A nice story

From the SST:

ISRAELIS AND Palestinians in and around Gaza are picking up the pieces after 22 days of fighting, but an Auckland cafe is showing, with shared values and a love of food, they can work together. Ima an Ibn cafe in Shortland St is owned by Israeli Yael Shochat and Palestinian Khaled Masroujeh and politics play no part in their working day. …

She opened a cafe on Shortland St, Ima’s Kitchen, and hired Masroujeh, a young chef, who impressed her with his “intelligence and passion for food”.

When Shochat closed Ima’s Kitchen last year, she and Masroujeh decided to go into partnership. They opened Ima and Ibn, which means mother (in Hebrew) and son (in Arabic).

People have raised eyebrows about an Israeli and a Palestinian working together, but “the truth is that we are the same people from the same part of the world and have so much in common, especially our love of food”, says Shochat.

The cafe is popular among Middle Eastern customers; at night the backgammon and hookah are brought out. Shochat keeps the customers happy playing Israeli and Arabic music.

“We have basic values in common, like food and family,” she says, “You know, one-on-one, people probably get along really well. They just want to get on with their lives; to raise their families and make money and live well.”

An all too rare expression of common sense and decency.