http://www.israel21c.org/bin/en.jsp?enPage=BlankPage&enDisplay=view&enDispWhat=object&enDispWho=Articles%5El566&enZone=Culture&enVersion=0&It starts out like a scene that could be broadcast on Sesame Street in the U.S. Tzachi, a mild-mannered Jewish handyman wearing a turned-around baseball cap, is busy in his workshop accompanied by his Muppet assistants Noah and Brosh.
Then suddenly, Tzachi's neighbor Ibtisam, an art student, walks into the room. She greets him in Arabic, they exchange friendly pleasantries, then asks if she can have the paint for a project she is working on. Tzachi agrees.
The young, naïve Noah looks at the two humans in wonderment, "Are you two friends? How is that possible? You are so different!"
This sparks a conversation about the different things that Ibtisam and Tzachi have in common and what is different about them. Between comparing their hair color, eye color and favorite hobbies, the two neighbors note the fact that Tzachi is Jewish and Ibtisam is Arab.
What sounds like casual conversation is carefully scripted by the team that has created Sesame Stories, the third incarnation of Sesame Street to air in Israel, whose creators hope to reinforce education for tolerance and prevention of violence.
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