Thank you for this, Nemo. I hadn’t been aware of the turmoil you described, in 2021. In fact, I hadn’t paid much attention to the going’s on in Israel since my dad passed, in 2002. It took an event of the 10/7 magnitude to shake me out of my comfort zone.
But I’m intrigued by the greys you describe. I want to meet the people you share with us…Aya the pharmacist, the young intern who saw the unthinkable. This brings me hope for a kinder future…when we can finally “turn our swords into plowshares…”
Thank you, Robbie. I think that's exactly what fascinates me about this place or life. The headlines tell one story, but the people living between them often tell a very different one.
Brother, you nailed it. Not only in the artwork but the story. The young intern part got me hard in the feels. I get what he went through, Nir Oz is a personal thing with me cause I liked there a long time ago, ut part of me died on Oct 7th. I won't go in to it because I think you know the story . My local grocery store has mostly Arab employees working the register and some of them are religious and some not, but they are some pretty cool people once they see you a few times especially when they notice you taking their line over a shorter one, ( mostly because they work faster then the other ones). I'm always ask how they're doing and how was their weekend etc. some even try to speak and practice their English with me , asking how do you say this or that word or what does this word mean and often freak out if I answer in Arabic..
Thank you, brother. And thank you for sharing that. I think that's exactly what I was trying to capture in this piece. Not politics or headlines, but the everyday interactions.
This is an important reminder that reductionist narratives rarely survive contact with reality. Conflicts like these are lived in shades of complexity by ordinary people who don’t fit neatly into ideological categories. Recognizing that “gray space” doesn’t excuse wrongdoing—it simply acknowledges that understanding, and ultimately any sustainable resolution, requires moving beyond binary thinking.
Glad to hear that. I think some of the most meaningful conversations happen when we're willing to sit with complexity rather than rush toward certainty. The gray areas can be uncomfortable, but they're often where understanding begins.
I don't think that's what happened. He never told me he supported Hamas, and I didn't ask him to explain his political views.
From my experience, many Israeli Arab feel empathy for Palestinians without necessarily supporting Hamas, Fatah, or any other political movement. Those are not the same thing.
And also there are many Jewish Israelis who feel empathy for Palestinians without supporting Hamas, or any other terrorist organization.
Anyway, what struck me about that conversation was not a change in political allegiance, but the human impact of witnessing Hamas violence firsthand. And that was the point of sharing his story.
Thank you for this, Nemo. I hadn’t been aware of the turmoil you described, in 2021. In fact, I hadn’t paid much attention to the going’s on in Israel since my dad passed, in 2002. It took an event of the 10/7 magnitude to shake me out of my comfort zone.
But I’m intrigued by the greys you describe. I want to meet the people you share with us…Aya the pharmacist, the young intern who saw the unthinkable. This brings me hope for a kinder future…when we can finally “turn our swords into plowshares…”
🙏🕊️💜
Thank you, Robbie. I think that's exactly what fascinates me about this place or life. The headlines tell one story, but the people living between them often tell a very different one.
And I hope for the same future as you.
Amen to the Amen 🙏🏼
💜
Our friend is chemistry professor in Israel and majority of his students are Arabs. After graduation, some of them became his good friends.
These interactions aren't unusual here. They're part of everyday life.
Nimo,
Brother, you nailed it. Not only in the artwork but the story. The young intern part got me hard in the feels. I get what he went through, Nir Oz is a personal thing with me cause I liked there a long time ago, ut part of me died on Oct 7th. I won't go in to it because I think you know the story . My local grocery store has mostly Arab employees working the register and some of them are religious and some not, but they are some pretty cool people once they see you a few times especially when they notice you taking their line over a shorter one, ( mostly because they work faster then the other ones). I'm always ask how they're doing and how was their weekend etc. some even try to speak and practice their English with me , asking how do you say this or that word or what does this word mean and often freak out if I answer in Arabic..
Love the sketches..
Keep at it my friend.
Thank you, brother. And thank you for sharing that. I think that's exactly what I was trying to capture in this piece. Not politics or headlines, but the everyday interactions.
This is an important reminder that reductionist narratives rarely survive contact with reality. Conflicts like these are lived in shades of complexity by ordinary people who don’t fit neatly into ideological categories. Recognizing that “gray space” doesn’t excuse wrongdoing—it simply acknowledges that understanding, and ultimately any sustainable resolution, requires moving beyond binary thinking.
Thank you. I think that's exactly what I was trying to explore.
Glad to hear that. I think some of the most meaningful conversations happen when we're willing to sit with complexity rather than rush toward certainty. The gray areas can be uncomfortable, but they're often where understanding begins.
🎯
BS"D
Beautiful article, Nemo, beautiful drawings. I think I will restack this. 'Shkoyach!
Thank you so much, Peter! I truly appreciate that.
🧐so the Arab intern defaulted to support hamas, until he saw otherwise?
I don't think that's what happened. He never told me he supported Hamas, and I didn't ask him to explain his political views.
From my experience, many Israeli Arab feel empathy for Palestinians without necessarily supporting Hamas, Fatah, or any other political movement. Those are not the same thing.
And also there are many Jewish Israelis who feel empathy for Palestinians without supporting Hamas, or any other terrorist organization.
Anyway, what struck me about that conversation was not a change in political allegiance, but the human impact of witnessing Hamas violence firsthand. And that was the point of sharing his story.