Palestinian hospitality

One of the things about most Palestinian people that almost any visitor will notice if he or she travels to the West Bank or Gaza, or anywhere else in the Holy Land, is hospitality. Palestinian people are some of the most generous and hospitable people I know.

Today, a friend and I went to a barbershop. The barber not only sat him down and gave him a very good shave that lasted like an hour, but he kept talking to us, telling us stories about his life and his profession, and his family. As a Muslim, he is fasting and can't eat until sundown. However, he made us Cappuccino coffee, and later gave me some cold water. He told us to visit him everyday in his store.

I remember last week being in Ramallah, and going to a store, looking for sweets. Yes, I have a sweet tooth, I admit it. The owner gave me a large bag of date-filled pastries. When I offered to pay him, he wouldn't have none of it.
"It's Ramadan" is what he said.

Palestinian Christians who I have met last year, are no less generous.

Life in Hebron for many Palestinians is not easy, and this is especially true now with the clashes and army repression, and settler attacks that seem to heighten whenever events are happening, like the current war between the governments of Hamas and Israel. For many shop owners, it is hard to maintain their businesses with the instability that is happening.

Yet, people still will often generously give and share what they have, even when things are hard and if it is beyond their means. It could be something for many of us living in the West to take note of.