vital

Personal story: On July 14th I flew with my close friends to the Boom Festival in Portugal. Weeks before the festival would start a concerning whatsapp group-chat was leaked. The content was of Pro-Hamas, Anti-Israel sentiment. Several of the group members began to devise a plans on clashing with Israelis at the festival, as it is known that Israelis are a major part of the Trance echo system, both as DJ's and ravers. Their plans were sinister. Some were to burn and destroy Israeli camp sites, tents and belonging. Others, were to spike drinks or substances with dangerous chemicals without their knowledge. Nothing was going to stop us from going, yet we couldn't help but feel on edge the following weeks nearing the festival opening. As we arrived setting up our camp with our caravan, as friends and tens of thousands of people arrived to do the same, we could only hope our camping neighbours for the next 7 days wouldn't be some ignorant Europeans, wearing keffiye's yelling "free Palestine" every chance they had. There is no room for politics at music festivals! As 60,000 people arrived, our experience was completely void of any issues. Not one. We, Israelis have a massive presence on the dance floor. We are hundreds of people who all know one another even if we didn't plan to come together. Our community is small, therefore, we recognise one another at any festival all over the world. Our vibe is at times intoxicating, contagious to others around us. We love to share anything we have with our surroundings, be it water, alcohol, snacks and even our drug of choice. We hug, we dance, we smile without pause, sometimes it feels our Jaw hurts from all the laughter and smiling. Strangers on the dance floor gravitate to us, and we, bring them in like family, sharing anything that is ours with them. I'm telling you this because on a specific occasion three English girls fell into our usual "welcoming". Within a half hour, they felt like they were in the safest place in the world. Everyone looked after them, respected them and offered them anything that was currently being shared amongst ourselves. There's never much talking while the music plays, just vibes, smiles and dance. We always make sure to have heskies full of ice, water, juice, whisky, beers etc...Which are rare commodities at the centre of the dance floor. Most are way too lazy or unwilling to make the trip out to the bars for drinks or water as the crowd is massive. You can literally see people dehydrating... These three girls now knew- what's ours is now theirs. They don't need to ask. At one point I bonded with one of them as we traded some words. She asked "where are you guys from"? Israel, I replied with a smile watching every inch of her face to see if something would change in her. " Oh, amazing, and thank you so much for everything, you guys are so kind" she said. About 30 minutes later, she offered to take our empty water bottles to fill at the fountain as gratitude. I smiled and thanked her. Couldn't help a split second thought, 'is this gonna be the story of us drinking something we shouldn't'? But I ignored it as fast as it came. They returned an hour or so later and what she told me became emotional. She pointed to one of her friends, she said that they were sitting at the lake crying for the last hour. "Why I asked"? She told me how her friend is extremely active in the protests against Israel, how she hated us, she believed we were absolute monsters, killers, pure scum. She said her world came crashing when she learned that we, the ones who took her in, shared everything with her, respected her, asking nothing in retirn but a smile, are the same people she's been wishing death upon for the last two years. She said [her friend] was uncomfortable to ask but wanted to give me a hug. I was honoured to. It was for me, the best few seconds of the festival. I unknowingly dismantled this girls hate, just by being ourselves.