Not Muslim, Not Jewish: Ancient Community in the West Bank Feels Increasingly Israeli
For the 800 Samaritans split between Mount Gerizim in the West Bank and a suburb of Tel Aviv, the younger generation is increasingly being drawn to the Israeli way of life, sparking tensions and fears
As Jacov climbs into his white van, he notices the small blue and white Israel flags fluttering from the windows. “I’ll take these off at Ariel Junction,” he smiles. From there, his journey will take him on a side road, up winding hills deeper and deeper into the West Bank. Back home, his love for Israel cannot be freely displayed.
Jacov, 43, whose surname is withheld over safety concerns, is one of the roughly 800 Samaritans split between two communities in Israel and the Palestinian territories, where he goes by the Arabic name of Yaa’kop. This ancient community – practicing an ancient religion that is a variation of Judaism, but also shares some similarities with Islam – has lived alongside Israelis and Palestinians since the formation of the Jewish state in 1948, a rare haven of neutrality in a sectarian world. Now, though, there are signs of change.
“The new generation of Samaritans feels more and more Israeli,” says Jacov’s brother, Baruch (Mubarak when he’s in the West Bank). “Israel is thriving. Its economy only continues to grow, while the Palestinians seem to want everything to stay the same,” he notes.
