What Intifada?

My 12 year old son and I went to the Jerusalem Circus today. The performers are Jewish and Arab youngsters and the audience was also a good mix. I met Jeremy there and he brought a busload of 5 and 6 year old Bedouin kids from the Jahalin tribe close to my town. It was great to see a group of kids who would otherwise never be able to afford such a performance - not that it was an exhorbitant price. It was a mere $6 but they wouldn't be able to afford even this. It may have been the only entertainment they have gone to ever in their lives. I told them I was their neighbor and their teachers immediately invited me on the bus back with them. My son was horrified. He'd rather take a city bus than go on with a busload of Arab children. I thought it best that we allay those fears immediately and vetoed the city bus thing. After the show, we hopped on and I understood that we wouldn't be able to sit together - boys with boys and women with women. He asked me why we couldn't sit with each other, I said it was like an Orthodox Jewish bus - the men with the men, etc. But I sat a row behind him. The women, who were covered from head to toe, passed around nuts and snacks. I was the only adult woman without a head covering. One thing Jews and Arabs have in common is heavy snacking on the bus. And forget about seatbelts -
because there wasn't even enough seats for everyone. However they told us to come on the bus anyways. Hospitality rules over safety here. It was funny getting off the bus and seeing the look of the soldiers at the checkpoint wondering what we are and why we were on that bus. It's so pre-1964 Deep South, isn't it? Jewish people riding around in Arab buses does not happen here. Except for one crazy mother.