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Jewish-Muslim couples tell their stories

Two mixed Jewish-Muslim couples, one residing in Jaffa and another in Umm al-Fahm, talk to Al-Monitor about how the current unrest is complicating their already cautious lives.
An Israeli couple poses for their wedding photographer as graves and a mosque (R) are seen in the background at Nabi Musa in the Judean desert near the West Bank city of Jericho November 28, 2013. REUTERS/Ammar Awad (WEST BANK - Tags: SOCIETY ENTERTAINMENT) - RTX15WK5
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It was a real challenge to find people who agreed to be interviewed for this piece. While there are quite a few mixed couples in Israel, with one partner Jewish and the other Muslim, many of them are afraid to provide a glimpse into their fascinating lives. Now especially, when the street is becoming a jungle and hatred is bubbling over and blinding so many people from both religions, these families prefer to seclude themselves until the rage passes.

“Right now, everybody is afraid. It’s not something you can hide,” Alaa Agbariyah tells Al-Monitor. He and his wife Hagar have a young daughter. While many mixed families lived in mixed cities, Alaa and Hagar live in the Arab town of Umm al-Fahm. “I work together with Jews. I’m not afraid that anything will happen there,” he says, “but on my way to work, on the bus, anything can happen. I’m worried about someone getting hurt near me. Ever since this all began, I’ve preferred to drive to work with friends instead of taking the bus.”

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