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In Israeli City of Haifa, a Liberal Palestinian Culture Blossoms
(New York Times) Diaa Hadid - A slice of Haifa's social scene resembles that of Tel Aviv. But here the cool kids are Palestinians, and they have unfurled an Arab milieu that is secular, feminist and gay-friendly. "Haifa is a center for Arabs, like Tel Aviv is a center for Jews," said Asil Abu Wardeh. "There's a kind of freedom here. We have our own parties. Our own places. Our own discos. We dance. We drink. We do it all in Arabic," she said. Their public life in Haifa is a striking secular counterpoint to the conservatism of many of Israel's Arab communities, where single men and women rarely date and tend to marry in matches arranged by their mothers. Haifa, a city of 280,000 with several universities, has embraced its diversity. The 30,000 Arab residents, around 10% of the population, include equal numbers of Muslims and Christians, and they are generally wealthier and better educated than Arabs elsewhere in Israel. This makes Haifa a comfortable place for liberal Palestinians.