These were just some of the questions asked of a group of Jewish and Arab women from the Western Galilee during a tour of Christian communities in the United States. The group, known in Israel as “Women Cooking Dialogue,” was brought to America as part of a Jewish Agency campaign to bolster Israel’s image abroad.
Back in Israel, the initiative has successfully brought together Jewish and Arab women who love to cook and who inevitably engage in meaningful dialogue. There are currently 25 women participating, half of them Jewish and the other Arabic-speaking minorities. At each gathering, they bring delicacies unique to their communities and kitchens, exchange recipes and discuss current events. Most have become fast friends, and wanted to let the outside world know that genuine coexistence between Jews and Arabs is possible in the Holy Land.
But, when they got to the US, these women were shocked to discover the depth of ignorance regarding the situation in Israel, and just how far the common perception is from reality. “The State of Israel is perceived as an apartheid state...
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