Catch Up

Well, it has only been five days since my last post, but I have a lot of catching up to do, but before I go back to shabbos in Strasbourg, I want to write about something interesting that happened today. To put it in context, I have to mention the rhetoric that is not so uncommon that says that the Palestinians want the Jews out of Israel because they are anti-Semites and don't like Jews, that they are "Amalek" and want to kill us. It may sound extreme, but I have heard it more than twice. To the story:
Today I went to the top of Tour Montparnasse, probably the best view of Paris, and when I exited I saw a street market. Of course, being obsessed with food I wandered around, salivating over the cheeses, meats, fish, and all of the other items that make up a gourmands dreams but a kosher-keeping Jew's nightmares. Of course, the fruits and vegetables are A-OK, so I decided to buy some. The vendor did not speak any English, but with pointing and knowing how to say 'demi-kilo' I was able to communicate what I wanted. He saw my kippah (yes, I am wearing a kippah; France is anti-Semitic, but it is not as bad as people make it out to be), gave me a huge smile, and said "Shalom!" I thought he may have been Israeli, wouldn't have been the first I met, so I said back "Atah medaber Ivrit" (you speak Hebrew)? He responded, "Mah shlomcha, Baruch Hashem!" Clearly, he did not speak Hebrew either. With some rudimentary French I asked him where he was from, and he said, Palestine, Gaza. He has been in Paris three years, and seems to be glad to be here.
That was the end of our interaction, but I wondered, if all of these people hate us so much, why would he go out of his way to engage me in a friendly manner? Sure, it was a crowded area, he can't express his hatred, but then t least give me my fruit brusquely and then be done with it. Of course, I never bought into that rhetoric of hatred, but it was nice to see some real proof.