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Tel Aviv: Global hotspot (archives)
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Photo: 'Science News,' Channel 8
Safed: Despicable? (Archives)
Photo: 'Science News,' Channel 8

A tale of 2 cities

Op-ed: While Tel Aviv wins global accolades, Safed’s anti-Arab racism rears its ugly head

Loyal Israelis who dig into their archives would have trouble finding the last time a reputed international institution characterized them as easy-going, attractive, and cool. For some reason, we are mostly perceived as difficult, rude, and belligerent.

 

Lonely Planet’s decision to rank Tel Aviv third in the list of its top 10 global hotspot for 2011 will improve our global standing somewhat (at least among revelers) and while at it possibly also improve the way we see ourselves.

 

Our hearts, unless we are conservative, self-righteous misers, cannot but expand in the face of the many compliments. The first Hebrew city is perceived by gentile tour guides as merry, diverse, tolerant, and cultural. Right, we knew that. Just like we knew that Tel Aviv is the most (and only) international city in Israel. Yet it’s still nice hearing it from others.

 

Even the comparison to the eternal city of Jerusalem – which may disappoint a few good Jews – should be taken with a forgiving smile under these festive circumstances. “Tel Aviv is the total flipside of Jerusalem, a modern Sin City on the sea rather than an ancient Holy City on a hill,” Lonely Planet wrote. What can we say, dear friends, you got it right.

 

‘Don’t rent to Arabs’

Yet while foreign elements are crowning Tel Aviv as one of the world’s hottest cities, local elements are working hard to condemn Safed – the beautiful, historic, spiritual Safed – as one of the world’s most despicable towns. In the past, the city’s chief rabbi, Shmuel Eliyahu, urged residents not to sell or rent apartments to Arabs, heaven forbid. His calls prompted some good citizens to realize this mitzvah and attack Ishmaelite students, thereby gaining a great heavenly reward: Grave court indictments.

 

Last week it was the turn of Eliyahu Zvieli, an 89-year-old longtime resident of Safed, to pay the price for his terrible acts. The elderly man, who dared to offer an apartment for rent to three Bedouin students – Israeli citizens who study at the Safed Academic College – received phone calls threatening to burn his home, while leaflets condemning his actions were posted on city streets.

 

To be honest, there’s nothing new under the sun; even under Safed’s sun. The surprised and shocked responses are puzzling or artificial, as this is the nature of the human spirit. This is how it’s always been. In other countries, in other eras, the selling and renting of homes to Jews was forbidden, and those who violated the ban were penalized harshly. We all remember where it ended up leading to. Well, do we really remember?

 

 


פרסום ראשון: 11.09.10, 11:49
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