The signage for the Bahamas restaurant in Bethlehem indicates that it sells fresh seafood, a rather tall order for an eatery in a place that has no sea access. The majority of the customers at this outdoor establishment on June 28 had not, however, come in search of seafood. Instead, they were there to watch World Cup soccer match from Brazil and to enjoy a "hubbly bubbly" (water pipe). During the global football event, such scenes can be found all over the Arab region in part because of the high cost of cable TV. The Bahamas restaurant, however, has no ordinary TV.
The owner, Joseph Hasboun, woke one day to the sight of the tall concrete wall built deep inside Palestinian territory and literally in front of his business. Thinking that if life gives you lemons, make lemonade, Hasboun decided to turn this calamity into something positive. Screening World Cup games on the Israeli-built wall has turned his restaurant's location into a political bazaar, with locals mixing regularly with international visitors, tourists and solidarity activists.
