On Racism at Breakfast

An hour ago I was at breakfast, sitting at a table with three others. It was lovely. I had been missing this, this easy socialising, but then came the question: 'What are you doing this weekend?'

I tried to dodge it, but finally had to answer: 'Tomorrow I'm going to Ramallah.'

'How can you spend Shabbat among Arabs?' asked J.

'She's not Jewish,' said S.

'Oh.'

Once more I was an outsider. I disliked my religion (or lack of) being spoken about without my consent, but I had become used to that. The conversation among us continued onto other subjects until another girl, D, approached the table to ask about the logistics of getting home after a Shabbat dinner that they were all invited to. It was suggested that she should take a taxi - but should make sure it was a Jewish driver.

'Why?' I asked nonplussed.

It was explained to me that it was safer to be with Jewish drivers than Arabs, who could kidnap you - supposedly it had happened in the past.

'I've never heard of that,' I protested.

'Yeah well, still, I prefer to have a driver of my own kind, I would not want to give money to someone who hated my kind,' said S. The others nodded in agreement. While she spoke, one of the staff of the place where we're staying was clearing the tables around us - he was Arab.


I had thought that I was beginning to fit in here, but how can I fit in among people who think in such a way? How is this thinking politically acceptable in Israel, and yet if someone was to say something like this in Australia it would be unquestionably considered racist. I know that this sort of thinking is not unique to Israel, but I've never been in a place where it is so openly expressed and acceptable in conversation.

I remember that in Palestine it used to distress several internationals (including me) when Palestinians would mix up 'Israeli' and 'Jew', thereby blaming the 'Jews' for the occupation, rather than the 'Israelis'. But when we addressed this, the Palestinians would always correct themselves and apologise: 'it is not the Jews we are fighting with, it is the Israelis,' they would emphasise. The convolution of Jew and Israeli is insidious, and appears at times throughout the Palestinian liberation movement and is a major issue, but where it sprouts, it is recognised by most for what it is: racism.

So there is an inequality here: what makes racism and discrimination against Arabs (particularly Palestinians) so much more acceptable among people? What makes this racism less racist? I don't understand.