MUN Mannheim at TLVMUN 2022 - Debating in the Holy Land

In mid-August, our Mannheim delegation set off for Tel Aviv-Yaffa in Israel. For part of the delegation, the journey to Israel began, after a long night in Kreuzberg, at the famous Berlin airport with a multitude of security checks. After arriving at the airport in Tel Aviv, we found out that the Jewish day of rest, the Sabbath, is taken very seriously in Israel, at least by all public transport. After arriving in the city, we first tested the beautiful beach. In the evening, we explored the predominantly Arabic Yafa and ate some delicious falafel with hummus.

On the 14 of August, we all went to Tel Aviv University to attend the opening ceremony. That same evening, there was a champagne reception on the roof of Tel Aviv City Hall, including a breathtaking view of the entire city. Besides the party, we also had the opportunity to get in touch with the locals and other delegates.

The next day, however, the debating finally started. In the Crisis Committee, Luca and Hendrik tried to punish Nixon's America and other Western actors for supporting Israel with the help of an oil embargo. Luca represented the Saudi King Faisal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Hendrik was his oil minister Ahmed Zaki Yamani. In the Security Council, Micha and Jens, aka the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Republic of Armenia, tried to resolve two of the most deadlocked conflicts in the world: the Western Sahara conflict and the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan. In general, the overall academic level was high, but this did not stop our delegate Hendrik van Klinken from being awarded as the best delegate in his committee!

After the conference, we Mannheimers and a few other delegates decided to rent two cars and travel through small but beautiful Israel. Our first stop was the ruins of the ancient Roman city of Caesarea Maritima. There we could marvel not only at relics from Roman times, but also from the times of the Greeks, Persians, Arabs, and Crusaders. After that we were stopped in the port city of Haifa at the Camel Mountains. Here we had lunch at one of the best falafel shops in Israel and then drove to the impressive hanging gardens of Haifa. We spent the night in Tiberias by the Sea of Galilee, where Jesus is said to have given his Sermon on the Mount. After refreshing ourselves in the lake, we drove on motorway 90 through the West Bank to the Negev desert.

With the desert heat, the next stop was logical: the Dead Sea. Once in the water, you can glide through it without any effort. The view in the deepest lake in the world is also unique, as the salt crystals reflect the sunlight differently depending on the angle of view, creating a unique panorama. Shortly before the sun set, we reached our last destination: the holy city of Jerusalem. Jerusalem is truly a city unlike any other. Nowhere else can you probably see so many different religions and traditions side by side in such a small space. While devout Jews pray at the Western Wall of the ancient Herodian Temple, the Imam of the Dome of the Rock calls for prayer. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre is also only a stone's throw away.

All in all, it would probably not be an exaggeration to say that this trip was a unique experience for everyone