ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the language of the intifada, a linguistic transformation necessary in order to avoid cumbersome academic or formal descriptions when talking with people. The phrase contaminates the soul like an infectious disease, affecting more and more people. Israeli army patrols and their behaviour towards people are a constant topic of conversation not only because the patrols are omnipresent but because the conduct of patrol members is not uniform and much is left to the dubious discretion of patrol leaders. The Falashas, the black Jews from the Ethiopian highlands, have been recruited into the Israeli armed forces and since many of them speak neither Hebrew nor Arabic, they are referred to as Ummyeen, illiterates. The CS bombs used by the Israelis are particularly strong and have caused ninety-three deaths, hundreds of serious injuries and countless minor injuries and irritations. The Israeli authorities, like resented occupiers throughout history, exacerbate local violence by behaving stupidly.
