on middle-eastern differences

on the way back this evening i stopped us at an aroma near hadera where pretty much all the workers are arabs. the girls all stayed in the car, i went inside because i needed bio-fuel in order to ensure our safe passage home. the service was good and my sandwich and coffee were the usual. when one of the guys walked past me on his way outside for a smoke, i heard him say something in arabic with a heavy accent and i took a good look at his face.

i don't know if i'd be able to call him on being an arab as easily as i would be able to call him an israeli. and in the moment that followed i imagined two people, an arab and an israeli, representing the two nations, each with his full suite of cultural baggage and justifications and pride and perspectives; i imagined slapping each of them in the face, *really* hard, and telling them "enough already! we haven't even existed for a hundred thousand years and we're about to wipe ourselves out - take whatever the heck you have RIGHT NOW, stop bitching about what you don't have, and get your shit together before there's nothing left to fight about!"