For months Paul had been asking me and Noa about going to visit and stay with a fellow Fulbrighter from Israel. We found many ways to avoid accepting this invitation... we were afraid to travel to and stay in an Arab Village. Paul told us of how wonderful this family was as Paul spent time with them in Washington DC last August for an orientation, and the wife wore a head scarf! We were then invited to an Arab wedding which was taking place on the same day as Passover. We learned the wedding was canceled as a relative of the bride was shot by another Arab male. No wedding, no visit, not so quick.
So after we received our 7th invitation to yet another Passover Seder (the first night is the big one), we decided that since we've been to, and hosted lots of Seders... (and we doubted Israelis did the 7 minute seder that we do, and serve ONLY matzo ball soup, charoset, and chocolate covered macaroons at our Seder), Israeli Seders would be four hours plus with brisket and 16 additional courses)! Why not go to visit Ahmad and the family in Kafr Qasim. The way Paul got us to go along was to tell us that Ahmad and Manal wanted to move to the US as they had a fabulous Fulbright experience in Nashville at Vanderbilt.
To play nice Paul got the rental car early so we could go to Tel Aviv walk and wander the board walk, and hang out in the sun. By 3pm we were on our way to our first Arab city. Throughout Israel we have always been on treed streets with traffic controls and street lamps, once we turned into Kafr Qasim, there were no more lights, paved sidewalks, actually there were no side walks at all, there was a lack of garbage/ debris removal too. I turned around in the car, Noa and I looked at each other and thought RUN!
Ahmad met us at a gas station just at the entry to the city of 20,000 people. We followed him over unpaved potholed streets for about 5 minutes and drove up to a huge 3 story home at the very end of the city. We could not have been greeted more warmly by Ahmad and Manal. We went upstairs to meet their 2 children son Sayyed, age 10 and daughter Fatima age 5. This was the cleanest and least cluttered home (that has people living in it)! I have ever seen. Both the ladies were very shy, especially with Paul,( the male thing). We were offered beverages on the balcony with a lovely view of the West Bank.old
At 9pm we went to dinner at a fabulous restaurant with no English menu. For those of you who know us well, yes; I said 9pm to eat, our normal time to go to bed. The restaurant had amazing food, nice waiters who spoke English, but the most amazing thing were the eight young women at another table that were celebrating something. Ahmad told me these were old university students of his. He invited me over to say hello. All wore head scarves, but in bold colors. I asked whose birthday it was and they chuckled... one of the women had just become the first female medical doctor, from Kfar Qasim.
Ahmad explained the problems facing the youth in this Arab Israeli city, and to other Arab Israeli villages and cities. There is high unemployment and the male youth have turned to violence against each other. After our dinner Manal took me and Noa to her parents home, a large building with a newly added apartment for her brother that was soon to get married. The parents 1st floor apartment was basic, but the house above was magnificent. It was on three floors with a marble winding staircase, with a kitchen as nice as any I've seen in the west hills. We were introduced to several of her other family members, and one very handsome 17 year old brother. Manal later told us he had been shot six times and had been in very serious condition just six months ago. The women in the city study harder and are becoming professionals, and the men in the city aren't looking quite so attractive to these women... divorce is also setting in.
Manal is a 5th grade history teacher, and an awesome cook. Is was she who began the discussion of coming to the USA. They are very disappointed with the life of being Israeli Arabs... and I can't say I blame them. They told us they pay the same rate of property tax as Israeli Jews, and yet they get no services. This is a town of fairly well to do Arab Israelis, and they are supposed to be equal citizens. They live in Forest Heights style homes (without roads and sidewalks etc (see photo of contemporary home). Their schools are abysmal, and their own children are very bright. Their son Sayyed just won a math award and is just about fluent in English. Ahmad told us his father had 220 acres of land in this city, and without good reason 200 we confiscated by the Israeli government. There is a home 200 yards away from theirs that is about to be torn down because there was no permit (see photo of unfinished house). It is more complex however. Before building began, the owner went to the housing ministry, requesting a permit to build on his own land. The Ministry told him not to worry, they could begin building and the permit would follow. The house was all framed, bricked etc. Then came the letter from the Ministry, "as there was no permit to build they must tear it down, or pay the Israeli government to t
ear it down for them. Sadly, this is not an uncommon situation.
We openly discussed Gaza, and the incidents against Israeli Jews, from rock throwing to bombing. He is against all the violence. This is one VERY complex country. I have empathy for the Israeli Arabs who just want to be a part of the country of which they are supposed to be equal citizens. I have empathy for the Jewish Israelis who want to live in peace and not be terrified to put their kids, spouses or friends on a bus.
The next morning we toured the city and then traveled a dirt road to Oranit, a Jewish Settlement in the West Bank. Paul, Ahmad and Noa were in our new Toyota rental car, I was following in an older and rather banged up car with Manal wearing a head scarf, and Sayyed and Fatima in the back seat. Paul and his group sailed through the check point, and when Manal drove up our vehicle was searched. we were asked where we were going, why we were going, did I have identification too. It took several attempts explaining I was American, (dressed head to toe in Nike), with my husband and daughter NOA in the car ahead. I finally charmed my way through. Manal said it happens to her every time she goes to Oranit as the kids have swim lessons at an beautiful athletic facility there. Did I mention that there is no public athletic facility in Kafr Qasim with a population 20,000 or that Oranit with a population of 6,000 has a state of the art sports facility? I can understand why Israeli Arabs are rather frustrated, I would be too.
It was like leaving one planet and entering another. Gone were the rubble piles, and unpaved roads, and I felt like I was in any number of planned communities in a wealthy US suburb.
The saddest past of this visit was when we learned that there had been a massacre in this town in 1956, please read more if you are interested:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kafr_Qasim_massacre
I feel like a ping pong ball, just as I think I understand something I see another side and realize how little I understand. For another perspective please read Noa's blog on the same subject: http://catlinnoaisrael.blogspot.com/2010/03/arab-villiage.html
As we were driving on a dirt road near the mansions being built we saw a mare with her baby, just hanging out.
ome running. 
Slowly one cat fell for me! And wouldn't you know if... it was the cat who looked most like Mr Gryff, except for the funky bent ear. He could hear me calling him from 100 yards away and come to see me. I left food on the top of a low rock wall, and soon he was eating from my hand, purring and talking to me. A dozen other cats in the yard would come a watch their friend purr and get treats, soon they realized they could benefit from this "cat lady" from America. I would ask Noa and Paul to come and see this spectacle of my playing the role of the "Pied Piper Feeder", they rolled their eyes and thought I was nutty. Finally Noa came with me, only a few came out, and my black cat ran away:-(
amekins of things like olives, 4 kinds of cheese, tuna, and spreads..OY. I've taken to having all the ramekins except the olives and asking for them to go. The cats love Restobar!
ey were, momma was more pleasant and the thrid kitten had come home.
a is called Zorro, and the gorgeous mini tiger is Ralph. Gal is going to send me photos of all the cats and let me know the kittens names once he names them. I am truly sad to say goodbye to such good friends.
