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
1 0. 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 Israel and Palestine, who helped us on our way.
22 y.
009
Niva lives in Herzliya with her mum. She finished her obligatory army service a couple of months ago, and is currently working as a waitress to afford studying in the U.S. She will leave to New York soon.
Niva
011
“I guess Herzeliya is my favorite place in Israel. It’s my home, but it can also be annoying because there are many snobs here. And always – no matter where you live – when people hear you are from Herzliya, they mistakenly think you’re rich.”
“They say it’s Israel’s Beverly Hills, and people in High school act like it was.”
1
Mount Herzl with the statue of Theodor Herzl, who created the idea of a Jewish state in the Holy Land. 1
Niva
013
“Living in Tel Aviv and Herzliyya is like living in a bubble.”
Niva
015
The bubble
Niva
017
Niva: “Would you go to Bethlehem?” Friend: “Sure, why not?” N: “Because it’s a Palestinian village” F: “So … ? Is it dangerous or something?” N: “No, yes. Depends. If you go there screaming that you are Israeli, it is” F: “And what if I wear a dress which looks like the Israeli flag?” N: “You die.” (Laughs)
Niva
019
“There is this big, big rock star in Israel who is left-wing and for peace. He sang on this peace event that was held in 1994 or 1995. And Rabin, the prime minister then, went on stage and sang with the rock star, about peace! I mean that’s … . I feel … . I have Goosebumps, seriously!”
“And then… when Rabin got
They say there might be a se-
When I think about it, I just
curity guy that was involved
tell myself: ‘What the fuck?
shot. Fuck. It’s…. I remem-
in it. It’s scary to talk about it.
What kind of place do we
ber being a little girl watch-
There were 3 shots heard and
live in?’ But again: it’s just a
ing it from home, and I wasn’t
someone screamed ‘srak, srak’
theory. It’s a tragedy, one of
aware of all the things but…it
which means ‘its nothing, it’s
the biggest in our history.”
was… there was a big shock in
not a real bullet!’ Who the
the country and there is also a
hell would have shouted that?
off the stage… he was just
conspiracy theory that actual-
How could he shoot him when
ly somebody from the inside.
there were so many guards?
Niva
021
Niva standing in a restaurant in Herzliya, where a bomb exploded a few years ago.
“Terrorism makes you change your confidence and your feeling of security. Basically, terrorists are anarchists. I think I’m a very naive person, but people who believe in Anarchism, are not naive - they’re even stupid! That’s because human beings are naturally not like other social creatures. They need their social structure and there is no other way to keep it with anarchism.”
Niva
023
“I would say on the shellow level that the con-
belonged to the Palestinians.
flict is about territory. It’s about which land will
That was just the name of the
belong to whom. Further on thinking: it has a
land, that’s according to what I
direct connection with religion, because Jews
know. Maybe it’s not true, but
believe that this is the land which God gave
I’m pretty sure it’s like that.
them, and the conflict begins because the Arabs
There where Jews living
were here before the Jews came back. I mean,
here too but also Arabs. I
there were Jews and Arabs in Israel before.
think there were more Arabs
Before the declaration of the state, it was called
than Jews, but I really have
‘Palestina’ , but it’s not the same as saying ‘Pal-
no idea, that’s actually a
estine’. Actually, it’s a mistake: it’s very easy to
good thing to look up …”
use it for pro-Palestinian statements, but Palestina is the name of the country before it became Israel, and not because it was Palestine or it
Niva’s favorite spot, with the sea ahead and an old mosque beside.
“I’m left-wing. In the past, I didn’t like to
I don’t know much about the facts, but for me,
say it because I didn’t want to be catego-
it’s very hard to say that I don’t have stereo-
rized. I didn’t want people to think about cer-
types about Arabs. I challenge myself to break
tain things. The stereotype about left-wing
these stereotypes. I think there should be inte-
people is that they want to give away the
gration between Arabs and Jews, because I be-
country, or parts of it, and that they hate the
lieve that this is what will bring peace. It will
army. It annoys me a lot, that’s why, for a long
be very hard for Jews and Arabs to live togeth-
time, I didn’t say I’m leftwing. I used to say
er, because it’s even hard to imagine that.
I’m not left and not right; I am what I am.
For me, being left-wing means that I’m open
But now, I don’t care. I’m left wing and I’m
minded. I won’t eliminate an option unless it
not shy to say so. It’s important for people
would be very bad and put the country in danger.
to know that my attitude towards the con-
It means to doubt things the government does
flict is different. When I speak to them, they
and to investigate them before I choose what to
should know that I encourage peace above all.
believe … .that’s what being left-wing is for me.”
Niva
025
“There is a difference between being Jewish and being religious, because Judaism is an identity, not just a religion. I don’t have to believe in God to be Jewish … it’s my culture.”
“I love looking at the waves,
that I don’t want, and I think that’s be-
I surf … . Well, at least I try
cause I don’t play hard to get, unless
to. It’s nice when you surf,
I’m not interested. That’s problem
and you suddenly notice
number one. Second problem is that
this movement. I just think
I’m crazy. Many guys in Israel like
that I’m very … . natural.
classy girls, but I’m not – I’m crazy,
I don’t play games. I say
and I have no problem with it, but
whatever I want, whatev-
I think men do, maybe. Or maybe
er I feel. I don’t do things
I’m too confident or something.”
Niva
027
175
029
“ Do you know what’s the cool thing about landscapes here in Israel? You can be driving around and see a mountain, like this one here, and you’d be like ‘Oh my God! Once the Romans or the Muslims were fighting here!’. It’s the earliest of history, all kinds of atmospheres in a tiny, tiny land. It’s such a small place man! ”
22 y.
031
Salam has an Israeli passport. He grew up in Israel, but he is an Arab. “When people ask me where I come from, I tell a non-Arab, like an American, that I’m from Israel but I’m an Arab. Most Americans are too drunk to ask, but some get interested, so I explain. If Arabs ask me, I always say Palestinian. Always. I don’t really want it all, though I like it, because it makes me feel like it makes them happy to know somebody from Palestine. They also get scared man, you never know. Falasteen …”
Salam
033
Salam driving from Haifa to an Arab village called Arraba.
“They try so hard to make this land look like Europe man.” “Start looking at places now. See the area, see the richness, high buildings, sea, trees, grass, nice streets, signs, nice bars … all these things. Yesterday, I was sitting with a friend in a cafe in the town next to mine. This cafe, because it’s the newest one, looks really nice and new, and from the window, you can see the street. I was thinking: even though the cafe looks really nice, the street doesn’t look like a proper place. Why I tell you this is because of the way we build our houses. Their houses are way better. I don’t know if it’s because they have the money for it, but they always paint it out. Once we come to my area, to the north, you will see …”
"Are you beginning to see? See the difference?" “Our region is the strongest because, not that they just gave us the opportunity to choose, we fought so much to stay in this land. In our region, people fought the most. They had the power and they tried so hard, and then the Israelis said, ‘why not? Give them the piece of land.’ Our region was the strongest …”
Salam
035
“Now you see my village.” “23000 people and it’s still called a village, because in Israel, you must fulfill certain requirements to be called a city. A few days, ago I came here with my mum, and my grandma. Not my biological grandma, but I call her grandma. She told me that this whole village was just four or five houses in former times. Now, they can’t build more because they can’t get a permission.”
Salam
037
“The things you risk something for are the most important in life. Let me tell you one thing: I took a psychology class, and each student had an assignment to do. Mine was to go to a hospital, visit cancer patients, and see if they can be happy. The fact that I sat down with an old woman who had cancer, and she made me feel like she is the happiest person on earth, touched me so much. If a human being in this situation can make me feel like this, then I can learn that regardless of anything in my life, I can still be happy. What is being poor? What is being worthless? There are people who have no food and water, that’s being poor. For Arabs in the north of Israel being poor is not being able to buy a Mercedes. Can you believe that shit?�
Salam 039
Salam
041
Salam’s brother sleeping on the couch because he is tired from fasting. Salam doesn’t fast during Ramadan. “I hate arguing about religion, it doesn’t end. There is a chapter in the bible which is called songs. They are poems that even my little brother can write. I don’t understand … how holy is that? I don’t know man. I just believe in being a good person, that’s it.”
“I believe in God, but I prefer not to work according to religion. I work
said that they didn’t know what was right and what
according to principals of help-
was wrong when God creat-
ing others, living happily, and re-
ed them. He didn’t want the
specting people. If I do all these
human being to know. He
things, and people love me for
wanted to tell the human
what I do, what do I need religion
what to do and the human
for? When people ask me, I never
would do. For me, it should
say I’m an atheist because I do
have been this way. Of
believe in God and atheists don’t.
course the human greed had
I thought that if I want to think
to fuck it up. The tree they
the opposite of my communi-
ate that apple from is called
ty, I have to say things to defend
the knowledge tree. The
what I believe, therefore, I need
Devil told them: ‘when you
to read and study religion, and
eat from this tree, you will
I did. I studied about Islam
know what is right and what
throughout my whole life. I stud-
is wrong’ … and they fuckin
ied all three religions, and Islam
ate. They say that God works
is the most peaceful and realis-
in mysterious ways, so
tic one. It doesn’t come to rule
maybe sometimes he under-
politically. It came to tell people
stands that a person doesn’t
what is right and what is wrong.
want to believe so much in
The story of Adam and Eve is in
religion …. I don’t know.”
all three religions. In the bible, it
Salam 043
“As long as you can walk, think, eat
house, and they have never lived on
and you work every day to earn money,
this land, while you have been strug-
what else do you want? The prob-
gling on the same place for 63 years or
lem here is the inner peace. If you
more, and you don’t have anything like
ask the majority of Arabs here about
that … how are you supposed to feel?”
inner peace, they will tell you that they don’t, and will never, have it. That’s because of all the limitations that the government is trying to put on them. There are so many things that make you feel the other side is getting more than you. When you see Russian immigrants coming to this land, suddenly getting a house – a perfect
Salam 045
“The connection between religion and the conflict is deep. When you steal a land, like literally steal a land from its owners, they’re not going to wake up the next day thinking ‘Oh, Mohammed said this and that’, they’re going think ‘Oh my God, they stole my land! Those motherfuckers! I’m going to kill them’. So, religion does play a part, because it’s two different religions and they have some contradictions. If you look at the roots, we are cousins. Abraham had two sons: Jews descend from one, and Muslims descend from the other. I don’t know man, I don’t want to think about it.”
Salam 047
139
049
18 y.
17 y.
051
Yanina: “I don’t know how
supposed to be hard! But it's not
M: “The army makes you
often we will be seeing each other.
such a problem because I’ll get
grow up faster. I don't know,
First, I will do the basic cours-
my driving license soon, and I
sometimes it's also good.”
es, only then I’ll know how it will
will be visiting you Yanina!”
be, but I'm supposed to come home every Friday and Saturday. I don't know where I will be serving yet, it depends. It feels hard not to know.” Michelle: “It is called army, it’s
Y: “Most people want to go to the
Y: “It will be a completely differ-
army to protect their country, but
ent life for me and my friends. Most
for girls, it's much easier not to
of the boys in my class are going
go. You could say you are pacif-
to different fighting units, and
ic, or have health problems. It's
are going to be in tanks. Some of
not a really big deal, it's only a
them will go to places like Gaza.”
girl. For guys, it's not that easy.”
10 days before Yanina is going to be recruited to the army.
M: “Did you know that
belts and stuff, because the
girls go to the tailor and get
uniform is not really sexy.”
their uniform fixed, so that it looks better and tighter?”
Y: “Hey, but on guys, it sometimes is!”
Y: “Yeah, but at the beginning I'm not allowed to do that, so I have to wear the big uniform.” M: “But then, you make it smaller at the waist and everywhere you want, and use
Yanina & Michelle
053
Yanina & Michelle
055
Yanina at home, 3 days before going to the army.
Yanina’s mom “I'm a mum, and I need to take care of every-
it's far away from us … but what can I do?
body, my husband and my children. So, for me,
It’s strange for me that she has to do this
it's very difficult that Yanina goes to the army.
first course in the army. Bad conditions, ter-
Yanina choose to do professional teaching in
rible place … She has to be around weap-
the army and she will be working with chil-
ons. I don't know where she will be, what
dren. But Yanina is serious, she told me: "Mum,
she will eat. You need to call me, Yanina! ”
two years is a long period that I don’t want to waste. I want to do something of value". I'm proud of her. On the other hand, for me, it's very difficult to let her go. She will move to another flat. We don't know this place, maybe
Yanina & Michelle
057
059
On the day, when Yanina joins the army
Yanina & Michelle
061
Yanina & Michelle
063
Yanina's name on the list.
“My life will be totally different. I'll be independent, without my family, without school, and without my friends. I will have to be very responsible. It's just a totally different life. In Israel, it's like that, on one day your life changes to the life of an adult.�
Yanina & Michelle
065
Michelle “Yanina is not like me … she does’t believe that war can be a solution, but I understand that. I’m different. I believe in it. It’s very important to serve in the army because if people like me won’t go to the army, who is going to protect me? Why should only someone else protect me, why shouldn't I do the same for him or for her? I really love this country, even though there are lots of things that I don't like about it, but still. Such a small country, but such big issue.“
Yanina & Michelle
067
“I think my opinion about the conflict is totally connected to living in Ashdod. Maybe that's what makes me and Yanina think so differently about it. Every Israeli teenager has a very different bubble.” “I live in Ashdod, but I'm always meeting people from the center of the country, like Tel Aviv, Herzliya … and they understand nothing! They ask me: ‘What? Ashdod is bombed?!’ And I'm shocked, like, ‘Yes, and you should know about it. You are part of this country. It's one hour away from your house’. People live in their own bubble, and this is what makes me so upset. It's one hour, one fucking hour away from them! And still, living here means living in a different reality. It’s sad, but I’m used to it. If I sit here with you and there is a serene that is saying that there is going to be a rocket in 45 seconds, I will be used to it, and I will run in these 45 seconds to find a shelter. For you though, it will be strange like, how can you be so used to it?!”
Yanina & Michelle
069
“We would run.” “I would take you and we would run inside and find a shelter. There are signs that say ‘shelter’. The signs are in Hebrew – nice for tourists, right? I don't think the tourists would understand what is going on, they will just think: ‘Oh my God, crazy people are running!’. Oh, and when you are outside and you have no shelter, you have to lie down until you hear the rocket. You hear it if it's in Ashdod or close to it. You hear it, and then you have to wait for like five minutes before you can go out of the shelter, because they can throw another rocket. Then, I would talk to my friends and see if everything is okay, and we'd be happy there is no school tomorrow. It’s so sad. I'm telling you this while laughing, but it's very sad. I really can't tell it to you in any other way. I'm not afraid of it, I just really want people to be aware of it.”
Yanina & Michelle
071
Michelle in her shopping mall, the sign shows the way to the closest shelter.
“I remember the first one.”
not knowing where to but actually, at first, we laughed.
“I was at home, alone. I was 14 or something. I turned on the TV, and they
When we were in the shelter, me, my friend, and her
said something about a war that start-
brother, we just thought
ed with Gaza, it was in 2008. Then, my
about what we're going to do
Mum called me to ask if everything
next. Then, we were shocked
was okay, and I was like, ‘yea why not?',
that Ashdod was on TV. Yes,
and she told me there is going to be a
before that, it was a normal
serene and that I shouldn't panic. I was
place and since this day, it
taking all of my important things and
happens all the time.”
went to my friends house. I remember, we were sitting in her room, and then we heard a serene. We started to run
Yanina & Michelle
073
“Sometimes, I feel afraid to say that I'm from Israel when I'm abroad. I have this necklace, it's a Magen David, the Star of David, and I take it off when I’m abroad in order not to have problems. I'm not religious, and I don't know which God I believe in, but every person believes in something. It can be in yourself, your family, friends, whatever. The necklace is not the symbol of Judaism, maybe it's the symbol of Israel for me. Israel just makes me feel like home.”
Yanina & Michelle
075
Yanina & Michelle
077
Michelle decided to do the portrait in the nowhere, because that's how she feels about her opinion towards the conflict. “I am left-wing, but sometimes, I have right-wing opinions. Not about Arabs, but about the land. The left-wing opinion is to give the Palestinians our territory, and sometimes, I don't want that. I think something should happen, but I'm not sure what. It's very strange that I'm a patriotic person, but I'm also left-wing.�
Yanina & Michelle
079
113
081
Caravan Guys, Tali & Jani, Porat & Family
083
Ariel – The biggest Jewish settlement in the West Bank. Jewish settlements in the Palestinian territories are illegal under the international law. Under Israeli law, most of them are legal. One of them is Ariel, which is a settlement-city and the biggest Jewish residential area in the West Bank. The West Bank is called “Judea and Samaria Area” by the settlements’ inhabitants. People move to places like Ariel for different reasons like religion, Zionism, governmental support or because Ariel University accepted them.
Ariel
085
The caravan guys A group of students from Ariel University that live in caravans. Most of them are not originally from this area, and the stories and reasons how they ended up here are really different.
GAL “I can’t be so egoistic, but of
I feel bothered by everybody
which the Romans occupied
course, I would take the hole
that calls this area ‘territories’.
when they exiled all the Jews.
land, including Gaza and
I correct everybody who says
There wasn't any Arab person
the West Bank. Give them
that. It’s Samaria, I don’t live
here, any Muslim at all … .
Gaza but just give us peace
in ‘the territories’ or in a ‘set-
just Romans and Jews. When
I came here to study. Ariel
tlement’. I live in Ariel, and
the British conquered it, they
accepted me because they
it’s an Israeli city. There were
used the name ‘Palestine’, but
give a chance. I feel that
no Palestinians here before
it has no connection to the
being here in Samaria as
the 1970’s, when Arafat called
people who live here today.”
Jew is very important to me.
them Palestinians. Palestine
It has a Zionist reason.
never existed, it was just a place
Ariel
087
“I’ve lived in Netanya before I came to this area. When the Second Intifada started, there were lots of suicide bombings. I’ve been volunteering with Magen David Adom (the Israeli emergency medical services). We had a dinner together in the park, and there has been a suicide bombing one minute before we got there. Lots of people died. A lot of screaming, blood … I had a trauma. I went to the hall, and my mouth was opened. I couldn't move. I couldn't believe my eyes. Because of those actions, Israel began to construct some segregation fences. Palestinians destroyed the fences to go to Israel, so we put some soldiers there. They started to shoot our soldiers, so we had to do more to keep ourselves safe.”
“I don’t feel safe here. Even
the scenario of how it would
though we have a big army,
be like if Arabs would conquer
we are surrounded by ene-
us. It would be like in middle
mies. Everyone hates us, every-
ages. The men will be killed,
one wants us to be dead. In
the women and girls sexually
their opinion, the sea is the
abused and when they get tired
only good place for us.
of them, they would kill them
My biggest fear? To be dead. If
too. That’s how it’s going to be.
they manage to conquer Israel
It’s a very dark scenario, but I
and defeat our army, all Jews are
really think this would happen if
going to be dead, and their wives
they conquer us. It’s not extraor-
are going to get raped. That's
dinary; they just really hate us.”
Gal in his caravan “I’ve been to Gaza. When I
our peoples’ houses, they didn't
and do some kind of propa-
was in the army, I had to force
get any compensation, and
ganda to make other soldiers
Jewish people out of their
now they live in caravans and
do the same. I should have
houses. It was really bad. When
we still get more rockets. I had
joint those settlers who fought
you are in the army, you don’t
a good time in the army. It’s
for their homes. I was very
think too much. You just do
not always what you think,
young, that's my only com-
what you are told to do – that's
‘killing and bombing’. It was
fort. I’m afraid something like
what the army means. In those
a nice time, except when I
this could happen in Ariel.”
times, I didn't see things like
had to keep the settlers out of
I see them now, what I did in
Gaza. Of course I regret that! I
the army was very odd. We
always think about it. I could
gave Gaza back. We destroyed
have just taken off my uniform
Ariel 089
Gal’s girlfriend, before and after she gets ready to leave the caravan’s to visiting the religious settlement her parents live in.
Ariel
091
“Lies! The media lies! The media
Gaza Strip. But before that hap-
pictures us and the soldiers like
pened, the soldier talked to him for
man-hunting monsters! It’s not
like 10 minutes, and asked him to
right! We are a humane country, and
stop and to go away. In the end, the
we want it to be quiet. The media
media showed it like the Norwegian
takes pictures of us in the worse way,
was a good guy who came to help,
in the worse moments! For exam-
and the soldier simply hit him.�
ple 2 or 3 months ago, there was a video in the news that showed an Israeli soldier hitting one Norwegian guy with his gun near the
Ariel 093
“Ariel made me feel like this. I came here for Zionist reasons, and since I came, the Zionist in me was growing exponentially. It also contributes to my opinions, my statements, and my actions.”
“I’m not afraid. I don’t need to be. It’s my country and I don't need to be afraid at home.” “Humans are adaptable. If the Palestinians would take control of this place, I would go somewhere else and I would be happy there!”
Ariel 095
TALI, JANI AND THEIR SON “We don’t want war, of course not. We just want all of Israel, as the Torah says. It’s not just as the Israel we know today, it’s much more than that: with Jordan, Syria, and Sinai. That would be our wish. We are open with Arabs, even though the Torah says that they shouldn't live here. It says that it’s our country, and only Jews should live here. We respect people who are here. They can live here, but it's our land. The conflict is only about land and religion, because we have been fighting for this land for 2500 years. We will continue, and nothing will change.”
Ariel
097
Porat Porat was born to a religious family, but he became secular. In the army he had a very important job in a combat unit. After all these years of being in a tank, he needed a break, so he went to the U.S. and Europe to sell hair products (he even had a gay fake-identity called ‚Leo‘, because it was much easier to sell these things). He came back to Israel and started to study in Ariel University.
Ariel 099
There's a no-man's land between Ariel and the area that is under the control of the Palestinian Authorities. During the week, Palestinian people are allowed to come once and water the olive trees. They can’t harvest the olives, but they still feel responsible for the trees. On weekends, only Jewish settlers are allowed to come here and go hiking. There is empty land, fence and wild horses all over the place. Nobody really knows whom all of these belong to.
“For me, being Zionist is to believe in this land and that it belongs to the Jewish people. The word Zionism comes from a mountain in Jerusalem which is called 'Mount Zion'. You don’t have to be Jewish to be a Zionist. You can be from Uganda and be Zionist. Bob Marley was a Zionist, it's just people who believe this should be a Jewish state.”
Ariel
101
“Basically, in the 19th century, Palestine was very
again after 2000 years, but the Arabs said no. In
empty. There was one million people, even less
1948, their militaries attacked us, and after that,
than a million people. Some Jews never left Pal-
we got bigger and bigger because of the territo-
estine before the Roman’s time, but most people
ries we captured. The Palestinians, the Arabs,
here were Arabs. Palestinians were only 200–300
wanted to kill innocent people. Jewish people
thousands, not more. And once Jews came from
used to get attacked and killed, while the Jews
Europe, America, Yemen, Morocco and Tunisia
almost never attacked a civilian or killed some-
in the 20th century, a lot of Arabs came as well.
one. Sometimes, bad things happened that are
When the United Nations decided in 1948 for a
not supposed to happen, but first: it’s war, and
Jewish state, Israel was supposed to be very small.
second: they did much worse things than us.”
The Jews accepted the offer to have a country
Ariel
103
Porat's brother and his family are religious. Porat went to their house to join the ritual to end Shabbat (the holy Jewish day, from Friday night till the sunset on Saturday).
“I grew up in a religious family,
still wear a Kippa, but I hate
keep lying to my mother, so
but in the past 10 years, I
it. It was a process. It began
I told her that I don't want
stopped being religious. Some-
with going to the streets with-
to be religious anymore.”
times, you understand that
out a Kippa. It was weird. You
even if there is a God, you don’t
start going to smoke a ciga-
want to go by the religious
rette on Shabbat, therefore you
rules. They don’t have sex, they
light a fire, and you see that
don’t go to parties on Friday,
God doesn't strike you down.
and they don’t drink. When
You take your car and go to a
I’m at home, I sometimes
party. It’s a process. I couldn't
“Everybody looks at their nails to be reminded of the first mistakes humans did: Adam and Eve were covered with nails all over. After they ate the apple, God gave them skin as a punishment.”
Ariel
105
“I'm proud to live in a settlement. A
non-religious people gave them Gaza,
lot of people who hear that I live here
and everything got worse, and the re-
think it's so dangerous, but I would
ligious people knew it! We always say,
say ‘it's dangerous, but I believe that
here in my settlement, we protect the
it's mine!’. They are not supposed to
Tel Aviv people! It's fun because if we
live here … like … go out of here!!! The
would not live here, Arabs would live in
Israeli people have a conflict between
here, and launch rockets to Tel Aviv. We
left and right: right are most of the re-
keep Arabs out of the center of Israel!”
ligious who say this is our land. We are right-wing, and most of the Tel Aviv and Herzliya people are left-wing! The
Porat’s niece “I think they shouldn't be here, and they think I shouldn't be here. What do I really want? That they will not be here anymore. Whenever we travel in our land, we see Arab villages everywhere. In Jerusalem, there is even a temple for them. So I think ‘go away!’. We always say, if they go, we won't have any problems! They have 22 Arab countries, we have only one. This is why Israel is here. We have nowhere to go. They came from their countries, and they can go there. It's almost the same language, it's the same religion, so what is the problem?”
Ariel
107
“There was a very good doctor and a very good person, and he helped Jews and Arabs in this area. There was one night, I think I was 11 years old, when the Arabs called him to come quickly and he went there, but there wasn’t any sick people and they killed him. His granddaughter is in my age. It was really shocking. I think in here there is a lot of, like 5 or 6 people who died due to terror attacks that we know. When this happens, you just don’t know what to do. A year and a half ago, there was a terror attack in Itamar. There is lots of attacks there because it’s really close to the Arabs. A little girl, 12 or something, came back home and she found two of her brothers, their baby sister, and the parents killed. Just killed in the house. One Arab from the villages next to them just shot the people. The baby started to cry, and he shot it too. He didn’t see the other 2 kinds in the other room. We have been told that the family was killed, and they have a girl that is 12 years old left. We sat at our house and we asked ourselves ‘who are they?’. It was on Shabbat, so we couldn’t check the TV or the internet. We couldn’t find out anything, it was really scary. The minute Shabbat was over, everybody went to the computer to check who it was, because everybody knows everybody here.”
Ariel 109
In ‘Purim’, the Jewish version of Halloween, the girl's from her school had to dress up as the staff of a hospital, nurses, doctors, patients … She decided to go as the Arab cleaning woman.
Ariel
111
Porat “Until I joined the army, I was very
kill them …’. I was against Arabs, but
right-wing. I thought that this is our
I was also against a solution. Then, I
country, not because this land is the
joined the army. I saw the reality in the
promised land, but because the Jewish
field. Once you are in those areas and
people used to live here until 2000 years
you see Palestinians, you see that 5 or
ago. This is ours. We were kicked out
10 % of them are terrorists, but 95% are
of here, but once we could come back,
innocent. They just want to go to work,
why should I share it with anyone? Plus,
make money, feed their families, and
I grew up in the Intifada. There were
go back home. When you are young,
bombings every second day. Buses ex-
you see things really black and white,
ploded, friends died in these attacks,
and then, you start seeing more colors.”
and so the feeling of ‘this is mine' got stronger. ‘This is mine, and I fucking hate them, so fuck them, bomb them,
Ariel
113
063
115
“This is one of the places I really like, but they’ll start building new things everywhere which makes me so mad! I really love sitting here with friends or alone.”
16 y.
117
Gil
119
“No, I'm not so looking forward to it. I mean, I'm going to be in the army, definitely.”
“I just see it as part of where I live and something I have to do. I don’t like everything they do in the army, but I want to do something that is meaningful, that helps. I already had the army tests. There is a physical and a mental test, and I was so nervous before doing them. I talked to my friend, and I was like: ‘I’m gonna fail. They’ll put me as a guard or something.’56 is the highest score, and I got 56 … I really don’t know how I did this! What would I do if I had a choice? I don’t know. I thought about it a lot. If it would be in the current situation, and I have the choice, I would go anyway because I think it’s important. Not for shooting Arabs or something, there is more than that. If you apply for a job, they’ll ask you what you did in the army. It’s hard for those who decided not to go.”
Gil
121
“I just get burned here all the time, I get red. Only very few times I get
both sides. I get laughed at because most people are half Polish, half you know,
tanned…like this now: its tanned!
from Morocco or something. Ashke-
I wish I was browner. It’s really the
nazi (European background), Sephar-
prettiest! You know, when one part-
dim (Middle Eastern background) all
ner is white with blue eyes,
got mixed, but I’m completely Ashke-
and the other partner is all brown:
nazi. I don’t feel connected to Poland a
their children tend to have dark skin
lot. I don’t speak the language, but my
and light eyes. They are so beautiful.
grandparents speak Russian, German,
My family’s background is Polish from
Polish, Yiddish, Hebrew and English.”
Gil
123
In Israel, it’s very common that students in Gil’s age go on a trip to Poland. “You go to Auschwitz with friends, so it’s also fun. During some days it was harder and more difficult. There are two types of guides: one that tries to make you cry – makes you feel, forces you to push it. The other one is more neutral, and makes you think about it yourself. My guide was like the second type. I’m happy I went there. Some of my friends didn’t go because it was too hard and emotional for them. For me, this is about understanding, and it’s a part of living in Israel. We also had talks with Holocaust survivors before we went. We had to take 40 hours of preparation because you can’t go there unprepared. We have lots of security personnel when we go to Poland. They have to report to Israel every half an hour where we exactly are, and there is a man that checks the place before we can go there. Another thing: everything is so green there, it’s like …. how could that be?!”
Gil
125
Shabbat barbecue at Gil’s family house. “I’m really into holidays. It has so many faces apart the religious. For example, my family: we don’t eat meat and cheese together. We eat Kosher food at home, but we do drive on Shabbat. In the evening, we have a big family gathering, but Shabbat itself is more of a vacation and a family day. For religious people, Shabbat means a whole different thing.”
The view from the balcony of Gils family, with lights from the West Bank. You can separate the Arab from the Jewish “settlements� by the colors of the lights, as they explained.
Gil
127
089
129
David, Itay, Gay, Idan & Mila
131
Kibbutz Ktura is located in the middle of the desert close to Israel’s border with Jordan. The inhabitants and international volunteers of the Kibbutz work really hard despite the heat to make the desert grow. In Israel, there are societies of people who live together communally, keeping to socialist principles of equality. In the early 1920’s, immigrants built the first Kibbutzim (plural of Kibbutz) in the land now known as Israel. Each member of the Kibbutz (a Kibbutznik) is to be treated equal, from the cleaning woman to the manager. Kibbutzniks work together collectively for the good of all. The results of their work and the profits of the Kibbutz are shared by all members. Nowadays, only a small percentage of the country’s population lives in a Kibbutz, but they are an integral part of Israeli society.
Kibbutz
133
04:30 Sunrise at Ktura
David, 15
David was born in the Kibbutz. Every day in the summer vacations, he wakes up very early to work a few hours before breakfast.
Kibbutz
135
05:30 Preparing today’s meals.
Kibbutz
137
Kibbutz
139
07:13 Breakfast in the dining room.
“Growing up in a Kibbutz is a total different thing from growing up in a city. It’s hard to compare it. It’s sort of a bubble here, but it’s also a bubble over there, because people in the city have no idea how a Kibbutz works. They are really fascinated when they come. The hole money-and-business issue … you hardly feel it here.”
Kibbutz
141
09:00
Everyone in the kibbutz has his/her own working area. Laundry, kitchen, garage, farming, tourism … . David does the gardening and he loves his job.
“The conflict is everywhere, you know, you run into it all the time … . But, the actual conflict itself is very hard for me to understand. I do understand some issues, the history, the division of the land, that the Arabs are really unhappy with it. A war broke out, and since then, we have a conflict. But before, we were in a good relationship with each other. The first Kibbutzim were build next to Arab villages … things like that.”
Kibbutz
143
Kibbutz
145
10:00 Idan, a volunteer from South Africa has one of the hardest jobs with working in the garage.
Kibbutz
147
11:20 Outside of the Kibbutz, a 10 minutes walk from the Jordanian border.
"I loved growing up in a Kibbutz, it's much better than anywhere else.” “I feel free here. I have a lot of space, there is a fence, and within this fence, I can do whatever I want. I feel close to the ground here. I’m a Zionist. I feel proud I’m going to the army. I want to build and have a family here. I feel proud I’m Israeli, and I want this country to get very high.”
ITAY, 17 "What comes into my head
tinians came into his house and start-
tian Pharaoh 4000 years ago. A lot of
when I think of Palestinians?
ed to stab him because he was Israe-
people never saw a Jew, and still, they
They are my cousins, they
li. There was a suicide bomber and he
hate us. Once, somebody went into
are exactly like me. They are
died. I was 7, and I had a close connec-
my mum’s room in college in the U.S.,
people, and we are people. I ac-
tion to him before. I want peace. Israel
and touched her hair while she slept
tually play soccer with them –
wants peace, but seriously, you can’t
to see if she has horns – like the devil.
Palestinians, Bedouins, Arabs,
make peace with terrorists. I get mad.
Do you understand how crazy
Jewish Israelis, all together. But
Whenever I hear about terrorist attacks,
people in the world are?”
in the Second Intifada, it was
I get mad, and I get more right-wing.
different. My uncle was living
There always has to be someone to
in Jerusalem, and two Pales-
hate us, Jews. It started with the Egyp-
Kibbutz 149
Kibbutz
151
15:00 Most people in the Kibbutz take a break during the hottest time of the day. They rest or join Kibbutz activities such as water-aerobics for women.
Gay grew up in the Kibbutz. He works as the pool guard this summer, but he plans to leave soon for Eilat, the close-by city.
"I see myself Jewish, because that's how I was born, but I would prefer if there would be no religion at all. It [religion] just creates conflicts, wars, and people die because of it. We just don’t need that."
Gay, 26 “My school was the most quiet school
by doing crazy stuff. They are more
you can imagine. There was never any
peaceful inside. It could also be that
incidents of people fighting with each
the kids here grow up together. We see
other, shouting or throwing water bal-
each other every day, everyone knows
loons at teachers, or whatever kids do
everyone since we are babies. Practical-
in Israeli cities. The Kibbutz is like a
ly, relationships between Kibbutzniks
bubble, and the atmosphere and envi-
never happen. You feel like brothers and
ronment are very special. Warm, wel-
sisters.”
coming and loving, kids grow up very differently. They don’t feel like they have to prove something to the world
Kibbutz
153
15:30 Mila and Idan finished work for today.
Mila, 17 “I’m from a city and I wanted to try to live in a Kibbutz. I like the heat and the people. The work is okay, I don’t like it so much. I don’t know, it’s really relaxing here. Your head gets clean from the city.”
Idan, 23 “We met in the Kibbutz two
finally move to Israel. Me and
months ago. I was very con-
Mila will stay together, we will
nected to her. I went to her
see each other all the time.
and made the first step. After
What do I think about the con-
I leave the Kibbutz, I will go
flict? I want everybody to live
back to South Africa and stay
together and be friends. If it
there for 3 months, and then,
is meant to be, it will be … ”
Kibbutz
155
“My father is American, born in Long Island. We speak english at home. His parents are also American, but with a Hungarian background. My mother is from Israel, but her dad is South African and her Mum is English. I was born here, in the Kibbutz, and I feel like I’m very lucky to grow up in a place like this. I can’t see myself living in a city, it’s too hard to imagine.”
Kibbutz
157
16:00 The kids from the Kibbutz chilling in the youth center after work.
David: “I feel very connected to Israel and I’m very, very proud of my nationality. Just to learn about all the struggles the people went through, how hard people worked to found this country, makes me proud to live here.”
Kibbutz
159
Kibbutz
161
20:00
David: “My parents work in the Kibbutz, and
about 2000 shekels for every person
most of the money they earn goes back
each year, but most of my clothes are
to the Kibbutz for electricity, food, water
not bought. We have a clothes stor-
and pretty much all our needs. Some
age room and there is a bunch of
of the money goes to their personal
used clothes. If my clothes get too
budget, which they can use to buy a tel-
small, I just throw them there and
evision or a toaster or … . I don’t know.
somebody else can take them!”
And then, there is a clothes budget of
Gay: “My parents are Russians, and they came from
when the kids in kindergarten talked Hebrew
Moscow. They came here not because of Zi-
with me, and I answered in Russian. I wasn’t
onism, but because Russia wasn’t easy or good
accepted at first, then I learned Hebrew, and I
for anyone, specially for Jews. There was a lot
felt so ashamed to talk to my parents in Rus-
of anti-Semitism, and my Mum wanted to
sian because I thought other kids would laugh
live in peace, somewhere where she wouldn’t
at me, so I told them not so speak to me in
get discriminated against. They came here, to
Russian anymore. A few years later, I took it
this Kibbutz, with me when I was 1 ½ years old.
back, because I realized that it’s important to
They wanted a quiet, safe, and peaceful envi-
receive the language. I don’t want to lose it.”
ronment for me. I don’t feel any connection to Russia anymore, just the language. I remember
Kibbutz
163
Kibbutz
165
Kibbutz
167
“I do understand the urgency for Israel to be an exclusively Jewish state. This is our state, we just founded it and so much here is really hard work. I’d love to see Arabs and Jews speaking the same language, working in the same jobs, doing the same stuff … that’s what I really want. The problem is that everybody wants something else, a different thing. I think the One-State Solution is the best idea. Isn’t Europe like that? With open borders and everything.”
Kibbutz
169
“I want to be able to live in this Kibbutz. I need something to stimulate me, I need to run away from home in South Africa. I work here, but I don’t care what happens to the Kibbutz. What made me come here is the wish to grow somehow, but I don’t know what that can be.”
23 y.
171
“I want to say that it’s too much stress. I even get stressed talking about this conflict thing. I want to go, but I also want to try to stay. I love myself more than I love anyone else, and my heart is bleeding for the people who worry about what’s going to happen in this conflict. I love me. I’m super good-looking. I love how strong I am, how powerful, how confident, and how sexy. I’m so rich, attractive, happy …” Aron
173
“I’m religious in many different ways. I’m religious in my heart and my soul. I’m Jewish, although I have eaten food that is not kosher. My family is not Jewish, but I am, and I feel it in my heart. I practice religion in some ways. I brush my hair, and I brush my teeth. Sometimes. Actually, I want to talk about that. Sometimes I feel I should brush my teeth more often. It’s very important. I need to brush my teeth.”
Aron
175
“We are young, we are free, we may dance.”
“The sun may rise in the east at least, but it settles in the final location. It’s understood that Hollywood sells Californication. Other way I try to say: I’ll be there I’m standing in the line for the show tonight and there is a light on, a heavy glow. By the way, I try to say, I’ll know you, waiting for, By the way, I try to say: I’ll be there.”
Aron
177
195
179
18 y.
181
Liann lives in Ein Hod, a village that used to be Arab before the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948. Now, it is a village where Israeli artists live. Liann moved from New York to Israel when she was 12. To enter Ein Hod at night, you must have a code on your phone in order to open the gate.
Liann
183
“If Palestinians would knock on my door … … and say this was their grandma’s house, I’d tell them: sure, it was your grandmother’s house, now it’s my house … and my house in New York is now somebody else’s house! Of course, I would show them around. If they want to see it, they can! Where you used to live doesn’t define who you are. A lot of people lived in this house before I did, and I bet that a lot of people are going to live in it after me! I don’t think it really matters who’s native in this country. If I moved here, and I live here now, does it really matter if my family lived here 2000 years ago?”
Liann
185
2
The wall in Liann’s house. It has probably been an Arab leader’s headquarter before. 1 The former mosque is now the main restaurant of Ein Hod. 2
“In our history book, there is a hole paragraph about how the Arabs ran away because their leaders got scared, and they followed them. It talks about all kinds of reasons they went away, and there is a really small paragraph in the book saying: ‘well, and sometimes they were kicked out’.” “Some people say we need the hole land which God promised us. I, personally, don’t agree with this ‘the hole land of Israel’ thing. God didn’t say which part of Israel we would get – he said: “you get it from this mountain to that mountain”, so who fucking cares which part of the mountain we get!”
1
Liann
187
“In the beginning, when we moved here from New York, I was really, really scared.” “When we came to Israel, everybody said that we must be really careful. Our grandma used to show us all the time where the shelter was, and told us: ‘If you hear the alarm then you have to run!’. The first time I took the train by myself, it was Thursday. All the soldiers were going home, and I was sitting in the train surrounded by soldiers and weapons. But after time passes, you get used to it … Then, the second Lebanon War came. Of course you are afraid. You are living in the middle of a war, who is not afraid? But still, I was little, and I didn’t feel it that way. It was fun for me, you know, my grandmother showed me how to cook and they kept complimenting everything I made. They tried to keep us, the kids, happy. It’s not an awful memory, and also not a great one. There were times that we had lots of fun. My whole family stayed at my house and we all slept together. And then, there were times were you had the alarms and ran to the shelter. Oh, one time during the alarms, my cake burned. I was making a cake, and then I had to run upstairs, and I wasn’t allowed to take my cake out. It was very upsetting.”
Liann
189
Liann
191
Liann
193
In December 2011, there was a big forest-fire close to Ein Hod.
“The fire was in December 2011. In the beginning, it was only far away. We were in school and saw
body had to live in uncertainty. I have a friend who’s house was completely burned down on the
this huge cloud. Some people were happy be-
first day of the fire. We’re lucky, our house was
cause they thought it was going to rain. Then,
pretty okay, just the trees burned a bit. During
they told us that some of the students can’t go
spring, you could see burned trees and pink
home because there is a forest-fire close to their
flowers everywhere. It was actually pretty.”
villages. The fire was spreading quickly, and I told my mom: ‘Maybe I shouldn’t go to ballet. Maybe I should stay home and pack some things.’ She said: ‘Oh, don’t be silly! It won’t spread till here.’ But it did. I wasn’t allowed to go home from ballet, and my family came there. We stayed at a friend’s place together. Nobody knew if their houses burnt down or not, so every-
Liann
195
Eden: “We went to this Chinese restaurant in New York,
to it, but we didn’t. It was hard.
and our parents told us that we were going to
And then, when we got here, I
move to Israel. I was 10 years old, and I didn’t
couldn’t fall asleep, because in-
really have an opinion. I mostly followed what
stead of traffic, we heard crick-
Liann did. I think I only reacted so heavily be-
ets. It was easier for Liann.”
cause I saw that Liann was doing it. We were screaming and crying. It was funny, since it was a Chinese restaurant, they give you a fortune cookie when you leave, so we both had stuff like ‘you will make new friends quickly’ or something. My parents tried to make us look forward
Liann
197
Liann and her best friend, Alon, breaking into their old school, which is in the Kibbutz Alon lives in.
Liann
199
Alon: We live in a safe area, only one missile flew above us. I remember I was playing with Ivan, and just saw the missile going above us, but it just hit the sea. I was laughing, picked a piece of cake and ran home. Not to hide in the shelter, no, just ran home to tell my parents. Personally, I’m kind of left-wing. Israel is like divided into ‘you do like Arabs’ or ‘you don’t like Arabs’. I have no problems with Arabs. I don’t think you can make a generalization that they all hate us, or they all don’t want Israel to exist. The Arabs who live here are Israelis, and even if they don’t go to the army, I think it’s fine and I don’t care about it. Still, if you have to go to the army and you have to do your job, sometimes in can be a little inhumane. It’s not an easy position to be standing at a gate screening people, and there is like 4 soldiers and 600 people that all want to get through. You have to check each and everyone. It’s actually horrible. Me, personally, I was never confronted with the conflict. An Arab never wanted to hit me because I’m Jewish or something, this never happened to me. Still, my life is affected because of the conflict, because I’m going to the army. We are aware of the conflict, we are all aware of the constant feeling that sometime war will happen. I can feel it every summer.
Liann
201
During tests for the army’s intelligence unit, they were talking about Palestinians, and the first thing they show us is a video of this Arab kid burning an Israeli flag. You see the propaganda going. They want us to think we are always in danger, they are always against us. In the army, it’s a motivation, but outside the army, it’s unhealthy to think that way. The army is not going to be fun. It’s going to be hard, it’s going to be intense, and I’m going to be angry, I’m going to be tired. But it’s something you have to do, and something that is important so for people like me, who lived pretty much in the best place in the world. The conflict is mainly two gangs that don’t even know what they are fighting for. It’s like, we are in a war with no aim and no purpose, and everyone is afraid to take the step and risk something.
Liann
203
Leeron: “Yes, of course we have a shelter in our house. Sometimes I hide there from the cleaning woman … she is weird!”
Liann with her friend, Leeron, who lives in Caesarea, one of the richest neighborhoods in Israel.
Liann
205
Liann: “I find religion a little bit ridiculous. If there is a God, I doubt he would care if I eat pork. I doubt he would care if I take the car on Saturdays, and I doubt he would care if I wait 4 hours after eating cheese before I eat meat. You can never eat cheeseburger and never eat pork! I assume, if there is a God that does care about this crap, he is a really pity God. I don’t know if there is a God or not, but I don’t think that God cares if I wash the toilet on Saturday. It doesn’t make any sense.”
Eden: “Religion, for me, is the tradition of things. I don’t really keep my religion. We celebrate the holidays, but we don’t really keep Shabbat and we don’t keep Kosher. Obviously, we don’t wear Kippas and stuff, and we stopped going to Synagogue. I consider myself Jewish, because I was born to a Jewish family. But I’m not religious.”
Liann
207
Liann 209
EDEN: “My dream solution? Personally, I would keep this as Israel, but I would, maybe, give some land to the Palestinians. I do kind of understand that they have a right to be here. I never talk about politics usually, because I can't stop fighting with myself. The problem with me is that I try to see the other side. That can be hard because once you see all sides, you have to consider, and then you have to decide … it's like … ugh its crazy! So, this would stay Israel, but there are places that we don't need so much, like the Negev desert. It's nice to walk there, but most people don't live there because it's really hard and hot. I feel kind of mean saying this, saying: ‘okay, you can have the desert.’ It's kind of impossible to settle there, it’s hard, but – oh my God, I feel so mean! My dream solution is that Israel would be in good terms with all the surrounding countries. That they won’t try to kill us all the time, and that we won't have to fight back. If we would live in total peace with the Palestinians, they could have half of the land. It feels better to know that it's yours, but if it's Palestinian, and Jewish people could live there and I could just go there and there is no trouble, then who gives a shit? If they didn't have the obsession to call all of this Palestine, if it would stay Israel, and if they wouldn't want to kill me, they are welcome to be here. They could be my neighbors. Seriously.”
Liann
211
Liann is going to do a year of social service before the army. These pictures are taken at the surprise party her friends made for her.
Liann
213
“Right-wing people believe in the whole land of Israel, and there shouldn’t be Arabs at all. Radical left-wing people believe it’s the Palestinians’ land, and we should make room for them. Middle people believe it’s not so clear – not so black and white, there is grey in the middle, and I’m ‘grey’.”
Liann
215
Liann
217
Liann in her garden, wearing her grandpa’s shirt. “My grandfather was from Belarus, and he was a Holocaust survivor. He was the one I was closest to. He had a huge stomach, and I used to drum on it when I was small. He was a blacksmith, and he made all this wooden and metal sculptures. He was a really good artist actually. He had a long beard, and long grey hair, and he had bluish-green eyes. Me and my sister used to sit in his lap all the time. His parents died, and I think he saw his mother being killed, and he heard his sister getting murdered. There are so many awful stores, but also a few nice ones like: he was hiding in the woods, freezing, and he had an infection. woman saw him, took off her daughter’s coat, and gave it to him. When he was dying, he had flashbacks. He used to say weird things when he slept. I remember the last time I was there. He suddenly started to talk in half Russian or Polish and we couldn't understand him. We got a Russian guy to help out. He was saying things like: ‘run up the hill! get the water! don't let them catch you! run, fast, fast! …’. It was really scary. He was a really good person. He became friends with everybody, despite all the stuff he went through.”
Liann
219
Author Iuna Vieira Bookdesign Raphael Reichl Photos Iuna Vieira Font Regime OT Paper Munken Print Cream 15, 115 g/m2 Print die Graphische Bundeslehr- und Versuchsanstalt Vienna 2013, Š 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.
Thank you for supporting :
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 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
It was big... it was like so big,
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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