Revisiting Sha'ar Binyamin, My Jewish-Arab Workplace

Yesterday, I shopped in Rami Levy, Sha'ar Binyamin. I hadn't been there for a very long time. For close to six years I had worked in Yafiz in the commercial center. I worked with Arabs. It's definitely a Jewish-Arab Workplace. I sold to Arabs. I got to know some of the Arab staff in Rami Levy.

When I had been asked to join the Yafiz staff, nobody told me that I'd be entering an entirely new world. Nobody told me that there would be fellow staff and lots of Arab customers. I honestly don't know if I would have taken the job if it had been described that way.

At the time I began working in Yafiz, we really needed the money. Not that I got decent pay in Yafiz; it was minimum wage. But even minimum wage is better than no wage at all.

On the whole my experiences with the Arabs, fellow workers, including at Rami Levy, and customers was very pleasant. I gained a certain confidence for sure. When Arab (men, of course, women didn't) tried to bargain with me to get a lower price, I made it very clear, in my firmest teacher's voice, that nobody, ABSOLUTELY NOBODY got discounts. All customers paid the same price. I even learned a few words of Arabic to help me.

Many Arabs used to love to come and talk to me in English. There were those who said that coming to Yafiz reminded them of America.

An elderly Arab woman used to shop for clothing to send to her grandchildren in Egypt. Jordanian businessmen used to tell me that they loved the selection of children's clothes we had. There was even a time when Arab tourists used to come in vans for "shopping tours."

Yesterday I was surprised at the friendly greetings I received from workers and customers there, Jews and Arabs alike.

There are still many Arab workers, but one thing I noticed, even the last two years I worked in Yafiz, that there are fewer Arab customers. Apparently, the PA Police try to punish those who shop in Jewish businesses and confiscate their purchases.

I want to make something very clear. I'm what can be called an extreme Jewish Nationalist, who firmly and unabashedly believes that there is none and never has been a Palestinian People, Arab terrorists should be executed even without a trial if caught in the act and full Israeli Sovereignty must be declared over all the Land held by the State of Israel, even the Land that has been allowed to the PA-Palestinian Authority. But I also believe that one of the ways to develop peace between Jews and Arabs is to carefully give the Arabs a chance. At the same time there should be zero tolerance to any Arab who even hints at pro-terror feelings. 

The Arabs Have Returned!

We were all wondering how long it would take, but as the local Muslim Arabs began preparing for their Ramadan Holiday, when they buy lots of nice clothes for their children and themselves and feast all night, after a long day of fasting, the prices, quality and selection in Rami Levy and Yafiz, Sha'ar Binyamin became too attractive to ignore.

The fears of revenge terror by Jews and the "confiscations" by the PA Police have kept many away for the past few years. That is except for this season, since according to reports by our loyal Arab customers, Arab women with fluent English from years living abroad, there is no comparison between what they can buy here in Jewish shops and what is sold even in Ramallah, the largest Arab city in the area.

In Rami Levy and Yafiz, Sha'ar Binyamin we experience the peaceful coexistence that the Leftists and Liberals claim to strive for. We work and shop together. But for some very fokokt reason, the Leftists and Liberals do everything in their power to sabotage it.

To make things very clear, I do not work in Yafiz, Sha'ar Binyamin for any ideological, idyllic agenda. Actually, when I was offered the job in the store, all I could think of was making a salary, even a small one, since we desperately needed more monthly income. Adjusting to work with Arabs was a lot easier than I could have predicted. When they come to us to shop they respect the fact that we Jews own the stores. They are strict with their children and keep them in line when shopping, which not all Jews are willing to do. I'm a pragmatist, and have no doubt that if the ideologues would just butt out, life would be a lot more peaceful.

Extra Security Checks for Rami Levy, Sha'ar Binyamin

Rami Levy has set up metal detectors at the branch in Sha'ar Binyamin, and if I'm not mistaken in Gush Etzion and possibly other places. Even before that there have been guards and the place is fenced off and has security cameras all over.

You'd think that people (the Jewish shoppers) would be happy and cooperative.

But I've observed a lot of people getting nasty and refusing to go through the special gate or to let the guards touch their bags for inspections. And the guards are on edge from the rudeness. It is definitely not pleasant to witness this behavior. Oh, in case you're wondering, yes, I'm talking about the Jewish customers, not the Arabs who wouldn't dare make a fuss.

People wouldn't dare make a fuss about security anyplace else!

Yesterday, on the way to work, when we got to the Sha'ar Binyamin gate, a soldier entered the bus to check. Honestly, people on my bus aren't the problem. They really should be checking all the cars and passengers.

And don't forget that Rami Levy/Yafiz is the only store in the area with extra guards and security to get in plus plainclothes security. All other stores and malls in Sha'ar Binyamin just rely on the main gate guards. And there are other Arab workers and customers around Sha'ar Binyamin besides those in Rami Levy/Yafiz.

And to remind you that there are Arabs shopping and working all over Israel. There's hardly a mall, store or restaurant without Arab staff/customers. I've been working in Yafiz, Sha'ar Binyamin for over five years, and I don't consider it any more dangerous than any place else.

"P.A." Arabs Clamor to Work in Israel!

For PA-Palestinian Authority Arabs who want good, relatively high-paid work, with good conditions, there are two options.

1. Get a job in Israel!
2. Work for an Israeli business in Judea/Samaria/Jordan Valley.

Other options for those who want more money:

1. Be on the take of the PA-Palestinian Authority corruption!
2. LEAVE HOME! Move to one of the rich Arab oil countries, or Australia, New Zealand etc. The Americas and Europe aren't in great shape right now and not enthusiastic about welcoming more Arabs/Muslims. And since most enlightened countries don't want more Arabs/Muslims and getting a piece of the "pie" is even more difficult, working for Israelis is high on the list and easiest to do. 

All the  claims that Arabs suffer when working in Israel or for Israeli companies in Judea/Samaria/Jordan Valley is just anti-Israel propaganda! I've been working with Arabs for over five years, and they love working for Israeli companies. They get better conditions, salaries etc. than they'd get if they worked for their fellow Arabs. 

And for those who have to go through the Israeli "border control," they do it the same as/along with Israelis. The inspectors aren't allowed to make two types of lanes, one for Arabs and the other for Jews. That's illegal. So, any delays are equally felt by Jews who live in Judea/Samaria/Jordan Valley and the Arabs who live nearby.

The Arabs pay the same as Jews in our stores and enjoy the same bargains. The only problem they have is their own PA-Palestinian Authority inspectors/police who frequently confiscate goods bought in stores like Rami Levi and Yafiz. That is what has been keeping them away. There used to be vans of Arabs coming for "shopping tours." Some were local Arabs who didn't have their own cars and others were tourists from Jordan and other Arab countries. Now we see much less of them. Their loss.

Soldiers all Over and More

The other night when I was waiting for a ride home from Ofra one of the soldiers stationed at the trempiada, aka hitchhiking post just outside of Ofra heard me speak and spoke to me in English asking where I'm from. It ends up that he's from Monsey and has grandparents someplace on Long Island. He knows the street name but not the town. We didn't get to talk too much, because a neighbor pulled up and took me home.

Yes, there are soldiers stationed everywhere. Last week when I was waiting at the T Junction to Beit El aka Givat Asaf, there were a whole bunch there, too. I could hardly see them and then, after looking up, I realized that the lightbulb in the streetlight over the spot had gone out. It was awful. You couldn't see who was in the cars pulling up to offer rides. And you couldn't see what license plates that were on the cars. That's not safe at all. I'm an old hand at tremping aka hitchhiking, and I like to see who's coming. So I asked the soldiers to please report the lack of proper lighting to their superiors or whomever, which they did. But a few nights lighter when passing by I could see that it hadn't yet been repaired. (If you're from Beit El or work there, please have it fixed if it hasn't been.)

I've also seen a lot more fully equipped soldiers at Sha'ar Binyamin. Some are standing around guarding and others shopping for noshes.

No doubt they find it a lot more pleasant and convenient being stationed by Rami Levy than wandering the roads by Arab villages. The presence of all the soldiers is more a deterrence than anything. Most terrorists, like muggers, look for "easy marks" to attack.

Nowadays, many more Israelis who have licensed guns are taking their guns with them everyplace. That's what neighbors tell me. Last night at work a young family came into the shoe store, and while they had the young children trying on shoes, one of the kids began to cry:

"What happened?" asked the mother.
"Abba's (daddy's) gun scraped me." said the little girl.

Apparently when the father picked her up, his easy to draw gun or the metal I saw sticking out of his waistband got in the way. That's today's reality here. Many of the Arab terrorists of late have been immediately executed on the spot by prepared civilians like that young father. Most people are not letting the fear of Arab terrorism keep them home, but there's no Pollyanna-like ignoring of dangers.

I'm not the only one who hasn't changed routines at all. But one thing is that don't travel with earphones listening to lectures the way I once did. We have to stay alert. It's also not good to be busy reading/watching the screen when outside. And remember not to panic and stay home. The very vast majority of Israelis, towns, cities and neighborhoods will never be targeted by Arab terrorists. And about the Yafiz and Rami Levy compound in Sha'ar Binyamin, besides the soldiers there have always been extra security and a gate. Even though there are Arab employees, I think it's safer than the rest of Sha'ar Binyamin or any Israeli street and most stores.

Very Enthusiastic Arabs in Sha'ar Binyamin

The other night at work I noticed an Arab family, parents and daughter taking lots of pictures when entering Rami Levy. By the time I got my camera ready, they were finishing, so I only got one blurred shot.

Later on they came into the shoe store where I was working and got so friendly, even took more photos. I'm probably in some of them. They seemed so happy to be there in Yafiz and Rami Levy, Sha'ar Binyamin. I honestly couldn't figure out why. They aren't the first Arabs I've seen taking selfies and photos of their family/group/friends in the stores and shopping center. But I've never seen such enthusiasm.

Any guesses?

Teaching Spanish to Arabs

Since working at Yafiz, Sha'ar Binyamin, I've gotten to know a lot of Arabs and a lot about Islam. Their Ramadan fast isn't like any of our Jewish fasts. First of all they fast for the entire month, only during daylight hours. And as soon as the sun begins to set, they can eat. They don't have to wait for darkness. And Ramadan isn't just about feasting and fasting. After Ramadan they celebrate Eid-al-Fitr with lots of food and feasting. And for Eid-al-Fitr they also need new clothes for the entire family.

Arabs shopping in Rami Levy, Sha'ar Binyamin

Over the years working in Yafiz, I've learned that this is a holiday in which only new clothes are worn, and I shouldn't try to help them be practical. They want the nicest and most fashionable for themselves and their children.

A lot of the men like a style of shirt we always sell. The problem is that the brand we have now doesn't have the usual S, M, L, XL etc to indicate sizes. Apparently, the company is from Spain or South America, although, like everything else, the shirts are "Made in China." The sizes on these shirts are P, M and G. Almost everyone finds this confusing.

Luckily, I studied Spanish in high school and used to be pretty fluent, so remembering that grande is large and pequeño is small didn't take me long.

I've been teaching our customers, and other staff members, these Spanish words for weeks already. There's a humor in this at times. Here I am with my horrendous American-accented Hebrew teaching everyone some basic Spanish words. And when I'm dealing with Arabs, we use lots of pantomime and my very limited Arabic vocabulary which consists of barely a handful of words. Among them is achbar, or something like that, which means "bigger." And we joke around and never say a word about politics. They like shopping in our store, and I enjoy selling.

This may not be what the Leftists call "peace," but it sure isn't war.

Why We Should Celebrate The Fact That Arabs Shop in Jewish Stores

As you must all know by now, I work in Yafiz, Sha'ar Binyamin. It's a "clothing for the entire family store," which is part of Rami Levy Discount Supermarket business empire. Sha'ar Binyamin is a sprawling shopping center which reminds me a lot of the sort that sprung up in rural and suburban America in the 1950's. Besides having branches of Rami Levy and Yafiz, you'll find a toy store, pharmacy, medical clinic, book store, furniture store, camping goods, a bakery, police station and lots more.

Most of the staff and customers are Jewish from nearby communities and even Pisgat Zeev, Jerusalem. But it's no secret that many Arabs work and shop in Sha'ar Binyamin. It's even on the "must see" list for tourists from Jordan and other Arab countries, sort of like the Japanese and other tourists I've spotted in American outlet malls. When I see men in very proper conservative dark suits, they are always Arabs visiting from abroad. I frequently see them snapping pictures of our clothes and then consulting on the phone as to what to buy the family back home wherever. I've been told more than once that our selection of children's clothing is far superior, price and selection, to anything they can get in their own stores. As as their full shopping carts attest, they like the food and prices in Rami Levy, too.

Recently a friend mentioned that a friend of hers confided that she doesn't want to shop in Rami Levy and Yafiz anymore "because there are too many Arabs." This has me very upset for a very simple reason. I am very happy to see and facilitate Arab shopping in Jewish stores. For much too long, ever since the 1967 Six Days War, when the IDF for the State of Israel and the Help of Gd liberated our Historic Homeland, all of the commercial dealing have been in the other direction.

Israelis and Jews flocked to the Arab markets and stores looking for bargains and unique items. Many Israelis, even those who claim to be far to the Right on the political spectrum, hire Arabs as builders and gardeners and have them repair their cars.

Some of them are the same Israelis who avoid (we won't use the "B" word) stores like Rami Levy and Yafiz. And I've never heard of someone who won't visit a Jewish home that was built by Arab contractors and laborers.

And don't forget that the Har Nof massacre was by Arabs employed in that very Jewish neighborhood. Many stores and businesses on the pre-1967 side of the "greenline" employ Arabs. And you will find Arabs shopping all over, though they are usually dressed more western/European than those who shop in Sha'ar Binyamin. Sometimes it is only when I hear the customers speaking among themselves that I know for sure that they are Arabs.

Please think about what I'm saying. It is good that Arabs shop in Jewish stores and return some of the money they have earned from Jews. And it is also good that Arabs from foreign countries have no problems shopping in Jewish stores and also posing for selfies with Hebrew signs in the background.

Just as I was Praying Out-loud to Restore Jewish Worship on The Temple Mount..

We're in the midst of Sefirat Ha'Omer, the Counting of the Omer, the forty-nine days between the beginning of Passover and the Shavuot Holiday. Whenever I can I say the blessing out-loud. And I always add the following:

הָרַחֲמָן. הוּא יַחֲזִיר לָנוּ עֲבודַת בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ לִמְקומָהּ בִּמְהֵרָה בְּיָמֵינוּ. אָמֵן סֶלָה"May The Merciful One return the worship of the Holy Temple to It's Place, Speedily in our days."

The other night I was working in the Yafiz Shoe Store, Sha'ar Binyamin. It was quiet in the store when my "Sefirat Ha'Omer Alarm" went off. There wasn't a single customer, so I quickly got my "smartphone" and "dialed" Tfilon and found the blessings and proper count for that night. I concentrated very hard on the prayers, especially for the return of Jewish Prayer in the Holiest Place in the World, the Temple Mount, Jerusalem.

A photo I took a couple of years ago
that shows Jews and Arabs shopping
together in Yafiz, Sha'ar Binyamin

Suddenly, as I was finishing, I realized that I wasn't alone. There were Arabs in the store. I'll never know if they had any idea of what I was saying. Usually I'm so hyper-alert that nobody even walks by without my noticing.

As soon as I said the last word, my phone was away, and I returned to my official role as a salesperson who gives the same level of service to all.

It's time for Jewish-Israeli Sovereignty in all of the Land of Israel!!

Greatest Thing About These Flags and No Current Israeli Government

I photographed these in Rami Levy, Sha'ar Binyamin this week. There are two things I love about it. One is the simple beauty of all those Israeli flags flying overhead. and the other is the fact that they were hung by Arabs. Yes, it is the job of the Arab workers to do things like change light-bulbs and decorate the store for Jewish and Israeli Holidays. That includes hanging Israeli flags. Two years ago, I wrote about the worker who begged me not to take his picture doing it.

"They'll kill me" he said, "and you know who they are."

This year two Arab workers worked as a team to put up more flags than ever before. They were smiling as if having a grand old time. The past few months, ever, since last summer's war, there haven't been many Arab shoppers in Rami Levy and Yafiz, but lately they seem to have returned. It may be different on "the other side of the green sic line," but I think that the percentage of Arabs working in Rami Levy may be higher than a few years ago.

Contrary to the ideological hallucinations of the loony Left, I see that local Arabs are very happy living under Israeli rule, getting Israeli salaries, benefits, low (yes, we do charge less for many things than in Arab stores) prices and security. Everyone knows that non-Israeli Arabs, even from enemy countries, take advantage of the world-class top Israeli medical care. The Arab clans that work for Rami Levy take care not to get involved in anti-Israel terrorism, because it can endanger the employment of all the family. They do not want a change in the political status quo, since a "Palestinian State" sic would mean the end of their jobs and security.

And that's where our present lack of new coalition government comes in. Bli eyin haraa, all the while that we're without a proper government we haven't seen our representatives negotiating for a Two State Solution sic. Crafting a new and stable coalition is taking up all of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's time. Also without a stable, reliable and disciplined coalition, Netanyahu can't rely on getting Knesset approval for an agreement.

So, at this point, I'm happy. I loved watching Arabs decorating the stores for Israeli Independence Day, and I feel safer knowing that Bibi's hands are tied.

I just hope that Herzog (Tsipi Livni has been kept out of the news) sticks to his principles of not joining with Netanyahu! And if after all the time has expired to make a Likud government, and then Herzog tries and fails, we end up again with elections, so be it. Maybe the so-called Right will get it right and do the Right thing, G-d willing.

Living in Muslim Countries or Muslim-Administrated Places, No "Picnic"

I've been working in Yafiz, Rami Levy Co., Sha'ar Binyamin with Arabs for almost four years. My fellow staff and the customers are Jewish Israeli and Arab. Some of the Arabs  have Israeli papers, and some don't. We all get the same low salary for the same sort of work. And the customers pay the same low prices for the clothes and food sold by the Rami Levy conglomerate. This is not the "Israel' one sees in the international media or big hot-aired conferences.

You'd be surprised at how many of us, Jews and Arabs, have academic degrees, advanced training and certification, though we're working at the lowest salary level legal in Israel. Yes, I'm among them.

You'd expect the professional, academically trained Arabs to be working at good jobs in Arab cities or the P.A. or Gaza or wealthy Arab countries, rather than doing their best to hold to their low paying jobs in Sha'ar Binyamin.

In talking to some of our customers, I've discovered that salaries in the Arab cities here in Judea and Samaria are much, much lower than Israeli Minimum Wage. One man from an Arab city, who sometimes buys our clothes when we have "end of season clearance sales" to resell at his clothing store, wanted to know what our workers get paid. He told me how much he pays, and it's a tiny fraction of the Israeli Minimum Wage salaries here.

An Arab woman who enjoyed speaking to me in English, because as she explained, she's "...an English Teacher and needs the practice," Rather naively, she told me that I could make great money if I would teach in a college in Jenin or Nablus. Needless to say, she ignored the fact that I wouldn't make it home alive, but when she told me what the "great salary" would be, I was shocked. It's pretty much the same as full-time Israeli Minimum Wage.

There's a proven fact that many people insist on ignoring. Prior to the beginning of Zionism well over a hundred years ago, this area was pretty empty. Today's cities were barely towns. Zionism brought the area to life, and that life, the economic opportunities, top medical care, modern infrastructure etc, not only attracted Jews, but it also attracted Arabs. A high percentage of the Arabs who live here today are descended from those to moved here after the advent of Zionism.

And another thing that the world prefers to ignore, the P.A. and Gazan Arab administrations are among the worst in the world. Gaza is a mess, not because of Israeli attacks but because of the Hamas administration. The local Gazans aren't happy.

Now, as frustration mounts, many Gazans privately admit that the problem is not just the damage from the Israeli bombardment, but also the damage created by Hamas, the Islamic group that rules this coastal enclave......Despite the rosy public opinion polls, Hamas seems to be widely loathed in this coastal Mediterranean wasteland. Getting a quote, of course, is nearly impossible. (The Week)

Just some food for thought...

Do All Arabs Support Hamas?

As you who read my blogs probably know, I work with Arabs. I don't exist in an all Jewish ghetto or vacuum. Being part of a multicultural/national/religious environment was one of the unexpected "bonuses" or phenomena I discovered working as an ordinary salesperson in Yafiz, Sha'ar Binyamin. I'm pretty sure my boss didn't mention it when she offered me the job.

Few people outside of Israel have an idea of how much daily mundane interaction there is between Jews and Arabs in Israel. It's not just a matter of those who hire Arab builders, cleaners and other blue-colored workers. The hospitals are full of Arab Israeli-trained medical staff, and all sorts of stores and restaurants hire Arabs. Besides that, you'll find Arab customers and bus drivers, pharmacists etc. Arabs with Israeli citizenship can enter any part of the country, even more easily than Jews can. That's because anyone who seems Jewish  isn't allowed on "Arab roads" or in "Arab buses," even in Jerusalem.

There are a few interesting things many people have noticed since this recent war between Israel and Hamas began. One is that most Arab countries are trying to keep out. Egypt, which occupied the Gaza Strip (as it was once called) until the Six Days War is promoting itself as a mediator between Israel and Hamas. Jordan which had occupied Judea, Samaria and the Jordan Valley from 1948-1967 has been keeping a very low profile. It has too much to lose if Hamas gets stronger. Jordan is actually the second item on Hamas's menu after Israel. So the Jordanians are hoping that Israel will keep Hamas under control.

As Israel seeks to sideline Hamas in any accord on the Gaza Strip’s future, it’s finding quiet support among Arab nations where antagonism toward the Islamist group eclipses their enmity toward the Jewish state.
Egypt, which mediated a second 72-hour halt to Gaza fighting yesterday, is now ruled by an army chief who presided over a crackdown on Hamas’s Islamist patrons. Saudi Arabia’s king didn't explicitly criticize Israel in a recent lament over civilian deaths in Gaza. The United Arab Emirates, which pledged aid to help rebuild the coastal strip, is also hostile to political Islam.  (Bloomberg News)

At work the extreme reduction in the amount of Arab shoppers is very obvious. I've been working at Yafiz, part of the Rami Levy company for close to four years, and we always had masses of Arabs shopping for holiday clothes during the latter part of Ramadan. It had always made up a very impressive percentage of our sales volume. This year it didn't happen. Hardly a single Arab customer entered the store, certainly none of the usual "shopping tours" we were used to seeing. They didn't patronize Rami Levy Discount Supermarket either.

On the other hand, Arab staff members barely missed a shift. They didn't want to lose their jobs. Minimum wage jobs with Israeli work conditions are considered as relatively "good jobs" for Arabs whether living in Jerusalem with Israeli papers or in the nearby Arab villages. When asked where the Arab customers were, they said that the village leaders had warned them all that the Jews were preparing to murder them, revenge, "tag mechir," "price tag" attacks. The fact that the Arab employees in Rami Levy and Yafiz return home from their shifts in good health doesn't seem to convince them that they are being manipulated, lied to.

It seems like just as the Americans and the so-called "free world" would like Israel to take care of Iran and destroy its nuclear weapons industry, the Arab world would be perfectly happy if Israel would take care of Hamas and destroy its terror base. That makes me wonder which country really is considered the greatest power on earth...

If There Was To Be A "Palestinian State," My Prediction

Now, I really want to make something very clear before I continue this post. I AM 100% IN EVERY POSSIBLE WAY OPPOSED TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A COUNTRY CALLED "PALESTINE!"

Palestinian Media Watch
PA depicts a world
without Israel

Besides the certainty that the existance of another Arab country here in the Jewish Holy Land would herald, cause, facilitate the destruction of the State of Israel, because that is the declared aim of the so-called "Palestinian nationalists," I am completely certain that something else that nobody wants to talk about will happen.

For the past three plus years I've been working in Yafiz, part of the Rami Levy business empire, in Sha'ar Binyamin.  I work with Arabs and "serve" Arabs as salesperson. I certainly have more daily contact with the local Arabs than most Israelis, including Leftists.  I know Arabs of all ages and incomes, including customers who work for international "help" organizations. Arabs talk to me and ask me very interesting questions. I'm telling you this so that you understand that I'm speaking from knowledge, not from ivory tower theories and wishful thinking.

For the first time in my working life in Israel, close to four decades, I had to pass a security review to get my job in Yafiz. Everyone who works for Rami Levy or Yafiz must go through the same thing, and that of course includes the Arabs. To make it easier for non-Israelis to pass the security investigations, it ends up that most of the Arabs hired are related to those Arabs already working in the company. Getting these minimum wage jobs in Rami Levy is a great job for most of the Arabs, because the employment conditions are much worse when out of Israeli government labor laws.

Over a year ago, an Arab woman who was enjoying the fact that she could practice her English with me told me that she's an English Teacher, and when I replied that actually I am, too, she said that I could make "lots of money teaching English in Jenin or Nablus, ns4-5,000 shekels. Besides the safety factor, I was shocked, because in Israel that's minimum wage; teachers make much more. Then a couple of weeks ago, an Arab man told me that he owns a clothing store in his village and wanted to know how much I make. I didn't tell him, but he told me that he pays ns700. I asked for how much time, and he answered "a month." Nobody can live on that.

Don't forget that just a couple of months ago when the idea of a "land swap" as part of a "peace agreement" was suggested that would transfer Israeli Arab areas to "Palestinian" rule, the Israeli Arabs were outraged and refused it, because they do not want to be under Arab rule. They, even MK Tibi, want to stay Israeli!

I have a very strong suspicion that if, G-d forbid, an Arab aka Palestinian State was to be established every single Arab who could would move to Israel!

Real Life in the Heart of Judea-Samaria aka "West Bank"

common scene
in Yafiz

Never in a million years did I expect to find myself working with Arabs.  I'm an extreme Right wing, Jewish woman who made aliyah to Israel with my husband in 1970, and we have been living in Shiloh since 1981.  I don't work in a hospital or some bi-cultural group.  Until just under three years ago, I had very, very little contact with Arabs.  But for almost three years, I've had a simple low-paying sales job in the Yafiz clothing store in the industrial zone, Sha'ar Binyamin, just north of Jerusalem.

Sha'ar Binyamin has guards, but they are just entrusted to check that no terrorists enter with explosives. Unlike industrial zones such as nearby Mishor Adumim, they don't keep out Arabs who are lacking permits to enter Israel.  So Sha'ar Binyamin is the  "Israel" all Arabs and their visiting family and friends are welcome to enter.

Sometimes it seems like the only Jews in the store are staff, which is strange, but it's amazing how quickly I adjusted to it.  This happens at certain times which are hard to predict.  It's most common when they are preparing for their holidays.  The Arab Muslims dress up in new clothes for their holiday, so we're sometimes packed.  Their villages don't have fashionable clothing stores, and those who can get to Ramallah usually can't afford the prices there.  Our specialty is children's clothes.  Many Arabs even stock up in Yafiz before the baby is born.  And taking foreign guests to Yafiz is like tourists in America going to outlet malls.

popular items at Yafiz

I speak Hebrew, English and pantomime with the Arab customers.  Quite a few tell me that they have been in America and miss it.  Yafiz reminds them of America.  Not long ago, when things were pretty quiet in the store I had a nice talk with a middle-aged Arab woman who spoke American English.  She had lived in a large modern American city for a number of years and missed it. She told me that she treasured the time she can spend in Sha'ar Binyamin.

"It's so peaceful." 

She alluded to the lack of freedom and honesty she feels where she now lives.  She has no problems living peacefully with Jews and Israelis.  I have no doubt that she knows a lot more about the corruption in the P.A. that Ruthie Blum wrote about this week.

The aim of its report, then, was not to investigate the Palestinians per se. Rather, it was to examine the extent to which the EU has been keeping an eye on how the Palestinians have been utilizing the nearly 2 billion euros transferred to the Gaza Strip and West Bank from Brussels between 2008 and 2012.It should come of no surprise that the EU did not pass inspection on this score. As the report determined, there have been no serious attempts to reduce the risk of "funds [in the hands of the Palestinian Authority] not being used for their intended purpose."This "intended purpose" was to provide the Palestinian leadership with the money required to reform society and build democratic institutions, towards full-fledged statehood. More specific and immediate needs that have to be met, ostensibly through international funding, include matters like paying the salaries of public-sector employees.Lo and behold, no matter how many millions of euros and dollars flow into the PA, Palestinian society does not reform, democratic institutions are not built, and salaries are not paid. The legacy left by Palestine Liberation Organization chief Yasser Arafat is not only that of combining terror with talk of peace as the means to putting an end to the State of Israel, after all. Pocketing foreign cash is another time-honored tradition in Ramallah that carries on unhindered.

Neither of us have any real respect for the political leaders of either side.

In Israel, it's not about financial corruption.  It's the fact that government leaders refuse to act appropriately according to the obvious fact that the Arabs, the "P.A." doesn't really want peace.

As Netanyahu pointed out, it wasn’t a territorial conflict in the 1920s when anti-Jewish pogroms were initiated or the 1940s when Palestinian leaders embraced Hitler because the Jews didn’t have territory. But all the Palestinians need to get a state alongside Israel is to say they endorse the right to a Jewish state and to renounce the so-called right of return for the descendants of the 1948 refugees. Since that is still apparently too much to ask of the PA, what possible hope can there be for the peace talks?
Read more at: http://www.jewishpress.com/indepth/opinions/peace-is-still-up-to-the-palestinians-2/2013/10/17/ 

Simple logic should make Israel cease all cooperation with so-called "peace talks," because they will not result in peace.  We must legalize the status quo and recognize that negotiations are not the way to true peace, and if it's not true peace it's dangerous, like fake drugs that kill.

Israeli Curriculum for Arabs in Jerusalem, A Pragmatic move?

Last night as I was observing Arab families shopping in Yafiz, Sha'ar Binyamin, I couldn't help but notice how loving many of the fathers were towards their kids.  Suddenly I thought to myself:

"Would these fathers want their children killing themselves as a tool to murder Jews?"

Then I wondered if maybe I was just projecting my own love and value of life over ideology and hate.  Do the Arabs who promote terrorism and pass the evil onto their children shop in the Jewish-Israeli shopping center, Sha'ar Binyamin?  Do I meet, work with, serve a typical cross-section of Arabs or are these the less ideological, more pragmatic ones?

From body language and tones of voice, I can easily see many of the Arab parents admonishing their children to behave properly in the stores.  Many of the Arabs who shop in the Sha'ar Binyamin stores are forbidden to enter "Israel proper," sic, most of the State of Israel and nearby shopping/industrial areas like Mishor Adumim.  They need the right certification for that.

In the more than two and a half years since I began working in Yafiz, Sha'ar Binyamin there seems to be a slight rise in the percentage of Arabs who speak Hebrew with me.  Prior to that I used mainly English and pantomime to help them select clothing to buy.  Having a good grasp of Hebrew is a key tool for getting good jobs and a good education for the Arabs here.  The Arabs lucky enough to be employed at even the Israeli Minimum Wage jobs in Rami Levy Discount Supermarket make more money than a qualified teacher in cities such as Jenin and Shechem.  I've had discussions with Arab English teachers who told me how little a teacher makes there.

So I'm not at all surprised to read that five Arab schools in Jerusalem are switching to the Israeli school curriculum.

JERUSALEM (Ma'an) -- The director of education in Jerusalem has urged families with schoolchildren in Jerusalem to be aware that at least five Palestinian schools are switching to Israeli education materials.
Sameer Jibril said the Ebin Rushd and Abdulla bin Hussain schools were using Israeli education materials in the seventh and eighth grades. The Sour Baher school is using them for fourth, fifth and sixth grades, and the Ibin Khaldoun school uses it for seventh graders.

There are Arabs who are ambitious for their children and want the best possible education for them. By following the Israeli curriculum, it'll be easier for the students in these schools can more easily get into universities and get better jobs. 

Another reason the schools are switching to the Israeli Curriculum is that they will have a larger budget and higher salaries if they become part of the Israeli system.

The Israeli municipality in Jerusalem offered to increase salaries for teachers and principals who agree to implement the plans in their schools, the official said. The proposal would add about 2,000 shekels (about $550) per student enrolled in schools using Israeli curricula.

As we all know, money speaks; money speaks very loudly.

Statistics show that Arab family size is shrinking.  Many Arab families do still indoctrinate their children to do everything to oppose the State of Israel and are dangers to us, but my gut feeling is that more and more are pragmatically accepting Israel and don't want Arab rule.  They are in touch with their family and friends in Arab countries and know how difficult life is there.  That's not the life they want.  I also see over and over that local Arabs take visiting friends and family members to Sha'ar Binyamin to go shopping.  It's one of the major "must-see" sights and experiences when visiting.  The Arabs come on "shopping tours,"  oohing and ahhing over what we have to sell.  I've been told more than once that our simple family clothing store reminds them of America.

I see a great irony in the fact that despite Israel's foolish (and dangerous) decision in 1967 to allow the Arab schools in Jerusalem to continue with Jordanian curriculum, it's due to the Arabs' needs that almost a half a century after the Six Days War they are adopting Israeli educational requirements. G-d willing it's a step in the slow but sure path to a true peace.

The Advantage of the "Israeli Bubble," or Eye of the Storm

Quite a number of years ago, I blogged on Arutz 7's English site.  Actually I probably still can, since they didn't tell me to stop.  I just found it time consuming and there were too many quirks to the process needed.  I called my A7 blog "The Eye of the Storm."  That's because things do look different and lots calmer in my hometown of Shiloh than you'd think from what you read or hear in the media.

The Forward has an article claiming that our "Israeli Bubble" is dangerous and shields us from reality.

Ironic, but also predictable. The effectiveness of the barrier is twofold: It has stopped terrorist attacks, and it also has made it possible to live in (West) Jerusalem or in Tel Aviv and pretend that the Occupation doesn’t exist.
Unfortunately, this is a delusion — a bubble — with severe consequences. South Jerusalem, after all, is home not just to the German Colony’s liberals, but also to the neocons at the Shalem Center, now Shalem College, who for decades have peddled the idea that there is no hope for peace with the Palestinians, and (in the words of Daniel Gordis, one of Shalem’s most articulate spokesmen) we should settle in for 100 years of occupation. Regrettable, Rabbi Gordis says, but inevitable.
This is a self-fulfilling prophecy, of course. Claim that there’s no Palestinian partner, undermine those Palestinians who are, and lo and behold, soon there will be no Palestinian partner. If you will it, the 100-year war will be no dream.
But the real delusion is deeper still: that somehow, the rest of the world will sit idly by and allow this situation to worsen, year after year, decade after decade, without finally turning on Israel. In the bubble of southern Jerusalem, Israel is a complex but miraculous place where kids can play in the street, the Jews have a home and bus drivers read Shakespeare. The matzav, the “situation” with the Palestinians, is an unfortunate side-note to an otherwise complicated, fascinating, problematic, multi-faceted, beautiful, tragic enterprise in Jewish self-determination.
Outside the bubble, however, the Palestinian “situation” is not a side-note but the primary tune. It’s everything else about Israel that is merely secondary. To most of the world, Israel is defining itself by the Occupation, and all the rest is commentary.

Read more: http://forward.com/articles/181552/forgetting-the-mideast-conflict-is-easy-in-israel/?p=all#ixzz2bALHnLIM

Wine glasses create non-uniform
distortion of their background

I disagree.  I think we see things much more clearly from here.  There are no distortions.  When you look into a "bubble" from the outside you won't get an accurate view.

Over twenty years ago, when one of my daughters was looking for a place to do Sherut Le'umi, National Service, she and a few friends went to a city they considered far from the then intifada and politics of the yishuvim (Jewish communities in YESHA, Judea, Samaria and Gaza) they lived in.  They just wanted what they imagined to be a "normal" place.  Imagine their surprise when the greatest topic of conversation at the Shabbat table was  happening in YESHA.  At home they didn't hear as much. 

Here in Shiloh we go on with our lives.  The parents of young children are worrying about who will be teaching their kids next year and rushing around to buy books, clothes and school supplies, just like everyone else.

In Yafiz, (and Rami Levy,) Sha'ar Binyamin, where I work, Jews and Arabs are jostling around together shopping.  We're living proof that people like Jay Michaelson who wrote the Forward article haven't a clue.  They're letting their ideology distort their vision.

The calm here isn't a lie.  The Left and all those who claim that the Arabs will explode in violence aren't objectively predicting.  They are instigating and encouraging Arab violence by making excuses and rationales for the Arabs.

I'm on the inside.  I work with Arabs.  And if the world, including Israeli Leftists, media, politicians, academics and community workers would just leave things alone we would eventually achieve a true peace.  It will take a long, long time, but it can happen.

True peace can't be negotiated.  True peace comes from the inside and works its way out.  Faux peace, implemented by "treaties" is external and wears off, like the "democracy" of the "Arab Spring," which has been proven a deadly farce.