Let's Talk About the War (Part Two): Different Experiences in Different Countries

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Disclaimer: This is the second in a three-part series reflecting on the conflict in Gaza as a traveler. This post is focused on my on-the-ground experiences across the Middle East / North Africa as they relate to the conflict in Gaza. Although I avoid broad policy analysis, this post necessarily incorporates my own political and social commentary, as such commentary is relevant to my experiences.

These are my thoughts, experiences, and observations. While I am sure everyone has their own views and opinions, mine are formed from actually being in the region while the conflict was occurring, talking to people whose lives are affected, and experiencing life on the periphery.

I refer to "so-called 'Zionists'" in that manner, because it is a term which is used as a derogatory in the region rather than an accurate label of political, social, or business ideology. Where I refer simply to "Zionists," I am referring specifically to that political ideology. I refer to Palestinians when discussing Jordan, not only because they make up 70% of Jordan's population, but also because the experiences I convey related to them were actual encounters with Palestinians or their descendants. I refer to the "conflict in Gaza" and "Israel's retaliation" instead of "genocide" and "ethnic cleansing," because I aim to be as accurate as possible without injecting partisan talking points. For the same reason, I refer to "October 7th" when referring to Hamas's rocketing of Israel on that date. Again, this is not a foreign policy, geopolitical, or human rights debate; it is a travelogue.

I have been pondering these posts for many months now. I started to think about what I wanted to say at the end of November 2023, and it is now mid-March 2024. I waited to post it for a few reasons. I wanted to really form my thoughts on the issue, communicate observations and experiences in the clearest, least-partisan way, but also relay to those back home and others who follow along what I experienced as a traveler in the Middle East as it related to the conflict in Gaza.

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I traveled the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) in the wake of October 7th. I wasn't concerned too much with my safety in these travels, but I was interested to see how the various Arab and Muslim-majority countries responded to the conflict socially. I figured it wouldn't be in the most positive manner, but I was wholly unprepared for the totality of it all. As an American, I knew that I wouldn't change anyone's mind, and, as a traveler, I knew it was my responsibility to observe and listen rather than talk. So that's what I did as I country hopped across the region. I watched, I listened, and I was appalled.

Morocco: Preserving Jewish Heritage

Morocco was once had a thriving Jewish population. That came as a surprise to me, but the reason was not shocking in the least. In 1492, the same year the Christopher Columbus sailed to the new world, the Jews in Spain and Portugal suffered an irreparable harm: they were expelled. The monarchs wanted to rid their dominions of Jewish influences on their Christian land. While Jews had lived in Morocco for nearly all of AD times, these expulsions fundamentally changed the shape of North Africa's Jewish community. It was estimated that between 40,000 and 100,000 Jews were expelled from Spain during this time, while at least 200,000 converted to Christianity to avoid expulsion. Many of those who were once expelled later converted to Christianity so they could return to Spain to avoid famine and slavers in North Africa.

At its peak, it is estimated that there were upwards of 300,000 Jews living in Morocco, with 30,000 of these living in Marrakech. After the establishment of Israel, immigration saw Morocco's Jewish population drop to just 5,000, with some estimates being much lower. As of my visit in October of 2023, only 80 of these lived in Marrakech, with most of them elderly.

Nonetheless, Morocco's king has made it a priority to preserve Morocco's Jewish heritage, especially because so much of it was influenced by the events of 1492. The government has invested in projects to preserve Jewish historical sites and synagogues as a matter of course, including driving tourists towards them.

When Jo and I visited one of these synagogues in Marrakech, we found it guarded by three police officers. They weren't in full tactical gear; they were wearing their standard General Directorate for National Security (DGSN) uniforms (the Moroccan version of national police). They didn't bother us when we walked in. They smiled and gave us the traditional "Salam" greeting.

Leaving, however, was a different story. A woman was visiting wearing a conservative Muslim dress. Not a full-on Niqab, but it was clear from her dress she was Muslim. One of the police officers, clearly apologetically, was telling her she couldn't bring her purse into the synagogue. He hadn't bothered me about my messenger bag. She tried to argue the point, but he couldn't budge. Those were the rules. She eventually complied, and sarcastically offered for him to search under her dress. He made it clear that wasn't necessary.

As we walked away, Jo and I talked about what we had seen: a clear case of stereotyping and religious discrimination. It was clear to us that the officer thought this to really be unnecessary, but he had his orders. We concluded that had Morocco been a predominantly Jewish population, we probably would have seen the same in reverse in the wake of October 7th, with Jews being told they couldn't bring bags on a visit to a mosque. In reality, it was really just a messaging campaign: keep the sectarian violence out of our country.

As we exited the alleyway where the synagogue was situated, we encountered a DGSN vehicle with three officers decked out in full tactical gear. They were ready for a fight. They were on a low-traffic street not far from the synagogue, far enough to be out of sight and out of mind of visitors, but close enough to be able to respond should an attack occur. Their demeanour showed that they really weren't concerned about something happening, but they were there just in case.

Now, to be sure, there were greater geopolitical considerations at play in Morocco's decision to preserve and safeguard its Jewish heritage population. Yes, the current king has made a concerted effort to preserve Morocco's Jewish heritage, but the United States had agreed to Morocco's sovereignty claim over Western Sahara in exchange for signing the Abraham Accords. This claim, and America's backing thereof, means more to Morocco than the conflict over the Palestinian territories, and it was certainly in their best interest to ensure that the conflict didn't drag that backing into reconsideration.

Regardless, Jo and I met local Muslims who were proud of Morocco's Jewish history (especially considering it came as a result of European discrimination), would explain to us the history and importance of the Jewish Quarter, and even recommended that we explore the synagogues to gain a greater understanding. While I am sure they all have their opinions on the conflict in Gaza, those not once came up in conversations or shown through in our interactions with them.

Tunisia: "Ah, yes, Palestine"

Tunisia was a different story. While Jews settled all across North Africa following the expulsion of 1492, Tunisia no longer has a substantial population of Jews. The current population is around 1,000, with most of those living in Djerba. Post-revolution, Tunisia is an Islamist democracy, which, while outwardly tolerant of Jews, is increasingly anti-Semitic to the point where Israel is funding Tunisian Jews' immigration to Israel.

Consequently, I did not see a single reference to Jewish history, or Judaism in any sense, during my time in Tunisia, save for one heavily-guarded and blocked-off synagogue in Tunis. Granted, I did not go to Djerba. Instead, I was met with constant refrains of, "Ah, yes, Palestine!" when walking around. Why? Because of my shemagh.

The shemagh goes by many names and is used for different reasons in various parts of the world. From Bedouins on the Arabian peninsula to the Berber tribes North Africa to terrorist groups in Iraq and Syria, it is not an uncommon piece of everyday wear. Mine is a dark mustard yellow with black designs. I got in in the Sahara in 2017 to protect against the sun, soak up sweat, and prevent the sandstorms from bombarding my face. Many current and former military members in the post-9/11 world have them and have used them for the same purposes. I almost exclusively wear it around my neck, situated so I can easily adjust it to cover my face should the need arise.

In Palestine, the shemagh is known as the keffiyeh. It became a symbol of nationalism during the Arab Revolt in the 1930s, when military commanders made it the mandatory headwear. Ever since, it has been used in the region and abroad as a symbol of solidarity with the Palestinian people. The Palestinian keffiyeh is traditionally white with black designs (for Palestinians in the Palestinian territories) or red with white designs (for Palestinians in Jordan), traditions which date back to the British occupation. It is worn around the head or draped over the shoulders.

I made it a point in my travels of MENA not to broadcast my personal views on the Israel / Palestine issue. I didn't wear anything indicating I was American, and I never wore my shemagh in a way to indicate that I supported Palestine. This was simply a matter of personal safety and security. The last thing I, as an American, wanted to do was get dragged into heated debate about Israel, the US, and Palestine.

In Tunisia, however, the pro-Palestine fervor was everywhere. I don't mean everyone was walking around wearing keffiyehs, but they seemed to be on sale on every street. Even the homeless were selling mini Palestinian flags on the street. Anti-Western graffiti in terms of Israel / Palestine foreign policy was everywhere. Whereas Morocco's message had been not to bring the sectarianism there, Tunisia's message was you had better support Palestine.

I never argued the point. Sometimes as a Western traveler, it is best to just go with the flow. Any time someone would comment on my shemagh being a pro-Palestinian symbol (despite not being the right colour or worn in a traditional manner), I would simply smile, move my head side to side, and say, "Yeah, well..." and leave it at that. I didn't want to find out what would happen if I voiced my thoughts or disagreed with them.

Aqaba: Irrational Fears and Neo-Nazi Rhetoric

Jordan was a whole other beast when it came to the conflict in Gaza. As I said in the first post, 70% of Jordanians are Palestinians or descendants of Palestinians. My dive instructor and hostel owner in Aqaba were Palestinian, and both wanted to engage in a conversation about the conflict.

In fairness to the dive team, they actually wanted to have a conversation about the conflict. They wanted my perspective as someone well-versed in terrorism and history, and I, in turn, wanted to hear their perspective as people living just across the border from Israel and who were harassed almost daily by the Jordanian security services simply because one of them was Palestinian. While we didn't agree on everything, we had great, respectful, deep conversations about the situation.

That wasn't the norm in Jordan.

The hostel owner invited Louise (the only other guest at the hostel) and me to eat dinner with him and his friends one night. It was a lot of fun, and we had a lot of laughs. Inevitably, though, the conversation turned to the conflict in Gaza. Louise and I had the misfortune of being French and American, respectively, and were, therefore, representative our governments' foreign policies on the matter. Not only that, we were so-called "Zionists" by default.

We were regaled with anti-Israel and anti-Zionist propaganda. As an American, I knew it was my job to just sit there and let them talk. There was no way I was going to change their mind, and it wasn't in my interest to even make the attempt. Louise, to her credit, admitted she knew nothing of the conflict, and would later spend an entire night researching and learning about it.

I could not believe the dogmatism I would hear at this dinner.

They started down the dogmatic rabbit hole by telling me that, in Jordan, no one will eat at a McDonald's or Starbucks, because they support the so-called "Zionist" governments in the West and Israel. This intrigued me, because there were definitely people eating at the McDonald's in town. I found it odd that risking the layoff of local workers at the local franchise by boycotting it was thought to be a good way of protesting a world-wide company (indeed, months later, boycotted companies would lay off thousands of local workers in the Middle East due to the boycotts).

The boycotts were nothing compared to the conspiracy theories that followed.

They told me that the Zionists in Israel wouldn't be content with a two-state solution or even conquering all of Palestine as their own. No, after Palestine, they would expand the Zionist empire across the Middle East and establish an Israel from the Nile to the Euphrates. They seemed to believe that Palestine was the only thing holding back such a conquest.

I decided to ask, "What about the Abraham Accords," which normalized relations between several Arab states and Israel. They dismissed these out of hand. They considered those Arab states traitors and believed that Israel would simply shred the Accords when it suited them. As a someone who had studied international policy in earnest, I knew that was certainly a possibility, as States act in their own interests, but they didn't give a second's thought to the response such an endeavour would elicit. They seemed to think that Israel would invade Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Iraq, and get away with it, in the name of Zionism. The Israeli military is powerful and advanced, but even they wouldn't be able to withstand the coalition that would form against them, especially considering it would be condemned by the Europeans and Americans.

But they had an answer to that, too. According to them, Americans actually supported an Israel from the Nile to the Euphrates. I couldn't help myself and commented, "You'd be hard-pressed to find an American that supports that. Most Americans can't even find the Euphrates on a map." That's when they said things that I had only heard from skinheads and Neo-Nazis.

"You don't know that's what you support, but you do, because that's what the Zionists want. And the Zionists control your country. They control your government, your businesses, your education. They want that, so you want that." They continued to tell me that Jews are just Europeans who immigrated, and they didn't belong in Israel or the Palestinian territories.

Of course, neither of things were true. The "Jews control the government" conspiracy theory has been around forever, and was a central theme in the Holocaust. They also failed to acknowledge to key parts of the historical record. Firstly, that the ground on which Israel and Palestine currently are established is the ancestral homeland of the Jewish ethnicity. It was called Judea long before modern-day Palestinians were ever distinguished in the genetic record. Secondly, that the Arab nations have forcibly expelled their Jewish populations since the establishment of the Jewish State in Israel, to the total of between 850,000 and 900,000 forcible removals. There was also no acknowledgement of the fact that Israel opened its borders and citizenship to any Jewish person, whereas none of the Arab states will accept Palestinians.

Their beliefs were not just dogmatic, they were delusional and irrational. If anyone were to make these statements in the US, they would be labeled anti-Semitic, a Neo-Nazi, and face severe backlash, including losing friends, having their businesses boycotted, and being force out of elected office. They may even be investigated for anti-Semitic hate crimes in certain jurisdictions if those beliefs turned into religious and ethnic discrimination.

Now, in fairness, the hardcore Zionists, as in those who are just as committed to their extremist cause as Islamic State is to theirs, do believe in an Israel from the Nile to the Euphrates. I didn't ask this question of them, but I did to Louise in the room afterwards: If we were to say that all Muslims believe in the establishment of a worldwide Islamic caliphate, infidels must be killed, women must be slaves to men, there should be no democracies, and the only law we should follow is Shari'a law, what would Palestinians say to us? They would call us racist, Islamophobic, conspiracy theorists, and ignorant of Islam.

Yet believing the Jews as a whole control the Western governments, businesses, and education, want to purge Palestine of Muslims, and establish an Israel from the Nile to the Euphrates, and their Zionist puppets will do nothing to stop them is sound reasoning.

I walked away from that conversation with two thoughts: 1) how could someone be so blinded by irrational fear, delusion and hatred to the point of believing the entire world is controlled by an underground extremist religious movement, and 2) if this was how Palestinians felt, it didn't matter what efforts the West and Israel took to bring to current conflict to a humane end. These beliefs would keep it going forever.

Amman: Anger

If I were to characterise what I saw in Aqaba in one phrase, it would be irrational fear and delusion. What I saw in Amman was worse: anger. Fortunately, it was much more straightforward and much easier to explain. It was like having that racist neighbour that flies the Confederate flag on their front lawn: I knew exactly where they stood and how to avoid them.

The boycott signs were everywhere. Some were lists, others were collages of so-called "Zionist" business logos that "are not welcome." Shops and restaurants had signs posted on their doors and windows that stated "We do not welcome Zionists." These signs were in English in an Arab-speaking country. It was reminiscent of "No Irish need apply," "No Negroes," and "No Mexicans" from America's pre-Civil Rights Movement days.

Unlike in the United States, where you could pretty well easily identify someone in one of these "unwelcome" categories, I wondered how one might be identified as a so-called "Zionist" in Jordan? I was never asked my thoughts on the conflict in Gaza, and there didn't seem to be any open discrimination against Westerners, even though we were apparently just Zionist puppets.

The answer was, of course, if you were witnessed being a patron of any of the so-called "Zionist" businesses, which I did. I wasn't making a political statement by going to Starbucks for coffee. I simply do not like Turkish coffee, which is the type most widely available in Jordan, and, after two months of sustaining primarily on tea rather than coffee, I wanted espresso. Contrary to the popular conspiracy theory, I knew that Starbucks was the farthest thing from a Zionist company, as it has involved itself in most every social movement and controversy in the US over the last 10+ years.

Despite this, I had to enjoy my coffee physically in Starbucks. My hostel had made it quite clear that if anyone came in with items from their blacklist of companies, that person would be told to leave. Not asked. Told. No form of perceived Zionism or support thereto would be tolerated.

Antisemitism and Neo-Nazism masquerading as pro-Palestinian support ran rampant in Amman. Just as in Tunisia, there were Palestinian flags and anti-Israel posters everywhere. They didn't just demand a ceasefire, which was the common refrain I saw / would see in the UK, Ireland, Turkey, Australia, and New Zealand. It was outright "down with Israel" and "Israel is a terrorist state" messaging. I wondered what Ben Affleck, the National Civil Liberties Union, and Congressmen would think of such racism against Jews in a Muslim country.

Parting Thoughts: Racism Disguised as Foreign Policy

With the exception of Morocco, the vitriol, hatred, and racism I witnessed directed towards Israel and Jews was appalling. I know, and have constantly tried to communicate with 22-year-old grad students, that racism, prejudice, and stereotypes are common in most of the non-Western world. "Otherism" is how societies and civilisations have survived for centuries upon centuries.

In most cases, however, these are openly directed at a group in the form of insults and slurs. Kurds hate the Arabs and vice versa, Indians hate Pakistanis, and Latin American countries are famous for their depictions of each other (just accidentally call a Puerto Rican a Mexican and see what happens). Land disputes between these groups are common and based in rivalries and conquests that go back centuries.

The anti-Jewish racism I witnessed, however, was making a thinly-veiled attempt at masquerading as foreign policy. "We don't hate Jews, just Zionists" was (and is) a common refrain. This sentiment was betrayed by the notion that Palestine is an occupied land "from the river to the sea," a phrase which necessarily means wiping Israel off the face of the map. I experienced this idea that a "free" Palestine would be a home for Arabs and Jews alike, if only the land would be returned to its "rightful" owner, the Palestinians.

This ignored the historical fact that Arab nations have expelled Jews from their borders to go live in "their" state, Israel. The Arabs in the Middle East clearly did not want to live side by side with Jews. This was made abundantly clear, both in history and with the dogmatic rhetoric I witnessed. Jews not welcome. In our businesses, in our homes, or in our land. Message sent, and message received.

The 1930s called. They want their Nazism back.