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A peek inside the Israeli subconscious as revealed at the King Hussein crossing from Jordan

An American friend of mine recently traveled from Amman to Jenin. She was going to participate in the annual olive harvest that occurs across countries in the region at this time of year. In Palestine, olive-picking – painstaking labor conducted in the sometimes fierce autumn sun – is something that people do together. It requires coordination among villagers and in places like Jenin extended family and friends freely offer their help, which is freely accepted. The harvest has always strengthened bonds among people. But in Palestine, it has come to represent something more.

Travelers from Jordan know that occupation regime controls all entry into the country. Upon reaching the King Hussein crossing my friend was pulled aside by the Israelis on the Palestinian side of the terminal.

“What’s the purpose of your visit?”

My friend opted for the truth.

“I’m visiting a friend in Jenin.”

The questioning proceeded in the usual way before:

“Where are you staying?”

“With his family,” she replied.

That led to deeper, more intrusive questions. The kinds of things that normal people in normal countries aren’t required to share about themselves. Finally, in an aggressive tone the Israeli interrogator asked her whether she knew that the man she was visiting in Jenin was a “Muslim.”

My friend – who struggled to work through the implications of the question – was undeterred. Yes, she knew that the family she was visiting with was a Muslim one.

The Israeli looked at her. She stared, then asked earnestly, “Are you afraid?”

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I would be very tempted to answer that ‘yes, I was very afraid’

Not finishing the sentence with ‘of not being let in to help.’

wow.

Thank you Ahmed.

A occupation soldier wearing a kippa … The kippa has become a symbol of oppression for me. Wherever I see someone wearing it outside a synagoge I connect it mere public display with the support of Israel’s crimes. Can’t help it, that’s just the way it is.

@Talkback
You’re not alone on that one. I’m afraid it also has the same effect on me.

This is not subconsciousness, but systematic indoctrination and prejudice. I visited Israel around 1990, and got a bit lost near Cesarea on Friday afternoon, together with my family, and that means onset of Shabbat and loosing the last ride on public transit. An Orthodox man “saved us”, inviting to his home and calling a Shabbat breaking taxi driver (a Ukrainian), and commented that we were in danger, because if we continued walking in the direction we tried, we would reach an Arab community. I could imagine a similar situation in Brooklyn or Queens.

Even somewhat liberal Israelis would discuss the Israeli Arabs as “enemies”, and the Muslim under the occupation are of course “savages” — at least to the majority of Jewish Israelis who are not “somewhat liberal” anymore.