Jason Alexander recalls Ramallah human shield
by Jolyon: Al Jazeera
What Jason Alexander remembered from lunch in Ramallah wasn't the food. A Palestinian friend had told him beforehand that for a religious Muslim, letting an invited guest come to harm counts as the deepest dishonor, and that hosts like that would step in front of a bullet for you. He wasn't sure he bought it. Then, seated outdoors with a group of actors and artists, word came that the Israeli army was raiding a bank nearby on suspicion of terrorist ties, and soldiers fired shots to announce themselves. Ten of the men at the table got up and closed around him. "He wasn't kidding," Alexander recalls. "They're not going to let me get hurt." The account aired on Al Jazeera, written by Daniel.
Transcript (en)
Well, how much of a risk would I be taking as an American Jew walking into Palestinian cities? And Mohammed said, the greatest dishonor that could happen to a religious Muslim is to allow harm to come to an invited guest. And he said, Jason, if they had to, they'll take a bullet for you. And what was so interesting about that trip is, I don't know if you remember, we were having lunch in Ramallah with a bunch of actors and artists and, you know, at a sort of outdoor restaurant. and the Israeli army was conducting a raid on a bank that they thought had terrorist ties a couple blocks away, and they must have, to announce themselves, just shot into the air. And I remember 10 of those guys at the table surrounding me. And I went, oh, my God, they really... He wasn't kidding. They're not gonna let me get hurt.
