Athens

Less than a week has passed after the daring infiltration and detonation of encrypted pagers and communication devices issued to Hezbollah operatives, and the event has become old news. Nonetheless, it exposed so much: celebrations by Syrians civilians who suffered from Hezbollah fighters who were sent to Syria by Iran to prop up the Assad regime; accusations by the UN that detonating pagers in the hands of terrorists was a war crime, despite these devices being used for encrypted terrorist communications; the fact that the Iranian ambassador to Lebanon was injured when his personal Hezbollah pager exploded. 

https://apnews.com/article/lebanon-hezbollah-israel-exploding-pagers-8893a09816410959b6fe94aec124461b

JITTERY FLIGHTS

The news has resulted in another cycle of flight cancelations by foreign airlines into Israel. Thousands of Israeli passengers are again stranded overseas. This cycle has occurred multiple times since the cursed October 7. Lufthansa, for instance, has repeatedly cancelled, later resumed, and then again stopped its flights to Israel. Reasons for this vary: increased insurance premiums, flight crews refusing to fly into a war zone, air crews being afraid to furlough in Tel Aviv. Only Israeli airlines, and in particular ElAl, the privately operated, Israeli brand airline, have continued to fly a regular schedule. 

https://en.globes.co.il/en/article-more-airlines-suspend-israel-service-1001490116

ElAl

Following these cancelations, ElAl picked up the slack by putting on extra flights to Europe. Demand has been high, available seats scarce. ElAl prices, and revenues, went through the roof. Following complaints of price gouging, the company agreed to freeze prices from certain destinations. In exchange, the Israeli government shared the burden by issuing the airline with tax exemptions.  

https://www.timesofisrael.com/el-al-announces-fixed-ticket-costs-for-4-locations-amid-price-hike-accusations/

Complaints continued that prices to non European destinations were inordinately high. 

https://www.israelnationalnews.com/en/news/388513

But arguments in ElAl’s favour remain: it is a reliable constant during times of conflict, a luxury service for which we should be thankful and happy to pay the price. Especially when the company also provided gratis transport to young Israelis returning home urgently to join their units on the battlefield.

It was during one such cycle of cancelations, in August, that I sat in Edinburgh, scanning the ElAL website for flights home. Notwithstanding its increased service, I found only one seat, from Athens. I pounced on it. I could leverage the opportunity of being in Greece to feel the current vibe there.

GREECE

The woman seated beside me on my Air France flight to Athens was clearly exhausted. Bella, a Florida native, was heading for the Aegean to vacation with friends. A strict Trump supporter, she told me of her support for the Second Amendment, Christian values, and the State of Israel. The poor woman had spent 20 hours traveling on delayed connections from the US, and was smashed when we met. Perhaps that is why she was open with her views. Either way, it got me thinking about true worldwide support for Israel in the current international climate.

As distinct from Scotland, we were greeted in Athens by a humid, stifling heat.  By the time I arrived at my accomodation, near the centrally located Syntagma Square, I was a mess. My first impression that night, as I dragged my bag from the subway, was positive. Looked over by the presidential palace, it seemed an upscale area, burgeoning with crowds, restaurants and live music. 

It was only the next morning that I saw the anti-Zionist signs painted in the area I was staying.

BIBI

It had been a few decades since my last visit to Athens, and the city had changed dramatically. Strolling around town on my first day, I passed an elderly man lounging beside a chess table, as if waiting for a partner. 

He smiled and gestured for me to play. “I’m no good at chess,” I explained. As with everyone else on the street, he asked where I was from. 

“Israel good people,” he pointed out. “Government bad. Bibi bad. Much suffer.” I listened intently. Love him or hate him, Bibi has certainly served as a target for the difficult image Israel has garnered in the last 12 months. Bibi, the bad guy bogeyman, has been a recurring theme with people I have met abroad. In a way, it allows people to absolve me as an Israeli of perceived wrongdoings by Israel, by blaming our prime minister. 

LANDZMEN

By early afternoon I sat down at a hip outdoor cafe below the Plaka. I ordered a cuppacino. Two young men, unkempt, ate lunch at a nearby table, speaking German. One of them was oddly familiar. I glanced up at the Parthenon, towering above me, but was blinded by the sun. 

A young couple with a toddler sat behind me and ordered gyros.ֿ

“Ima, ani rotsa chips!” screamed the little girl in Hebrew. Her father dutifully went inside and then returned, handing her a small bowl of French fries. 

The waitress lazily walked toward me from the restaurant next door, holding a cup of lukewarm coffee, placing it in front of me. I smiled, knowing that this was the best I could hope for. Two women in their 20s put down their packs by the cafe door and scanned the menu, chatting quietly in Hebrew. I took in all the customers around me. 

“Is everyone here Israeli?” I asked aloud in Hebrew. 

The German speaker laughed before addressing me, also in Hebrew. “I knew you were Israeli when you first arrived and asked the waitress if a gyro is the same as a shwarma.” It was my turn to laugh. He had seemed familiar to me earlier because he was, in fact, Israeli.

Having identified ourselves as landzsmen, we each went back to our own business. It was the first week of September, 2024. This assortment of young Israelis at the cafe could have been returning to Israel from a stretch abroad. But judging by their ages and physical fitness, it was just as likely that they had spent part of the year fighting in Gaza and were now taking a well needed break. A reality that no-one else in the street could even conceive of. 

FRIENDSHIP UNDER FIRE

I finished my coffee and headed up the hill path for the Acropolis. At each passing photo opportunity, I bumped into a young, eastern European woman taking selfie after selfie. We started a conversation and joined forces, continuing our climb up the hill together. Yulia, a svelt, blonde-haired Ukrainian native,  had moved to Dubai three years ago and was now on vacation. 

There was much to discuss: her family in Ukraine, life under siege, the realities of Dubai, and what the world is coming to. 

Stickers adorned every light pole and hard surface on our path. Surveying the view of Athens from above, my attention was caught by a little sticker on a fire hydrant. “Bring Them Home Now” it said. I wondered if any of the throng passing this point, even if they saw the sticker, would know it was referring to the Israeli hostages held in Gaza by Hamas. And who put it there?

Aereopagus Hill, where Paul reputedly preached Christianity to the Athenians, beckoned. 

But before ascending, Yulia and I took photos for an American couple visiting from Texas. “Where are you from?”, the husband asked the striking Ukranian with me. Yulia responded, adding that by contrast, I’m from Australia. 

“Israel, actually,” I corrected her. The American couple’s eyes lit up, and the man gave me a hug. 

“We love Israel, and we’re right behind you, my friend. Forget what you see on the news. Our church, and many besides, all around the States, are doing everything we can to support you. God bless.” Almost as an afterthought, he returned his gaze to my companion. “And good luck to you. It’s an awful thing what Putin is putting you through. Stay safe.”

A JEWISH METZIA

In the early evening, I joined the jostling crowds in the Monastiraki market. 

Perusing the jewellery stores, I spotted a Star of David pendant surreptitiously displayed among other pieces. It was like a secret code, a call of identity to those in the know. “Can I help you?” asked the saleswoman. We spoke quietly, and she delicately asked where I was from. She nodded with recognition when I told her. “It’s very sad what’s happening there now.” Soon enough, she shared with me stories about time she had spent in Israel and of her family and friends there. Coming from a proud Jewish family, this market stall had been in her family for more than 80 years. We turned our attention to life locally. “It’s true that Athens has changed, but the economy is in a mess. Prices are high, wages low, and there is crime. The city is covered with graffiti, a classic sign of social unrest. Enjoy your visit, but don’t be fooled.” Her elderly mother sat at the back of the store while other, younger family members attended to customers. I met them all, took their portraits, and bought some jewellery. It was a very warm encounter, and we heartily agreed to staying in touch.

EXARCHIA

While I didn’t get to the Athens orthodox synagogue, I spoke with one of the community's Israeli teachers. He was very warm and friendly and directed me to the Exarchia neighbourhood to get a feel for the socially disenfranchised communities of Athens. 

https://theplanetwonk.com/is-it-safe-to-stay-in-exarchia/#:~:text=Exarchia%20has%20gained%20a%20reputation,a%20safe%20place%20for%20tourists.

It was only a twenty minute walk from Syntagma and a real eye-opener. There was plenty of pro-Palestine and anti-Israel material spread littering the walls. 

This paled in insignificance, however, to the anti-government, anti-police, anti-tourist, anti-capitalist and almost every other “anti” slogan that self-perceived victims and underdogs of society might chant in protest. 

Despite its unsavoury reputation, parts of Exarchia are already undergoing gentrification. 

I did not encounter any negative sentiments from people I met during my time in Athens, whether hailing from Ireland, Georgia, Greece, Australia or elsewhere. The only scowl directed my way was when I pointed my camera at a woman struggling with her umbrella in a brief summer rainstorm.

I wondered whether anti-Israel protests would restart in the new University year. 

HOME STRIKE

It was a short but enlightening trip. As I prepared my bags for my coveted flight to Israel, the news came through that a general strike would shut down Ben Gurion airport on the day of my arrival, in protest at the government’s handling of the Gaza war. 

https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/ben-gurion-airport-to-halt-all-arrivals-and-departures-tomorrow-at-8-a-m-amid-strike/

Nonetheless, ElAl was a pleasure to fly with. Every effort was made to calm passengers in the face of possible problems caused by the strike at Ben Gurion. And to my delight the plane itself, the meal served and the attention given by the crew were all far superior to my Air France flight a few days earlier.

Thus I landed back in Israel. And despite the news streaming in from the front, it was good to be home.

Scotland

Edinburgh, 8.30am local time

On waking, I switched on the Israeli news service.

Israel’s north was pounded by more Hezbollah missiles. More Israeli soldiers killed in Gaza. More rallies calling for the Israeli government to accept any deal to bring the hostages home, even stopping the war; we can continue the fight another day, but no hostage lost is ever coming back. 

I checked my emails. 

A barrage of messages awaited me from loved ones in Israel, sharing links to news about Scotland. When are you coming home, they asked, you’re in danger! The links were to reports that the Scottish Government had sacked its party whip after he had said that, on available evidence, Israel was not conducting a genocide in Gaza. Had it been so, he argued, many more Palestinians would have perished by now. He was berated by colleagues for denying Palestinian suffering. That’s not what he said, of course, but let’s not let the facts get in the way of an anti-Israel campaign. 
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1jlwg8d3lgo

It was time for me to measure the mood on the streets.

Stepping out of the house, I passed the few Palestinian flags that loyal supporters still hang from their windows.

Zionist Free Zone

I made my way to Leith, 20 minutes away on the coast, to meet a Jewish friend who lives and works there. For many years, Leith had a down-and-out reputation. Left wing, woke activists moved in. Yuppies followed, bringing money, expensive brands, and renewal. 

The original hardcore population considered these others to be interlopers, destroying the gritty, indigenous fabric of the town. Over a drink, my friend told me the history of the neighbourhood and the pangs of its gentrification. Since October 7, a vicious campaign advocated making Leith a ‘Zionist Free Zone’. Agitators approached local shop-owners, insisting they display anti-Israel signs in their shops. 

https://www.thejc.com/news/uk/edinburgh-group-calls-on-locals-to-escalate-for-gaza-and-create-zionist-free-zone-q7b3rf60 

For the sake of his business and his family, he kept his Jewish identity private. But the situation was not ideal by any means. After complaints, and presumably in a bid to remove distractions from the city during the 2024 Edinburgh Festival, most of the anti-Israel posters were removed. Nonetheless, vestiges have remained. 

Apparently local Tory candidate Ian Mcgill, had blue paint splashed on his office facade when he contested anti-semitic and anti Israel activities. Most had been washed off when I passed his office, but smudges remain as testimony to a battle that will surely resurface.

I told my friend of an Arab commentator who emphasised that the West has welcomed-in all those "dregs" of society sidelined by Arab countries. They want to live off the state, introduce Sharia law and seek scapegoats for their troubles. Ludicrously, western democratic countries are importing these troublemakers to be their own next electorate.

My friend pondered a moment. Many strict Muslims live in Scotland, he replied, but certainly not as many as in England. Scotland, he felt, had a better chance than the rest of the UK to hold out against immigrant agitation over the long term, because the Scots have a stronger sense of identity than elsewhere in the country. Food for thought.

The Fringe Festival

Sparks of anti-Israel sentiment made their way into performances at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

In one incident, an Israeli couple were abused, both by the performer and by the audience.  

https://www.scotsman.com/arts-and-culture/edinburgh-festival-fringe-4740124. 

In another incident, a performer banned zionists from his show.

https://www.thejc.com/news/uk/disgraced-anti-israel-performer-paul-currie-banned-zionists-from-his-edinburgh-fringe-show-lykt2zjw

By contrast, London Jewish comedienne Rachel Creeger performed as the Ultimate Jewish Mother. She told me that in her performances, she doesn't shy away from being Jewish. In fact she emphasizes it. Her show is not political, and she tries to impart a positive message. I have seen her show and she does just that. Nonetheless, she has found that since 'October 7', she has been given the cold shoulder by some of her work contacts.  

Of the hundereds of shows on offer, the Festival includer a play called Hagar: War Mother, about a woman fleeing the war in Syria. 

According to the festival website, the solo play is "performed by Amena Shehab, a Palestinian-Syrian-Canadian, a refugee twice over". 

https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/hagar-war-mother. 

I was struck by the concept of who is a refugee, knowing that this actress was clearly born after 1948 and may have never even been to 'Palestine'. But more so, I was fascinated at how easily the term refugee was used, with reference to someone of Palestinian heritage, as an uncontested fact.

After attending another play at the festival, (a terrible murder mystery!), I chatted with the man seated beside me in the theatre. He knew nothing about the Middle East. Learning of my background, he started asking questions. “Who are Hamas, exactly?”. The more I explained, the less he understood. It was all too complicated. When midnight rolled around, I suggested he watch one of my talks on YouTube and, frustratingly, bade him good night. So many locals hear the rhetoric on the news and see the pro-Palestine marches that block their streets, and wonder what it all has to do with them.

Local Sympathy

Wearing his kippa and dressed in a suit, David Rose goes about his daily business. He confided in me that, in his two decades as rabbi of the Edinburgh Hebrew Congregation, he could count on one hand  incidences when distasteful comments had been made to him for being Jewish. When I accompanied him on the street, making our way through the throngs who had descended on the city for the Fringe, people would stop him to express their sympathies and good wishes for the Jewish community and Israelis. Some were complete strangers.

Between a Rock and A Hard Place

In 2023, Scotland's head of state was Hamza Yousef, a Muslim of Pakistani origin, and the country's first lady was a Palestinian. Her parents were living in Gaza.

On his appointment to the top job, he was accused, in some quarters, of Israel bashing. 

https://www.jns.org/scotlands-new-first-minister-humza-yousaf-has-met-with-hamas-bashes-israel/

But this did not seem to represent his later conduct.

During his brief time in office, Yousef supported diversity and suggested how Jews should deal with antisemitism.

https://www.thejc.com/news/politics/snp-leader-humza-yousaf-jews-should-tell-antisemities-to-f-off-ea0zrt1v

Following October 7, Yousef attended the Giffnock synagogue in Glasgow, where he expressed condolences to the family of a Jewish Scot murdered in Israel by Hamas on that terrible day.

https://www.thejc.com/news/politics/humza-yousaf-tells-family-of-scot-murdered-by-hamas-your-grief-is-my-grief-faj55rgm.

Yousef resigned his post on 7^th May, 2024, for reasons unconnected to his position on Israel.

Now, months later, he is being investigated:

'Scotland's former first minister Humza Yousaf faces probe after quarter-million donation to Gaza

Scotland's former first minister reportedly donated £250,000, out of a fund destined for Malawi, Rwanda, Zambia and Pakistan, only a day before his in-laws were given passage from Gaza'.

https://www.jpost.com/international/article-810318

He must have felt stuck between a rock and a hard place. I don't envy him.

Protests

University protests in Edinburgh were few and far between after my arrival. Students left town for the summer, during which tourists took over the city for the Fringe Festival. The city was clearly cleaned up for the event.

Nonetheless, flyers still decorated windows, advertising fundraising events for Gaza. These were presumably deemed by the authorities humanitarian in nature and not political.

Some political posters did slip through, usually in private windows.

Barclays Bank and the Zionists 

A biweekly protest takes place outside the town branch of Barkley’s Bank. The protestors claim the bank is funding Israeli munitions. 

I decided to attend. About six people, all local Scots, hovered on the pavement around a table with a Palestinian flag.

They distributed stickers with the words ‘Boycott Israel’ to the few passersby who stopped. 

All and sundry, including me, were requested to sign a petition against the bank.

The large glass doors to the bank were guarded by two burly security men, ensuring safe ingress and egress for customers. 

I stepped towards the building and they ushered me in. The guards looked serious but sympathetic.

“Do you guys stand at the door all the time, or just when there’s a protest?”, I asked.

“Just for protests. It’s every week.”

“I’m not with them. I’m Israeli", I clarified. "I’m one of those who hides in a bomb shelter when Hamas shoots missiles at us.” The guard glanced at me with a blank, accepting face.

“I don’t get it,” he said, looking out at the protestors. “Some people just want to make trouble.”

One of the protestors outside, wearing an angry expression, approached the doors and motioned for the guard to allow him in.

“Don’t worry, he’s coming for me”, I told the guard who watched, surprised, as I exited the bank to face the protestor’s ire.

“Why are you talking to the Bank’s guards?” he spat at me. “You look like you’re conspiring with the security guys!”

He asked me where I was from.

“Israel”. The man visibly winced with pain.

“Why are you photographing us without asking permission?”

I looked at him, surprised. “You’re in public with a flag and huge signs. I assume you want publicity.”

“Only if you’re with us!”

I spoke calmly, trying to keep the flames low. “I didn’t come to discuss politics, just to see what you’re doing.”

“Do you agree with the Zionists?” he asked me, hoping against hope that I would redeem myself.

“I am a Zionist”, I pointed out, glancing back through the glass doors at the bank’s guards in case I needed protection.

I was immediately subjected to a tirade of misinformation about Israel, apartheid, colonial aggression, land theft, and more. I didn’t push back too hard because, to be honest, no-one was listening, least of all the fellow I was talking to. He was insistent that no atrocities had occurred on October 7, that most Israeli injuries had occurred at the hands of Israel, as cover for its ‘genocidal’ activities, that Palestinians are not allowed to enter half of the country due to apartheid, that all Jews are colonialist immigrants, and more. He was red-faced and close to screaming.

“Why are you being aggressive? This is a civil conversation”. He calmed down, and I continued. “Look, I live in Israel. Everything you're saying is simply not what I see or experience. I’ve been to the burnt out villages near the Gaza border. I work with Palestinians. I even know some who voted for Netanyahu.”

“Ach, you have been brainwashed by the ZIONISTS!” His thick Scottish accent and pale complexion somehow exaggerated my sense that his rage was fuelled by white Christian antisemitism, and not by facts. There was no point in continuing our banter, and we both knew it.

I wished him peace and held out my hand. He instinctively took it before realising that I was a ‘Zionist’ and he was shaking hands with the devil.

My thoughts zapped back to my university days, when I sported a kippa and tsitsit. A close catholic friend asked me what a Zionist was. “It’s someone who believes in Jewish nationalism. Why do you ask?” Apparently she had been chided by other students for being friends with a Zionist.

The Church

I was a little shaken by the blind hatred of the protester. I strolled a while to calm myself, before passing a large church. The building was beautiful, and I went in to see it. A community member gave me a tour. 

This church is apparently twinned with the Scottish Anderson Church, which is located near me in Jerusalem. I was shown a vintage photograph and I described to my guide what it looks like today.

He had never been to Israel, but, having been married to a Lebanese woman, he had visited Beirut regularly. He shared with me the consternation he felt in the early 1980s when, after the PLO took control of southern Lebanon, snipers started taking pot-shots in Lebanon’s beautiful capital city. I shared with him my experience with the bank protestor only an hour earlier, and we commiserated about the blind, ignorant hatred on the street.

Living as a Jew in Edinburgh

A meeting was held at the EHC synagogue for members to express their feelings about current events. An Israeli woman, living in Scotland for many years, almost cried as she spoke about the distortions in the British media and how it affected the people around her. Following October 7, work acquaintances and others who are aware of her background greet her stone-faced. “Not one of them has said a word, or shown me any sympathy or expressed any interest in my welfare whatsoever.” Others present had similar experiences. 

“Twenty years ago”, she went on, “our son became friends with a boy from a Palestinian family here in Edinburgh. We were so happy they were friends. The other boy’s parents, however, forbade our sons from mingling.”

An elderly gentleman shared his own thoughts. “Local antisemitism is what it has always been. I was bullied here as a wee lad, and it continues today. Don’t fool yourselves. No-one here loves Jews.”

Community Relations with the City

A few days later, the EHC held an annual event marking appreciation for the warm relationship between the Jewish community and the city. With much pomp and ceremony, public dignitaries attended the Saturday service. I stood shooting the breeze with the security guard when one of the event’s organisers came over to the guard.

“Word seems to have gotten out about this event. One of the dignitaries has been stalked and subjected to abuse. For security reasons, he’s decided not to attend today. Everything should be fine, but there’s a small chance that protestors will turn up here. If so, let me know.” No protestors showed, and no-one but the guard, and now you, was any the wiser. But it certainly gave me some insight into the current atmosphere.

During the service, the rabbi took to the podium to deliver a sermon to the community and the dignitary guests. He spoke with sensitivity but in a forthright tone, discussing the values of equality and respect expressed in the bible, which are reflected in the values engendered by the city through the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Are these values being safeguarded, he pondered? Do all citizens feel respected and safe? Without referencing any specific event or community, he alluded to the agitation in Leith, amongst others.

“We must ask ourselves whether all our residents feel safe, and whether we are doing enough to safeguard and promote those values”. I was proud of the way he raised this issue. At the kiddush and refreshments that followed, the Lord Provost (Mayor) thanked the rabbi for the truth of words and the important challenge they posed.

Ibrahim and Ismail

Numerous Jewish visitors to Edinburgh are hosted by the EHC synagogue for Shabbat meals. During one such lunch, a visitor from Efrat opined that there is no such thing as an innocent Muslim. I was horrified, as was the Rabbi, who is known for his participation in interfaith relations. “The Arabs are children of Ishmael”, the fellow argued, “and he was evil to the core.”

The Rabbi shot back. “Nowhere does it say that Ishmael was evil. In fact he was blessed with being the father of a large nation, today the Muslims.” The rabbi added that when local rabble-rousers had sought to protest against Israel in front of the synagogue, it had been the local Muslim community that had stopped them.

Persians

During the week I entered a store downtown and started a conversation (as always) with the shopkeeper. He was pleased to give me the opportunity to photograph him. We spoke as I got to work, and he shared with me stories of his childhood in Iran. I told him I'm Israeli, and his face lit up, suddenly directing his assistant to make me a cup of espresso. "I support you, man," he said, referring to the current conflict with Hamas in Gaza. "All Persians do. The Jews are our friends, and we respect Israel. The problem is the Iranian government. In the name of Islam, they just shoot people all the time. Also in Iran and also around the world." He told me of family members who still live there, of their economic hardships, of the need to toe the line of the regime. Then he became even more serious and spoke of the country's leaders. Despite that reported in the news, Raisi, he was sure, was bumped off, because he tried to take too much power.  Moreover, the current president is the weakest so far. After him, today's youth will be in a position to wrest back power from the Ayatollas. We looked out the shop window at the passersby, both Muslims and others, and wondered aloud what they think and why. Unlike them, here was a person who understood current world events in the way I understood them. We gave each other gifts, exchanged contact details, and parted.

I thought back to other Muslim Iranians I have encountered in the last year. The flag-waving Persians who joined the rally I attended last year in Melbourne in support of Israel; the Persian woman I met on the London tube, who told me rather forcefully (and despite my protestations) that all Gazans are Israel-hating terrorists and need to be finished off; the sole counter-protestor, draped in an Israeli flag, at a pro-Palestine rally in Leeds. This man stood defiant while being screamed at and abused for being Israeli by masked Arabs, who openly threatened him in front of the police. I heard his Persian accent as he retorted calmly, speaking about Hamas atrocities and Israel's right to defend itself. My subsequent enquiries confirmed: this Iranian individual regularly attends these rallies, alone, defending Israel.

The Mosque

The next day, on a whim, I decided to pop into an Edinburgh mosque. I approached the entrance respectfully and the guards allowed me in. Inside it was quiet and serene. I stayed briefly and absorbed the atmosphere. At the exit, I struck up a conversation with some worshippers, and they welcomed me to visit any time. "This is a place of peace. All are welcome.” They spoke to each other in a mixture of Bengali and Urdu.

A worshipper entered and I greeted him. “Salaam Aleikum”
Hearing me, the others looked at me in surprise.
“How do you know to say that?”
“I live in Israel”.
“But you’re not a Zionist...right?”
“Actually, I am”, I answered. Surprisingly, the conversation became even warmer.
They hailed from Pakistan, and we discussed the connections between our cultures: Halal and Kosher; modesty and women’s head coverings; the nature of Hashem/Allah; Ibrahim, Yaakub and Ismail.
“We are all cousins, you know”, said one of them with a smile. “Jews and Muslims. We are children of Ismail, you are children of Yaakub.” I nodded.
“What do you think about Netanyahu?” he suddenly asked.
I laughed. But the question was genuine and was not meant as a threat. We spoke for another hour, and we listened to each other with genuine interest.

“It’s a pity you can’t come to visit Israel” I said. “Perhaps one day you will get a UK passport and come to see it for yourself.” We embraced in what I thought was a farewell moment. 

“Please let us stay in touch. We would love to visit Israel.”

My visit to the mosque had led to a small encounter on a big scale. A life situation of which most Scots are unaware, and would almost certainly consider impossible.

I descended the mosque steps and rounded the corner, passing a small, left-wing, social action bookstore, filled to the brim with books advocating for the rights of whom they see as suffering discrimination for their gender, social or political status. 

This included, of course, books about the Palestinians, as well as posters and protest material. 

I flicked through some books and tried to understand.

I did not feel physically threatened in Scotland. It is a very polite and understated society. But as with everywhere else I visited in the UK, the anti-Israel/Pro-Palestine supporters argue 'facts' that differ wildly from what I, as a resident of Israel, see with my own eyes. Why? This is likely due to their sources of information - distorted national media reports and fabrications on social media - combined with a desire to be socially accepted. 

https://deadline.com/2024/06/inside-bbc-tumult-over-israel-gaza-1235978008/

https://time.com/6342140/israel-hamas-war-social-media-flaws/

https://www.jpost.com/israel-hamas-war/article-819124

I would be leaving soon, and the summer vacation would end. University students would be returning to their enrolled studies, skipping classes in order to flirt with the cool kids, trying to look trendy and salve their consciences about living affluent lives in a free society. Some might pop into a radical bookstore with material exposing all of society's ills and get riled up by what they see in black and white. All the while, hardworking locals would experience more frustration as the city’s streets are blocked and life is disrupted by marches led by angry thugs, their faces masked by Kefiyes.

It will be interesting to see the the face of the city when the laughter-seeking festival-goers leave their rented student accomodations and the academic institutions get back into full swing. I won't see it. I will be back home, in Israel, hopefully making a difference to the lives of the people around me who live on the front lines. After all, that's where everyone in Israel today is living.