Inside the Middle East

Episode 38

HOSTED BY HALA GORANI FROM ISRAEL AND THE WEST BANK

PALESTINIAN RAP GROUP -- LOD, ISRAEL
DAM is the first Palestinian rap/hip-hop group. All three members of the group grew up in the slums of Lod, a mixed town of Arabs and Jews outside of Jerusalem. DAM's lyrics are influenced by the continuing Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Their 2001 single "Who's the Terrorist?" became a cult anthem among young Palestinians, exceeding one million downloads in one month. The song was used in pro-Palestinian demonstrations around the world, and taught in universities. Hala Gorani speaks to the young artists about their inspiration.

GOLAN RANGE COWBOYS -- GOLAN HEIGHTS
A rocky plateau of political and strategic importance, ultimate control of the Golan Heights has been a stumbling block to Israeli-Syrian peace talks. Israel seized the hilly area from Syria during the Six Day War of 1967. The area is a key source of water for an arid region. The land is fertile -- a rocky slope of vineyards, cattle ranches, and fruit orchards. Israeli cowboys, roaming free on the Golan Range, are distanced from violence that can strike elsewhere in the region. Even in the hardest times in Israel, the cowboys find quiet on the range. Ben Wedeman reports.

ORTHODOX JEWISH HATS -- MEA SHEARIM NEIGHBORHOOD OF JERUSALEM
Israel is one of the main religious crossroads of the Middle East - made up of Jews, Muslims and Christians. Jerusalem is a city of neighborhoods. Secular and religious groups generally live apart in their own sharply defined areas. The contrast between these neighborhoods can be as dramatic as the contrast between Israelis and Palestinians. A visual flag that you're in an orthodox Jewish community is the sea of black hats. Each and every hat symbolizes something different, depending upon one's sect. We visit a hat-making factory to explore these differences.