Misconceptions

We have talked to quite a few Palestinians by now. Most of the time, they like to discuss politics and the occupation. It is odd listening to the many preconceptions some of them have about Israelis and Judaism. The same goes for many of the Israelis we've met. They have quite a few ideas about the Palestinians, some of which, to me, seem rather irrational. There are so many misconceptions floating about that it makes your head spin.

However, Palestinians and Israelis have something in common. The self-image on both sides is to a large degree soaked in a sense of victimhood. And the enemy image is quite often demonised beyond recognition. The result seems to be two very unhealthy societies, both of which breed destructive forces.

Missionary, collaborator, or Chinese?

Other misunderstandings are also common in our daily life in Palestine. Walking around with a cross on our backs, we can understandably be construed as missionaries. So sometimes we are met with apprehensive distrust.

But it is even worse when Palestinians think we're collaborating with the soldiers at checkpoints. Soldiers are often very interested in talking to us, and we've often gotten into discussions with them. For Palestinians, it is easy to view this as some sort of socialising. So now we try to avoid talking to the soldiers for a longer period of time unless neccessary.

Quite often, we encounter people who want us to help them get a visa. For some reason, they think we have a big say in our home countries. I've tried telling them that the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs couldn't give a toss about my demands, but I'm not sure they believe me.

But most annoying of all, is when people insist I'm Chinese or Japanese. Kills me every time. Seriously.

The biggest misconception
The language barrier often creates problems too. We will tell someone that we cannot make it to an appointment and they will ask us when we will be there. With some people this seems to be chronic.

Case in point: Nassim. Nassim is a 21-year old student at Kadoorie University whom we met through our Arabic teacher. His English is far from flawless, and my Arabic is close to non-existant, but if I've understood him right, he's studying a joint degree in electrical engineering and massage (!). However, I think the truth might have gotten lost in translation somewhere.

Nassim has a wonderful family, who have opened up their home to us and treated us like we're part of their family. In this case, I believe the language barrier has been working in my favour, because they think I'm "sweet". It is a description I doubt anyone who really knows me would use. Actually, I would call this the greatest misconception of them all.

With eldest sister Sarab and her niece

Eldest brother Mohammad with his nephew and niece