Last week Khaled Abu Toamah a self-proclaimed Palestinian Arab Israeli, told us that the real problem in Israeli society is the intolerance and lack of interaction between Jews and Arabs inside Israel. Yesterday we saw the result of this social segregation.
Jisr az Zarka is an overcrowded, impoverished Arab town on the Mediterranean coast with a rapidly growing population. Surrounded by prosperous Israeli towns and a main highway on three sides, the mayor jokingly told us that the only choice for expansion is “into the sea.” When we drove through the narrow streets we saw just how tightly packed the houses and shops are. The growing community is confined within the close borders of the town and there is a clear correlation between the physical and social separation of the residents and the remainder of Israeli society.
When the group first arrived in Jisr az Zarka we visited a local high school and interacted with teens from the town. Together we traveled by bus to the beach to play soccer, eat watermelon, and just be teenagers. While at the school the atmosphere was friendly and positive, but the vibes changed dramatically as soon as we left. The Arab girls were kind and interested in meeting us, but I was disappointed by the attitude of many of the boys in the group. The boys clapped and cheered when the bus passed by a black person walking in the streets and made sexist remarks to the girls.
The macho culture was an unpleasant surprise; however, it is not unexplained. The paternalistic manner of the Arab communities could be partially attributed to the social and physical separation of these communities from the rest of Israel. I began to wonder if there is a cyclical nature to the societal issue. As Israel modernizes and becomes an increasingly western nation, many Arab villages remain stuck in the traditional old world culture. It seems that this creates even more of a divide between Jews and Arabs in society, feeding the problem.
I saw a second angle to this issue. When we ate dinner at the house of Diab Amash, a resident of Jisr az Zarka, he remarked that Israeli Arabs feel much pressure from the Israeli population as a result of the recent turmoil throughout Arab countries in the Middle East. History teaches us that the oppressed can become the oppressor when given the opportunity. The boys’ macho-type may be an example of this phenomenon, and they may feel the need to compensate for their own place in society by putting others down.
This societal gap is not a simple problem to fix. A solution will have to come from all parts of society, from policy makers in the Knesset to our teenage friends in Beit Shean. It will require a change in mindset of the Israeli people and a real effort from the Israeli government to better integrate Israeli Arabs into society.