Plushness

Their banners said: Israel has a right to self-defense

They had another banner showing Hezbulla fighters pointing a gun from behind a baby’s crib and an Israeli soldier pointing a gun at the Hezbulla fighter with a crib behind him.

Another banner said: WE ARE WITH YOU ISRAEL

A group of students took off their Palestinian gutras or kafias as they are called in Palestine and spread them amidst the pro-Israel demonstration.

A middle aged pro-Israeli demonstrator came to one of the brave boys carrying the kafia and said in an authoritative and sarcastic voice (thinking the boy was an Arab): “have you taken permission to protest (for Palestine)?”

The boy was very nervous and scared and shook his head.

The man continued: You do not have a right to demonstrate here.

The boy nervously said: We are only standing here.

The man said in his Israeli-English accent: Its good you’re in a democratic country, not in an Arab country.

A minute later, a policeman came to the boy and approached him like you see in the movies at the time of the communist Russia (or the USSR). The scary and tall policeman was looking at the boy ready to take him and said “this is a pro Israeli demonstration, you cannot disturb it with violence”

The boy was sweating and quivering with fear now, but still holding his kafia with his mates (boys & girls). The boy said “we are not violent” in a voice you could hardly hear.

The policeman getting closer to the boy and myself but only looking at the scared teenager and saying slowly “well you do not have the right to demonstrate here and disturb this pro-Israeli demonstration”

Around the teenager gathered his friends and he became more confident but his face still twitching with fear. The boy and I spoke at once, he said “we are not disturbing” and I said “we are not demonstrating”

The policeman left us with a look saying “I wish I was not part of this damn EU so that I can smash your faces”.

The boy relaxed.

I turned to him and asked him where he’s from? It didn’t register, his English was poor and he was still nervous. I asked him “do you speak Arabic?” he said “no”. I asked him where are you from again? He said “Italy”.
Now we had formed a small circle, his friends worried about him, but still in the spirit. I told them I am Arab and thank you very much for this. They could not converse much with me but I saw their smiles and they understood my appreciation- they nodded – I nodded and I continued to say that we do not defend the killing of children nor do we defend Hezbulla, but we want peace at least and the end to this killing. The brave teen hero said “yes this is what we all want”.

I left them and wished I had taken at least an e-mail from them.

I went back to my sister who was sitting with her hijab and her children in a near by restaurant contending with more racism-motivated, bad service.

After a few minutes, I went back to look for the Italian youth, but did not find them. But as I stood looking for them, I heard a group of 20 something French tourists looking at the Israeli flag and saying loudly MERDE! (shit in French).

I smiled and walked back to my sister’s table.