Two sides to every story
Three women in their early-20s sat at the table behind us in the simple, street cafe in Tel Aviv. They spoke in a mixture of English and Hebrew, though one conversed with a girl who passed by their table in Russian. All 3 wore military green and hardened look of people you wouldn’t cross. Apart from their attire, they were very different from each other in looks. One was a blonde with shoulder length hair tied back tight. One had bright red, curly hair tied up in a bunch on top of her head. And one had jet black hair, also tied back tightly, and was darker than the other 2.
My lunchmate, Lev, had moved back to Israel from Germany and I was hosting me for 2 days. Born in Haifa, he left Israel to study in Germany and found work with the Frankfurt City Government Sports Department. His wife was German and it was a shock when I found out in early 2001 that they’d moved from Hesse. With 2 kids under 5 it was brave, though Lev’s Dad had passed and his Mother was ill and alone. He struck up conversation with the redhead, who lived in his building, joking that she should speak to a real Irish person. Her 2 colleagues thought this hilarious and she spent a minute explaining that she was not Irish and that her family had lived in Israel for generations.
Until our food arrived the 5 of us chatted. I found out that the dark-haired girl was from Uzbekistan originally and migrated when she was 8. The blonde was born in France and moved when she was a baby. All 3 were working with the Israeli military (they didn’t say the branch) and they had jokes like - “I’d rather a hot Uzi than a cold man”, “Why do Israeli taxi drivers stop at green lights? Because it’s red for the Arabs”. They were good humoured, intelligent and I couldn’t see them as killers.
Back at the apartment Lev told me that their neighbour was military police and that most likely the others were too. He said he’d never let his daughter do military service. Which was odd as he served. The explanation was simple - with how things were, in 2002, anyone in an Israeli uniform was a target. Not just at a checkpoint or military patrol. Just sitting in a cafe. Taking a bus. Walking home. His daughter went to live with her Grandparents in Germany from age 15 and is now working with Opel. Her younger brother, born in 1999, served right after school. On the way home from playing soccer with friends he was attacked and had his right leg, left elbow, jaw and 3 ribs broken. That was in 2019 and he has had operations to repair his jaw, elbow and will walk with a limp for the rest of his life.
Israel’s treatment of Palestinians is attrocious. After my stay in Tel Aviv, I visited the Shuafat camp near Jerusalem and sat down for dinner with 3 generations of refugees. The Saudi attitude towards Palestine I found almost equally awful. In our Jeddah Academy funds were raised for the Shuafat camp. The charity involved were the ones who arranged my visit there. In fairness the Princess who organised the aid ensured that the help actually made it to the right destination, highly unusual for the majority of international charities. However, her family are service providers to Raytheon in the Hijaz (Western Saudi Province), the same company who cooperate with Israel in their Iron Dome missile defence system and other military support including missiles. So Saudi supports Palestine, yet builds the precision guidance systems for missiles that destroy Palestinan homes and kill Palestinian kids. Makes sense.
Noa Lazar was 18 years old last month when she was shot dead by a Palestinian 19 year old Uday Tamimi. Uday was born and raised in Shuafat. His parents were born in the refugee camp, his grandparents grew up in the refugee camp. Shuafat was established in 1964 to house Palestinian refugees from the 1948 Arab-Israeli war. Over the next 2 years Muslims living in East Jerusalem were moved into the camp, most by force. In 1967 the land the camp sits on was occupied by Israel and while citizenship was offered to everyone, most preferred permanent residency. For 55 years Israel has controlled entry and exit into this crimeridden, impoverished open air concentration camp. Noa was standing guard outside it when she was gunned down.
Uday was shot to death 2 weeks later when he attacked guards at the sprawling Maale Adumim Israeli settlement in the West bank. Uday’s death was pounced upon by propagandists from his “side” and he’s called a martyr. On the opposite side, Noa’s family also suffer and came out with this:
This elimination brings us closure and justice was done quickly. The family thanks the people of Israel for their support in these difficult moments.
Israeli politicians lined up to call the murder of a teenage boy “just” and Palestinian leaders describe a teenage girl’s murder as part of their struggle. Israeli’s praise Noa for being “beautiful and patriotic”, Arab media laud Uday for “fighting for his occupied land till his very last breath.” The video of his death circulated with polar opposite reactions from either side. One delighting in his destruction, the other elevating him to hero status. In the noise and hate, nobody seems to see that 2 children born, lived and died in war, distrust, fear, violence and complete wilful disregard for human life. Both sides kept fighting with support from countries and people who claim they care.
Israel has killed over 200 Palestinians so far this year. Today Shalom Sofer, a shopkeeper, died of stab wounds he received on October 25th. Lev’s son, Simon, was attacked by a gang of Israeli settlers because he wasn’t Jewish. Noa was shot by a Palestinian because she was. Uday was killed by Israeli guards because he attacked them for being Jewish. Like Lev and his wife, Noa’s and Uday’s parents, like all of you reading this - we have never, ever known peace in Palestine and Israel. We never will. Because those who supply weapons, aid and support to the sides warring on the ground find it more profitable to continue the slaughter.