Meet Alaa, an Israeli-Arab from the Galilee who opened Buza Ice-Cream with his Jewish business partner Adam Ziv.
Israel21c Since 2012, at the ice cream parlor in Tarshiha, the common language is the sound of a lick. With a mixed clientele of Muslims, Christians and Jews from Israel and abroad, visitors will hear Hebrew, Arabic, English and a smattering of other languages being spoken between licks.
Adam Ziv and Alaa Sawitat opened Bouza (“ice cream” in Arabic) and quickly attracted a steady stream of clientele curious about this partnership between an Arab Muslim and a Jewish kibbutznik in the Tarshiha shuk (marketplace), which is not usually associated with swanky ice cream stores. But it’s the taste that brings customers back, says Ziv.
“We’re not just a novelty of being a Muslim-Jewish coexistence ice cream store,” Ziv tells ISRAEL21c. “We make ice cream that people like.”
The other day we looked outside and saw people from a Jewish village in the Galilee sitting beside a group of Arab youths from Tarshiha. A friend of mine looked at me and said, ‘So, this is the new Middle East.’”
Leonie Z. Pipe says
Next time I go to Israel (and there WILL be a next time) I will be sure to check this out. I’ve been thinking of a road trip around Israel with my sister so what better place to visit than an ice-cream parlour with awesome flavours I haven’t tried before?
Stories like this suggest that hope and humanity CAN rise above all the hatred and division being foisted upon us.
Linda Rivera says
That Italian ice cream will be yummy!
Hadehoughalready says
Imagine that! When politics and partisanship are removed, strange and awe-inspiring things happen.
Good for them! I hope their business spreads like wildfire.
May HaShem Bless both Adam and Alaa with health and good fortune
Bugsy278 says
I believe they’ve already been blessed, buddy.