Page 14-THE NEWS-December. 1982
Marie^s Story: The other Side 0S the Fence
By Joan Silberstein
METULLA, ISRAEL
— Metulla could be a hilltop
village in Switzerland. The
green valley. The sun-
warmed scent of apples from
foothill orchards. The red
rooftops on the gracious
homes lining the main street,-
looking like chalets. Small
hotels and pensions, in the
European manner, for
tourists and vacationers.
Over all, a sense of abiding
peace...
The illusion passes.
Metulla is a border town in
Israel’s embattled north, a
slender fingertip between
Syria and Lebanon. Pointing
to a cross-hatched wiring
unique to boundaries that
divide nation from nation.
This one — the Good Fence
— beckons and invites... and
this is the story of Marie,
who walks through its
gateway every morning into
Israel and walks back again
every night.
- Marie lives on the other
side of the fence, in Lebanon.
For eight years, since the
Lebanese Civil War in
1974-75, her Arab Christian
village was a tragic mirror
image of Metulla, shelled
constantly by PLO
katuyshas. But with no army
to retaliate or protect the
people or minimize terrorist
raids. Men and boys disap
peared, women were raped,
houses were plundered...
Even here, on the other
side of the fence, sitting in an
office she cleans — even
now, when the seige of terror
has been lifted — the
memories continue to haunt
her. They come out jaggedly,
rapid Arabic translated
stolidly into English. My
photographer catches every
expression in Marie’s eyes.
Proud. Hurt.
“Eight years ago,” she
says, “I came to the Good
Fence. I came to the Israelis
for help. Blood all over me.
cut up from shrapnel from
the terrorists. The Israelis
took me to their hospital,
they took care of me. ”
She gets up from her chair,
comes to stand directly in
front of me, a 63 year old
woman, solid of body. She
has borne four children, two
sons and two daughters. She
has grandchildren. She lifts
the hem of her simple black
dress to show me, woman to
woman, the shrapnel scars
on her legs and thighs, then
pushes at her sleeves to ex
pose the burn marks on her
arms.
“They did that. The PLO.’
If the Israelis didn’t stop
them, they might have killed
us all. For eight years, we
were suffering all the time.
Their bomb ruined our
house. We were in the
shelter. My husband’s
brother was hit, and after
wards they had to amputate
hid legs. It was a
nightmare.”
Marie smoothes the hem of
her skirt, sits down again op
posite me. As she talks, she
twists a bit of grey cleaning
rag in her hands, then
spreads it out flat and
presses it down hard on her
lap, ad if to push the painful
memories away.
“We had no money,” she
goes I on. “Our land was
Eat Out During the Holidays
House I
/m
vJIU
jlh
/Ilfs
1^
1^
P Where you can
^ enjoy authentic
^ Chinese Cuieine
m
NlIP
Hunan
I
ait
/ilts
/IlfV
w
vTi/
/iir
vJID
vJH/
all/
i3lfc-
31P
in a classic
atmosphere.
Hunan-Szechuan
Mandarin
Cantonese
Weight Watchers
Cuisine
Lounge
Take Out Service
o7\dangione’s
ristorante
Featuring Authentic Italian Cuisine
- NEW HOURS -
Tues.-Thru. 5:30-10:30 Fri. & Sat. 5-11
Sunday 5:30-10:30 Closed Monday
Buon Appetito Roberto & Anna Maria \
1524 East Boulevard 334-4417 :
For Advertising on
this page call
Rita - 366-6632
Natural Foods
Vitamins
Juice Bar
Herbs & Spices
Qourmet Coffees
Fresh Produce
Cosmetics
•17 S. Stwron AmHv
3«4-369l
1618 Elizabeth Avenue
375-6953
CUD
o|f>
vltl/
vllu
m
11^ Mon.-Thura. 11:30 am>10:00 pm
JlP Fri. 11:30*m •11:00 pm . ^
^ Saturday 5:00 pm -11:00 pm. l|p
Sunday 12:00 noon >10:00 pm
}i^300 East Woodlawn Rd.
^ 525-3406 ^
^Opanlng Soon In Cotswold
FEtM^
NAlUR/UfOOD
MARKET
Tonight . . .
Dine Half a World Away.
Nakdto Japanese Steak House
'2501 E Independence Blvd
(704) M2 ICKK) (or Reservations
HAPPY
CHANUKAH
SUN.-THURS.5 P.M.. 10 P.M.
FRI.-SAT.5 P.M.- 11 P.M.
UNUSUAL VARIETY OF SEAFOODS
BROILED & FRIED
SPECIALTY DISHES
TOP QUALITY STEAKS
EXCELLENT SALAD BAR
BANQUET FACILITIES FROM 15-100
ALL ABC PERMITS
6816 E. INDEPENDENCE BLVD. 535-6774
BjrzjEJfZJizjrajrzJiHirzjfarzjrarzjiarEirzjr^rs
zjrarzjiziizjiejnsirajrziizjrarzitiiizirzJiatBitEJia
HOTPIZZA
OR LASAGNA
TO YOUR DOOR
You're never far from the best pizza or *lasagna in town. Just
call La Strada, the home of Sicilian pizza. We’ll rush a delicious
steaming hot pizza or * lasagna right to your door in less time than
it takes'you to head to your refrigerator.
So next time you get the hungries. don't head for the
r.fri8er«lor, hud for Ihephone.
one half doscn
365-2212 of otir faaHMM garUc roUs.
WE DELIVER
^ LaStrada
“The Home of'
Sicilian Pizza’*
($1.00 delivery charge for
orders totaling under $7.00.)
4:30 'til 11 Sun. thru Thurs.
4:30 'til 1 a.m. Fri. & Sat.
SICILIAN DAN THE PIZZA MAN
offers
00
off
pizza & lasagna dinners
-p with thia coupon
on* coupon par daNvary
QOOD THRU DEC. 30,1962