Jonny Gould's Jewish State

Support Jonny here. Loay Alshareef has been on quite a journey. Growing up in Saudi Arabia and brought up a religious Moslem, he was exposed to antisemitic schooling about Israel and the Jews. “Jews are the fierce enemies of the Arabs and you shouldn’t have them as friends. Christians too. But first, Jews.”  Loay was part of a generation of young Saudis who stood no chance. Isolated from the world, taught to hate. It still goes on - although less so.  But the poisoning of his young mind was challenged when he visited France with the Accord school, a homestay program in Paris so he could learn French. He was housed with a Jewish family.  Initially he refused, preferring to be with a Tunisian Arab family. But in the end, he stayed with the Jewish family.  His host Rachelle of Yemeni tradition said, “stay with us a couple more days”, and so began a journey to conciliation. But it started with confusion.  These people are nothing like what he’d been told. Rachelle was a good person, so were the Koranic texts abou