Orbach is Jewish, but he offers a stark neutrality in his views giving us details about Arab World life you rarely see written.

the word “but” sticks out as though a jewish person has no objectivity or at least less than a christian, muslim, secularist, etc.

little words, gestures, nuances tell a lot about a person’s feelings, biases (we all have them), politics.

Heimo’s (above) comment on the book he is reading made me cry with laughter and sorrow. the book offers a point of view (valid for many) about a way to bring warring people together: the chance to earn a lot of money. i agree that common goals can bring people together. and the most immediate goals can be selfish. other common goals — among them sharing resources to ensure all in the regions have food, clothing, shelter, work, health care, education, safety, water, and more — require thinking beyond ourselves… much harder.

by the way: I’m just reading a book (a satire) by Eran Katz – he’s Israelian, but the book is till now only available in German language (Why?) – the title is (I try to translate) “The very superior, ultimatative plan for peace for the Middle East” -

I just started reading it – it’s about an Israelisan tourist manager, trying to make a big deal with his American business partner to get Christian tourists to Israel – to his surprise his business partner had also invited an Arabic tourist manager from Jerusalem & both are patriots & hate each other, but because of that business they have to go along with each other with a lot of prejudices & refusals in the beginning – they tried to convince the Christians of the American bible belt for biblical tours to Israel – but these refused to book , because it seemed too dangerious – so – both frustrated – the Arabian & he Israelian tourist manager – sitting together in the evening watching American tv-shows – see one of those shows where candidates endure anything for money & fame , like crawling through a tube filled with snakes, trying to escape from about to boil water etc. – so they get an idea to bring tourists to the region with advertizing a survivor’s dangerious adventure tour – - inviting tourists to a tour to one of the most dangerious regions in the world, for a survival camp – live for some days in a Palestians camp, – be thoroughly searched on Israelian airport, – sit in an Israelian bus, after danger of a suicide bomber is told in the news – sit in an Israelian prison after being suspicious of being a terrorist – - the ultimative survival camp as new tourism idea is born – & both the Arab & the Israelian tourist manager have a lot of ideas how to torture their tourists – hmm I only read the first 40 pages – let’s see whereto it leads