What a strange experience to feel that your life may actually be in danger, in a land where it’s almost expected by foreigners, and to have it instead be fear of an Israeli woman.
Last night, my roommate and I went for a drink at Cofix Bar around the block from our apartment (Cofix is a chain of bars, supermarkets and coffee shops where everything costs five shekels. Yes, even drinks). After a short time, a woman came up, asking if we spoke Hebrew. When we responded that we didn’t, she moved onto the next patrons.
She became more agitated and upset with every moment, beginning to yell. She went inside Cofix and began pushing, punching and kicking the people working inside. We were told that she was accusing them of stealing her credit card. The employees tried to ward her off as peacefully as they could, but she was one strong – and violent – woman. One worker finally pushed her out of Cofix and around the corner – we thought that was the end.
Suddenly, she dodged into the restaurant next door, took a large knife and began waving it around. The restaurant emptied out in a matter of seconds. She ran down the block, waving the knife and yelling. Finally, one of the Cofix employees managed to disarm her, and it was at that point that the police finally showed up and she was arrested (not without a fight).
Last night’s happenings sparked an interesting discussion. If this Israeli woman had been Arab, would she have been able to run around, punching and kicking and eventually wielding a knife, for 15 minutes before being arrested – without major incident – by four policemen? I can’t imagine that she would have been nearly so lucky.
It’s the same issue here as in the U.S. to some extent, just with a different cast of characters. Imagining this situation there – a white woman attacking police – and subbing it with a black man or woman attacking police, it’s easy to guess what would have transpired. She would not be alive today.
Third of a Life Crisis 