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West of the Jordan River (2017)
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- Hello. - Amos Gitai. Hello. I understand we don't have much time. Well, better for you if it's not too long. We're going to approach two subjects. First a portrait... - Pardon? - Gad must have mentioned it. First, an overall portrait, then we'll go into details. Fine. - Are you ready? - Yes. Can you hear me all right? Five dead and 30 wounded. One of the wounded is... Arafat said to The New York Times that it's impossible to ignore long months of negotiations. "Our work wasn't a joke," he said. According to The New York Times, discussions in Tunis... I'm making a film which will have entries like a travel diary and it will chronicle the negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians. I decided that my role in this visual diary should be like an archaeologist. We're coming to you live on Radio A and television Channel 3. Last night, a group has infiltrated from Gaza... I want to scratch layer after layer to get to the substance of the matter to understand how we could possibly reach some reconciliation in the region. I haven't made a film like this in 20 years. The film will be constructed in a series of capsules. I want to look at the little moments in life and the general political discussions. I have hope that negotiations will be renewed, but clarification of the deepest problems will take time. 40,000 people participated in a right-wing demonstration in Tel Aviv. Are you concerned? When? Last night. What was the reason? Withdrawing the territories. The tone was personal. They yelled: "Rabin is a traitor and a liar." Well, slogans like those, I'm used to them. This evening in Tunis, Arafat reunited the PLO ruling body to discuss the negotiations. Let's hear from our correspondent. The Israeli delegation met with Yasser Arafat today at noon. We don't know yet what was said. Signs of progress could prolong the delegation's visit. But leaked rumors abou! this meeting say disagreements remain strong. Stop a while. Stay. The situation is shitty. Gaza is completely closed off. We don't have any factories. We want to work in Israel. But they don't let us enter. How are we going to eat? We don't have anything. We want to go work in Israel. If we had our own country, we could manage things on our own. But closed checkpoints is shit. Our own country would mean money to build factories. We would have industries, work, agriculture, everything. Our own state would give us what we need. The US would give us money. We would all have jobs. You think we couldn't manage without the Israelis? We would be fine. We would produce like the Israelis. They just need to open the way. We would sell our merchandise to Europe and we would succeed. Working on our industries. We did good work in Israel. All the Jews know that we are good workers. Here, if it was ours, we would earn more and work even better. We could do it. Take care. Good-bye. How are you? - Just a patrol check. - What's going on? All okay in the area? Calm? Not too bad. Arafat was interviewed before his meeting with the Israeli delegation. He declared that the conditions of Israeli withdrawal from Jericho and Gaza would be defined within weeks. According to The New York Times, during talks between Israel and the PLO, it was a question of a proposition by Norwegian vice-minister Larsen regarding joint armed patrols in the city of Hebron... I'm against the peace process. I'm a member of Hamas. I went to prison for that. Peace doesn't do anything concrete. Even the Palestinian people don't have confidence in Arafat. Not anymore. Believe me. Try to understand. They don't say anything concrete. No prisoners have been released. Nothing Arafat says comes true. Israel does what it wants. Whatever Israel imposes on us must be done. We can't say, "Our president has done what he has promised because he's strong." He abandoned armed struggle. Why doesn't Israel abandon it too? Armed struggle was our means of pressure. Arafat gave it up. How can we put pressure on Israel now? Where's peace? We'll have peace when our brothers in prison are freed, when we'll see them again. Only then will there be peace. First the lifers! - You know people in prison? - All prisoners are my brothers. Are they your relatives? They are my brothers. All prisoners are my brothers. In Gaza and in the West Bank, they are our brothers. What do you think of Arafat's approach? Arafat's approach? We hope for understanding, for things to get better. They should think of our youth, killed before our eyes. - Where do you live? - Shejaiya. What's the situation there? The situation in Shejaiya? Shootings, clashes, people killed in the streets. Children are shot going to school. Men are dragged out of their stores. Yesterday, a pregnant woman was killed with her child in Jerusalem. What's the situation? The situation is shit. A catastrophe. At what moment did you decide to reach an agreement with the PLO, which was previously taboo? It was taboo for me too. I don't want to present things differently than they were. I observed the process among the Palestinians, those in the territories and those Palestinians everywhere else. The process had polarized between two principal camps. One camp opposed all negotiations with Israel, led by Hamas, the Islamic Jihad, the ten organizations which reject the peace process and are based in Damascus, in Syria. They opposed all negotiations with Israel. They were, and still are, for armed struggle, violence, and terrorism. And the second camp, part of the PLO, led by Arafat, wanted to try the path of negotiation. We have disputes, especially a fundamental dispute on the form of a permanent solution. But there's a will to move forward and give peace a chance. For this reason, despite my reservations, despite my doubts, I came to this strategic decision without involving emotions. Because over the years, resentments have accumulated in us, in me, in them, in him. Decades of resentments... and fighting. But peace can be made with enemies, sometimes even the toughest enemies. I believe that in our relations with the rest of the world, the state and its citizens want a leadership proud of the wonderful things we have created here, without apology, because I truly believe the State of Israel aims for the best. And if we make mistakes by fighting for our existence, we will be the first to try to limit the damage and not hurt anyone. Since the settlements are not the problem, disengagement isn't the solution. So those settlements which I'm proud of and which are part of our pioneer heritage, like those in Galilee or the Negev, will remain in place and Israeli law will be enforced in that region. It's unrealistic that people sent over there by various governments are not Israeli citizens. What we must understand is that the conict with our neighbors, what I retain from my year in the Ministry, is not about borders. The real Palestinian issue dates back to 1948, not 1967. We cannot resolve it with solutions from 1967. For Palestinian leaders, we shouldn't be living here. But then Hold on. But if the leaders accepted... Interview me then, Amos. Currently, I don't see any moderation from Palestinian society. There's only radicalization. I live in the real world, not a fantasy, Amos. You recommend returning the territories? Politically and realistically, we must build throughout Israel and stop telling the world this story about occupation. We're not occupying our own land. This occupation story has absolutely no legal basis. It's a false notion which we keep holding onto, possibly due to guilt. I'm not occupying my own land. It's my right. This is my historic land, and I have as much right to live in Ramallah as Ahmed. I'm very proud to be Jewish, whether I'm in Hebron or Jerusalem. Olmert offered the Wailing Wall to Abu Mazen, but he wanted more. How much more? Tel Aviv? Galilee? The Negev? Consider that. My military service in Hebron was a very tough experience. When I left Hebron, I solemnly swore to myself to never set foot there again. I served elsewhere, but no place ever gave me such a feeling as when I left Hebron. Here, military service is really unbearable. Breaking the Silence was founded 12 years ago, at the end of the Second Intifada, by a group of former soldiers who had served in Hebron which was one of the bloodiest places, and still is today. They had the feeling that what soldiers experienced daily should be shared with the public. They took action and assembled photos they had taken during their service as a testament. This quickly opened up a heated debate when seeing the huge difference between what really happens and what we imagined. Things developed from there. I've been running this NGO for nearly four years. We speak with soldiers. We hear their side of the description of civilian life under occupation. Our goal is to question the moral price we are paying in pursuit of this policy. When I was here, that shack was our retreat. The settlers brought us sweets and coffee. If a child of a woman who gave you coffee threw stones at the windows of Palestinian families over there, the child should be arrested. But his mother gave you coffee and fruit juice. Would you arrest her child? So you tell him, "Hey, stop it." But he continues to throw stones. So you stand like this to make a barrier between him and the Palestinian homes. But he doesn't stop. That's the reality of a soldier's life here in Hebron. Our main objective is to enforce the law, because we govern the city, but it's an impossible task. During my military service, and especially after, I started asking myself many questions. A deciding moment for me was a trip with Breaking the Silence to Hebron. I remember feeling very strongly how unacceptable the existence of this place was, and that I was unaware. Even more unacceptable, it was done in my name. Is the situation worse under the current government? Our government is insane. Crazy young settlers run the country. What's happening is disturbing. There exists an organization of settlers, financed in part by public funds, which infiltrated us with hidden cameras and secret agents. They infiltrated our NGO and came to our homes. Those people now possess hours of private videos. But this campaign did not originate with them. The campaign against Breaking the Silence was initiated from the top of the pyramid. That's what our government does. It eats away at the base of a democratic and pluralistic society, capable of accepting criticism, to avoid talking about the occupation. To silence the debate. We have... about ten years or so. Israel won't collapse, nor be destroyed, nor die in ten years. But if Israel doesn't change course, if it doesn't make a dramatic political turn in less than ten years, we'll pass the point of no return. So this country I love so much, which matters most to me after my immediate family... could end. Time is running out. We have made many mistakes over many years... My commitment is deep, but my anger is great against currents within Israel and the international community. We have not made the right choices. If we do not recover, if we don't start making them... we will be solely responsible for Israel's suicide. That's a dramatic opinion. What are the concrete dangers? It's simple. If we continue to construct in the territories... we will have 750,000 settlers in the West Bank by ten years. If we allow that to happen in the West Bank, sharing the country won't be possible. That would mean the end of a democratic Jewish nation. There are only two options: giving Palestinians full citizenship and end the Jewish State, or revoking their rights and end our democracy. What the settlers have begun, and continued colonization, are no longer simple immoral acts, troubling and preoccupying. It's terrifying. It's the most anti-Zionist action of a profound nature. This action is quietly destroying us. We are traumatized by repeated failures in the peace process. For this reason, there's nothing that can be done today to stop this terrible process I'm referring to. And this process will actually bring us to the same point we were when Rabin was assassinated. I think in reality... Rabin has no heirs in the profound sense of the term. Yitzhak Rabin was not some pro-peace hippie as some made him. His vision was serious and realistic. It was not utopian, neither romantic nor syrupy. That's why the Israelis loved him and accepted to follow him. But paradoxically, no one could pursue his work after his assassination. We don't have leaders on a personal level. We don't have a political intellectual and spiritual elite, capable of formulating a new idea of "neo-Rabinism" to restart his approach, deeply realistic, Zionist and Israeli, to share the country without ignoring the difficulties of the region we're part of. Hello. - Welcome. - Thank you. There were demonstrations in Beit Ummar. How old was he? Seventeen. When did it happen? January 28, 2008. A friend told me about this association. I refused at first. She invited me to have coffee. When I arrived at her home, I saw others there... My sister, my beloved Robi. I didn't want to look at her. One day, I was at a friend's home, and she entered. I wanted to leave. I couldn't be near an Israeli. She walked right up to me and asked to speak to me. She questioned me about my son. She spoke to me... She told me about her son. I told her about Mahmud. She cried, I cried. We cried together. We spoke. I saw her tears and her pain for her son. I forgot she was Israeli. I saw a mother. A grieving mother. Our tears are the same. At night, do you sometimes think about what your son would say about all this? I never forget my son, not one moment. I always think of him. You speak to him? Always. What does he say? I think... Well... He tries to apologize for putting me through all this. Maybe. Robi, your son was killed too? Yes. At what age? Twenty-seven. How did this start? I have fought for coexistence my entire life. In South Africa, I fought against apartheid. When David was killed, when the soldiers told me... I said, "This doesn't give you the right to kill in his name." I realized that we could all become a significant force if we presented a common discourse in public... to serve as an example to others. Then they arrested the man who had killed David. That's a whole other story, because... That put my commitment to the test. It's easy to talk about peace and reconciliation as long as you can't see your child's killer. This is a very long story which developed over the years and through events in my life. I wrote a letter to the parents of that boy, the sniper. I received a very tough letter on his behalf, a few years later. It showed that a reconciliation doesn't happen overnight. It takes years. Do you ever disagree? Of course. Let's see... Well, for example, when there are differences of opinion, I can share my point of view and you share yours. Sometimes we must meet each other halfway. Who did you lose? I lost my fianc. Batya, where were you born? I was born in Iraq. When did you emigrate? In 1942. I was nine. From Baghdad. Do you think Israelis don't understand the Arab world? It's Arab mentality which they don't understand. I think... I was telling them before that my husband and I had an Arab household. We're Jewish, we live in Israel, but our household is Arab. At our house, it's not necessary to call before dropping by if you want lunch. You can drop by at 11 and if you want, you can stay for lunch. - Am I invited? - My pleasure. My pleasure. No one there would make a fuss. "I dropped by, I ate lunch..." Normal. If someone drops by, they won't leave hungry. That's our reality. That's the Arab mentality. And honor! Don't hurt my husband, or you'll get hurt. That's reality. But I wouldn't hurt them. Never! I will always respect them. They have come to my home. They have slept in my bed. And the Israeli aw? The Israeli aw... I think about something very fundamental. You work and you know you must delegate to be able to succeed. That means you can't control everything yourself. We, the Jews, we don't let go of anything. We are the fairest and the smartest. We know everything... And we know what's right for others. The truth is we don't know. But that's how we are. That's the reason why we don't accept them and vice versa. Who did you lose? I lost my oldest son. When? In 1977. I can't let go. He's not coming back. If God and Satan fought, Satan won. It's something... that marks you for life. We don't need groups like B'tselem and Breaking the Silence to be aware of the problems. I don't have a problem with them citing problems. There are problems. I want them to be exposed, handled, and avoided. I'm happy these NGO's exist. But they join an international campaign whose goal is not reconciliation, but the destruction of Israel as the country of the Jewish people. Sorry, but as part of such a campaign, grouped together, whatever their good intentions may be, I don't support them. I think the majority... It's upsetting. It's hypocrisy! Ben-Dror, don't get upset. The problem is such that Israel has too many unresolved conicts. We invite others to intervene by refusing to define our borders. - Exactly... - Some cases must be closed. Let's do it. I've been in favor of almost every peace initiative. But don't forget every time a serious peace proposal has been made, such as the plans by Clinton or Olmert, the Palestinians refused. We can't always blame Israel. They don't want two countries! Stopping peace comes from both sides. We are not fully responsible. Excuse me for bringing this up again, but there have been talks, some difficult, even with attacks, but they created lasting mechanisms for cooperation. Precisely, those NGO's and certain European countries... Fill the holes left by this government. They are in control. There was a crisis after Rabin's assassination. We overcame that trauma. Not at all. All those NGO's are counterproductive. I want peace and reconciliation. They want the opposite. I don't agree. They reinforce hate for Israel and Palestinian refusal. Peace together! Okay, in my opinion, most people are motivated by their personal consciousness. But maybe not for everyone. Some react because of the absence of government action. It's like the Wild West because of the absence of action by the government. We heard shots were fired at some young people here, the Ibrahimi quarter. This created a certain uneasiness. We had to interrupt the planned session. Please come in. You all know how to use a camera, right? When something happens, remind me, what should you do? We aim the camera to film, focusing on the wounded or the event in question. We shoot from a safe spot. We film like a radar. - Exactly. - Understand? - Anything else? - Yes, the zoom. The zoom. We all have the same tendency. We want to film certain scenes by moving closer. That's not good. But seriously, sometimes, when the event is far, out of reach, we want to know who is the martyr. How can the zoom help us? To bring us closer to the subject. The most important thing, don't forget, is your life. Before filming, think of your safety! - Even before filming. - Absolutely. Quiet, so we can hear. Sorry. He's asking who the fugitive is. "Are you in charge?" "Come in. Someone's hiding out here." Did you see? We see him clearly. Watch the camera move. It follows the soldier while he searches for the boy. It follows him, then returns to the point of arrival. Come with me. He asks, "Who's that boy? What are you doing here?" He says, "I'm a tourist." "Fine, have fun." Translation: "Not your business." Calm down! Go away! Calm down! You looking for trouble? Get out of here! Why are you filming? Hold him. Why are you filming, asshole? Asshole! He should file a complaint. The military targets men. They symbolize pride more than women. The military usually doesn't act aggressively toward women... Not always. Women are usually at home while men are out at work. Yet... After I married, I cried whenever I saw soldiers. I'm afraid of what the military can do. Now, I take my camera out and film. I didn't dare before. The camera gives me confidence. It's like holding a firearm. I feel strong enough for adventure, to do something, do incredible things. Now, the soldiers, when they see us, even if they are aggressive, they take account of us. Now they are afraid. There's fear. When the settlers see us filming, they back away. The debate over Netanyahu: is he an opportunist or an ideologist? Is he interested in power only and nothing else? - I think he's an ideologist. - I agree. He's not motivated by religion. He's not a believer. He's interested in history, but he isn't awaiting the Messiah. In my opinion, he's only interested in securing the territories, which he thinks are vital for Israel. Thus he considers Palestinians as a management problem. He doesn't see a moral dilemma, nor a fundamental blow to our democracy by this control over people. How should foreign spectators attempt to understand this equivocal region? They have the impression of watching a TV series, because from day to day the roles of heroes and villains can be interchangeable. It's like some hit dramatic TV series for the media. Of course, as viewed by Westerners... it can be puzzling. The Middle East crisis is in full upheaval. So how would you explain it to a high school student from France, the UK, or the US? What's the meaning of this commotion? It's a conict that has lasted more than a century and... it's based on a feeling of existential threat, for Palestinians as well as Israelis... both who have still not found peace. Furthermore, and it's our paper's stance, territorial division... is the least of evils. It's difficult and it won't end Palestinian feelings of injustice nor end Israeli fear of annihilation. As for the idea of one country with equal civil rights, this has proven to be unstable and difficult to manage, even in more peaceful countries like Belgium and Canada. Applying this to the Middle East would not be easy. The solution of dividing the land seems more likely, despite everything. Do you come to Hebron often, Gideon? It depends on events. Lately, we come often because Hebron is today's center of almost all resistance. We're in the West Bank every week. Hebron has become... We come to Hebron often. I think we came five or six times in two months. It's calm in Jerusalem and elsewhere. Everything's going on here. Alex, what do you look for visually? Not much to see here. We interview people about their stories. You do portraits? Yes, but... We try to go a bit beyond that. But it's not possible most of the time. We try to reveal the people... So we look around, something in their homes... What we're trying is to "re-humanize" the Palestinians. Every single portrait is important in this sense. The Israeli press has dehumanized them over the years, systematically. Even the most obvious victims are not shown as human beings. So Alex gives them a face. I explained to the crew the importance of what you've done for years now. - How long? - Thirty years. Thirty years. There are general views from both sides. Some concepts, overall ideas... But you're presenting individuals. You're trying to show the impact of the occupation on the individual. On a small scale. Case by case, individuals. That's my goal. In the Israeli press, they don't have a face, name, nothing. Simply terrorists. They're like us. Even skin color. I'm just saying. We give readers a chance to see inside their homes. Since the construction of the wall, there's no more contact between Israelis and Palestinians. The only contact is military... soldiers, police... Civilian visits were terminated. The previous mobility was stopped. Same for them. They've dehumanized us too. We meet children who have never seen an unarmed Israeli. It's evident. As soon as they hear Hebrew, they hide behind their mothers. What still surprises me is entering a home in full mourning, and were welcomed with open arms, despite being Israeli. I would have waited to say that on the way back. Now, I bet we'll get stones thrown at us. I believe in the evil eye. But he's right. In 30 years, no one ever refused to speak to us. Even parents who lost a child the day before. - Are you related? - Yes, my immediate family. - What's your name? - Majid. Majid. Same family name? - You sell shoes? - Yes, for women. Speak in Hebrew. Fine. His father is Kayed of the Rajbi family. Fifteen years old. Which grade? Which grade? High school. The kid told his father that he was going to see his cousin. Nothing unusual. Where does the cousin live? - Where? - Nearby. Not far. One hour. What time? His name wasn't made public? No. He heard... In the car. He heard in the car someone was wounded. He checked an information site. He saw the photo. He knew it was his son when he saw the pants and shoes. - Understand? - Yes. He had a feeling. And then? He called his wife to verify what clothes the boy was wearing. She knew? She didn't really remember... She hesitated. Not sure. Then the mother remembered the colors of the boy's clothing. What colors? What colors? What color was his shirt? Then his brother... His brother? The martyr's brother. He recognized his brother. Then he saw a second photo. - He knew the shirt. - What's his name? - What's the brother's name? - Ussama. He was sure it was him? He was a child. How could they stab him? They can't control a 15-year-old? They wanted to kill him, not stop him. They wanted to kill. There were three soldiers, well-equipped and well-armed, behind a barrier, easily capable of stopping him. But they wanted to kill. This cycle, can vengeance be avoided? Yes, if we make peace. If politicians really wanted, there would be peace in 24 hours and not 24 years of talking more and more for nothing. One of our leaders and one of yours must sit and end occupation, by saying, "It's over. Stop." In my opinion, those who refuse peace have made a strong coalition. - In Israel? - No. Both sides. You have... Allow me, please. I witnessed Rabin sign with the Palestinians. In Tel Aviv, buses were blown up daily. This helped extremist Jews kill Rabin. You understand? They worked hand in hand. You understand? You don't agree? And him? Tell him what I said. A Jew. A Jew. An Israeli. I'm telling you my opinion: nothing is more solid than the coalition of those who oppose peace. You have an extremist coalition. - True. - They don't want peace. - You understood my question? - They want annexation. You understood my question? One day people will ask: "Where were you? What were you doing?" People will say they don't know. The readers of Haaretz Daily will know, at least. But it's a long process. I don't know if it can resist time. I only know that I can't keep quiet. And I know that my influence is very small. But aside from writing, I don't know how to do much. And I can only write about this. Because this is a huge drama and a huge crime. I don't know if my work has a sense or if there is one. I don't know. I don't know if you can answer the other question... What's your dream? What do you wish for? I wish to die a martyr. Because. Fifth grade. But life is good, Ali. I know. Generally, people like being alive. Don't you think? Better to die a martyr. Living is better! I know life is good. I know that. Being a martyr is better. Instead of Allah making us die, we choose to die. Our political life has been transformed into slogans which target various identities at the heart of our society. As for the relations between Jews and Arabs in Israel, the danger is particularly important. The borders are not defined and there's no agreement on sharing. The conict has infiltrated our society. This national conict could transform throughout the region in an instant. Arousing Jerusalem's Dome of the Rock could set the whole region ablaze. But this particularly reinforces hostility towards Arab citizens of this country. This goes against everything that I was taught. I firmly believe in implementing my parents' ideology: Greater Israel is an important principle, but it isn't the only one. It's hard for someone who believes we have a right to this land. In my first meeting with Abu Alaa in Annapolis, we started discussing about claiming our rights. I gave him the whole program: the Bible, the Jewish people... I believe in this historic right, biblical and legal. Naturally, he spoke about his family, his history. It was clear that the problem wasn't about who has the most rights to this land. Every people has its own narrative. We're not obliged to tell the same story. We only need to define a common life based on the two-state solution. We need two leaders, at least, who understand that the price of inaction is higher on its people than what they would pay politically for making an agreement. Our problem is that a small group which represents a whole other vision, namely Greater Israel and the pursuit of the settlements, will actually bring us to the point of no return. I'm concerned about the trends which push Israel's Jewish community towards extremism. However, there still exist pockets of initiatives of goodwill. We're here because the UN learned about the construction of that cursed wall and the chasing away of the Bedouins. I was sent to study the site. I discovered that the inhabitants wanted to build a school. That's how it started. The rabbis were here even before the school. They were on this land with us, hand in hand. Before the school was built, our children had to walk 22 kilometers. There was no bus to take them. There was no one who could bring them. Because of the distance, we requested in 1991 for the construction of a school, but they refused. We requested buses to drive the children to school. They said there were no buses. We are forbidden to build anything with hard material. We saw on the Internet that in South Africa, Brazil and Argentina, they use tires and mud for building. We picked up a lot of tires to build a school. But the authorities found out, and they ordered us to stop immediately. I know people in the town of Kfar Adumim. We're neighbors. They filed a complaint against the school, stating that it was built on their land and that it presented a risk to their village. They say that our building is illegal. But why are their buildings legal when they're only 800 meters away? I've lived here since before 1967. Why this difference in status? They're settlers. They are above the law, not below. They are above the law. The settlers want the whole community to disappear, especially the school. They understand that the school is the center of the community. The expression of my Judaism is the defense of this community. Judaism's greatness is shown... injustice and law. But here, as Isaiah said, "A great injustice has been committed." So I think the right thing to do here... is to accomplish the precepts of Judaism: respect one another, respect human values, the right to education and a livelihood, the right to peace and solidarity. Indifference, greed, the desire to chase off and annex at the expense of these people are sad and revolting. Of course, it undermines our own existence and the possibility to live in peace. How do you see the future? For the future, in my case, the world will wake up, God willing. The world is asleep. It ignores what's happening in the region. Now, yes, if the world awakens, the government will feel the pressure. Then we could remain here and have villages like the others. I would like us to have a school, a clinic, a children's playground. I would like for us to live in peace. Would you live in Palestine or Israel? Either one. I see an attempt... a very aggressive attempt, sometimes awkward, to make the major problem of this country disappear, the occupation of the Palestinians. As this finding becomes so clear and important, there's more effort to cloud it and make it disappear from public debate. There have been two electoral campaigns over the past three years. This issue has not been debated seriously. That's not by chance. It's a result of action, concerted, directed, funded. The 1967 border is being gradually erased. The term "occupation" is leaving the lexicon. I think this is proof of fear. Proof that those who want to keep us quiet know that we are right. What is your idea of utopia, how to make the ideal model you want to reach? The solution to this conict... isn't simply utopic nor some moral and visionary ideal. The best choice for us is concrete, useful, and effective. How do we want to live? Who do we want to be? We thought he was surely some Palestinian worker accompanied by his guard. Sometimes they come shopping with a guard. But they never make contact. We didn't understand him. He didn't understand us. He was alone. The girl at the entrance understood the situation. She grabbed something in defense. I was a bit naive in the moment. But I saw him go out and return to make sure the coast was clear. Upon returning, he pulled out an object and held it close at his side. I had... considered the possibility that he was a terrorist and holding a knife. - She lives in a movie, you know. - Well, it was like a movie. He pulls out a knife and she deliberates! But there are breaks. He attacked but missed me. I fell, and he stabbed my shoulder. Then he ran off. And... that's all. I understood the situation... I was alone, lying on the ground. - You were pregnant. - That's right. He stabbed me far from my belly and didn't hurt the baby, thank God. He punctured my lung and broke a rib. I felt like I was fine, but then my condition rapidly got worse. I ran to the exit. People thought I was running after a terrorist. But I definitely wasn't trying to catch him. I explained that I had been stabbed. The others ran after the terrorist. It was getting harder and harder to breathe. I couldn't stand any more. I got worse. But thank God, the ambulance arrived. That's when she realized he was a terrorist. Then she understood. It's nice of you to be here. This land belongs to no one. It belongs to God. History brought us here. History brought Arabs here too. We're here together. I don't have some deep knowledge about history. The problem is not about who is more at fault. We have to decide what to do from this moment on. We must stop blaming and learn to live together. We must make efforts. I think the settlers and the Palestinians will bring peace. We're the ones who are living together. I really hope that my dream will come true one day, by me or by others, to see every settlement and its nearby village organize together activities for children, soccer matches. Everything necessary to make it understood that the people on the other side are also human beings. We must transform the image of the enemy. There's no more reason to be so afraid, with God's help. That's why we must tell fear, "You did your job. Now move on to something else." What kind of Middle East do you hope to see? I would like to see a reality less violent, more peaceful, more stable. Risks to stability don't arise only from the Arab-Israeli conict. There's a wave of khomeinism without Khomeini. A wave of Islamic extremism... which risks endangering the moderate Arab regimes. We see what's happening in Algeria. We see what's happening in Sudan. Look at Lebanon, where Islamic extremism is developing among Palestinians. The dangers are there? Yes. To counter them, we must avoid creating a reality which serves as fertile ground for these extremist threats to ourish. We must strive for peace. We must also promote economic and social development of Arab partners with whom we have an accord, to eliminate two obstacles: hate for Israel, and worse, economic and social distress. For me, the principal is to create a new environment. A new reality. New relations, starting this year, so that we can negotiate on final status from a different reality. Maybe start building confidence between the Palestinian entity in the territories and the Israeli entity. That's the main challenge. For instead of arousing fantasies or illusions about a permanent solution, we must first make intermediate steps which would bring, by their success, evidence that peaceful coexistence is possible. Today, this seems almost like... utopia. I am committed to striving to reach that status. In a few months, we cannot change a reality created by a century of bloody struggles and hatred between the Palestinians and us. What's most important about this event that we've organized tonight is that it allows Middle Eastern culture to serve as a gateway between us and the Arabs. That's the most important. We can live in peace and love one another by sharing culture and music. That's the most important aspect of this event for me. |
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