A social-documentary book about young Israelis and Palestinians.
Introduction
First open up …
1
2
3
… then swing out …
… now you can read the books one by one or together.
4 In this position you can read the book from two different perspectives. One presents the Israeli and the other the Palestinian side.
On the bottom right you can see the number of the page and the name of the chapter you are actually enjoying. Yanina & Michelle
005
005
This simple triangle shows you the page number of the other book. In fact, this is an invitation to compare statements or view the whole picture.
Don’t forget! 180°
The book can be turned and used by two readers. 180°
Enjoy!
Mafalda Airport Ben Gurion
Iuna
1. Herzeliya 2. Bethlehem
Airport Ben Gurion
3. Haifa
1. Herzeliya, Tel Aviv
4. Nablus
Raphael
2. Kibbutz Ktura 3. Rehovot
5. Jenin 6. Haifa
Airport Ben Gurion
4. En Hod, Haifa, Arabe
7. Nazareth
1. Herzeliya, Tel Aviv
5. Ariel
8. Nablus
2. Bethlehem
6. Ramhallah
9. Jenin
3. Kibbutz Ktura
7. Modi’in
10. Ramallah
4. Haifa, Akko
8. Herzeliya
Airport Ben Gurion
Airport Ben Gurion
Airport Ben Gurion
4 4 3; 6 4 7
5; 9
1; 8 11
4; 8 5
7 3
6 10
22
2 3
This is for all young people in Palestine and Israel, who helped us on our way.
“I said ’I know that I should have feelings but I can’t feel anything.’ ’’
20 y.
009
“And the guys above me said ’You don’t have to feel anything.’ And then the other girl said ’You took my father and my brother from my family.’ And the guy answers her, ’I want to take all your family from you.’ So I said, ’I can’t remember pictures from the Intifada. I was so young.’ And the guy above me said ’You will never... think why you are living like this now.’ And the girl said ’You’re moving me like a virus and without anyone noticing it.’ Then the guy said ’I can do it more than in one way, and also I can kill.’ I said ’Your strings are killing me.’ And the guy above me says ’We are all evil.’ ”
Leen
011
“And after this dialogue, we try to set free. And then, after we set free, a guy, asks the other girls ’Why are you laughing?’ And she says ’I am free, I can laugh, and I can say whatever i want.’ And then the guy above me says ’why are you not moving?’ And I answer him that ’We never lived without occupation, so we never had a chance to know who we are.’ So the guy above the girl says to her ’Don’t laugh.’ And the guy above me says ’Move.’ ”
Leen
013
“So she answers him ’I want to live.’ And I answer ’I want to think.’ I say to her ’You should laugh.’ And she says to me ’You should think.’ But then, the USA guy comes and … takes us and... Puts the strings on our body again. And then the Israeli guy moves us, so we are still under occupation and we didn’t get our freedom.” Leen
015
“Our teacher wrote this play for us and she took the sentences from our... stories. From the things that we... said in the practicing time, and then she organized it and wrote an Israeli part. My sentence was that I was … that I can’t remember pictures from Intifada, I was so young. I said this sentence. In the first two weeks it was difficult to talk about these things. But then … we shared some stories, and we talked a little bit about things. Because we are trying to forget about these things, and to live our lives and not to keep remembering that we are under occupation. When she came she asked us a lot of questions about these things, and we were like ’Ohh i don’t want to remember anything, I just want to enjoy and to forget about this stuff. And to laugh.’ So … this workshop was like.. i don’t know. We tried not to get … into bad moods, but … we did a little bit.”
Leen
017
Leen 019
Leen
021
Leen
023
(What means occupation for you?) Leen: “Israel, bombs, people crying... a lot of things like this.” (What do the people of Bethlehem think about this?) L: “About the wall? Noone likes this wall.”
Martin: “Because imagine, its like four meters, and on the other side is a wall also about four meters, and you used to visit your meter, like two steps, and now, if you want to visit them, because of 4 meters, you have to go to Beit Jala to get to see them. You see?” (Can you imagine how it would be if there was no wall anymore?) L: “Sometimes, if they remove... the wall – it would be like getting the bird out if its cage, getting its freedom. And... let it go wherever you want without any … Permits or things, so it will be like easier to travel to...places. People who can go and travel wherever they want are so lucky. They really are.”
Leen
025
Leen
027
Leen 029
“It’s really like jail. You can’t go out whenever you want. And you can’t see... like your friends anytime that you want. So it’s really like a jail.”
(And, did you ever... ask yourself why Israel is doing this?) “Nope. Maybe because they … didn’t hurt me directly. So... I am ignoring all this stuff.” (How do you mean this didn’t hurt you directly?) “Like they didn’t kill my father or they didn’t kill any members of my family. And... yeah.” (Do you have friends who were hurt directly?) “Yeah. Friends from the theater. I have. But they are like … people here always forget about their past and start living their lives so they can just... skip everything they‘ve been through and just... live the moment. All the people that I knew, they are like this. They want to forget about the past and live the moments.”
Leen
031
Leen
033
Reena, 15 �We have talked about it so many times in school. It sometimes gets sick really all. There is nothing new to say, we are always saying the same stuff. I don't really remember. But like: It's really unfair how they stole our land. Like that kind of things. That's it. I don't know. We don't really talk about what's sick right now. And the war... I don't like that kind of stuff.�
Leen
035
Leen
037
Martin �Back in these days, it was really different. Everywhere here there are checkpoints, and they can check you as long and as often they want. Now it is different, but it used to be a lot of soldiers here on the streets. And a lot of bad things happening.�
Leen 039
”Here is the Israeli street.” (And we're driving on the Arab Street?)
”You remembered the checkpoint we passed? Once I was with my dad and they have seen me because – you have seen my cars, two sport cars we have. They saw me and they were like ’Go, go to this side.’ They thought maybe I am a gangster or something, I don’t know, and I was just like ’Okay’, and he came to me, and I was keeping calm. He talked to me, and I was answering very politely. He said ’Move – don’t do anything, don’t do it, don’t do this, don’t do that’. They came, and they checked me, and they asked me if I had anything, any drugs, any knifes, any bombs?”
Leen
041
”Yes. They're separated.” (Like completely separated? No Palestinian can drive on there?) ”No … .”
”I was like ’WHAT? – Do you think
They didn’t give you the chance to
that I’m a terrorist or something like
put things inside again, you have
that?’ And he was... you know, crazy,
only time to go on the street, you will
and they did bad things. They checked
make it later. I’m like, ok. They didn’t
the car, they got all the papers, all the
even say sorry or something like that.
private things in the car, all of them, they even the camera into pieces. Everything, everything, everything inside, and the tank out, everything! And after that, you see, he was like, ’Ooh there is nothing. You can go now. Just go!’
They were really rude. But I was okay. The good thing was that they found me my lost sunglasses. It used to be under the seat.”
”Look there. These are the Israelis living there.” (Like … the settlers?) ”Yes, like the Israeli houses.”
Leen 043
“Sometimes it’s hard to explain it you know. You are not living in that even though you‘re now coming for a vacation, so... the truth sometimes is totally different to the way you have seen things and situations. I think it’s totally different because the way I used to live and how I used to be in this conflict, how I used to see... How this kind of resisting in life – I can‘t … Loose one... loose one thing I had you know. So that’s the idea I think so whatever I told you, it’s hard to explain the point or explain what’s inside me. Because it … grew in me since a long time, so that’s why, that’s the reason maybe, why it’s hard. But I don‘t feel sorry if someone is asking me or something like that, I don‘t do that. I can at least … ah, give an image for what’s going on you know, Any good side, I can‘t say like ’Oooh I want this, I hate these, I wanna do this and that’, I don‘t know, because that‘s life. That’s what life is doing to me, you know. That’s easy.” (I think it’s about personal truth … ) “Sure, its personal truth, it depends, like what is going on. I remember here in 2002, when it used to be more like a war, you know. Maybe you heard about it. I told you that they were shooting behind us the Israeli soldiers. With guns, like thththth, all the time, shooting, shooting, shooting … and imagine how you gonna sleep with
the sounds of explosions and these things, and Arabs on the other side, they were shooting back. It’s like a movie. I used to be like 17.“ (And how long?) “40 days. it was the hardest. You couldn’t go even to the streets. They gave us like, their free time, like, there’s a curfew, and you shouldn‘t walk on the streets, in order to get killed so each 2 to 3 days they opened for like one hour to get food. so … that was hard.” (What did you do at home?)
high school. I couldn‘t study well, because you know, the sounds, even your mind is like … disturbed, shooting guns, and explosions, and … tanks and soldiers shouting... And I made my exams, I used to make the exams it in between the curfew, when they opened, I didn‘t get that high degrees. Like C. it was war.” (So when you ended the curfew, you went to school to take exams … ?) “Yeah. They opened it and your getting orders, now, exams, you have to run! Now! Now!! Yah, yah, its not good.”
“I was at high school, last year in
Leen 045
(And you were like staying at home, and what did you do?) “A-aaall the day. All the time we were staying at home. Me and my family, we were trying to fill out our time.. with anything, like, fixing out garden, because its near, no one can see it, but if you go down there, and, nearby, not the road, nearby the road, it’s … a disaster... When I was a kid, at that time, like 16, 17, I had a video camera. I used to record a lot of things, like tanks, and the ruins, and some rockets hitting the paradise hotel.
like oh shit, imagine, they gonna shoot on the car. So that was the … . that was a really really scary thing. I was in the sleeping bag, I was sure that I don‘t get alive in the next day so here I am, like, I pray. He got out, and they began shooting near by his legs, I was hearing that so I was afraid that they are going to hit the car because it‘s going to explode, its a car you know, its a big car, a van … . a GMC car, so they just beginning duff duff duff and my uncle begins to scream, ’Stop, Stop, Stop’ … ..
I was near by getting killed, I remember, it was so hot, like this summer, and I was sleeping in that factory on And they felt that he is friendly, the roof, and there was something … because were not holding anylike.. Israeli soldiers talking in Hebrew, thing, you know, were just sleepI was sleeping in a car, Van car, it was ing, and not hitting even stones me and my uncle. My uncle. Together, or something, we were just sleepand ah, they said ’Who is that?’ ing, we were workers. And we were like just sleeping, nothing, I was so scared. I was so young, and say … that he was shouting, he 16, 17, in high school. My last say, like, you shouldn‘t be there, and year.” they begin shooting at us. Yeah. I remember that because he told me to get out of this car and my uncle he said, there’s no one in the car. And I was
Leen 047
(I can‘t imagine how it is.) “Imagine – try to imagine if you‘re reading a book or something, and you‘re reading something about war. It’s 40 days. It’s not that easy. And you think about people who are dying on the streets, then, if you have this idea, you will be afraid to walk even in the streets. You have been to nativity church, right? At that time, in the nativity church, fifty persons were hiding in there, and the tanks all around the church, and there’s a lot of people... they died in that square. It’s really war … so that’s why … I told you … so I think that affects more than... Imagine your parents are not working, they are at home, and they can‘t get money, so you have to get money.
I was 17. I used to work to add some money and give it to the family so lean and Reena will get some food that was the hardest time for me. I used to go for a factory, which is located like not in the middle of the city. I used to sleep there for 3, 4 days to work at the factory as a worker in the wood. I was trying to work and study, work and study, work and study. But I didn‘t come here, imagine you are young and you are like … and it’s like war … .”
Leen 049
”All the time. All the time we speak. I wish I could go out of this, and live to another country and just live the way I want, as a girl, to be free, wear the mini shorts and go outside – here, they will say: ’Oh she is a *****’, you know –”
17 y.
051
19.00; Darkness is still fresh, lights are on. We are outside, standing on the rooftop of a concert hall. The air is rich and warm and tastes like Mediterranean summer holidays, beach, sea, maybe Italy or Greece. Maya’s singing part of the show has ended, and even though the music didn’t stop, we left the concert untimely in order to talk. Passing cars, buzzing insects, warm light, dulled voices – various distant noises are blending into the damped music bubbling slowly up the building. All of us are pent-up and nervous. We were ripped out of a talk and are now stressed to pick it up again. Leeching and luffing on the balustrade, no one quite knows where to restart. I seek for a question to set it rolling – yet Angelina is quicker than me.
Angelina
053
Angelina: “Do you want to know
and go outside – here, they will say,
what is the most annoying thing for me
oh she is a.. ****** , you know –”
here in Palestine for a teenager?” (Yeah.)
( … ) A: “We don’t have to do many things here.
“There are negative things which I hate in
OK, the bowling, it just... it recently opened.
this country. – I just want – for example
Really, and we have the swimming pool, and
I want to study whatever I want.
what else... nothing, that’s all we have for fun.”
I want to study a specific something, but here
M: “Well there are some clubs and bars.”
in Palestine they don’t have this major. I want to be a server in a plane, like a steward-
A: “Clubs, yes, you want me to go to a club?”
ess, but we don’t have this major, and you
M: “Yes, no, what I am saying is
should, no you have, not you should, you
that there exists but … we can’t go
have to go outside this town in order to be
there. They are all drunk and...”
able to study it– it’s too bad, I mean – I am in love with this –” Maya: … “And we don’t have airplanes.” A: “Yeah, and for us as Palestinians, they don’t let us work in this business.” (Who is they?) A: “Israelis. In other countries, they say that we are a bad people... that’s so stupid.” (What do you love so much about the idea of being a stewardess?) A: “Travelling … to get to know other cultures, languages,... everything ... If I was a stewardess, I could go outside this ... prison ( … )” (Do you talk with friends about this?) A: “All the time. All the time we speak. I wish I could go out of this, and live to another country and just live the way I want, as a girl, to be free, wear the mini shorts
A: “Our parents, they don’t accept it. It’s not just for men, but the women who go there are BAD women. Your reputation will be ruined – like –” M: “Oh she went to a bar, she drank, she … ” A: “Shes easy to blablabla … ”
A: “I wish I could have a passport, like
(What role plays religion in the
you, I just can stick it and then I can do
whole situation of life here?)
whatever I want... (…) I only have a Palestinian passport – it’s just an ID –
A: “Religion? Religion is everything for us. Because... god.. means everything here,
And whenever I see an airplane, I am like,
without the religion, you can do crazy stuff,
Come on, please, take me with you!
bad stuff, you can kill, you can go with
I want it so badly.” M: “Some people can’t understand how lucky we are – living in the holy land, and all foreigners wish to come and live here, So many people say that they want to live somewhere else, and I think it’s because you really can’t do whatever you want.” A: “That’s the only thing.” M: “It’s just a small city, sometimes you get bored.” A: “It’s the same places you go, every
another man, do whatever you want, get drunk kill people sometimes so, if we didn’t follow gods way, we are just going to … .” M: “For me, religion is part of my life. When I go to church, I feel safe praying to god and.. I believe if anything happens, he will be there for us, and protect us.” A: “He is like... my husband, he’s always beside me when I need him, haha. I like god. God is a good thing.” M: “If you are lost, he can lead you to the right way...”
time, every day, it’s boring. And there is no … Beautiful views that much.” M: “Come on!” A: “Yeah, its just buildings, buildings, buildings.” M: “So if you went to Germany or anywhere else, you are going to see buildings and buildings and buildins as well!” A: “No, you will see streets and mountains and ... Yeah – I’m not saying that there are no nice views here, just that there are not that much … you know – ”
Angelina
055
Angelina is latching onto me, her voice is trembling and bitter. What a desperate girl. I really don’t know what to say or how to behave. Through all her enragement, she starts to sob – I didn’t even realize she cried. We hug, and I listen.
Angelina
057
Maya: “And... What else – oh yeah, the forty days of war here. That was in 2001 I think.” Angelina: “When they started the war, we couldn’t go outside from our homes, no schools, no colleges, no universities.” M: “My teacher used to call me at home and tell me what homework to do, we spent hours on the phone trying to study. We couldn’t go to school because all of the streets were full of Israeli soldiers and no one should get out of their homes, or they would shoot
M: “Ok, go live in San Diego.”
(Do you know someone?)
A: “San Diego California! Yyyiip-
A: “My brother, he wanted to
paaaaaii! Hahaha –”
go, and he went actually. They
(Where would you go?) A: “Ahmm...” M: “San Diego California.” A: “Puerto Rico!” ( … Puerto Rico, baby, … .) A: “Yeeeeass baby!!
took him. My father was like ’No, please, he is my only son, please don’t take him … .’ – he was begging them, and … he came back to us safely, thanks god, but they hit him and ( … ) It was too hard for us, you know. My brother, he can’t go anywhere now. Maybe they will kill him.. yeah.. i
us and kill us. Even citizens, they
It’s bad that I live here because I feel
will come, and shoot you if you went
like I’m in a prison and i just can’t go
It’s just bad. that’s just why
down to the street. So you just had to
outside, first I have to get the permis-
I want to go out of this town
stay in your house. Don’t move.”
sion, in order to go to other countries,
and live where I can be a free
or even Israel – Jerusalem, the
girl and do whatever I want.”
A: “If you were in the same situation, what would you do?” M: “And then, in one week, they gave
south, you know – it’s really bad.” (How do you handle it?)
us only 2 hours to go and buy grocer-
A: “By doing the things that I like.
ies – can you imagine? Staying at home
I like hanging out with friends,
for one week, you don’t have much food
go swimming, ah, church, listen
left, and then they give you 2 hours to
to … gods words, .. restaurants,
go to the grocery – It was very hard life.
Argile, but really, I’m sick of it, I just
I remember also that. –” A: “No one can forget this.”
want go out, please god, please! And there’s a red line between here and the other places inside Palestine.
(Did you talk with friends about
If YOU cross this line, you will go
their experiences during this?)
to prison, and never see life again.
A: “Not really, because i don’t remember. OK! It’s just, I gave you my opinion, I don’t like living here, I just want to.. go outside this town and –”
Israelis are rude you know, and some people are so sick of it, they tried to cross that line. Then they went to prison and never saw their parents or friends or other things again...”
The concert ended, but we didn’t realize. No music anymore, just street sounds and girls voices … . A door opens behind us, light is pouring onto the roof. Someone calls us, the moms want to leave, it’s time to go. Again, we are interrupted and there seems to be so much left to say. We all feel a little bit giddy, Angelina is still weeping, still holding me, no, I am still holding her. I feel dizzy, I know that I have to take the picture quickly, and that I have to do it now. No lights, no nothing, just darkness and dimly lit streetlights underneath us – Aah, damn- I turn. “Angelina, can you stand here?” She nods, everything seems to be still hazy … I feel bad. Behind us is a room, I open the door and turn on the light inside.
Angelina
059
Angelina
061
115
063
In 2002, the Israel Defense Forces entered Jenin. “...And there were snipers in the windows – because they can see all over the refugee camp.”
16 y.
065
“I remember like, the most details … I was going to school, and I was kind of happy about that it stopped but after that I – I... realized that its not really cool to live without school … and they … the main reason was that the Israeli soldiers went into Jenin …”
Ahmed 067
“… to stop the... terrorist attack, but its not a terrorist attack, its just … fighting each other, like – its an occupation – and they started … .”
Ahmed 069
“ … they went over here, this is my house, and when you go upstairs, they put us in one room... they told us not to... talk to anyone, or tell them that (?) (wind noises) Ahm, the curfew, it was twenty to twenty-five days – the first days weren‘t really dangerous, and the last days weren’t that really dangerous, and... the soldiers were everywhere, it was a curfew, like for those 15 days … ”
Ahmed
071
“… and, there was no food. My dad is like working as a (?), … ill show you that room, there was the food – like rice, and you know – the food, and … In the last three days there was no food. And my uncle decided to go and get some … there’s this friend, they (?) him so he could (?) … the back door and sneak out”
“He was like, that is so dangerous, you cannot do this. You’re gonna die. For sure. And he was like, I don’t care, there is more than 15 children in the house, and they want to eat. They gonna die too. He went out, sneaked, so, some soldiers were coming... … and he came back to the house, the same day, and the roof was on fire. A rocket hit it, and it made fire, and it was on fire. I’ll show it to you now. We can go upstairs.”
Ahmed
073
“ … And we went downstairs to the garage
We were in the safe room, more
and the firefighters … they came like in
than 15 children and their fathers
one hour, they took … the dead bodies.
and mothers, their parents. And
They were actually near by the hospi-
we were... twenty-two, I think.
tal but the army was here, they were not allowed to come. It was just two cars.
They just went on the roof, the one you see here – let‘s
Ahm... there were – you see here,
go – and actually it is still
there the refugee camps, and the
like it was back then, my
soldiers were in these windows.
dad didn’t fix it till now. ”
Ahmed
075
“It rained after the fire. That was the best thing. It was in … spring though.”
(elevator noises) “here, and... you can see this – this was the most beautiful floor in almost all Jenin. that was on fire, and all that were cardboards and ( … ) and my dad was here, here, and my uncle, and my aunts, ahm, husband, they were like here – and my dad just decided to go upstairs and do something before the firefighters come.”
Ahmed
077
Ahmed 079
“ … I remember everything. We went downstairs from here – we weren’t here – we were in our place in the first floor, we went downstairs to the garage, and we were waiting for the firefighters and they came and gave us, ahh, the – ahmm – snacks and stuff, we were so hungry. And
you know, the windows I told you about? Yeah, there were snipers like, and actually on the mountain too, you see they shoot from high places, they will always shoot from there.”
Ahmed
081
“It was a curfew. You are not allowed not even to walk. No matter what. They will shoot the ambulance, they will shoot everything.”
“I was, on the balcony. The window was not exactly looking on the... street, or on the hospital, it was on the balcony, and then the balcony will come to... the hospital here. I’ll show it to you. And I remember this wasn’t like this – here, there were no places to …”
Ahmed 083
“...bury the … the death. Their bodies. I was asking my dad, we were on the balcony, I asked him, why are they crying, and he was like... this man’s son is dead, and he cant find somewhere to bury him. And if he crosses this border, they will shoot him.” “The soldiers would be like ’You are not allowed to come inside here.’ And this man, his job was to found out who died, he just wanted to ...take the bodies to know who is dead, and go to make his work! And the soldiers said that they wont let him go, and he was like, tell me where should I go, where is the place I am allowed to? And he went to this place, and he only found three to two, three to two bodies, and after that, he decided to go inside, no matter what, if they killed him or not. He went inside, and there he found more than 25 bodies. I don’t know, I was happy at that time. It’s weird I know but … I have photos, my – my brother when he came from Jordan, he wasn’t there, he was in Jordan. He felt so bad about it. This place used to be the best place ever, and when my brother just came back, he got us the photos that we sent to him, from that time. On the photos we are kids, eating – but there was nothing on the table actually, just some food – but we were laughing and playing all day.”
Ahmed 085
“Of course I realized what was going on, yeah. Even though I was small – I was listening to the gunshots all day, and I would say that ’Oh, this is not the Israelis, this is the Palestinians shooting’ or ’Oh, this is the
Israelis’ like the sounds, you know. When you see the video on YouTube, you are going to... learn more about this... I just try to give you some ideas about … what happened.”
Ahmed
087
129
089
“I think you can’t do a project about how people see the conflict. I think you could only do one about how you think they see the conflict, and I think that’s a pretty good idea.”
17 y.
091
Rawy 093
“I am rather the behind-the scenes guy, you know.�
Rawy 095
(So how many hours did you say are you Spending going by bus per week? Average?) “Aah, like, lets say 40minutes for each direction per day, –” (1000 minutes in a month.) “1400 minutes.” (And how many hours?) “37 hours. A week.” (Oh my god. And what do you think about in 37 hours a week?) “That I want to get my driving license. And then I will get a bankcard.” (And that’s why you work at McDonalds.)
Rawy 097
Rawy 099
“I think the conflict will be solved one day, but not... not right ….not in this decade.”
“I can’t really say that this problem or that
… Greed, ignorance and… ahm… stereotypes… I
problem is the main problem. Because … it’s not
think these are the main reasons for every
easy to differentiate, if we face one, let’s say the
problem. I can’t really explain this. Ok look, we
settlers, there is the another that comes up, and
have the refugee problem, we have the land
so on. And you really can't can’t generalize
problem… we have the… Palestinian citizens
the mentality of Palestinians, or of Israelis, of
of Israel problem... The historical and religious
of Anybody. You can speak about the mental-
connection of the people… to this land, we have
ity of this person or that person... There is no
the... Stubbornness problem, the settlement
Arab mentality. You can't generalize it… You just
problem… it’s countless, but again, like greed,
can say I agree with this or I agree with that.
and … ah… I forgot what I just said before.”
Rawy
101
(What would you describe right now as your mission in life?) “Work. Get money. Finish high school. Be gone.” (But could you imagine, like not getting old in israel?) “Hmmmm yes I hope so. I don’t want my kids to live here, because it sucks. I hate it. so … it shouldn’t be a torture.” (What do you hate most about it?) “Well you talked to Fadwa right? Told you about how the people are retarded? Yeah. ” (And … would you say that you want to be a director? That this is your goal in life?) “M-hm.”
Rawy
103
Rawy
105
“I am against this situation, so... that’s why I am doing what I am doing. That’s why I’m active and in peace organizations and stuff like that just... to help... to keep stuff moving.”
“To inform people about life, about the life of Palestinians, in the West Bank or in here … and the Jewish people who live here. It’s about learning about different lives and … . If a little baby is born and raised in the Westbank, inside the wall, he will never see … how other people really live outside it and he won’t realize what is wrong with his life, and what should … be changed. There is no chance for that kind of … normalization. That’s why I do what I am doing. These programs are really special. You are feeling like so connected, and... really close and... it just feels right. I don’t know. And although I did a lot of programs, Hands of Peace was the higlight of them all. I mean like a lot of... people just... go crazy with this and, then we all sit down and talk together and argue about this thing and... about everything, and try to get the best thing out. I went twice, first as a participant and then as a tutor, they call it XL. As an XL, it was really different … our... dialogue is not much of a dialogue, it is more about facility and teacherness.”
Rawy
107
“It’s about sharing a lot of... feelings and … and like this being real, saying what we have...really getting to know each other much more, like much much much more. On a really deep level. I don’t want all this to be like ’Ooh its great its great its great’ you know … even the bad moments are like … it’s a good thing when they happened.”
Rawy 109
Rawy
111
081
113
[Intro – Amani + Mai]
“Mai and Amani from Dmar After 60 years of destruction We come as a proof of this nation’s third generation’s consciousness.”
18 y.
115
[Verse 1 – Amane] “I’m here to preach in rap and talk about what is now gone I’m here to make a protest on the occupation of the farmer’s lands Soldiers think they’re tough hiding behind their weapons A terror government entered Palestine, and were searching for the key My voice is now heard because of all the silence surrounding it It’s planted in people’s hearts and chained to their minds We tried to get up, to rise over where we at But something kept us down, and we still can’t understand That the leaders survive, off the blood of our children And we can’t keep saying its fait, because silence is an enemy So thank god there is a small group with political conciseness ’I call out for you’ (from Tufeeq Zayad Poem) Come join me, before we see more death Thank god that he made me who I am And not like others, who don’t speak and can’t listen What goes around comes around, and our land will get back to us” Amane
117
Amane
119
“And there are Palestinians who are the same, like They go … crying, crying, crying. Are they doing anything to change it?” “You can’t just talk about it like, ’Oooooooh’ and cry about it all day. Like, if you broke your... … If you broke a table, and you just cry for one day – Does the table come back for you? Not really. You should fix it, right? I think, it’s the same. You shouldn’t just cry and make people cry for you, You should fix the table.”
Amane
121
“I don’t know. This community is really... really … a Muslim community. Too much. and I don’t want these girls to … to be with it. Where they don’t have the right to speak, to walk, to … to work, to do anything. My sister for example works but... she can’t have a boyfriend and all these things.”
“I believe in sex without
If some people say that she
marriage. But people here
is a bad girl, then he won’t
are so close-minded, it’s not
marry you. On the other hand,
even possible to talk about it.
if guys have sex without
There is no presence. Me and
marriage, no one speaks
my friends, we are very open
about it. Why should I save
about it, but you will meet girls
and he should not? That
who won’t even talk about it. I
makes me thinking about it.
made a movie about this topic, it’s called freeze – I wanted to give this a voice, and to say that sex without marriage it is my right, not theirs.
In the past I really... wanted to be a boy because of the whole situation. I am living in an open-minded family, and they allow me to do … kind of
If a girl here had sex without
anything. I go out a lot and
marriage, the community
I drink –alcohol– and these
would talk about her, that she
things, so I am really different.”
is bad or I don’t know what. Lots of... strange things. So … a lot of people, if they want to marry here, they will also ask the people around you about you. It’s a tradition.
Amane
123
“Being in an open-minded family is really great but sometimes you should go out and see the people and shout – Whats going on? I am living in a great place, and then I am going to hell. Specially in Nazareth. Specially in Arab communities, girls and boys are not equal.” “We know girls that got married in the age of 15 or 16, and a lot of them also want that … but its not just about the parents. My sister wants to marry, and she is just 21! My parents told her, you’re so young, come on! Why do you want that? And I think that … girls should know their rights. They have the right to work, first of all … and they should do it, well no, not should, if they want they can work to finish high school. If they want to study in university, they can. And it is also their right to speak. Specially to speak.”
Amane
125
“What I love most about rap is the message.” “Really. I think, the whole world should hear the message from the rappers. And I thought that rap is … a good way to... to talk to people because a lot of people love rap music. Especially
racism, so we feel the racism.
with the same hair, and a lot
So I don’t know … The people
of people thought that we are
in the West Bank love it more
twins … and that’s the thing
than the people here because
that makes Dmar, the band
they are not as open for
famous. They were like ooh,
other kinds of music. Rap is
the cute girls with the curly
somehow closer to their ears.
hair, the small girls! How we
in the West Bank, the people there feel the case
I started my career when I was
more than here I think. Here in Israel, we don’t
fourteen, together with my
see the wall, we don’t see checkpoints. There is
friend. We really look alike,
look made us kind of famous. I’m not proud of it, but thanks, we have a message to give you and we already gave it to you!“
Amane
127
“So you see the problem here. Usually I told them, that for me its Palestine, but for other people maybe it’s Israel. its really hard because you are going out of the country, and you don’t know what to say.”
“I always tell them I am from Palestine, even though Nazareth is not in the West Bank … . so usually they are shocked because … I don’t know, a lot of people thought that Palestine is just Israel, sometimes they ask me where exactly Palestine is. Where are you from? You don’t know where are you from. You dont know your identity. You have a blue Israeli identity, but for you, you are not Israeli. you are Palestinian. Its really, our fight here, its all about identity. And the racism. and that’s it. That is our fight.”
Amane
129
[Chorus Dmar and Adi from We7] (x2) “Don’t think that our third generation will come our Israeli, brother Time doesn’t make us forget, it actually loading more history events, Dmar Silence and staying still, we don’t want that Shutting up and keeping it down, we don’t want that Prisons and borders, we don’t want that We don’t want that” (x2)
Amane
131
“I was fighting with my school... I was fighting with my teachers, even if I was wrong. I was fighting.” “Wait – okay. It’s crazy telling you, its crazy that I like that there are problems. I like that there is a problem. That there is something to talk about it with my friends except sex, beer, life, party. There are a lot of things to talk about. Like … ’I didn’t get the job because I am Arab’. There is something. I think I like it because I am used to it. In my life, I am fighting all the time, sometimes for good reasons and sometimes not.”
Amane
133
“You know … my grandfather had a land in Nazareth Eilit. And they took it. It used to be down here. It was rich, and he loved it, and now it’s not with us anymore. I feel bad for him, and I am angry because it got taken away from us. It is sure that I love this land. But you know what? I won’t cry for it.”
Amane
135
Amane
137
049
139
“What goes around comes around.”
18 y.
141
Fadwa
143
Fadwa
145
“Take me, I am living here under occupation for example, but still i enjoy life, like I love … animals – Okay, I don’t like animals. I love how plants grow, I love the sky, I love … rain”
Fadwa
147
“I don‘t like talking about peace because I know it‘s not possible here. Maybe it will be forced on us in the future but … I know that... My rights have to be full or else I don‘t want them. You know, it‘s either full or how do you say … its all or nothing. I hate to be pessimistic but... I’m having a struggle right now in myself what to say … I think their concept of peace differs from our concept of peace and that’s why there will never be peace.”
Fadwa 149
Fadwa
151
“I hate these questions. It’s my most forest dream ever... I don’t know if I want it to happen really, and I don’t know anything its just – I don’t mind Christians living with Muslims living with Jews. I don’t minds religions but the right thing would be for us to take control of everything.”
Fadwa
153
“When I first met them, like when I first met an Israeli, he was like... ’What do you think about Facebook?’
I was surprised from myself – what was I saying? I was shocked. I am sorry to say this but I was
And I was like ’Whatttt ? I‘m not
disgusted to be in the same place
here to talk about Facebook!’
with Israelis, I just hate...
And he was like ’Aaahh... okay…’
Hatred is there, in the room and
And then I saw her earrings, and I was like ’…Oh, nice earrings!’
towards everything, It was intense and I just didn’t like it. When I think of an Israeli it’s just... all the bad things come in my mind.”
“I learned that maybe we are really living in different universe. Just two sides of one truth, I don‘t know. But I decided to believe my truth. I decided to believe that they are the wrong, we are the right and ….you know, that’s just being... Myself a Palestinian... I guess.”
Fadwa
155
“Eventually it is ours, and it was ours, it will be ours … I don’t like the fact that I’m saying this but its the truth and … I don’t suggest Israelis to be thrown into the sea that is just not sensible. And I would like to be sensible but I can’t, I can’t like, mix it up in my brain... I always want to talk about this with Palestinians. At Hands of Peace, I was doubting myself as a Palestinian like I don’t’ know if you got this but... I feel like I am betraying, and this can kill a person, really. I‘m wearing this (necklace) all the time and I know that the whole thing, the whole Palestine is Palestine not Israel. And I just despise people when they say Israel about this or refer to this as Israel it’s just... I know that Palestinians were living... an amazing life before Zionists, lets say, came and destroyed everything.”
Fadwa
157
“I don’t like to be racist against Jews or, they say, what they say? Antise – I don‘t know the word– When I see the camps, when I see the massacres, when I see everything, how we live right now, and how we should have lived if it wasn’t for Israel, its, despises more than everything because they took my freedom and my happiness.
Anything built on something wrong, without a right... base... will fall, no matter how high it becomes. This is how I feel but I know that on the other side,I know how Israelis think and how they live … I know how people live – They live in fear I know because of Gaza... but also people in Gaza live like that. What I think is that these people have homes, in Europe, had homes in America, had homes like … it shouldn’t be like... this … I don’t know. Religion is good to be connected together but you can’t... religion is so high, it’s so sacred, and you can’t just kill... based on religion. You can’t demolish people and demolish homes and take lands and kill... and do massacres in the name of religion. What kind of religion does that?
Fadwa
159
This is what they said, this is land
it’s … maybe a good side of occupation.
for... what do they say … this is
To be more aware and … . to
the land without people for people
have to think, and to under-
without land? And it’s not right.
stand and use your brain more.
This land was full of life and full
But that doesn’t justify anything.
of people, full of... everything.
Some people are now suffering
I don’t know why god wanted this to
from poverty and missing educa-
happen but its meant to be and I guess
tion and health … that they were not
we were not supposed to live easily. We
supposed to suffer from... it’s sad to
have to have a struggle and I think
think how they could have lived.”
“I am not a refugee but... my friends are, most of Palestinians are. I feel like I am a refugee because I could have lived anywhere I wanted in Palestine right now but I can’t.”
Fadwa
161
“I don’t know if you understand but you can’t judge Palestinians just because they do the... I mean.. Someone lost his home, his father and mother and children and everything, and he has nothing to loose, so he leaves his life. I mean I am not justifying that but … I think this is the only way like... I always say that every action has their reaction and it’s impossible to … just shut up. If you want to kill us, you will be killed. It is a reaction out of time... What goes around comes around. It’s just... just stupid.
What does Israel expect from bounding us? And not letting us do anything we want? Of course we are going to make an Intifada. And a second Intifada. And a third Intifada. It’s natural I guess. They have to leave, I mean like seriously. You have homes everywhere and we don’t have homes so … be human and get out. Ok, this is the sacred land … . you can come, live here, but not take other people‘s homes! Not to kill, not to be... evil, you can come here, worship god. But... in a good way. I don’t get how they use religion in this. And they say Muslims are terrorists. Its just … I hate media... I hate that.”
Fadwa
163
Fadwa
165
Fadwa
167
Fadwa: “I love Palestine. I love it but it needs to be developed, I mean, more of the people really. They have to be developed. It needs a lot of work.” Ala: “Specially people.” F: “The young people are now... just like us, are doing what they want and everything but we also, there are people that just ... go back to … .” Rawy: “Traditions and like ...” F: “It’s just … ” R: “Like cultural ...”
F: “What I mean is that the oldest are very
very filthy and dirty, and especially
narrow-minded. They can be … retarded
when I see the camps, I don’t like them.
sometimes, but I am from here so I... yeah.
It bothers me a lot! Because I
But I don’t deny that there is something wrong
know that we deserve to live...
with the people. I don’t know if it is because
very nicely, and we are not.
of the occupation or... because of us … .
And what bothers me most is that
I want people to be more open-minded. I want them to be more confi-
we, ourselves, don’t ask for that right. They are not asking for a better life.
dent, and to trust themselves.
It’s wrong! Everyone should love,
To know that they deserve and to be … clean, to
should live... in a good way.”
have clean communities, to have a clean house. Most keep their houses very clean inside, but the streets, the neighborhoods – they are just
A: “We talk a lot that we have to change the situation, but we don’t know where to start it.”
Fadwa
169
“I’ve always wanted to go to the sea.”
“And … I went there once, last November. It wasn’t nice. I was very excited … and when I saw it, I was happy, but then when I came back here … now, I don’t like it. It’s just... I can’t enjoy it because... ah – It’s not ours. I don’t know. I don’t know. I can’t really
enjoy the nature there. (But what did you feel when you saw it first time?) It was big... it was like so big,
it but I don’t like the way I came to see it. I went there because of the organization and I just don’t like the fact that It was possible for me to
so violent, it was winter, and
go there just because of it … I
the waves were so violent,
want to go there because I
and I just felt that it was my
want to go there, I want to
feelings... I was so angry.
go to the beach you know?
I think I am happy I saw
But that will never-happen. Unless – you know …”
Fadwa
171
Fadwa
173
029
175
“I want to go to two places. One of them is the theater – No, it’s three, okay. One of them is the theatre. One of them is the Aqsa mosque. And the third is with Juliano and my father. It’s the best three places. You can choose now. Can we go to Juliano and my father? It’s hard. And Aqsa-mosque is hard too, so let’s take the picture here.”
23 y.
177
Amjad
179
Amjad
181
“And what Hitler did to them, they did the same with us.” “You know what.. one day, we, we will know who did it. We have a big story. It’s not an easy story. You have to read it from 1918 until now. If you know what has been with us, you have to know the history. Far away before 1900, we had this land. This land is for us and for our grandfathers … They came, and they had this... sentence... a land without people for... people without land. And its a fucking stupid sentence because this land has a people. The Jewish came, they said: ’Hitler is killing us, you have to help us!”
Amjad
183
“When they killed our children, when our children are in fifteen pieces because of a bomb – they are not different from Hitler. They are the same. They say, oh, Moses, we hate Hitler. Why do you hate him? Because he killed you. But you can not kill another people. And who is behind them? America, England. All of Europe. And you international, you come to see and want to help. Actually, we don’t need that. We don’t need your money. We don’t need your food. There is a people– you can give them the food, like in Africa. It’s better to give us... to give us this. Because we don’t need a food or money.”
“We need our land.” “That’s it, I just want to say that because if you want to make a project with … about Israeli people and Palestinian people, you have to know that they came to us. They took our land.”
Amjad
185
“Why did I come here the first time? I was coming because I wanted to be an actor. Yes. You know I wanted to have a scene with a beautiful girl, kiss her, yah, it’s nice, no? And after that... I just wanted to touch the freedom. I just wanted to know this. And it’s hard, really. You have three occupations in our land. The first occupation is Israel. Know that? The second occupation is our development. And the third occupation is here. Our minds. Someone talked to you about this? You have to ask … Most of us have an occupation here. Women cannot talk. Women just force this … And how can we live without our government? Many things, about good time, they talk about good times (…) It’s three occupations. On is in our heads. The second is Israel. And the third … the third occupation is because of you, because of all the international countries. And you, you just come here to.. to … hear from us. Not because you want that for yourself. Because of school. It’s like this. Maybe I am wrong.”
Amjad
187
“Because if you allow me to come to your house, and to fuck you, and fuck your children, and after 3 or 4 years we can make a small deal that I can take 75% of your house, and you can take 25, will you say yes? Why? It’s your house. If I come to take your house, and after 3 years I tell you, I’ll give you this room, and a small bathroom. It’s like this. They come, they take our lands, they fuck us, they fuck our … women... our children, they make a small baby – you know – when you see a baby? Did you see a baby in 15 pieces? I saw it. It’s easy here. You can see it everywhere. You can see it everywhere, till now in Gaza. can see it. You can smell it. Why? Because of you... of your country... and I tell you, many people here saw it. Maybe you are from Namsa, you know the freedom. But you talk about someone like me.”
“What I know about the freedom? Nothing.” “Why? Because its your country, a European country, all of the world. These are fucking stupid people. They say, okay Israel. They say that Hitler killed you, all right, We help you to kill another people to have this land. It’s like this. We don’t know what is freedom in here.”
Amjad
189
“I threw stones... to tanks, I throw tomatoes. Many things. And I liked it. Because I know that this – stupid – small – stone gives me the freedom. And I believe in that. Maybe not you. Many people don’t. But I believe in this. This... small stage... with some plays... This will take us to freedom. When you can touch the freedom, when you have it in your mind, when you have it – here – you can touch anything. You, you really have your freedom. No one can stop you in the checkpoint. No one can arrest you without reason. No one can hit you because you say... something against Israel. I stayed in prison for one month and they hit us ( … ) We have freedom here, in the theatre. Juliano said it. When we have the freedom here (points at his head; points at his heart), we will have the freedom everywhere. We will touch our freedom. ( …) You know, it’s easy to kill someone or to jump from a big rock to the river. It’s easier than... Than trying to... take your feelings out. It’s easy. Killing someone, or to jump – or killing yourself, is … easier than this. I have to use my feelings. You know, you have a lot of money but Juliano believed this, and his wife and his daughter – Why? Because of people like me and you. He wanted to see us living a good live. He wanted to teach us what means the freedom.”
Amjad
191
“So why did you come here?” (I don’t know.) “Yeah, its... the same answer. And you know what, if you make a contact between Israeli and Palestinian people, do you know what will mean that? No. Normalization. Yes. If I hear that you make this. And you use me to do this, the word is small you know. It covers a lot. If I found you … I will not do anything. Haha. No. I will be angry. Really angry.”
Amjad
193
179
195
“You know what we call it? This whole Middle East? We call it the bottomless shithole.”
19 y.
197
(They told me about the area as a triangle of people who are only Muslims) “It’s not only Muslims, but if you look on the statistics of suicide bombers, a lot are actually from there, especially from there.” (Yeah? I heard about that actually) “Tulkarem people... we are not nice, you know.” (laughs) (So … do you know suicide bombers?) “One of them used to work in my school.” (Fuck!)
“I don’t know, it was in 2002. I thought like a child, at that time I was maybe 8 years old. I think I asked myself, ’Why the fuck should you do such a thing?’ He was a good guy, you know, made delicious sandwiches. Why would he harm other people?”
Dia
199
“Okay. Look. I am against all kind of violence in any sort of way. And I can never ever tolerate violence against civilians. I can never ever want that.”
“It’s horrible. It’s the most horrible thing to do, and I am telling you, I can see why the international community would not trust the Palestinians to give them more land. But you know what? I can see the reason why Palestinians would have... the urgency to attack the Israeli soldiers. It doesn’t really matter if I agree with it or not, but I think it’s justified. When you have someone preventing you from going from another city to visit your relatives, or coming in and shooting people randomly, or going into houses, all that kind of stuff you grew up with … . It is normal for me to see my friends being like, ’Oh no, we would never shake hands with an Israeli’ or eventually supporting attacks on Israeli soldiers... I mean, it’s justified, it’s … it’s predictive.”
Dia
201
“Look, for me, it’s easy to hate, its really easy to hate.” “I could be one of the most hateful persons ever. My family are refugees. They‘ve lost everything and you know what, I‘ve seen many people killed in front of my eyes, one of them is my best childhood friend. It’s so much easier to hate, but I still have a choice. I am telling you, it’s hard. And there is a big price to pay, but if you’re not up to pay, then just walk away. That’s what I told my brother when he first applied to these programs. If you are not up to being rejected by your society and being rejected by the Israelis, ending up in the middle, not knowing who you belong to, don’t do it.”
Dia
203
“When you start growing up, and you start thinking rationally, you start knowing that things are not that easy – just to kick the Jews out and drive them into the sea, it’s not that easy.” (Did you think like this at a point in your life?) “Of course! Every kid thinks like
“I think a huge part of the problem is that the Palestinian society is not ready to accept diversity in a society.” “They are not ready to accept that there could be diversity in the political system here … they never really try to understand what is the motive behind going to a peace program, or your experience there, what kind of work did you did … Every time I go to a
that, because that’s the only
peace program, I have to lose a
thing we hear from others.”
lot of people just for going there.”
Dia
205
“You grow up in an environment that tells you, you don’t belong to Tulka-
But you know what? I cannot just go there and kick someone out from
rem, you belong to Haifa. My grand-
my own house again. It is just going
father had a shop there, a house, a life,
to create more and more problems
everything he could ask for. My grand-
and not a lot of people have the
mother is still alive and she is still...
consciousness about that, but I do.”
You can see it in her eyes, you can feel it, that she is still attached to the place. I’ve been through that and you know what? I’d love to go back there, I would love to live there, and I don’t really feel like I belong to Tulkarem.
“I am called a traitor and all these names for saying so, but I don’t really give a fuck because you know what?
In my opinion the Palestinian society is like the drunk guy who you should... hit on the head to make him wake up.
tion. It is a huge part of our lives, and of the problem, fine. I know that. But it’s not all because of the occupation. A part of the problem is that some of the Palestinians do not have real loyality. They are working for their own benefits. The Palestinian Authorities, they work for the power. We all know that. They are not doing real changes.
… Something about the Palestini-
We could have done a lot of stuff for
ans that I really hate is that they keep
the past 19 years, but we haven’t.”
victimizing themselves. Okay, we are victims to some extent. But we cannot blame everything on the occupa-
Dia
207
“If I had a daughter, I would never want to put her in a place where everyone treats her like a second-class citizen. I wouldn’t want them to live in such a restrained society without personal or religious freedom.” “It’s honestly one of my biggest questions. In twenty years, if I had a family, where would I live? Where would I raise them? I wouldn’t want them to live in Palestinian society as it is now. Unfortunately.”
Dia 209
“We are not angels. We have messed up really bad … attacking Israeli civilians – that is the most horrible mistake a nation could ever possibly do.” “Other mistakes would be strategic mistakes, for example with the peace talks. Corruption. And the Palestinians are very stubborn. I really hate to say it, but they think that they are the most right people on earth and that they never make mistakes. I tell them, you know what? We are not saints, we do make mistakes. But the mainstream Palestinian responds – ’What do you mean by mistake? We have never done any mistakes! We have been right all the 64 years!”
Dia
211
Dia
213
“And at the end of the day, I think to myself, you know what? Fuck it.”
“I would never do anything for Palestine again. I would never work for anything for my people again. But then I wake up and... that’s the only thing I am good at doing... That’s the only thing that I can think of … I don’t know where it is leading. Is it going to pay off or is it not going to pay off? I don’t really know.”
Dia
215
Author Mafalda Rakoš Bookdesign Raphael Reichl Photos Mafalda Rakoš Font Regime OT Paper Munken Print Cream 15, 115 g/m 2 Print die Graphische Bundeslehr- und Versuchsanstalt Vienna 2013, © 2013 by the Authors All text is based on conversations, monologues and dialogs with the protoganists. All rights reserved. This book or parts of it must not be duplicated, saved in databases or transferred in any form without the written permission of the authors and the editor.
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