From the Ground: The Real Israel-Palestine

“Something In Their [Muslim] Culture”?

While walking back to Ellen’s apartment, we ran into one of her friends, a French woman who is also volunteering to help refugees. We quickly got on the subject of politics (a topic that comes up in conversation much sooner and more frequently in Israel, we’ve noticed).

The woman began talking about her perspective on Israel’s recent invasion of Gaza.

“I see your side,” she said. ”But how can the country just put up with the rockets?”

“They can’t talk?” Ellen asked.

The woman responded that talking with Hamas was impossible because they believe in the destruction of Israel. She also claimed that the only reason Hamas won the most democratic election ever in Palestine was because the citizens were forced to vote for them.

The woman also argued with an example from her home country of France. Stressing she was talking about France and not Israel, she said that all of the Jews there were friendly, while the Muslims were unsatisfied with the rights they had and always complained.

“Maybe it’s just something in their culture,” she speculated.