Dr. John left Old Jerusalem one day before the current Middle East fighting erupted on the Temple Mount. Walking the ancient stone streets where men and women have trod for millenniums, his PeerCorps volunteers talked AIDS prevention.
"I wanted to bring Arab and Jew together as an experiment in more effective AIDS prevention. I told the youth that AIDS was now the common enemy of their generation. Surprisingly, it was in the old sections of Jerusalem where I found young men, of the three major religions, to join me in delivering the self-help message to inquisitive peers. I wish I could have recruited more women but approaching girls on the streets in the Middle East is a major taboo. However, a few Israeli university women did help me, especially a thoroughly modernized Sarah from Tel Aviv who insisted I talk frankly with her friends before I boarded the waiting bus to Cairo."
Flying into the Gaza Strip on Air Palestine, the plane was met by armed Israeli soldiers. "My bags were searched outside my presence and the contents were left askew. In Gaza City I was shadowed by Palestinian policemen." According to his young Palestinian guide, 17 year-old Awny, "You must be careful. Keep moving," he said to Dr. John. "You're American and this can make big trouble." An older man snatched one of the AIDS information cards out of the hands of a passing female student and frowned. He whispered, "The police are behind you. Don't stop." The warning was heeded in this instance but in the war against AIDS, medically-accurate information must be transmitted to youth - no matter what.
Along miles of sandy beaches, many young men wanted to hear about sex and its connection to AIDS. Some said, "We're Muslims. We don't believe in AIDS We follow the Koran." But others nodded knowingly, later telling Dr. John privately, that sex is sex in any part of the world. Dr. John comments, "Western media are having an incredible influence on the changing lifestyles of youth. I see it everywhere," he says.
During a 12 hour bus ride across the Sinai desert accompanied by armed Egyptian military escorts, Dr, John reflected, "I hadn't fully recognized the truly deep frustration and deadly animosity brewing between Israelis and Arab Palestinians. When walking with me doing AIDS outreach, the young men had buried their differences and were united in a common goal."
Dr. John later remarked, "I have been trying to contact many of my PeerCorps volunteers in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Gaza City. Although phone service is interrupted, I have heard from some that they and their families are safe. Thank God."