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Israeli-Arab pharmacists offer doses of understanding

The possibility to study in Jordan has opened the way for Israeli Arabs to become pharmacists and to integrate into the Israeli work market.
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The Israeli public knows her well: Salma, the Arab pharmacist. She is a professional in her field — courteous, personable, speaks impeccable Hebrew and is always willing to help Jewish customers who are seeking medical advice. But Salma is not a real pharmacist. She is a character played by actress Liat Har-Lev on the satirical TV show “Eretz Nehederet” (“Wonderful Land”).

The writers of the top-rated program mainly created Salma’s character to reflect the reality that many of the pharmacists in Israel these days are young Israeli Arabs. And as in “Eretz Nehederet,” in real life, the encounter at the pharmacy between Jewish costumers and Arab pharmacists is unique, and often amusing, when Jews meet a young Arab man or woman for the first time and find that they are nothing like the familiar stereotypes they know.

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