Op-Ed: A Jew in an Arab Neighborhood
By: Nancy Jacobs
On the morning of Oct 7th before full extent of the horror was understood, while walking to my local Arab-owned grocery store I saw frightened and tear-stained faces of Arabs huddled together watching the news and talking.
I am a Jew and a New Yorker by birth, and an Israeli by choice.
I am politically conservative, and I moved to Israel at 60, leaving behind my home, my friends, my language
and six months-later my husband.I was greeted with the beginning of Covid, and following a grueling year finally settled in Jaffa.Jaffa is a mixed Jewish and Arab area (I would say 60 or 705 Arab. It is a beautiful port
city who’s architecture still reflects the Turkish occupation and the Greek influence. I live right off the beach, and it’s truly magical.
It’s true, Jaffa has had a dark history: in 1921 there were Arab riots against Jews, many died.
But today Jaffa stands as a living testament as to what is possible.
When there was " trouble" here two years ago- the violence was not caused by locals; the moment the entrances to the city were shut down at 4pm every day to nonresidents, suddenly the violence stopped.
No one here wants to burn a car that belongs to their own mother, or burn garbage on their brother’s front door.
My neighbors are store owners, doctors, mechanics, social workers; Christians and Muslims, and no one supports Hamas.
So let me answer a question I have been asked over and over again: “How are the Arabs? Aren’t you Scared?"Let me be clear, we are all scared.
This is NOT a battle of Arab against Jew - this light versus darkness.
This is still Israel, and we are at war. I am not naive and when the Pro-Hamas Rally happened at 4:00 AM I was well aware that I am not in Kansas anymore.But again these were not local Arabs, they came from outside of our community to try and stir up trouble here. They left, the mission was unsuccessful.
I walk the dog (a large Doberman) with pepper spray (mostly to protect both of us from aggressive stray dogs) and when two Arab guys that were clearly part of the pre-dawn Pro-Hamas rally looked menacingly at me on the very quiet street at 5:00 AM , Margot with full teeth let them know they should make wise choices.
I walk past the mosque in front of my building every morning during the call to worship, and it’s very quiet - not many people praying. The area is not terribly religious.
I can hear you thinking "you are crazy to walk at 4:45 AM!"I am not crazy, I know my neighborhood and if I yelled there would be 30 Arab neighbors that would descend on whoever dared bother me in seconds.
There is a sad energy in Jaffa , not a violent one. In the past few years I have learned so much about the Arabs that I live with; don’t say no to food or coffee, it is a capital offense and besides, it is the best food and coffee you will ever have. I am from NYC. What do I know?
The second day of the war I packed up a car full of food and supplies to go to a base in the north, all donated by Arab stores and store owners, all of IT!
I got hugged and blessed by Alah (G-d in Arabic).These are stories of light that need to be told, and maybe now is not the time, but I have a child in the ground, and I know grief. I do not want to get lost in it again or I will die.
I saw one Arab street cleaner at dawn sitting on the ground to pray. It was 5:00 AM and the sun was rising over him and the site made me feel hopeful. There was great suspicion towards us when we moved in but we were quickly accepted into the community and this is an area of great energy, no one wants it destroyed.
I am home. This is unequivocally the Jewish Homeland, but my Arab neighbors are our cousins. It’s not to say that I have not met Arab jerks that do not want me here, and I have told them in no uncertain terms that this is my house, I am not leaving, and if they are unhappy with me being here or the country they are free to leave (of course none do.) I am educated and can poke holes in any BS narrative.I will never apologize for coming home, and no, I am not scared.
My love for my Arab Neighbors in No way diminishes my Zionism, it completes it.
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