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A friend from Israel sent this quotation from Israel’s most brilliant political satirist, Hanoch Levin. It was quoted in Uri Blau’s latest Haaretz article about a poor Palestinian family whose land is cut off from its native village by the Separation Wall. This fact has also caused the family to lose their water connection to the village. The Israeli settlement of Har Adar, which is only meters away from the family home refuses to allow it to connect to the settlement water supply because it wants to make life as miserable as possible so it can snap up the land if the family leaves.

It’s not hard to believe that this was written in the 1980s and remains as relevant politically as the day it was written:

“A man passses by in the road looking nervously to both sides and behind himself—he’s suspected of being an Arab terrorist. A man passes by in the road and looks forward contentedly—he’s suspected of being a cold-blooded Arab terrorist. A man passes by in the road and looks toward the heavens—a religious Arab terrorist. A man passes by in the road glancing downward—a bashful Arab terrorist. A man passes by in the road with eyes closed—a drowsy Arab terrorist. A man does not pass by in the road—a sick Arab terrorist. All those [terrorists] mentioned above will be detained. In the event of an escape attempt, you will fire a warning shot in the air. Then transfer the corpse to the coroner.” עובר אדם ברחוב ומעיף מבטים עצבניים לצדדיו ולאחוריו – ייחשד כמחבל ערבי. עובר אדם ברחוב ומביט קדימה בנחת – ייחשד כמחבל ערבי קר רוח. עובר אדם ברחוב ומביט השמימה – ייחשד כמחבל ערבי דתי. עובר אדם ברחוב ומבטו מושפל – ייחשד כמחבל ערבי ביישן. עובר אדם ברחוב ועיניו עצומות – ייחשד כמחבל ערבי מנומנם. לא עובר אדם ברחוב – ייחשד כמחבל ערבי חולה. כל החשודים המנויים לעיל ייעצרו. במקרה של ניסיון הימלטות תיירה יריית אזהרה באוויר. הגופה תועבר למכון הפתולוגי