LITERATURE AND NATION IN THE MIDDLE EAST

marginal literatures of the middle eastAnd do you … you’re from West … or East …That’s a tough question, depends on who’s drawing the map.You’re funny, and do you, I mean, do you speak Hebrew?Yes, of course.I mean, that’s your mother tongue?Not really. My mother’s tongue is Arabic, but now she speaks Hebrew fine.Oh, Ze Yofi, I learned that in the kibbutz.Not bad at all.And you are, I mean, you’re Israeli, right?Yes, of course.Your family is observant?Pretty much.Do they keep the Sabbath?Me, no, depends actually …Do you eat pork?No, that, no.Excuse me for prying, but I just have to ask you, are you Jewish or Arab?I’m an Arab Jew.You’re funny.No, I’m quite serious.Arab Jew? I’ve never heard of that.It’s simple: Just the way you say you’re an American Jew. Here, try to say‘European Jews.’European Jews.Now, say ‘Arab Jews.’You can’t compare, European Jews is something else.How come?Because ‘Jew’ just doesn’t go with ‘Arab,’ it just doesn’t go. It doesn’t evensound right.Depends on your ear.Look, I’ve got nothing against Arabs. I even have friends who are Arabs, buthow can you say ‘Arab Jew’ when all the Arabs want is to destroy the Jews?And how can you say ‘European Jew’ when the Europeans have alreadydestroyed the Jews? (Chetrit 1996: 362–3)— 189 —www.taq.ir