One of the remarkable things about the Middle East, or almost any place that constantly fluctuates between war and peace, is how daily life continues despite increased social tension or outbreaks of violence. With the exception of Syria — where hopelessness reigns, the population has fled and the outcome is unpredictable — there’s often an eerie sense of surreal complacency.
“When they were bombing a building or there was a street fight in my neighborhood,” Philippe told me in Beirut, Lebanon. “I just moved down the block to a quieter spot.”
“We don’t know where all the stabbings this month will lead,” said Iris in Ashkelon, Israel. “But we’ve learned to live with uncertainty rather than despair.”
People are still baking bread, attending school and serving coffee in Lebanon while in Israel some are sunbathing nude (a very few, in fact), cycling and celebrating Jewish holidays.
Israel: The Idiot meets early morning cyclists from Haifa at the border between Israel and Lebanon.
Lebanon: Service is speedier than ever at Duncan Donuts on Hamra Street in Beirut.
Israel: Communal tents and long conversations were the mode on Israel’s beaches during the Feast of the Tabernacles (Sukkot) holidays earlier this month. (Photo: Michael Knipe)
Lebanon: Students casually attend class at the American University of Beirut (AUB), which was founded in 1866.
Israel: A carefree nudist near Herzilya north of Tel Aviv.
Lebanon: Young cooks in a bakery south of Beirut invited The Idiot in to sample their tasty, fresh flatbreads.
Naturally almost everyone almost everywhere in the Middle East is a bit on edge. But in Lebanon, where The Idiot was arrested by the Internal Security Forces on charges of spying, and in Israel, where The Idiot and his 21-year-old niece heard shouts and gunfire in Gaza that resulted in the death of four Palestinians, life resolutely goes on.
Here are just a few “normal” people who took the time to give The Idiot some insight into their lives, communities and countries during his recent MedTrek from Syria to Gaza on the coasts of Lebanon and Israel.
Israel: The heroine of The Idiot’s steps in Israel was Michal Shor-Knipe who not only provided a history of her Yemenite family’s arrival and life in the country over the past 65 years but also smilingly chauffeured The Idiot and other MedTrekkers, including her husband Michael Knipe, from one leg of the MedTrek to another.
תודה רבה.
Lebanon: The hero of The Idiot’s time in Lebanon was Ibrahim Muhanna, chairman of The Muhanna Foundation who provided an intriguing assessment of Lebanon, life and love during many pleasant encounters and meals in Beirut. شكرا
Israel: Sari Amrusi Ishai, who MedTrekked and dined with The Idiot, provided the intriguing viewpoint of a liberal Jewish Orthodox woman/mother/lawyer. (Photo: Michael Knipe)
Lebanon: Patricia Joan Mihaly, who attended Stanford University with The Idiot in the 1970s, described her enthusiasm and concerns about Lebanon where she’s lived since 1992.
The Idiot gleaned information and insights into both countries through dozens of interviews and interactions at every level of society.
Israel: Compulsory service in the Israel Defense Forces is a rite of passage for almost every young Israeli. A few words with this 20-year-old soldier conveyed the confidence that Israel’s youth have in their country’s future.
Lebanon: Good-natured but weary soldiers on a 120-kilometer march on a hot September day in Northern Lebanon made The Idiot feel protected as he calmly MedTrekked on the Mediterranean Sea.
Lebanon: These geeky gamers had been developing software programs and new electronic games at AltCity in Beirut for two straight days when The Idiot met them. The incubator for starts ups is funded by the Lebanon government.
Israel: What, The Idiot wonders as he looks at this photograph with Michal Shor-Knipe who he meets after a 25-kilometer seaside MedTrek from Haifa, are the Orthodox women in the background, who swim fully clothed, thinking about this male/female encounter on the beach near Atlit, Israel? (Photo: Michael Knipe)
Often, a mere photo conveys more than 1,000 words about “normal” life in Lebanon and Israel.
Lebanon: What could be more normal than a texting roller blader on the marina in Beirut with the new Citadelle skyscraper in the background?
Israel: What could be more peaceful than The Idiot’s 21-year-old American niece discovering the wonders of archeology on the coast of Israel for the first time?
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