The other day as we were wandering about in a remote town we saw a car that looked like it had been in a bad accident. Upon a closer look it was clear that the car had been vandalized. The car's Israeli plates seemed to be the only explanation on offer for the odd scene in an otherwise tidy area. Even with a peace treaty, relations are clearly still simmering.

The next day, when we met with the study abroad offices we looked over the forms for homestay families. One of the check boxes was about whether the family would accept a Jewish student in their home. The form we saw had been checked "no". It was a bit troubling, even though we were told that some families had no objections.

I guess none of this surprising given political tensions in Gaza and the W. Bank, but it all seems to defeat a significant purpose behind cultural exchange.

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