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.”
He says that the current wave of violence has had no impact on his relationship with Jewish friends and colleagues at work. Still, people are afraid to visit him at home, and he understands why. “There were several cases of rocks being thrown here, so I won't say, ‘Come visit Umm al-Fahm now.’ That would be presumptuous of me. Still, I think that things will calm down soon,” Agbariyah explains.
Tamar lives with her husband Yusuf (not their real names) and their three children in the mixed city of Jaffa. She is also concerned about the situation, though she isn’t particularly worried about an Arab attack. She said that Jews from the West Bank settlement of Bat Ayin moved into her neighborhood a few years ago. When the current wave of violence began, she says, they took part in the local riots. “Jews, Arabs and border police were involved in those riots,” she tells Al-Monitor. “We heard everything. If there’s anything I am afraid of, it’s them. I lock my door now, which is something I haven’t done in a very long time. I’ve been living here for 10 years and I know lots of people, but I still feel more vulnerable now. It’s an unpleasant feeling.''
AL-MONITOR All-Access gives you unlimited access to all our journalism, the full Daily Briefing, exclusive interviews, premium newsletters, and live events — for less than $2/week.
