Page 28 - DIVA_3_2009

Next moming, I went to the

The night had just fallen when
Central Bus Station of Haifa to
I arrived in the vast and
take the bus to Jerusalem.
modem Ben Gourion Airport
Buses are an extremely conve-
in Tel Aviv. As I waited, just
nient way to travel in Israel.
outside the maiii entrance, for
Most places - except Eilat - can
the sherout (collectiye taxi) to
be reached by bus in less than
leave for Haifa, a seemingly

tbree hours. Central bus sta-
endless stream of religious
tions, which are also indoor
Jews iii dark suits and hats, and
malls, are good places to obser-
medieval attire, kept coming
ve the Israeli society. I noted
out of tlie aiiport. Not surpri-
that many of the passengers
singly, they were all lieaded for
were female soldiers, young
Jeiusalem. The di'iver of the
women cairying a gun. There
sherout explained that a jui'nbo
were also lots of religious peo-
jet must have arrived from

ple - especially, of course, to
New York which has a veiy
large coininunity of Hassidic 1- I i and from Jeiusalem.
Jews. Many Israelis are wor-
At the Israeli Minish'y of
i'ied about the rapid growth of
Foreign Affairs, we liad a good
the numbers of relig'ous Jews,
meeting with Daii Haezrachy,
wondering if that represents a
the Director of Middle East
threat to the democratic and
@ Projects, and Silvia Berladski
secular future of Israel. Well, of
Banich, tlie liead of literature
coirse, it does. Political parties
section. We agrccd that holding
such as Shas, whose 'spiritual
the meeting u'ider tlie sponsors-
autliority', the 87 year-old rabbi
liip of P.E.N. hitemational was
Ovadya Yosef appears to liate
an excellent idea. We made a
the Palestiniaiis, should liave
phone call to Jamal Zakout, tlie
no place iii the IsraeIi political
liead of Infonnation at the
life. Tlie time lias come to
Piime Minister's Office who
separate state and relig'on iii
agreed, despite the fact tliat it
Israel.
was an impoitant Islainic holi-
day, to meet witli me, on the
Ii'i the end, I took the train to
had chosen to be based in has been made into a successful following moming, in
Haifa. I happened to sit across
Haifa, a port city where Jews film. Ramallali.
from a senior officer of the
and Arabs co-exist peacefully,
Israeli Air Force. When I told
as evidenced by an annual festi- I liad met Sarni and Rachel, his The bus station used by Israeli
l why I l'iad come to Israel-
val of the three monoflieistic chai'ining young wife who is Arabs visiting friends and rela-
Palestine, one tlmg that he said
religions that takes place at the also his literaiy agent, twice tives in tl'ie West Bank cities is,
has remained with me: You see,
end of tlie year and lasts for five before, in 2007 and 2008, both iii East Jeiusalem, not far from
Palestinians and Israelis have
weeks. Thanks to a fi'iend a for- times in Bled, Slovenia, at tlie tlie Ainei'ican Colony Hotel (a
different cultures, we liave a
mer colleague, professor Jacob annual conference of tlie very beautiful and l'ffstoi'ic five-
Westei'ii culture, they have an
BamaY, I was able to secure Wi'iters for Peace Cominittee of star hotel patronized by an
oi'iental culture. We don't tMnk
affordable and coinfoitable at P.E.N. Intemational which is a iiiteriiational crowd of visiting
the same way, the mentalities
tlie University of Haifa. Saini, a the only world-wide organiza- diplomats, expeits and big
are not the saine. Well, I did not
well-laiown Israeli wiiter of tion of writers (founded in NGO representatives).
tell lmn, but tliat is not hue:
Iraqi origin, is also the 1921, in tlie affei'inatli of tlie
More tliaii half of tl'ie Israeli
President of ACRI (the fu'st world war, by writers hor- The forty-minute trip to
poprilation is forined by Jews
Association of Civil Rights in i'ified by the caniage, it has 145 Ramallah in a collective taxi

of Sepliardic (initially from
Israel). Saini's novels, all best- centres in more than 100 cohui- cost tne six shekels (less tlian
Spain aiid Portiigal) and Nortli
sellers iii Israel that have been hies aiid represents more thait US$ 2 dollars). On account of
African (notably Moroccan)
translated into a large nunber 15,000 writers arormd the the holiday, tlie veliicle was

origin. They liave more iii com-
of languages, reflect his deeply- world). filled witli a dozen or so well-
mon witli Palestinians tliai'i
lield belief that the Israeli and dressed Israeli Arab and
with Ainei'icaiis or Europeans.
the Palestinian peoples liave Saini and Rachel invited me to Palestiiiian men, women and
What is tnie, on the other hand,
many tliings in coininon and have dii'uier at their place. Tliey cl'iildren. Two or three of tl'ie
is that the founders of tlie State
can live side by side in peace have a nice aparhrient iii a lugli women wore a scaif coveiiiig

of Israel were all Ashkenazic
and fi-iendslnp. A street in tlie i'ise tliat lias a beautiful view of tlieir liair. One, wlio was yormg
(Eastem &iropean-Polisli,
Wadi (Valley in Arabic, tlie tlie Haifa Bay. It was great and attractive, and wore a suit,
Gennan and Russian) Jews
lower pait of Haifa close to tlie seeiiig tliem again after ahnost did not. Slie was cheeifiil and
wlio still, today, even if to a les-
sea where tbe Israeli Arabs live) a year. Racliel had prepared a talkative. We travelled straight
ser extent, dominate tlie Israeli
lias been, iii recognition and very tasty cliickei'i casserole. to Ramallali, not liaviiig to stop
intellectual, political and eco-
gratitude, decorated witli pos- We rensced aborit Bled and at tlie clieck poiiit - a yoring

noinic lives.
ters of his several books, one of plotted strategy. Tliey gave me female soldier checked our
wliicli, Tiun'ipet in the Wadi, a small jar of delicioris pickled papers on tlie way back to
To be close to Saini Michael I
olives. Jenisalem.
26 3 2009 Diva
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