On a sunny day in Jerusalem's Old City, I found myself wandering once again through the streets of the Muslim Quarter. My friend and I stopped on Beit HaBad Street (Khan al-Zeit), one of the busiest streets in the area.
My friend wanted to buy ground coffee at one of Jerusalem’s oldest coffee shops. This is a very special shop, with roots deeply embedded in the city, and it’s considered one of the most famous coffee shops.
Interestingly, it’s one of the few shops in the city owned by a party involved in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, yet it has branches in East Jerusalem, West Jerusalem, Ramallah, Nablus, Amman, and even the Sarona Market in Tel Aviv. It’s hard not to marvel at this shop’s ability to transcend the conflict’s borders and connect people through coffee.
While waiting outside, enjoying the intoxicating aroma of freshly ground coffee, a local resident, a man around fifty years old, approached me with a friendly face and asked, “When will the tourists return to the city?” His question echoed in my heart, especially during this time when the war affects every aspect of life. I replied simply, “Only Allah knows.”
He gave a small smile and said, “Forget about Allah, what do you think?” I explained that I had no clear answer, as long as the war continues, tourists won’t come. This simple conversation illustrated how tourism, a significant source of income in the city, had become a painful issue for the local residents.
He continued to speak to me in excellent Hebrew, almost without an accent. His fluency surprised me, but even more so was the firmness with which he spoke about the situation.
“Until we take down the head, the one responsible for 7/10, nothing will change. Once he is eliminated, everything will return to normal.” I was astonished to hear such statements, especially since such opinions are uncommon among Palestinians, particularly in an area where people aren't afraid to express extreme political views.
He spoke about Sinwar, the leader of Hamas, with boldness, without fear of the people around us who were overhearing the conversation. I admit, at that moment, I felt slightly uncomfortable – this wasn’t the kind of conversation I expected to have that day.
At some point, the man told me that in the current situation, people will even rise from the grave to carry out attacks. At that moment, I understood which political direction he was hinting toward regarding who he held responsible for 7/10.
I continued to listen politely, making an effort not to express my own opinion. After all, I didn’t come to this area to argue but to listen and understand the reality from the perspective of those who live it daily. I wanted to hear things directly from the residents, without relying on what the media conveys or other intermediaries.
Then, as the conversation drifted toward other topics, he added with a sarcastic tone: “You say you’re a democracy. You’re a demo-crap. There’s no real democracy. What kind of democracy are you talking about?”
At this point, my friend had received the ground coffee he wanted, and we had to part ways with the man. We said goodbye and continued toward Damascus Gate, where the rest of the group was waiting. On our way up the narrow road of HaGai - Al-Wad Street, I reflected on that brief conversation.
For this resident, who gets his information from Arab media, especially Al-Jazeera, the person responsible for 7/10 wasn’t Sinwar —at least that’s how I understood his words.
To his credit, he used a sophisticated technique of vague and ambiguous speech, leaving it open to interpretation, as he never explicitly mentioned who needed to be “taken down.” It was clear he chose his words carefully, allowing the listener to infer their meaning based on their own perspective. It’s fascinating how each side sees the story so differently.
I wonder, after the elimination of Sinwar – what does this man think about the current situation now? And how will his elimination impact the war?
Praying for the safe return of the hostages in Gaza as soon as possible and for the safety of the IDF soldiers.
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