What to Think?

February 23, 2007 - 3:00 PM by Stephanie

After years of not living in Israel, I moved back to Tel Aviv in 2005. For numerous reasons.

Since returning, I routinely run into old friends or acquaintances from the past and I re-visit old haunts.

Last week I stopped into my old fruit and vegetable vendors’. Their avocados were on sale so I figured it was a good excuse for stopping by to say “hey”.

I remember you…said one of the owners
You do? Likewise. You haven’t changed much. This is my son
Where were you all this time?
In San Francisco
Well…Welcome back!

A few seconds later, one of the vendor partners who had been listening to our exchange asked: “Why’d you come back? This country won’t be here much longer.”

Generally, or in the past, that statement would have been really funny. Because, you know, things are touch and go in this region and have been since….a very very very loooong time.

But because things are so tenuous or maybe because Iran is digging in on nuclear development or because Lebanon is a ticking bomb or because I have a child or because I’m older and humorless OR because the vendors live in Bakka Al Gharbiyah I took offense.

What? I thought. Do you have some kind of inside information I’m not privvy to?

Suddenly I was paranoid and suspicious and angry because the guy hit a nerve that is raw for many of us over here yonder. And I wish it weren’t so. And in fact I wasn’t even aware of the raw nerve until he hit it. And he probably didn’t mean it the way I understood it. And, and and…Merde.

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