A Swedish Practitioner’s Experiences in Israel

I arrived in Israel on the 28th of September and encountered a hot and humid climate that totally differed from the Scandinavian climate that I am used to. The examination of passengers arriving was very thorough and at passport control a lady wanted to know the purpose of my visit and where I was going to stay. I said I would be staying with friends and she asked whether I had known them a long time. I then told her I am a practitioner of Falun Gong and was going to a conference. She sat up very straight and asked what kind of conference we have. I said that we tell each other how the practice of Falun Gong has benefited us. She heard that and hurriedly stamped my passport.

Some practitioners came to fetch me to a nearby suburb where I was going to stay. The first day I learned to make lotus flowers out of paper. They were very beautiful and made of different coloured papers. We attached two flyers to them that clarify the truth of the persecution and ask for support. That evening we went with another practitioner and our hostess to a city that was one and half hours away by car. There we met with a journalist, a photographer and some practitioners. The reporters were interested in knowing what was so special about the persecution of Dafa practitioners, when Israel has so many problems of her own. We explained how Falun Gong benefits the society; the Israeli practitioners talked at length about this issue and how they have benefited personally. After the media had gone we did the exercises and arrived back to our hostess's home late at night in time for Fa Zheng Nian [can be understood as a type of meditation].

On the next day we went to a city called Beer Sheva to do Hong Fa [promoting Falun Dafa] and have a parade. Now we were five foreigners and as many Israelis. Our first stop was a University where we showed the exercises and gave out flyers to the passers by. Nearly everyone accepted the flyer. Many people spoke English so even the foreign practitioners could talk with them. One older man came to talk to us and he understood that it was not a coincidence that we happened to be at the university during the only day that he will ever visit there. Universities have an information board for displaying announcements, and while I was standing beside one of those, I saw a man setting up information. I asked him if he could put our information there also and he nailed the yellow flyer there. It looked good.

We organised ourselves for the parade and started the walk to the city centre. On our way we passed flyers to the people and displayed the banners. We arrived to a busy city centre and stopped to do the exercises and pass out flyers. The road crossing was busy there and a lot of people waited for the red or green light, so we had a great opportunity to give them information about Falun Gong. Most people accepted our flyers when rushing forward. Some young schoolgirls came to inquire what we were doing and to get information. I noticed a difference in the Israeli children's attitude compared to the Scandinavian ones. Here it was natural to give a flyer to the school children and they seemed to be more mature. After a couple of hours it was time to have something to eat and after the meal we started our parade to the old city of Beer Sheva.

In the old city there was a fountain around which we gathered to do the exercises and pass out flyers. Opposite to us were shops and an outdoor restaurant or cafeteria where people could see us. The weather was not so hot any more so people were sitting and having their meal there. Many people passed by and came to ask what we were doing. I met one kind man who was selling fruit. He spoke German and already knew about the persecution. He came to show a young practitioner how to be considerate of other people and carry heavy things rather than letting women do it. Some people were so very gentle and good that I was astonished to see such purity. After Fa Zheng Nian at seven o'clock, we started going home by bus and arrived home late that evening satisfied and happy that so many people had got information about Falun Gong and the persecution in China.

On Tuesday we had a parade in Tel Aviv. We started doing the exercises at eight o'clock and afterwards had a parade to the City Square. We did the exercises there and gave out flyers to the passers by. Afterwards we moved to the beach to take a picture and then continued on to the Chinese Embassy where we appealed until ten o'clock before going to our lodgings. The Chinese Embassy sent for the police who came to inspect our conduct and found us very peaceful.

On Wednesday we had the First Falun Dafa Experience Sharing Conference in Israel, which was very successful. There was a newspaper covering the persecution and a practitioner from China who told how her husband had been killed by Jiang’s regime.

On Thursday we went to Jerusalem to clarify the truth about the persecution. In Israel there are police checkpoints everywhere because of the terror attacks. On arriving to the city we were scanned for weapons and our bags were searched through. On the nearby square we did the exercises for some time and passed out flyers. Afterwards, we moved towards the old city and formed a parade whilst displaying banners. On our arrival to the old city we did Fa Zheng Nian. If felt like the old city had been waiting for us to come. We visited the church where Jesus was buried. There were swastikas on the walls and I counted there to be eleven swastikas.

Later, a newspaper wanted to take a photo of us and after that we went to the Wailing Wall. There we did Fa Zheng Nian and the very religious people came to talk with us. The Israeli practitioners said that it was for the first time that these people had ever entered into conversation with them. On the way back to the bus station we stopped to show exercises to a group of young people who were hanging around in the City Square.

On the next day we went to the Dead Sea by bus. On the way we stopped to see the cave were the Dead Sea scrolls were found and saw a short film about the people who had written the Dead Sea scrolls. They called themselves "the Sons of Light" and had a message that the life of human beings is predestined and people can't change their lives. It was only confirmation about what we already knew. After that we continued to the Dead Sea. On the way we were informed that the Dead Sea is dead because of the high salt content.

Arriving at the sea we did the exercises and gave out flyers to people. Some practitioners went to a hotel and met with people there. The hotel wanted the practitioners to give a workshop to the hotel guests some appropriate time. The day was very successful.

I left for Scandinavia on Saturday and on the plane home I collected my thoughts and summarised that I had learned a lot of new things. I saw how diligent the practitioners are in Israel and how they take every opportunity to do the work better. They don't give up when they encounter difficulties.