At the Israeli Super market

By David Verveer

I am a little tired on defending Israel on the Internet, not only because I can not persuade anybody, who is already convinced that Israel is an apartheid state and are guilty of all imaginary racist crimes, but also because our daily life (and those of our neighbors) is relatively normal.

Take for example our Super market at the mall, when you shop there, you realize that stories written by passing through, one-day visitors, who are pre-determined to provide a pre- opinioned articles about the actual internal conditions between the local Arab and Jewish population groups. My town, Kfar Saba borders with several Arab town and villages on the north and south side, and in the East to the Green Line (the border between the Palestine Authority run Autonomy and future state of Palestine, with the Palestinian town of Jaljuliah.

The towns Kfar Saba and Jaljuliah are today separated by the famous Wall, and a main toll road that connects the southern and central part of Israel with the North. People living in Jaljuliah were in the past allowed to enter Israel, and many were employed in the building trade.
Since the second Intifada, and result of continues terrorist rates, the Separation Wall was erected, and today, only with permits such as medical emergencies and treatment, the Jaljulians are permitted to enter Israel.

But as mentioned before, I do not want to talk about politics, and I am not trying to defend the history or actions of the politicians and extremists.
Our supermarket, where from the outside you see the town Jaljuliah and the separation wall, 2 km further, is build on the eastern border of the town, however, only 15 km to the west, you find the Mediterranean coast, as this is the waist of Israel, named the Sharon region. Our town is in actual fact the business center for many, the Arab triangle of Arab towns and villages in the neighborhood, the settlers living in settlements on the other side of the Green line, and of course, the local population.
The town has approx. 90,000 inhabitants, but it serves a population of double this number of people, visiting, working and buying in Kfar Saba.

This heterogeneous population can be seen daily at the super-market, were you will see Palestinians in their traditional clothing, religious Jews, non too religious Arabs and Jews, with all skin colors, from very black (Jews from Ethiopia, Arabs who descent from Nubian parentage), to very blond Jews coming from all over the world.
Also the personnel of the super market belongs to different population groups, and can you find that the lady who operates the cash register, with a traditional Arab shawl covering her hair, next to a lady, who's Russian accent is very strong, and immigrated to Israel only a few years back.

In order to keep the clients happy, you can find numerous articles and typical dishes for all sectors, from Iraqi pitas, to Russian types of cheese and yogurts, special salads and pastries, typifying the variation in world taste, and now, with the summer holydays, small children of all colors and greed, run around, trying to persuade their mothers to buy sweets and cokes and ice-cream. And after coming home, having spent two hours of shopping in this population rainbow, I read the comments and attacks on Israel in the media, and wonder, what in heavens name, they are talking about Israeli racists, as more integration is simply impossible.