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We spent our afternoon and early evening in Akko, a small city north of Haifa near the Lebanon border. The old city of Akko is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and our favorite Haifa tour guide, Eran, led us through the fascinating history of the city. We toured the "underground" Crusader city and then discovered how the Ottomans built over it centuries later. Akko is also predominately an Arab city in Israel and that was interesting to absorb and observe. For example, the call for prayers were broadcast from the mosques throughout the day. Eran took us to another wonderful hummus watering hole for lunch, where we ate next to the locals and enjoyed three different kinds of hummus. (See photo of Eran and Joe.)
After leaving Akko, we visited the Rosh Hanikra caves next to the Mediterranean and the Lebanon border. The spectacular caves are formed by wave action and soft chalk rock formation. Observing the Lebanon border was a bit sad when you think that those who live just beyond the caves cannot visit them. All the countries in this area are losing so many economic opportunities due to their closed borders.
Our morning lecture featured Dr. Avraham Ben-Avi, a professor of political science at Haifa. He shared his perspective on the United States role in the Israel-Arab conflict. Prior to his talk, we met with staff from Haifa's distant education technology department and learned about their wide variety of online courses. We also discussed the possibility of using technology software to host a joint course between UR and Haifa in the future.
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