Just Because You Are an American, Don't Count on Not Being Lynched
A Jewish American exchange student, Benjamin Fishbein, decided to "soak up the local culture" and went to Shchem (Nablus) to have coffee. He got a little more than he bargained for.
While sitting in a cafe he was kidnapped by masked gunmen, and a tape was made of him demanding the release of Palestinian prisoners, or otherwise he would be killed.
At some point someone got smart and strings were pulled, and he was released unharmed. I am sure that some deal was made somewhere, the details of which will probably never come out.
A NOTE TO FOREIGNERS (including naive Americans). Just because Arabs can shop and eat at cafes all over Israel without being harmed does not mean that Jews have the same privilege. We here in Israel don't forget the Israeli soldiers who wandered into Ramallah and were literally torn apart by a gang. You shouldn't forget either.
A Jewish American exchange student, Benjamin Fishbein, decided to "soak up the local culture" and went to Shchem (Nablus) to have coffee. He got a little more than he bargained for.
While sitting in a cafe he was kidnapped by masked gunmen, and a tape was made of him demanding the release of Palestinian prisoners, or otherwise he would be killed.
At some point someone got smart and strings were pulled, and he was released unharmed. I am sure that some deal was made somewhere, the details of which will probably never come out.
A NOTE TO FOREIGNERS (including naive Americans). Just because Arabs can shop and eat at cafes all over Israel without being harmed does not mean that Jews have the same privilege. We here in Israel don't forget the Israeli soldiers who wandered into Ramallah and were literally torn apart by a gang. You shouldn't forget either.
posted by westbankmama at 8:37 AM
6 Comments:
and don't forget - the terrorists generally do not ask to see passports and/or identity cards. They would have no way of knowing this young man was American and not Israeli.
I wonder what went through their heads when they saw this guy in a kippa sitting in their cafe in Schem smoking a huka. They must have been shocked and startled and thought the guy was an absolute nutcase!
It's funny how you have little to no understanding of words like "Arab" or "Israeli," though not too worry since they hold little bearing on your subject matter. Back here on Planet Earth, an Arab can be a citizen of Israel and an Israeli might not be Jewish. While an Arab can walk around Israel, though not without the constant threat of hassle by Israeli security personel, a Palestinian could not. An American, even a Jew, can walk around in the territories, though also with a certain amount of risk, as we saw. Clearly, Fishbein did little to control risk - wearing a kippah and travelling alone. But, ultimately, it is commendable of you to warn foreigners, including naive Americans, becuase after the State Department most do come here for their security updates.
Ari - you don't have your facts straight. He was not wearing a kippa in the cafe - which would be somewhat strange since he was there on Shabbat and was smoking nargila. He probably thought that he was "controling risk", as you call it. He only wore a kippa in the video that the terrorists made - an irony that I can't get over myself. And, for your information, Palestinians do walk around Israel - one did just that a few weeks ago and raped and strangled an eight year old girl.
Great minds think alike (but fools never differ). I've been trying to lay off politics lately but this story was just too tempting. :-)
Oh, and Ari... if you can get over your condescending self for a sec and forget the sloppy attempt at moral relativism, while it may be somewhat inconvenient for Palestinians to get work permits to enter Israel, it is still fairly common. Once inside Israel they can walk into any store... eat in any restaurant... dress in their religious clothing... pray in a mosque or in public... and walk down any street without fear of violence against them. When you can say the same about Jews in PA controlled areas then please be in touch. Until then I can't resist the temptation to group you with young Benjamin in the smarts department.
I feel like we only know half the story here.
But I despise uninformed save-the-worlders as much as the next person. INFORMED people with decent motives, I can get behind.
Rafi - yeah, I can't imagine a terrorist saying "id please"...
treppenwitz - you do have an incisive way of putting someone in their place
tafka - I also think that there is information missing
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