Call me naïve, but I’ve never understood war. I suppose I’m lucky. No-one I know has ever said “Goodie, goodie, I’m off to kill a few folks!” Yet given the amount of unrelenting carnage, eradicating our neighbours seems to be an integral part of our world mindset.
Perhaps you’re asking what all this has got to do with the t-shirt industry. Well, me and Omnicottons live in Israel and have a relaxed an amicable relationship with our Palestinian neighbours. For over a decade, Palestinian women have sewn my cotton shirts with nary a hiccup in understanding. There was one occasion when I wanted to imrove the quality of the sewing and I suggested a solution to the factory owner, Sheik Omar Sharif (no fooling).
My idea was to introduce a bonus scheme to reward high-quality production with a special bonus but Sharif, a devoutly religious man held in high respect in his community, was absolutely horrified. According to the Koran, everyone has a duty to do his best work at all times (a beautiful concept). To offer money for extra effort was, in fact, a huge insult and contrary to Sharia law, implying that the women were not doing their best and could be bribed into the bargain. So another way had to be found. The personal touch! Friendships evolved. Although my Arabic is non-existent and their Hebrew was sketchy to say the least, we managed to converse, adding a sprinkling of English to the mix when it helped to make us understood. I had some wonderful conversations with these hard-working women. I learned about their, children, their home life, their lives. I loved the embroidered dresses they would bring back from Saudi Arabia when they went on the Haj (the annual pilgrimage to Mecca). I’m sure the opulent designs were a rich source of inspiration for my own designs.
At no time was there any unpleasantness. I needed cotton tops and they needed employment. It was my recipe for peace. I also learned how to make the best cardamom-scented coffee in the world. All this during a period when anyone watching the news would never have thought this possible. Unfortunately, it has become much harder because of walls, both physical and mental and I gnash my teeth at that handful of influential people on both sides who employ the mighty weapons of fear and distrust to serve their own agendas. But I’m just a simple printed t-shirt designer. What do I know about politics
