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guy translates it. I said, “Tell him that we're American Congressmen and we're here to visit the Jewish quarter.” And they stand there rather threateningly. I said, “Ask him who they are.” They ask, and he says, “I am the teacher in the quarter, and we are Arab refugees from Jerusalem.” Everybody comes from Jerusalem. It's considered to be prestigious. No matter where you come from, if you ever were in Palestine, you say Jerusalem. At least that's the appearance of what took place.

So the atmosphere is rather tense, and I'm saying to myself, “My God, supposing I was here alone. I'd really be worried. At least I've got the Foreign Ministry guy from the Syrian government and nothing's going to happen.” But it's rather tense.

So the Syrian embassy guy says, “There's a third synagogue where they're actually now praying. Would you like to go there?” So I said, “Yes,” thinking, “I want to get out of this empty room.” And I'm so furious, because I feel this is an attempt to intimidate me that as I leave the synagogue, there is a meggugala, a little box on the door. I want to make a statement, so to speak, so I go over to this little box on the door, and I kiss it so that this Arab can see me do that. I want to say, “I am Jewish and fuck off.” That's the kind of feeling I wanted to convey.

So we go outside and go to the third synagogue, and these three Arabs accompany us. In the third synagogue they're