Sleeping with the Enemy

B"H

The worst thing you can do to Israeli society and to yourself is being a traitor. Apparently, it is very easy to become one and many times, people don't even realize how they got into this. Only when it is already too late they realize what they have done.

Male Palestinian teenagers are everywhere in Jerusalem. They sit in front of shopping malls, on park benches or right at the entrance to Ben Yehudah Street, and many of them have only one goal: Searching for an Israeli Jewish girl - friend. It is not uncommon at all to see Jewish - Muslim relationships or marriages. Mostly a Jewish woman is falling in love with a Palestinian guy and not vice versa.
However, this is the worst what can happen to you. Society, authorities and parents will hate you for this. Suddenly the Jewish woman is becoming an outlaw in Israeli society.

According to Israeli newspaper reports, many young teenagers fall in love with their Palestinian counterparts. The Jewish female Teenagers are around 18 years old and the majority comes from a family with social problems. So far, they have never got any attention from anyone let alone presents. And suddenly they meet someone in front of a shopping mall who is giving them attention. They receive presents such a cell phones or jewelry and the girls are impressed.

In many cases, the Jewish girls don't even know that their new lover is a Palestinian, because lots of those guys just change their names from Ibrahim into Avraham or from Mussa into Moshe and pretend to be Jewish. They hide their accents and lie. Quickly the young girl is so much in love with that guy that she doesn't care any more. The only thing she does is telling herself that it won't be too bad. Her new lover is definitely not a suicide bomber but a nice peaceful guy.

As soon as this happens the Palestinian will offer her marriage and to take her into his Arab village. Well, as we all know, love makes you blind and you stop thinking logically. The girl marries the guy and moves with him into his village. Surprise, surprise !!! There she might discover that she is not his only wife.
Even if Jewish women convert to Islam they are mostly not really accepted in the Muslim world. The new husband considers his wife as his property and she has no rights whatsoever. She is stuck in the village and not allowed to leave it or call her Israeli friends. Let alone the violence in the family. First her husband was a great nice guy and soon after the wedding he shows his real face; he beats his wife.

Israeli haredi organizations such as YAD LE' ACHIM and others try to help such women. With or without the help of the Israeli army, they go into the Arab villages and get the women and her children out. The first few weeks they keep them in hiding places and later find them a new home. Everything is kept a secret, as the Muslim husband could go after them and take revenge.

This Israeli society problem is so obvious and we hear a lot about it. Nevertheless, young Jewish women don't seem to care and ignore all the warnings. Now, former victims go out and talk about their experiences. I think that they should go to schools or youth centers and especially talk to the teenagers.
Receiving presents and recognition doesn't mean that you have to betray your own people. There are other and more positive solutions than getting beaten up.