[img]96|left|||no_popup[/img]Dateline Jerusalem — It is summer, and everyone is on vacation. School is out, offices are closed (except mine), and people are taking trips and tours all over Israel. Traffic is like Los Angeles freeways during rush hour — not moving at all except when someone isn't paying attention and rams into the car in front. That creates an unwanted forward motion.
Bus drivers have schedules to meet, and traffic delays cause problems for everyone, especially if a connection to another bus or train is necessary. The other day my bus driver decided to take a detour to avoid the freeway parking lot. Although I have taken the same bus route for the last two years, this was the first time we went off course.
The driver exited the freeway and began to climb the mountain, driving through an Arab village in order to bypass much of the freeway congestion.
Our Friends and Allies
Someone on the bus told me that this Arab village was not only friendly to Israeli Jews, but the Arabs in this village did not flee Israel in 1948 when it obtained statehood like so many descendants of the so-called Palestinians. In fact, this Arab village stayed and fought alongside the Jews in the War of Independence.
The buildings and houses are built of glass and Jerusalem stone.
The architecture of the individual homes is unique.
Some houses are modern-styled mansions, not unlike those in the most exclusive neighborhoods in the U.S. Yet, the streets are so narrow that the bus took up the entire width of the road. It was a good thing that no cars were coming from the opposite direction. Across the road from these gorgeous homes are small businesses, like a fruit and vegetable store, a corner market to buy staples, and little cafes. As the bus climbed higher, the view became even more spectacular.
Correcting an Arab Stereotype
I felt as though I were on a vacation tour instead of on my way home from work. It was obvious the bus driver knew his way around because as we descended the mountain and drove through connecting Jewish areas, we approached an almost traffic-free highway awaiting us. And although we took this scenic, circuitous route, we arrived at our destination on time.
Often people outside of Israel think that Arabs here live in squalor. But those are not the Israeli Arabs and Druze. All citizens of Israel are granted equal rights with free education, mandatory health care, and an opportunity to vote and hold political office. In fact, there are several Arabs in the Knesset (Israeli legislature), those who serve as ambassadors, and there is even an Arab on the Israeli Supreme Court.
Some of these Israeli Arabs are actually against a Palestinian state that will encompass Eastern Jerusalem. These Arabs fear they will lose the freedoms, opportunities and benefits they have enjoyed as Israeli citizens.
L'hitraot. Shachar
Shachar is the Hebrew name of a California-based attorney and former Los Angeles County deputy sheriff who moved to Israel two years ago this month.
