This time, Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital, there have been weekly demonstrations along the fence in Gaza, and gunshots can regularly be heard along the Syrian border.
Despite the reality of the conflict happening in and around Israel, I have never personally experienced it or even felt its affects. While most people from this region have been affected by this conflict, I don't think my experience of feeling distant from it is abnormal.
Western media reports on the conflict that surrounds this area because the conflict is what they find "sexy". They don't report on the hundreds of NGOs and programs that build relationships across the demographic divides and they don't report on the day to day mundane and normal interactions between Jews and Muslims.
Something else that they won't report on is the greatest amount of violence that I have personally witnessed here in Israel. I spent Saturday at the beach with my friend Alana and towards the end of the day a man started yelling loudly at another man. The altercation led to the yeller running at the other man, punching him, and repeatedly slapping him across the head. A bystander quickly reacted by running at and tackling the attacker. Once the two men were separated the man who was attacked said, "but he's my brother!" This whole interaction had been a fight between brothers. Tempers raged, they reacted emotionally, but also defended each other. They walked off together shortly thereafter with arms around each other. All of that transpired in about 5 minutes.
Alana summed it up well when she said, "that is Israel in 5 minutes".
I seems as though Western media reports on the 1 minute in which the yelling, hitting, and tackling occurs. It ignores the 4 other minutes in which brothers are enjoying each other and repairing their relationship.
Very thought provoking !
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