Does tomato have an E on the end or not???
This evening I rode from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv in a mini-bus service. On the 45 minute ride through what used to be the unihabited open space, and is now practically one big metropolis, I came to quite a few realizations that have motivated me to write my tale and express my views on what has become of Israel. The city to city mini-bus service is the cheapest and quickest way to get around Israel for those in the working class. Of course we'd all prefer a private taxi or the speed train, but most people resort to the mini-bus. It has been fitted to hold 10 people in uncomfortably small seats allowing all the passengers to really get to know their neighbors for the short ride. On my mini-bus there was quite an ecclectic group. In front sat two young women, one moroccan and one yemenite, next to them in the front sat an elderly Romanian woman. In my row was a young middle-eastern looking homosexual and a young russian woman who was on her cell phone speaking in half russian and half hebrew to what I think was her boyfriend. Behind us were four men all of different ethnicity, yet each sat uniformly upright with hands in their lap practically the whole ride, or atleast every time I turned and caught a glance. According to my informal analysis these men were as follows: in the back right we had an Arab-Israeli followed by a young asian man, probably from Thailand, a young French man to his right, and in the other corner, the man directly behind me, was a young student whose enthnicity I could not identify. Lastly, our driver was quite a character, an Arab-Israeli with the thickest accent I've ever heard who was humming mostly but occasionally singing to the Israeli pop songs on 102 fm. This bunch, I realized, was a small sample of the pluralism, multiculturalism, and diversity that exist here in Israel. Anyone who thinks of the "Jewish State" as this homogenous population that works as a machine all under the same motivations is down right wrong! I had some time to take all this in while sitting on the mini-bus, and I began to compare this population and the Israeli phenomenon to what he have in the U.S. and I found that the real melting pot is here in Israel. These people have come to Israel to fulfill the "American Dream", in Israel!!!
Where other than Israel can that Arab driver have an income high enough to afford that cell phone.
Where in the Middle East other than Israel can the homosexual be open about his sexual habits without fear of prison or, worse, death penalty.
Where other than Israel can the student at the Technion receive such an education in bio-technology.
Where other than Israel do these opportunities exist for these 1st and 2nd generation immigrants to Israel.
I did some reflecting too. Who am I? I am an American, with Israeli blood. I am part of America's salad bowl system, that is, I function as a member of society and have no problems integrating on a surface level with all other members of society, but in the end I am a cherry tomato in the salad bowl. And most likely, as much as I am a part of that salad, I will mate with another cherry tomato (a Jew, or better an Israeli) and make little baby cherry tomatos. The other possibility is that I will pick the fruits that America offers and take them back to my elsewhere, perhaps Israel. I will have fulfilled my parents purpose when immigrating. The sacrifices that first generation immigrants make are so that their children will reap the rewards. This applies for all immigrants, Cubans on rafts, Mexican in the Rio Grande, or Taiwanese and Japanese in the west coast. I am no different than the Mexican man standing in the line at the Western Union office located in Fiesta, with 90% of this month's paycheck in hand ready to send back to his wife and kids. I have enjoyed these fruits but I do not plan on becoming part of the melting pot, I remain content a tomato.
It might be wishful thinking, but I believe these passengers on this mini-bus are here for more than just picking Israel's fruits (education, income, healthcare) but they are here to become Israeli. I hear the Yemenite on her cell phone discussing a marriage that is to take place next week. It makes me think of all the "inter-marriages" that are taking place everyday between Morrocans and Polish, Romanians and Americans...the combinations are endless and are leading to little Israeli babies. Not little cherry tomatos, and not little baby cucumbers...here in Israel they are all gonna end up as CHICKEN BROTH.
-David-
Where other than Israel can that Arab driver have an income high enough to afford that cell phone.
Where in the Middle East other than Israel can the homosexual be open about his sexual habits without fear of prison or, worse, death penalty.
Where other than Israel can the student at the Technion receive such an education in bio-technology.
Where other than Israel do these opportunities exist for these 1st and 2nd generation immigrants to Israel.
I did some reflecting too. Who am I? I am an American, with Israeli blood. I am part of America's salad bowl system, that is, I function as a member of society and have no problems integrating on a surface level with all other members of society, but in the end I am a cherry tomato in the salad bowl. And most likely, as much as I am a part of that salad, I will mate with another cherry tomato (a Jew, or better an Israeli) and make little baby cherry tomatos. The other possibility is that I will pick the fruits that America offers and take them back to my elsewhere, perhaps Israel. I will have fulfilled my parents purpose when immigrating. The sacrifices that first generation immigrants make are so that their children will reap the rewards. This applies for all immigrants, Cubans on rafts, Mexican in the Rio Grande, or Taiwanese and Japanese in the west coast. I am no different than the Mexican man standing in the line at the Western Union office located in Fiesta, with 90% of this month's paycheck in hand ready to send back to his wife and kids. I have enjoyed these fruits but I do not plan on becoming part of the melting pot, I remain content a tomato.
It might be wishful thinking, but I believe these passengers on this mini-bus are here for more than just picking Israel's fruits (education, income, healthcare) but they are here to become Israeli. I hear the Yemenite on her cell phone discussing a marriage that is to take place next week. It makes me think of all the "inter-marriages" that are taking place everyday between Morrocans and Polish, Romanians and Americans...the combinations are endless and are leading to little Israeli babies. Not little cherry tomatos, and not little baby cucumbers...here in Israel they are all gonna end up as CHICKEN BROTH.
-David-