Comments on: The Round Trip part 19: Mr. Kalaboush

By: Eliyahu Konn

Eliyahu Konn — Wed, 09 May 2012 12:14:56 +0000

Adding my voice to the comment, when was the last time an Israeli blew himself/herself up trying to kill others? And it would be worse for an Arab with the Israeli police?

It was a good thing you were scared.

By: Joel

Joel — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 15:02:23 +0000

I vote ‘idiot’.

By: AYLA

AYLA — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 07:01:48 +0000

@Kolumn9–I’m talking about West Bank Palestinians, studying and living in Israel (from Ramallah, Bethlehem, East Jerusalem…).

By: Kolumn9

Kolumn9 — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 06:22:19 +0000

Ayla, I can’t argue with the perceptions of your ‘Palestinian friends in Israel’, but assuming that you are talking about Israeli Arabs the numbers simply don’t bare out your or their allegations. There is a grand total of 180 Israeli Arabs being held by Israel on non-criminal charges. Considering the kind of political activism that goes on openly among Israeli Arabs in Israel the charge that they are persecuted by the police for their political affiliations is totally baseless.

By: Kolumn9

Kolumn9 — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 06:08:49 +0000

I get nervous reading your little brushes with Arab hospitality. Going to Egypt was not a brilliant move. Neither is taking a settler into Ramallah to watch soccer. Are you interested in causing a diplomatic [ or worse ] incident? Because you really are playing with fire.
.

Pharaoh’s island looks amazing, but I am not going to visit until Egypt calms down a bit.

By: AYLA

AYLA — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 05:10:43 +0000

@Shelly–with advance apologies to @LisaGoldman for taking two to politically tango on Yuval’s wonderful travelogue–I don’t know about that particular line Yuval wrote, either. But what I do know is that since I’ve moved to Israel and have gotten to know Palestinians, I’ve learned more and more about our so-called criteria for imprisoning Palestinians, and our so-called system’s utter lack of due process. I gather that most Jews–beyond reason in the diaspora as compared to in Israel–assume that Israel has her reasons. Often, however, that’s not true. These reasons can range from nothing to “political affiliations”. Palestinian political affiliations that are considered dangerous to the Israeli government include non-violent resistance and parties with values akin to our Leftist orgs. You can also be affiliated with more right wing political groups but have committed no crime. Consider, for a minute, how right wing many Jews have become in the name of security, while those leaders are acting unlawful and violent. Traditionally, political unrest (a euphemism in the case of our region) leads people on all sides to affiliate to the right. Now, you’re Palestinian: you’ve grown up under military occupation your entire life. You only know Israelis as soldiers. Daily, you’ve watched these 18 year olds with guns push your grandparents and parents around, detain you for no reason, not to mention much worse crimes against your People if not you personally. You hear the stories about what it was like for your People on this land, before. You yourself remember the springs and fields you used to go to as a child, to which you no longer have access. Would’t you join some kind of resistance party? That’s what it takes to wind up in an Israeli jail, indefinitely, with no evidence against you, no trial.
*
My Palestinian friends in Israel are afraid to look left or right while near anyone in Israeli uniform for fear of ending up in prison, and these are extremely peaceful people, many of them women, up to absolutely nothing but studying biology. Some of them don’t even have any particular political affiliations despite their experiences, so what are they worried about? They’re worried about looking Arab and taking the wrong photo at the wrong place at the wrong time. They have friends and relatives in Israeli prisons for less.

By: Shelly

Shelly — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 19:16:11 +0000

So enjoyed reading your post, worried about you like the Jewish mother I am, and then I read:

“After all, any individual of Arab background taking photos around Tel Aviv’s Hilton would be subject to the same treatment or worse.”

The buck stops here.
You can’t be serious!

By: AYLA

AYLA — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 18:14:18 +0000

I just signed back on because I was thinking about how kind and trusting it was, actually, of Mr. K to give you back your camera battery. He didn’t’ have to do that. And that made me think of all the technology-related trouble you’ve had on this journey: broken camera, computer charger, converter, and now this. It’s interesting, no? Sorry–haven’t come up with a profound, thematic meaning in it. It’s happening to you, so it’s for you to decipher, like a dream. I can only say that these things are usually some kind of gift in disguise. mabrouk.

By: AYLA

AYLA — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 16:12:28 +0000

suggested title for the piece: Among Cousins.

By: AYLA

AYLA — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 16:11:18 +0000

1) Maccaroni is dubious in any serious dish, especially a serious, middle-eastern dish with rice. But Kushari is good anyway, in a kid-food kind of way, the same way that if you’re american, you kind of have to admit that tuna-noodle casserole is good and pretend to make it for the kids.
*
2) These lines made me laugh really hard: “the Movenpick looks like the dream of someone who fell asleep with a golf magazine in his lap.” And: “If you ever get to be detained anywhere, I recommend the lobby of the Taba Movenpick.” And: “You haven’t seen Among Cousins?”
*
3) Thank God you were freed.
*
4) I really wonder what you said about the Gas deal.
*
5) Yes–sometimes I consider the actual seriousness of the situation in this region, including all of the really wrong/bad information that forms people’s attitudes (most of egypt thinks they won Sinai back in war), and I recognize how scary it is, just for a minute. No one here is exempt from that, regardless of asymmetric power. Since I’m someone who does believe that things happen for a reason, at least in my own life, maybe you, and the round trip, needed a dose of that perspective, along with all the other perspectives. I’m sorry you had to feel terrified for it, and grateful that you got to have that feeling of relief to be home, and that you toasted with ice cream. Cheers, Yuval.