A Conflict Based on Fear

So I am here in the Hazorea Kibbutz in the north of Israel staying with Leslie. It has been pretty amazing and today I learned so much. I went with Hadar (another midwife from the kibbutz) to go to a Druze village not far from here to visit another midwife. Through the rolling hills and stands selling olive oil and up to a town where all of the woman roam the streets covered in white vails.

The Druze traditionally have many similar customs to the Arabs where woman must cover and are not allowed to drive and actually in the home (which had 7 different couches in the living room) conversations are kept separate. Ragda, the midwife I visited, said that they entertain guests practically every night and the smell of fresh baked bread, pastries, and sesame seed incrusted delicacies filled the house. So with a birth in a Druze family, the woman is not allowed to leave the house for 40 days (and it is looked upon as shameful if she does). Her bed is moved into the living room and the family comes from near and far to help by doing all of the cooking and cleaning for the new mother during these 40 days. All guests who come into the house are give a special tea made with over 20 spices and whole walnuts that is drunken with a spoon and served only during this time (and tastes absolutely amazing). Usually, guests leave gifts of money on the plate with the tea as they leave. Because of all of this support from the family it not only allows for a healthy beginning for the child but as you can imagine the rates of post pardom depression are incredibly low among the Druze. I think we have a lot to learn from this culture in terms of child care in terms of valuing this critical time with the baby.

This was a great day because the Jewish woman I lived with who worked with Ragda learned all of this for the first time too). As for the midwives, Druze women are not allowed to work with Druze men. So for Ragda she can work with both men and women in the hospital however if there is a male Druze doctor/nurse/ patient present she can not work with them.

It was an interesting day because I could see that despite so many cultural difference the Druze and the Jews get along so well. How could this be? In all of the interviews I have had, the woman tell me that the conflict if so deeply embedded because the Arab and Jewish cultures are so different and they could never see a middle ground. Today, however proved that a incorrect assumption. The Druze live in peace with the Jews: work together, play together, go to school together and most importantly see each other as good friends. But wait... the Druze live culturally similar to the Arabs so where is the difference. It turns out that the Druze traditionally are more dedicated to their nation than there roots. What does this mean? That Druze living in Israel (who volunteer for the armed forces) could be fighting against their brothers and sisters living in Lebanon or Syria or Egypt. What it comes down to is the education and how people are brought up and how people are educated about their friends and enemies. How can a Jewish midwife be best friends with a Druze midwife but afraid of an Arab midwife? Fear is from a misunderstanding and lack of education. This conflict is based not on cultural grounds but on fear which can be changed only with education and this is what Circle of Health International is seeking to do.