Just slaughter a sheep and be quiet

Jews usually mix-up Ramadan with Id al-Fitr. They think of Ramadan as a month-long holiday of happy fasting and dancing in the streets, whereas Id al-Fitr is some sort of undefined vagary that must represent an Islamic slaughter sometime in history.

Would it really matter if Jews learned to differentiate between three happy days of this festival and the exhausting month that precedes it?

Nah, don't worry about it. The Muslims will drink Coke and slaughter a sheep, just as long as they continue celebrating these strange days under the poverty line.

More than once, a Jewish acquaintance has called up on the first day of the holiday, and upon realizing the faux pas, has simultaneously broken into waves of apology and wishes for a happy holiday.

My attempts to calm the caller usually don't help, but for some reason I always find myself explaining to my Jewish acquaintances the difference between Ramadan, Id al-Fitr and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Israeli Muslims (a million people - Jews, beware!) spend close to a billion and a half shekels during Ramadan and over the holiday – a lot of money by any standard.

But if you let the owners of commercial television channels or national newspapers in on this secret, that such huge amounts are shelled out by people for whom "Koran is their livelihood", they would turn cartwheels to reach out to viewers and to attract advertisers.

And a little flattery wouldn't hurt the Arab's national morale nowadays. I'm sure, for instance, that if the Moroccans spent that kind of money on post-Passover Mimuna celebrations, every news show in Israel would broadcast the festivities live.

Absent media

But, alas, this is not the case. The media is shamefully absent from non-Jewish festivals and celebrations in Israel. If any holiday happens, by mistake, to make the headlines before the back page – we are expected to bow down in thanks.

For most, the picture presented is that of a steaming hot pot of baklava or lamb kebabs. Now and then, unimportant food programs shoot special episodes in Nazareth or Abu a-Douhil on a sexy Arab making kebabs, and the rare mention on the evening news or reality TV speak about these strange days, which get no mention in a kosher Zionist calendar.

No intensive or investigative journalist with a reasonable awareness of his surroundings would send a crew to film a family "celebrating" Id al-Fitr in front of an empty refrigerator, as they do before every Jewish holiday. There are plenty of them around nowadays.

Existential sadness

No talk show discussion can ever communicate the deep, existential sadness that accompanies Arab holidays in Israel and the Palestinian territories, whose citizens also get to "enjoy" the exploding holiday greetings from Prime Minister Sharon and his soldiers.

We know, and have internalized, that Jewish blood is worth more than ours, and thanks for the comparison; but is Jewish poverty also more tragic? Do empty Jewish fridges look better on TV?

Building tradition

It has become a tradition: Before every holiday, a slew of Knesset members – usually, but not always, Arab representatives, but also opportunists from the Labor Party – demand that government workers get paid before the holiday.

And one more tradition: The holiday blessing from the president's motorcade of Volvos, which only adds to the damage of the roads in Arab towns that so badly need money for repairs.

Muslim and Christian holidays in Israel are nothing more than a campaign opportunity for politicians across the political spectrum: Arab representatives, Zionist Knesset members, ministers, the prime minister.

It could have been an impressive show of warmth and friendship, were it not for the poverty that shouts out from every bank account and empty fridge.

Infuriating disregard

This phenomenon is an integral part of a more fundamental, wider-ranging Jewish-Israeli phenomenon: Complete disregard for the largest minority in the country. The arrogance is infuriating.

I do not understand how our sheikhs and mukhtars continue to greet these ministers and opportunists, or how we've lost our honor. Why don't we, the Arabs, spit the prime minister's holiday greeting right back in his face?

I don't want minority holiday's in Israel to become shopping days and advertising gigs, although they became these long ago.

But I want to raise awareness of these days, and perhaps then the gaps and perhaps even the arrogance, will be reduced.

More than that, Id al-Fitr is always a good opportunity to wish our Jewish brothers a very sad holiday.

Ala Hlehel is an author and journalist