Greetings from Jaffa, Israel, where a salon is a welcoming space for Palestinians and Jews

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Many individuals might even see overseas reporting as glamorous, however a whole lot of the time it is fairly lonely. So I used to be fortunate to search out Salon Jaffa within the Jaffa flea market whereas on task in Israel.

Inbal Blech, an Israeli Jew, owns the salon on this historic port city with a combined inhabitants that is a part of better Tel Aviv. A 48-year-old girl with darkish hair and a raucous snicker, she holds court docket on a bench simply outdoors her salon, rolling cigarettes, consuming espresso and welcoming a gradual rotation of individuals — primarily girls — who sit and have a chat. Typically they go in for a manicure or a wax, typically they only come to go to.

I grew to become a type of individuals. After I wanted a break from the heaviness of protecting the information, I would go and sit by her and the opposite technicians. On a latest day, I joined Inbal sitting with nail technician Mayan Shany and snapped this photograph.

Tensions between Palestinians and Jews after Oct. 7, 2023, reached an all-time excessive in Israel, however at Salon Jaffa, individuals from each communities really feel secure and guarded by Inbal. Palestinian and Jewish girls come to trade tales and gossip, and for just some hours a day, you possibly can see what this place might actually be.