Home Societal / Political Cross Cultural My Friend is a Palestinian Bedouin: XII. Individualism versus Collectivism. Friendships

My Friend is a Palestinian Bedouin: XII. Individualism versus Collectivism. Friendships

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11.00 PM  We sit down in my living room and have something to drink. I make sure to get the netstick.

11.30 PM  After a few calls, it turns out that Jaffer did not know anything about the whole issue and is not available. Bashar gets up and says: “Get ready, we’re going”. I realize that for him a communal issue has higher prioritization than personal issues. I also know that he does not differentiate in the same way I do between day and night. Furthermore, I understand that it is obvious to him that I will take them to the neighboring town. It is not that far; the drive will be no more than three quarters of an hour. Again, there is the issue of risk. We could get arrested. Apart from that, this is usually not a time at which I go out; certainly not if I have a workshop on the morning of the next day. I say wait: “Let’s discuss this”. Nevertheless, things are rather obvious. I will take them.

00.10 AM  During my years of acquaintance with Bashar, I got accustomed to the idea that one can go to another town to meet someone without having an address. We ask around, and I eventually drop them at the central bus station. Abdalla is supposed to live not far. They go and look for him by foot, with help of a cellular phone. They seemingly do not expect me to stay. I wonder if the reason is language, since they all speak Arabic, and my Arabic is not more than basic. Or, am I not masculine enough? There could be fighting. Do they want to protect me, or would I be experienced as a burden? Or, do they feel they are a burden on me? I say goodbye and beg them to be careful. They thank me for taking them to Lod.

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