have exploded in bouts of rage and rioting and baseless hatred and division over the past few weeks. This wall is most definitely a ray of hope.

Despite the fact that the Hezbollah terror group is strongly entrenched directly on the other side, with hundred of thousands of missiles (thank you, Iran!!!) pointed at us, we actually felt quite safe traveling up to Moshav Shetula. The moshav (small community – this one of about 250 people) was founded shortly after the 1967 War by a group of brave individuals forming the front lines of defense. As one man told us, “Someone has to do it. And we are here to live fruitful, quiet lives.” In fact the Hebrew word ‘shetula’ means planted firmly with roots going deep. It is a beautiful place, perched atop the mountains with spectacular views. The families earn their living mostly through farming and raising chickens, both for the eggs and the meat. Many of the residents are Kurdish Jews, who managed to escape before things got really bad. For them, just the ability to live in freedom in the land of Israel is an honor and a blessing.

In 2017, after several breaches in the security fence, and the finding of Hezbollah terror tunnels that were dug underground into Israel for the purposes of kidnapping and killing Israeli citizens, a reinforced cement wall was built along the border. Soon after, artists – Israeli graffiti artists; school children; non-profit organizations and artists from around the world were invited to decorate it. The theme: Art Over Hate/Love Conquers All. It is an amazingly beautiful sight!!! Full of bright colors, love and hope.

The above paintings are entitled  “Planting the Tree of Life: Shetula” and “Come Together Right Now Over Love.” The vibrant colors express a vision of hope and peace for Jews and Arabs, looking towards a brighter future when all people can live in harmony. We are not there yet, but perhaps one day soon….

The next grouping is an homage to the people of the moshav who raise chickens. Whimsicality reigns with these three pieces of art. Honest work to feed the country’s people – noble indeed. May they enjoy many peaceful years up there raising the chickens!

I absolutely love this one. It’s a painting of Montfort Castle, just a few miles to the south. For a story on the mystery of this Crusader ruin, read my last blog post. The olives grow all over the Upper Galilee, and are one of the crops the people of Moshav Shetula grow. The olive branches are symbols of holiness (the holy oil used to light the menorah and to anoint priests and kings in Biblical times) and of peace. The blue in the background is a special color used here on roofs, gates, doors, and the tombs of holy saints. It has its roots in thousands of years of superstition and is thought to ward off demons from entering.

In the next grouping, the top painting was done by the children of the moshav. Grapes (grown in the little village), olives, and a heart shaped swimming pool to cool off on those sweltering summer days. A child’s vision of a good world. The bird in the next photo is a Bee-eater, indigenous to the area and quite necessary for pollinating the fruit trees and flowers. He’s bitten his apple into the shape of a heart (Love and Beauty Conquer All). In the next illustration, a dove of peace flies an olive branch to a young girl. And the last in this set is a whimsical depiction of colorful elephants. Check out the baby, holding a lit candle to be a light in the darkness. These illustrations are all about happiness. There is no negativity, no hate here. It’s simply wonderful!!!

Of course, there are the typical graffiti tags and pictures. What would a graffiti wall be without those??? The portraits of the two men were done by Solomon Souza, who is most widely known for his painted murals at the Mechane Yehuda Market in Jerusalem  – as well as several album cover designs.

Something every soldiers looks forward to – there is actually a phone app counting down the days – is that momentous day they get to cut their choger, (pronounced khō-GAIR) which is their active military duty ID card. And here is a piece of art celebrating that:

Of course, being in the Holy Land, there is the Bible Verse from Isaiah 2:4 and Micah 4:3 “They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.” This is an English translation from a youth group, B’nei Akiva. I think their English skills need a little help, but the sentiment is there.

My favorite remains the explosive colors and message of hope and love below:

O.K. I lied. It’s the blue owl. He’s called the Mona Lisa Owl, because his eyes follow you as you walk along the road. But if you look carefully at his pupils, you can see the reflection of the local mountains, opposite him.

So, there are a few other things I’d like to point out before we leave the art wall. Every few meters there was an indentation of sorts in the wall which looked out over the real electrified border fence. Several military bases are stationed within a mile of each other guarding the border. Our friend, Gabi, was able to explain just what we were looking at. There are cameras all over the place. Every square inch is under IDF observation 24/7. An extra security fence was in the process of being built around the moshav, a necessity and fact of life as to increased threat. IDF patrol vehicles and UNFIL jeeps (United Nations Interim Forces in Lebanon) also passed us frequently. Exactly what good they do is hotly debated. And a gentleman who had just picked the most delicious nectarines from the local orchard stopped to give us handfuls on his way to market. That’s typical Israel.

What type of people would build homes, places to raise young children in a place like this? What does the community look like? The homes were all very nice and well-manicured with flowers and an abundance of green everywhere. There was a synagogue, community sports facilities, little general store and post office, swimming pool, amphitheater, basketball courts – typical of every single moshav I’ve visited throughout Israel. Every block had the instant emergency warning system and underground bomb shelter, may they never have to be used. Adjacent to some houses were farms, groves and gardens, with lots and lots of chicken coops on the Southern outskirts of the village. There is also a restaurant on the moshav serving authentic (Kosher) Kurdish dishes….

As we were leaving, we were stopped at the front gate by the police, border patrol, and civilian guard from the area. There had been a “security breach.” The main exit road was blocked to deal with it. We still felt safe as there were other cars stopped and no-one was panicked in the least. We were told to turn our cars around and leave through the back gates. No biggie. Later we were to find out that three Sudanese men attempted to sneak into Israel and had been apprehended.

We pray for the peace and safety of this land and for art to rule over hate.