Cultural Glimpse

Enjoying diversity

Tag: Israel

Planting a Tree in Israel


A friend of mine who has been experiencing some health issues told me that one of her dear friends planted a tree for her in Israel, as a get-well wish. This is an old honored Jewish tradition to show love and support to someone. Over the last 100 years, the Jewish National Fund (JNF) has planted over 250 million trees in the land of Israel.

I was intrigued by this tradition, especially given my recent observation and respect for trees. And my friend was truly touched by this gift, which was accompanies by a card with her name written in Hebrew.

Earlier, she and I were talking about how important it is to be open minded and accepting of other cultures, religions and nationalities. That’s when she told me about what she called her “healing tree” and she added, “I would be a fool not to take the good others offer me. What does it hurt?”

Wise words from a young woman who appreciates the value of a deep rooted symbolic and heartfelt gesture and who recognizes that, as she said, “Throwing away the opportunities that exist in them is doing ourselves the greatest disservice.”

Five year old arrested in Israel

I was eating dinner when a story on Al Arabia channel caught my attention. An Israeli soldier decided to arrest a five year old for throwing rocks. The little boy was sobbing and frightened as he tried to pull away from the soldier who forced him away from his playmates and into a military vehicle. It didn’t matter that the camera was rolling. The arrest had to be made.

I instantly remembered a youtube video I watched not long ago. An Israeli woman wrote a letter to Obama, pleading for him to take away the pains in her stomach that were caused by the injustices done towards the Palestinians. She was a mother, and so her heart went out to all of life, given she was a bearer of life. I wondered if she’d heard about the arrest of this five year old, and if so, how much pain that caused her stomach. I wondered if this little boy would be from this point on too frightened to stand up for anything (otherwise, oppressed) or if he would turn out to want revenge (otherwise, a terrorist).

And we wonder how tyrants and terrorists are made. I mean, imagine how different things would turn out if that soldier went and bought the little boy an ice cream and explained to him that he was not there to harm him or his family, but to protect his own people, that throwing rocks was not going to change anything to the better. Or are my ideas too uncivilized for that type of solution? Or is it that difficult to maneuver a 5 year old to behave differently?

Palestinian Child