But, despite these inspiring conversations and interested people, I am left with the taste of disappointment. I believe that the general behavior and reaction to the PIJ booth demonstrates where the Israeli public stands on the issues of Palestinian society and peace, in general. The overwhelming distaste and aversion to discussing even the idea of a Palestinian state is still largely present here. The superficial problem of having the name “Palestine” before “Israel” was the mostly widely questioned and the first reason people walked away. Several close Palestinian friends came to sit with me during the long hours and their presence pushed people away even further. One friend commented that, “most people are looking at your booth like you’re an alien.” Despite the fact that the book fair is called the “Jerusalem International Book Fair,” besides worldwide bestsellers and general interest topics like cooking, travel or photography, there seemed to be little to find that was not Jewish, Zionist or Israeli. There were no representatives of the Arab world and the two stands selling publications in Arabic, to my knowledge, were an Indian-Muslim publisher focusing on religious topics and a Druze publisher from Haifa. This could explain why I did not have a single conversation with a Palestinian or Arabic-speaking person. While the fair had publishers representing 22 different countries, no one seemed to want to address the “other” nationality of Jerusalem: the Palestinians. Without the participation of Arabic publishers, and, therefore, little to no Palestinian turnout at the fair, it is no wonder that the PIJ was a thorn in the backside of many trying to escape the daily realities of the conflict and the butt of many frustrations. I can understand the weariness of even greater exposure to the conflict, as all one needs to do is pick up a local newspaper and get their daily fix. “Normalcy” in daily life takes on a skewed perspective on both sides whether it be worrying about the morning commute via checkpoints, or considering avoiding a certain bus line. I get that a journal focusing on the duality of the conflict can be a painful reminder of the failure of the peace process and the continuation of violence/occupation. But, the more Israeli society insulates itself from these tough issues, the more the Israeli people detach themselves from the possibilities of peace and “normalcy,” which will not only continue their struggle with the Palestinians but, in time, will also isolate them from former “friends.” It seems that the longer peace goes unanswered, occupation continues and violence thrives. Over time, people accept this as daily life, allowing themselves to lose the desire to question their surroundings. I am much more encouraged by the people that were angry with some of the things the PIJ represents and offers, than those that glanced at the sign and simply walked off.