1´01 Narrator
A bus journey through Northern Israel. The destination is the West Bank border.
1´10 Narrator
Arik Ascherman works for ‚Rabbis for Human Rights´. The Initiative supports Palestinians every year during the Olive harvest. A bus drives daily carrying volunteers.
1´25 Arik Ascherman
“Good Morning everybody! We are a little bit smaller than we were the last couple of days, but hopefully quality makes up for quantity.”
1´40 Narrator
Today we are in Jarushiya, where a boundary divides Israel and the West Bank. The Government is building a barrier stretching for hundreds of kilometers. The reason: To stop terrorists from entering Israel. It is here that the boundary divides Palestinian land, separating the farmers from their fields. The Israeli army keeps constant watch. Most of the local people have no chance of crossing.
2´05 Arik Ascherman
“In Jarushiya, where we are today, there are many families where either only one or two people from the family have permits to get over the separation barrier to the land or sometimes nobody in the family at all. And so the only way that we can work here is with families from here or the people who have permits telling us which trees belong to whom.”
2´33 Narrator
One kilometer away from the field, Arik Ascherman meets with the Israeli harvest workers and the Palestinians who are allowed to visit their land.
2´52 Narrator
Olives are important to the Palestinian economy. Jamal Uthman shows the Israeli helpers how to harvest fast and effectively. He is under time pressure. The Farmer will not only harvest his own olive trees today, he will also help the families who have not been allowed to cross the border.
3´21 Narrator
Many of the volunteers come from Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. They are city people who are inexperienced for the harvest.
3´33 Narrator
Arik Ascherman however has much experience. For three years now the ‘Rabbis for Human Rights’ have been organizing and protecting the harvest.
3´43 Arik Ascherman
“Everybody’s got their own system. Some places they do it by hand, other people here do it with rakes, this works very well. There are some places where you see people beating the trees. Where at other places they will say that’s an awful thing to do, that it insults the tree and they won’t give fruit the next year if you do that.”
4´05 Narrator
Not all Palestinians wish to accept the support the Rabbis are offering. There are families who do not want to be helped by Israelis. For them all Israeli people are a part of the ´Garrison power`.
The people here however are very grateful. For the lunch break they have brought so many provisions it is a little embarrassing for the helpers, most Palestinians are living in abject poverty. Jamal Uthman is the only member of his family who may work on the olive grove.
4´51 Jamal Uthman
“I have known Arik since the beginning of the boundary construction. He has often helped us in court. I beg all Israelis to help us in this miserable situation, religious or not, whether or not they are soldiers. Arik comes to us in a time when the people cannot harvest their land. He comes with a group of people to bring in the harvest and deliver it to its owners. We are truly thankful, he gives us strength and courage.
5´28 Narrator
The Rabbis work not only takes them to the border, they are also traveling deep into the West Bank where they protect the Palestinian farmers from radical settlers.
5´44 Narrator
In Jamma'in, just a few kilometers away from a Jewish settlement, the settlers are making life difficult for the Arabs. Arik receives an emergency call that settlers are stealing olives from groves that belong to Palestinian farmers.
6´02 Narrator
The Rabbi and the farmers catch two settlers stealing olives. They have little interest for the olives now. They hectically pack their things together. They don’t want to be filmed. One settler calls for help, they are worried about being attacked by Palestinians.
6´45 Settlers
“These people help the Hamas and the Hezbollah. Not right at this moment but normally they do. If they had the chance now, they would be throwing stones at us. It is only because you are here that they do not.“
7´04 Narrator
Other Settlers are approaching. The Palestinians are scared. Suddenly they are throwing stones at Arik and his group. A Palestinian farmer retaliates by throwing a stone. „No, no, no!” shouts Arik, “the Army will come and sort this out“.
7´33 Narrator
This is all part of a normal day for the Palestinian farmers.
7´38 Palestinian farmer
“There are often problems with the Settlers: On Tuesday when we arrived, we saw that many trees had already been harvested and some had even been damaged.
I saw them and I approached them, seven or eight of them were armed. We turned back. Yesterday we stayed away. Today we came again and saw them in another field.”
8´07 Narrator
The Israeli Army and Border Police have arrived. The Settlers have quickly disappeared. A uniformed officer tells Arik and his group to go back and wait. The police promise to capture those responsible.
8´21 Arik Ascherman
“Every human being whether they are Jewish, or Palestinians, or whoever, have to be accorded to full human rights, the respect that comes with being created as Gods image. Out here we have seen over the last few weeks, during the olive harvest season, problem after problem. We get reports of people being beaten, intimidated and there has even been a murder.“
8´44 Narrator
The Olive harvest lasts from October to December. Within this time the Rabbis will have over fifty assignments to organize. None passes without incident.
8´56 Narrator
Arik heads the initiative ´Rabbis for Human rights´ - a fulltime job. In his office in Jerusalem Jeremy Milgrom, also a Rabbi visits him. His first question, „Did you see the Red Socks game yesterday?“ Arik shakes his head; there was no time for Baseball. Both are Americans and they converse in English. Jeremy Milgrom is a founder of `Rabbis for Human rights`. Today he organizes a relief project for Palestinian Bedouins.
9´39 Narrator
The Rabbi travels many times a week to the Bedouin-Settlement, situated just a few kilometers from Jerusalem on the West Bank.
9´49 Jeremy Milgrom
“We are on a piece of bypass road, really a settler road. It’s been a while since there has been any shooting at Israeli traffic on this road. It happened a few times at night, but, no, I haven’t been afraid. I mean, before they built the wall, the road I preferred to take to the Jahalin was through east Jerusalem. It was shorter and it was more interesting.”
10´19 Narrator
The Palestinian city of Azarya is Milgrom´s destination. On a barren hill live almost a thousand Bedouin people from the Jahalin Tribe. Most of them live in tents and tin huts. Some families have managed to build houses.
10’51 Narrator
Since the mid nineties Jeremy Milgrom is fighting for the rights of the Jahalin people. They have been expelled no less than three times in the last 50 years. Time and again they had to retreat and give their land to Jewish settlements. The last time they arrived on this hill.
11´07 Narrator
The Rabbi brings toys that have been donated by Israelis. This family, like so many is very poor. For their children they have nothing. Puppets and building blocks are from another world. The girls and boys are very excited. Milgrom knows many of them since birth and knows exactly what they are lacking in.
11´44 Jeremy Milgrom
“The truth is that the needs are much greater than that. The government gave very little, they didn’t install electricity here. People, as you can see, are living in shacks and they deserve much better than that. Especially when they look over and see Ma´ale Adumim which is a comfortable suburb with swimming pools and shopping mal and other comforts. So there is so much more we think that people here deserve. They’ve lost their land to the expansion of Jewish communities here.”
12´26 Narrator
So that Ma´ale Adumim could be expanded, the Jahalin were yet again driven away in 1997. The Jewish Settlement is one of the biggest on the West Bank. Just a few kilometers away from Jerusalem almost 30.000 people are living in their own small world. The Bedouin people will never know or experience a life this comfortable.
12´47 Narrator
A small boy sees Jeremy and takes him home. The Rabbi visits the family from Naïf Abu-Ghalia. The Bedouin wants to learn how to read, he asks if Jeremy can help him. Almost all Jahalin are unemployed. Since the beginning of Intifada in 2000 the situation is getting worse.
13´23 Jeremy Milgrom
“My guess is that this whole area will become houses, you won’t have any open space, it’ll become actually very dense. So their lives will be very unlike the life of Bedouins, the Bedouin part of their lives is almost forgotten, a thing of the past.”
13´47 Narrator
Even if they gradually establish themselves, the hill is everything but ideal for the Jahalin way of life. In summer it becomes unbearably hot and in winter they have no protection from the elements in their poor housing. They share no importance in the politics of the Israeli Settlers.
14´17 Narrator
It is not only that they were driven away, today the Jahalin live in a place where it is impossible to exist. The Settlement is situated just five hundred meters from Jerusalem’s central rubbish dump. Hundreds of rubbish trucks deliver waste every single day.
14´43 Jeremy Milgrom
“In fact, according to Israeli law you’re not allowed to build a dump within two kilometers of an existing habitation. I think, that we’ll have to see what we can do about moving the dump out of the range of this village. It will be a huge effort. We have to see what kind of allies we can have, maybe there are political things we can negotiate, but it would be good if we did that soon. I’m worried that every day the Jahalin live on the hill they’d be starting whatever diseases that start when you have this toxidity.”
15´27 Narrator
Traditionally the Jahalin earn a living by raising cattle. Id Abu-Ghalia is a herdsman. Daily he wears a shirt and trousers but when he takes his herd of goats out to pasture he wears the traditional Kaftan and Keffiya.
15´45 Narrator
In the past Id Abu-Ghalia owned over two hundred livestock, today he has just thirty. His goats find no green pasture here. Before they were driven out, he moved on with his herd every two to three months on a green meadow, free from parasites and disease. Since living here his herd is often sick but now the herdsman is not just worried for the health of his livestock.
16´30 ID
“We are living close to a Rubbish dump. The air is poisoned. The children are constantly ill. In the past they were healthy and seldom sick. Now, not a day passes when our children don’t visit doctors because of colds, fever or insect bites.”
17´01 Narrator
This playground has been built with money donated by the Rabbis. The Jahalin had no drains or canalization. There is no electricity, no phone lines. There are no proper roads. However soon there will be a Mosque. The Jahalin collected money for the building from local villages.
17´30 Narrator
The Surveyor is already here. Full of pride they show Jeremy Milgrom the plans for their place of worship. The Mosque will stand on this site in just half a year. The Rabbi inquires if they have already found an Imam.
17´53 Narrator
Milgrom is a man who crosses borders. The rabbi has no fear of contact to Islam. He is also able to move more freely amongst the Jahalin than in any other occupied area.
18´14 Jeremy Milgrom
“I don’t feel afraid with the Bedouins, because I know that they are friends and they are not that political anyway. Generally if I’m in a Palestinian neighborhood and there is a lot of tension, I feel better knowing that there are people there that regard me as friends and even see me as brother or part of their family.”
18´41 Narrator
9a.m. This is the checkpoint Qalandiya, between Jerusalem and the Palestinian Ramallah.
18´53 Narrator
The people pour into Israel – for work, for school, for university or simply for shopping.
19´02 Narrator
Israel wants to protect itself with checkpoints from Suicide-Bombers. Not every Palestinian will pass the control. The ones who want to need passes and a lot of patience. The young soldiers search everyone for weapons of any kind.
19´39 Narrator
At the Checkpoint Arik Ascherman meets Saleem. The Arab is his contact person whenever he crosses the boundary. Since the beginning of the Intifada, it is seldom that an Israeli civilian visits the West Bank.
But for human rights activists like Ascherman it’s an everyday occurrence. Just a few kilometers from the checkpoint the Israeli army is destroying houses belonging to Palestinians.
19´58 Narrator
A few hours ago a house stood upon this sight. Now there is nothing but ruins.
20´10 Narrator
The Rabbi has often witnessed the army destroying houses. Israel doesn’t grant building permission to Arabs who wish to build in close proximity to the boundary or to Jewish settlements. Should the Palestinians ignore this, the army will simply tear the houses down.
20´26 Arik Ascherman
“Three homes have been demolished, there haven been arrests. I think that a person who got arrested told that there were two more, that there were five altogether – but we don’t know. I can’t find out where they are.”
20´42 Narrator
Arik Ascherman speaks Arabic. This way he comes easily into contact with Palestinians. Locals who he trusts always accompany the Rabbi. As an Israeli, he is never far away from anger and hatred.
21´08 Arik Ascherman
“My car has been stolen by Palestinians, I have been attacked by the army, I have been attacked by the settlers. Anyone who comes out here and thinks there are no dangers, has either an death wish or is foolish. Of course it’s dangerous out here.”
21´21 Narrator
In Jerusalem in the office of ‘Rabbis for Human Rights´ members discuss future projects. In 1988 during the first Intifada, around 100 Rabbis came together to confront the infringements of the Israeli army. The scholars say, that spiritualism and justice must be available for everyone – according to the Thora, the holy book of Judaism.
21´57 Arik Ascherman
“A part of me says, wouldn’t this world be better of without religions and nationalities – when you think of all the blood shed that has been committed in the name of religions and nationalities throughout history. But that’s what I believe, I believe that God is commanding me, that God has a purpose for me in this world and that God has a purpose for me as a Jew. Even if I see myself as a citizen of the world with a obligation, a loyalty to all humanity.”
22´33 Narrator
Arik Ascherman has two small children. The thought of their future is a big motivation for his work. The 45 year old is married to Einat Ramon. They are the only married couple of Rabbis in Israel. In the traditional Jewish lesson, equality, is up until today not, to be taken for granted. Still with the Ascherman's it is the same as with any modern family: Who earns the money? Who is there for the children? It is a real exception, that the Rabbi puts his children to bed. Often his wife has to pull him away from his desk.
23´27 Einat Ramon
“The only thing that I encourage him to do – and that’s a very soft word – is to put limits and to come home earlier and to realize that he can’t save the entire world. I don’t think that he should be in a different position, but I think that human rights workers should know that their families also have human rights and that their children also have human rights and I think that one basic rights of a child today is to see their parents generously.”
24´05 Narrator
Morning Prayer. Jews pray up to three times a day. Arik Ascherman is a Reform Rabbi. This direction in comparison to conservative Orthodox Judaism is more liberal. Arik describes himself as a Zionist. He calls for justice for the Palestinians to secure the future of the Jewish state. In his community he is a border crosser. The majority of Israelis don’t go to the West Bank and have no daily contact with Palestinians.
25´11 Arik Ascherman
„One of the most controversial aspects of Judaism, for many people, including many Jews, is this concept of being a chosen people. Well, first of all it’s to be chosen for responsibility and not because we are any better that anybody else.”
25´33 Narrator
Jerusalem. Holy City of three world religions, intersection of the conflict in the Near East. The Al-Aksa Mosque is an important Muslim place of pilgrimage, as the Wailing Wall is the holiest place for Jews. Just a few high meters separate the faithful.
26´15 Narrator
Since September 2000 when President Sharon climbed the Temple Mount in an act of provocation, the second Palestinian uprising began, the still roaring Intifada.
26´41 Narrator
The peace in east Jerusalem is treacherous. The cycle of violence has claimed hundreds of victims and ruined the economy from both Palestine and Israel. There are no tourists visiting the bazaars. Many dealers have lost their income.
27´04 Narrator
It is Friday. The Sabbath Ritual begins. The day of rest is the center of Jewish life. It lasts until sundown on Saturday. Jeremy Milgrom visits his parents.
27´23 Narrator
A traditional Sabbath ritual is the benediction of the children by the father.
Father Milgrom Benediction
27´42 Narrator
Jeremy grew up in a family where traditional Judaism is part of their roots. Both parents studied theology. His mother was a Judaic professor at the University of Berkley. Jeremy’s father is, like his son a Rabbi.
28´25 Narrator
A Sabbath meal begins with a blessing and the breaking of the bread. Jeremy does not find those rituals as important as he used to. At fifteen years old he felt a calling to Orthodox Judaism. Since then he has changed: Today the 52 year old questions the idea of Judaism. Sometimes his parents find him too radical but they often agree with his political views.
29´03 Jeremy Milgrom
“My parents do understand my experience, but it doesn’t keep them from living the way most Jews in Israel do. Which is within a Jewish bubble, within the familiar and at distance from things that are very different and very unfamiliar.“
29´19 Narrator
Jeremy Milgrom challenges the ‘Two-state-solution’. As a Rabbi he stands almost alone with this view. He also does not full fill the cliché of a Rabbi; he is divorced and lives alone with his two dogs.
29´42 Narrator
In his home in Jerusalem, Jeremy sorts donated clothing with two volunteers. He will take them to the Jahalin this afternoon. Before this they check that the clothes are clean and in good condition. Also the clothes should not hurt the sense of pride of the Bedouin people.
30´04 Narrator
Low cut clothes for example would not be acceptable. A baby blanket on the other hand is very welcome. The Jahalin women also need headscarves. Rebecca asks, „What do you think?“ The young Jewish girls from America enjoy themselves, they spend their holidays as volunteers for ´Rabbis for Human rights`.
30´40 Narrator
Jeremy and Rebecca visit the Bedouin settlement in the afternoon. She will teach the adults to read and write and give English courses to the children.
30´51
Rebecca gives a lesson. In the company of her mother and siblings Haya learns her first English words. Education is important for the Rabbis. The children can then attend schools and maybe even find a job.
31´27 Rebecca
“So I decided to work with the Rabbis for Human Rights and come to the Jahalin to get a better understanding of what life is like in the territories and I feel like it’s very important to make connections between Jews and Palestinians and Bedouins. So that there is an understanding on both sides that neither people is what the other says that it is.”
31´57 Narrator
While Rebecca teaches, Jeremy shares out the clothes. In the beginning Jeremy had difficulties with the relationship between Jahalin men and women. Multiple marriages are still possible and the men always have the say. With time he realized that you cannot compare the Jahalin culture with that of the Western ideal. They have other problems: the women have many children and no money for clothes. The donations from the Rabbis are gratefully accepted.
32´37 Narrator
If the men have work then it is day work in unqualified, badly paid jobs. Some work in the Jewish settlement of Ma'ale Adumim. In the afternoons most women and children are at home.
After many years the Jahalin women are still withdrawn in the presence of the Rabbi. In the traditional Bedouin community it is not customary to have contact with unfamiliar men.
33´28 Jeremy Milgrom
“I guess it’s a relationship of trust, of reliance, of hope that I can help. They see me as a part of the western world, part of the Israeli society, part of the establishment. And the hope is that I can move the establishment to give them more of what they need, of what they deserve. But it’s a friendship, they’re always saying, this is Jeremy Jahalin, he’s our brother. It’s a great feeling.”
33´58 Narrator
The Arab city of Abu Dis, not far from the Jahalin settlement. A wall has divided the area for almost two years now. The families live either in Palestine or Israel.
34´12 Narrator
It is seldom that a Jew would find himself here, most are afraid. Jeremy Milgrom however is not. He often purchases fruit and vegetables from the local traders in Abu Dis. Since the building of the wall customers are scarce.
34´33 Jeremy Milgrom
„The wall is problematic in its ideal symbolism, in its execution, how it’s actually been done. If the wall had been on the green line precisely, if it was really marking the boarder between Israel and the West Bank and if did not involve stealing more land from the Palestinians it’d be one thing. But in fact what it is, it is causing poverty and hardship to so many Palestinians.”
35´10 Jeremy Milgrom
“I think what is happening in Jerusalem is a good indication of how futile this is. This wall here is only – how high is that – about 3 meters and it’s not enough, so they built an 8 meter wall and the 8 meters shill wasn’t enough so they built a 11 meter wall until they get higher and higher. There will be less and less light and more the feeling of being in prison and it’s not good.”
35´41 Narrator
Israel built a wall so that no ´Suicide-bombers` could enter. In A´ram it will run straight through the city. Palestinians demonstrate against the enclosure. The military leaves, the situation is escalating. Everywhere is resistance. Even with international critic, Israel supports the building of the so called `Safety fence`. Hundreds of kilometers long now, it divides not just Israel and the West Bank from one another; it also divides the West Bank into many small areas.
36´22 Jeremy Milgrom
“I hope that we will have a state for both peoples, for the Palestinians and the Jews and they will live in partnership and there will be no government preference to any population. Every individual should be able to pursue his happiness here. It’s a vision which is based on my experience of being with Palestinians and hoping this will be more natural and more possible.”
36´55
In Hebron, the Palestinians are a long way away from wanting to share a city with the Israeli people. The Rabbis have planned a harvest in this instable area.
37’10 Narrator
A peace mission under armed guard. Israeli soldiers protect the Rabbis and the Palestinian farmers from the Jewish settlers.
37´26 Narrator
Arik Ascherman asks the young Palestinians what is left to do. The farmers will only enter the field with the Rabbis and under the protection of soldiers. Some are here for the first time in two years. There is much fear of settlers..
37´43 Narrator
Thirty Israelis help the families to harvest the olive trees.
37´57 Arik Ascherman
“What happens here is that you have many Palestinians with stereotypes about Israelis and it does help to break down with those stereotypes and gives people hope, that there are different kinds of Israelis whom they can talk to, come to agree with and have peace with.”
38´21 Narrator
Not only the Israeli and Palestinian people converse at the harvest, also two young soldiers talk with the Rabbi. An unusual experience for Arik Ascherman, most solders are not interested in what he has to say. The friend or foe philosophy is too strong.
38´47 Arik Ascherman
“The soldiers asked me why we are doing what we are doing and I explained why it is a matter of religious principals, because we are respecting the image of God in all human beings and that we are also concerned about the Israelis. I have children and I am concerned about terror and everything else but I’m also concerned about these people.”
39´07 Narrator
During his work in the West Bank, Arik Ascherman consciously wears his Kippah. He wishes to be known as a Jew, only then can he show the Palestinian people another side of Judaism. But if it becomes troublesome he undogmatically removes his headgear, since it’s the only religious symbol that is not founded by a holy commandment.
39´36 Narrator
Olive farmer Rasim Nawaga´a knows Arik from last year’s harvest. He has a very high opinion of the Rabbi.
39´57 Palestinian
“You can see that Arik is a religious man. But he is a good human being, he helps people. It’s not wrong that he is religous. It’s wrong when a man becomes a fundamentalist in the name of religion.“
40´12 Narrator
The Palestinians have invited Arik for a meal. Arik does not allow himself the pleasure of a minutes break. He is already organizing the next day.
40´44 Arik Ascherman
“I have a number of Palestinian friends. One of the drawbacks of what I do, I think, is that there isn’t a great amount of time for friendships. I’m either doing my work or I’m with my family. And that’s about what there is time for. But certainly there are a number of Palestinians that over the years I’ve become very close to, feel a very emotional and spiritual connection and deep, deep respect and love for them.”
41´37 Narrator
The Settlers often allow their animals to graze on the grass and eat the trees belonging to the Palestinians. Today Arik Ascherman discovers a herd of goats belonging to Settlers, grazing on a Palestinian olive grove.
41´49 Police officer
“What is wrong over there?”
Arik
“Look, over there.“
Police officer
“We must find out who this grove belongs to“.
Arik Ascherman
“Well really, this grove belongs to Palestinians, everybody knows that. If you do not chase them out, we will!”
42´21 Narrator
After he informed the Police he took the case into his own hands. Arik Ascherman wants to drive away the Settlers and their goats. He runs off.
42´39 Narrator
The young herdsman ignores Arik, so the Rabbi calls for backup.
42´52 Arik Ascherman
“These are not your trees! You are sinning in the name of God!
These trees do not belong to you!”
43´03 Narrator
Without violence the Activists scare away the goats. The animals at least, move away from the trees. The Settlers stay.
43´13 Narrator
The Border Police try to arbitrate. The young settlers do not understand why the Rabbi supports the Palestinians. They argue loudly.
43´33 Arik Ascherman
“Now they’re keeping their forces separated but some of our people have heard the Police tell the Settlers: “As soon as they’re gone we’ll let you back in”. So we’re not gonna go to far yet.”
43´46 Narrator
The Settlers have left at least for today. But what will happen when Arik Ascherman and his people are harvesting with other families?
The `Rabbis for Human Rights` cannot be everywhere but they are living examples: Only when Israel is prepared for a just peace will there be a lasting peace.
A bus journey through Northern Israel. The destination is the West Bank border.
1´10 Narrator
Arik Ascherman works for ‚Rabbis for Human Rights´. The Initiative supports Palestinians every year during the Olive harvest. A bus drives daily carrying volunteers.
1´25 Arik Ascherman
“Good Morning everybody! We are a little bit smaller than we were the last couple of days, but hopefully quality makes up for quantity.”
1´40 Narrator
Today we are in Jarushiya, where a boundary divides Israel and the West Bank. The Government is building a barrier stretching for hundreds of kilometers. The reason: To stop terrorists from entering Israel. It is here that the boundary divides Palestinian land, separating the farmers from their fields. The Israeli army keeps constant watch. Most of the local people have no chance of crossing.
2´05 Arik Ascherman
“In Jarushiya, where we are today, there are many families where either only one or two people from the family have permits to get over the separation barrier to the land or sometimes nobody in the family at all. And so the only way that we can work here is with families from here or the people who have permits telling us which trees belong to whom.”
2´33 Narrator
One kilometer away from the field, Arik Ascherman meets with the Israeli harvest workers and the Palestinians who are allowed to visit their land.
2´52 Narrator
Olives are important to the Palestinian economy. Jamal Uthman shows the Israeli helpers how to harvest fast and effectively. He is under time pressure. The Farmer will not only harvest his own olive trees today, he will also help the families who have not been allowed to cross the border.
3´21 Narrator
Many of the volunteers come from Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. They are city people who are inexperienced for the harvest.
3´33 Narrator
Arik Ascherman however has much experience. For three years now the ‘Rabbis for Human Rights’ have been organizing and protecting the harvest.
3´43 Arik Ascherman
“Everybody’s got their own system. Some places they do it by hand, other people here do it with rakes, this works very well. There are some places where you see people beating the trees. Where at other places they will say that’s an awful thing to do, that it insults the tree and they won’t give fruit the next year if you do that.”
4´05 Narrator
Not all Palestinians wish to accept the support the Rabbis are offering. There are families who do not want to be helped by Israelis. For them all Israeli people are a part of the ´Garrison power`.
The people here however are very grateful. For the lunch break they have brought so many provisions it is a little embarrassing for the helpers, most Palestinians are living in abject poverty. Jamal Uthman is the only member of his family who may work on the olive grove.
4´51 Jamal Uthman
“I have known Arik since the beginning of the boundary construction. He has often helped us in court. I beg all Israelis to help us in this miserable situation, religious or not, whether or not they are soldiers. Arik comes to us in a time when the people cannot harvest their land. He comes with a group of people to bring in the harvest and deliver it to its owners. We are truly thankful, he gives us strength and courage.
5´28 Narrator
The Rabbis work not only takes them to the border, they are also traveling deep into the West Bank where they protect the Palestinian farmers from radical settlers.
5´44 Narrator
In Jamma'in, just a few kilometers away from a Jewish settlement, the settlers are making life difficult for the Arabs. Arik receives an emergency call that settlers are stealing olives from groves that belong to Palestinian farmers.
6´02 Narrator
The Rabbi and the farmers catch two settlers stealing olives. They have little interest for the olives now. They hectically pack their things together. They don’t want to be filmed. One settler calls for help, they are worried about being attacked by Palestinians.
6´45 Settlers
“These people help the Hamas and the Hezbollah. Not right at this moment but normally they do. If they had the chance now, they would be throwing stones at us. It is only because you are here that they do not.“
7´04 Narrator
Other Settlers are approaching. The Palestinians are scared. Suddenly they are throwing stones at Arik and his group. A Palestinian farmer retaliates by throwing a stone. „No, no, no!” shouts Arik, “the Army will come and sort this out“.
7´33 Narrator
This is all part of a normal day for the Palestinian farmers.
7´38 Palestinian farmer
“There are often problems with the Settlers: On Tuesday when we arrived, we saw that many trees had already been harvested and some had even been damaged.
I saw them and I approached them, seven or eight of them were armed. We turned back. Yesterday we stayed away. Today we came again and saw them in another field.”
8´07 Narrator
The Israeli Army and Border Police have arrived. The Settlers have quickly disappeared. A uniformed officer tells Arik and his group to go back and wait. The police promise to capture those responsible.
8´21 Arik Ascherman
“Every human being whether they are Jewish, or Palestinians, or whoever, have to be accorded to full human rights, the respect that comes with being created as Gods image. Out here we have seen over the last few weeks, during the olive harvest season, problem after problem. We get reports of people being beaten, intimidated and there has even been a murder.“
8´44 Narrator
The Olive harvest lasts from October to December. Within this time the Rabbis will have over fifty assignments to organize. None passes without incident.
8´56 Narrator
Arik heads the initiative ´Rabbis for Human rights´ - a fulltime job. In his office in Jerusalem Jeremy Milgrom, also a Rabbi visits him. His first question, „Did you see the Red Socks game yesterday?“ Arik shakes his head; there was no time for Baseball. Both are Americans and they converse in English. Jeremy Milgrom is a founder of `Rabbis for Human rights`. Today he organizes a relief project for Palestinian Bedouins.
9´39 Narrator
The Rabbi travels many times a week to the Bedouin-Settlement, situated just a few kilometers from Jerusalem on the West Bank.
9´49 Jeremy Milgrom
“We are on a piece of bypass road, really a settler road. It’s been a while since there has been any shooting at Israeli traffic on this road. It happened a few times at night, but, no, I haven’t been afraid. I mean, before they built the wall, the road I preferred to take to the Jahalin was through east Jerusalem. It was shorter and it was more interesting.”
10´19 Narrator
The Palestinian city of Azarya is Milgrom´s destination. On a barren hill live almost a thousand Bedouin people from the Jahalin Tribe. Most of them live in tents and tin huts. Some families have managed to build houses.
10’51 Narrator
Since the mid nineties Jeremy Milgrom is fighting for the rights of the Jahalin people. They have been expelled no less than three times in the last 50 years. Time and again they had to retreat and give their land to Jewish settlements. The last time they arrived on this hill.
11´07 Narrator
The Rabbi brings toys that have been donated by Israelis. This family, like so many is very poor. For their children they have nothing. Puppets and building blocks are from another world. The girls and boys are very excited. Milgrom knows many of them since birth and knows exactly what they are lacking in.
11´44 Jeremy Milgrom
“The truth is that the needs are much greater than that. The government gave very little, they didn’t install electricity here. People, as you can see, are living in shacks and they deserve much better than that. Especially when they look over and see Ma´ale Adumim which is a comfortable suburb with swimming pools and shopping mal and other comforts. So there is so much more we think that people here deserve. They’ve lost their land to the expansion of Jewish communities here.”
12´26 Narrator
So that Ma´ale Adumim could be expanded, the Jahalin were yet again driven away in 1997. The Jewish Settlement is one of the biggest on the West Bank. Just a few kilometers away from Jerusalem almost 30.000 people are living in their own small world. The Bedouin people will never know or experience a life this comfortable.
12´47 Narrator
A small boy sees Jeremy and takes him home. The Rabbi visits the family from Naïf Abu-Ghalia. The Bedouin wants to learn how to read, he asks if Jeremy can help him. Almost all Jahalin are unemployed. Since the beginning of Intifada in 2000 the situation is getting worse.
13´23 Jeremy Milgrom
“My guess is that this whole area will become houses, you won’t have any open space, it’ll become actually very dense. So their lives will be very unlike the life of Bedouins, the Bedouin part of their lives is almost forgotten, a thing of the past.”
13´47 Narrator
Even if they gradually establish themselves, the hill is everything but ideal for the Jahalin way of life. In summer it becomes unbearably hot and in winter they have no protection from the elements in their poor housing. They share no importance in the politics of the Israeli Settlers.
14´17 Narrator
It is not only that they were driven away, today the Jahalin live in a place where it is impossible to exist. The Settlement is situated just five hundred meters from Jerusalem’s central rubbish dump. Hundreds of rubbish trucks deliver waste every single day.
14´43 Jeremy Milgrom
“In fact, according to Israeli law you’re not allowed to build a dump within two kilometers of an existing habitation. I think, that we’ll have to see what we can do about moving the dump out of the range of this village. It will be a huge effort. We have to see what kind of allies we can have, maybe there are political things we can negotiate, but it would be good if we did that soon. I’m worried that every day the Jahalin live on the hill they’d be starting whatever diseases that start when you have this toxidity.”
15´27 Narrator
Traditionally the Jahalin earn a living by raising cattle. Id Abu-Ghalia is a herdsman. Daily he wears a shirt and trousers but when he takes his herd of goats out to pasture he wears the traditional Kaftan and Keffiya.
15´45 Narrator
In the past Id Abu-Ghalia owned over two hundred livestock, today he has just thirty. His goats find no green pasture here. Before they were driven out, he moved on with his herd every two to three months on a green meadow, free from parasites and disease. Since living here his herd is often sick but now the herdsman is not just worried for the health of his livestock.
16´30 ID
“We are living close to a Rubbish dump. The air is poisoned. The children are constantly ill. In the past they were healthy and seldom sick. Now, not a day passes when our children don’t visit doctors because of colds, fever or insect bites.”
17´01 Narrator
This playground has been built with money donated by the Rabbis. The Jahalin had no drains or canalization. There is no electricity, no phone lines. There are no proper roads. However soon there will be a Mosque. The Jahalin collected money for the building from local villages.
17´30 Narrator
The Surveyor is already here. Full of pride they show Jeremy Milgrom the plans for their place of worship. The Mosque will stand on this site in just half a year. The Rabbi inquires if they have already found an Imam.
17´53 Narrator
Milgrom is a man who crosses borders. The rabbi has no fear of contact to Islam. He is also able to move more freely amongst the Jahalin than in any other occupied area.
18´14 Jeremy Milgrom
“I don’t feel afraid with the Bedouins, because I know that they are friends and they are not that political anyway. Generally if I’m in a Palestinian neighborhood and there is a lot of tension, I feel better knowing that there are people there that regard me as friends and even see me as brother or part of their family.”
18´41 Narrator
9a.m. This is the checkpoint Qalandiya, between Jerusalem and the Palestinian Ramallah.
18´53 Narrator
The people pour into Israel – for work, for school, for university or simply for shopping.
19´02 Narrator
Israel wants to protect itself with checkpoints from Suicide-Bombers. Not every Palestinian will pass the control. The ones who want to need passes and a lot of patience. The young soldiers search everyone for weapons of any kind.
19´39 Narrator
At the Checkpoint Arik Ascherman meets Saleem. The Arab is his contact person whenever he crosses the boundary. Since the beginning of the Intifada, it is seldom that an Israeli civilian visits the West Bank.
But for human rights activists like Ascherman it’s an everyday occurrence. Just a few kilometers from the checkpoint the Israeli army is destroying houses belonging to Palestinians.
19´58 Narrator
A few hours ago a house stood upon this sight. Now there is nothing but ruins.
20´10 Narrator
The Rabbi has often witnessed the army destroying houses. Israel doesn’t grant building permission to Arabs who wish to build in close proximity to the boundary or to Jewish settlements. Should the Palestinians ignore this, the army will simply tear the houses down.
20´26 Arik Ascherman
“Three homes have been demolished, there haven been arrests. I think that a person who got arrested told that there were two more, that there were five altogether – but we don’t know. I can’t find out where they are.”
20´42 Narrator
Arik Ascherman speaks Arabic. This way he comes easily into contact with Palestinians. Locals who he trusts always accompany the Rabbi. As an Israeli, he is never far away from anger and hatred.
21´08 Arik Ascherman
“My car has been stolen by Palestinians, I have been attacked by the army, I have been attacked by the settlers. Anyone who comes out here and thinks there are no dangers, has either an death wish or is foolish. Of course it’s dangerous out here.”
21´21 Narrator
In Jerusalem in the office of ‘Rabbis for Human Rights´ members discuss future projects. In 1988 during the first Intifada, around 100 Rabbis came together to confront the infringements of the Israeli army. The scholars say, that spiritualism and justice must be available for everyone – according to the Thora, the holy book of Judaism.
21´57 Arik Ascherman
“A part of me says, wouldn’t this world be better of without religions and nationalities – when you think of all the blood shed that has been committed in the name of religions and nationalities throughout history. But that’s what I believe, I believe that God is commanding me, that God has a purpose for me in this world and that God has a purpose for me as a Jew. Even if I see myself as a citizen of the world with a obligation, a loyalty to all humanity.”
22´33 Narrator
Arik Ascherman has two small children. The thought of their future is a big motivation for his work. The 45 year old is married to Einat Ramon. They are the only married couple of Rabbis in Israel. In the traditional Jewish lesson, equality, is up until today not, to be taken for granted. Still with the Ascherman's it is the same as with any modern family: Who earns the money? Who is there for the children? It is a real exception, that the Rabbi puts his children to bed. Often his wife has to pull him away from his desk.
23´27 Einat Ramon
“The only thing that I encourage him to do – and that’s a very soft word – is to put limits and to come home earlier and to realize that he can’t save the entire world. I don’t think that he should be in a different position, but I think that human rights workers should know that their families also have human rights and that their children also have human rights and I think that one basic rights of a child today is to see their parents generously.”
24´05 Narrator
Morning Prayer. Jews pray up to three times a day. Arik Ascherman is a Reform Rabbi. This direction in comparison to conservative Orthodox Judaism is more liberal. Arik describes himself as a Zionist. He calls for justice for the Palestinians to secure the future of the Jewish state. In his community he is a border crosser. The majority of Israelis don’t go to the West Bank and have no daily contact with Palestinians.
25´11 Arik Ascherman
„One of the most controversial aspects of Judaism, for many people, including many Jews, is this concept of being a chosen people. Well, first of all it’s to be chosen for responsibility and not because we are any better that anybody else.”
25´33 Narrator
Jerusalem. Holy City of three world religions, intersection of the conflict in the Near East. The Al-Aksa Mosque is an important Muslim place of pilgrimage, as the Wailing Wall is the holiest place for Jews. Just a few high meters separate the faithful.
26´15 Narrator
Since September 2000 when President Sharon climbed the Temple Mount in an act of provocation, the second Palestinian uprising began, the still roaring Intifada.
26´41 Narrator
The peace in east Jerusalem is treacherous. The cycle of violence has claimed hundreds of victims and ruined the economy from both Palestine and Israel. There are no tourists visiting the bazaars. Many dealers have lost their income.
27´04 Narrator
It is Friday. The Sabbath Ritual begins. The day of rest is the center of Jewish life. It lasts until sundown on Saturday. Jeremy Milgrom visits his parents.
27´23 Narrator
A traditional Sabbath ritual is the benediction of the children by the father.
Father Milgrom Benediction
27´42 Narrator
Jeremy grew up in a family where traditional Judaism is part of their roots. Both parents studied theology. His mother was a Judaic professor at the University of Berkley. Jeremy’s father is, like his son a Rabbi.
28´25 Narrator
A Sabbath meal begins with a blessing and the breaking of the bread. Jeremy does not find those rituals as important as he used to. At fifteen years old he felt a calling to Orthodox Judaism. Since then he has changed: Today the 52 year old questions the idea of Judaism. Sometimes his parents find him too radical but they often agree with his political views.
29´03 Jeremy Milgrom
“My parents do understand my experience, but it doesn’t keep them from living the way most Jews in Israel do. Which is within a Jewish bubble, within the familiar and at distance from things that are very different and very unfamiliar.“
29´19 Narrator
Jeremy Milgrom challenges the ‘Two-state-solution’. As a Rabbi he stands almost alone with this view. He also does not full fill the cliché of a Rabbi; he is divorced and lives alone with his two dogs.
29´42 Narrator
In his home in Jerusalem, Jeremy sorts donated clothing with two volunteers. He will take them to the Jahalin this afternoon. Before this they check that the clothes are clean and in good condition. Also the clothes should not hurt the sense of pride of the Bedouin people.
30´04 Narrator
Low cut clothes for example would not be acceptable. A baby blanket on the other hand is very welcome. The Jahalin women also need headscarves. Rebecca asks, „What do you think?“ The young Jewish girls from America enjoy themselves, they spend their holidays as volunteers for ´Rabbis for Human rights`.
30´40 Narrator
Jeremy and Rebecca visit the Bedouin settlement in the afternoon. She will teach the adults to read and write and give English courses to the children.
30´51
Rebecca gives a lesson. In the company of her mother and siblings Haya learns her first English words. Education is important for the Rabbis. The children can then attend schools and maybe even find a job.
31´27 Rebecca
“So I decided to work with the Rabbis for Human Rights and come to the Jahalin to get a better understanding of what life is like in the territories and I feel like it’s very important to make connections between Jews and Palestinians and Bedouins. So that there is an understanding on both sides that neither people is what the other says that it is.”
31´57 Narrator
While Rebecca teaches, Jeremy shares out the clothes. In the beginning Jeremy had difficulties with the relationship between Jahalin men and women. Multiple marriages are still possible and the men always have the say. With time he realized that you cannot compare the Jahalin culture with that of the Western ideal. They have other problems: the women have many children and no money for clothes. The donations from the Rabbis are gratefully accepted.
32´37 Narrator
If the men have work then it is day work in unqualified, badly paid jobs. Some work in the Jewish settlement of Ma'ale Adumim. In the afternoons most women and children are at home.
After many years the Jahalin women are still withdrawn in the presence of the Rabbi. In the traditional Bedouin community it is not customary to have contact with unfamiliar men.
33´28 Jeremy Milgrom
“I guess it’s a relationship of trust, of reliance, of hope that I can help. They see me as a part of the western world, part of the Israeli society, part of the establishment. And the hope is that I can move the establishment to give them more of what they need, of what they deserve. But it’s a friendship, they’re always saying, this is Jeremy Jahalin, he’s our brother. It’s a great feeling.”
33´58 Narrator
The Arab city of Abu Dis, not far from the Jahalin settlement. A wall has divided the area for almost two years now. The families live either in Palestine or Israel.
34´12 Narrator
It is seldom that a Jew would find himself here, most are afraid. Jeremy Milgrom however is not. He often purchases fruit and vegetables from the local traders in Abu Dis. Since the building of the wall customers are scarce.
34´33 Jeremy Milgrom
„The wall is problematic in its ideal symbolism, in its execution, how it’s actually been done. If the wall had been on the green line precisely, if it was really marking the boarder between Israel and the West Bank and if did not involve stealing more land from the Palestinians it’d be one thing. But in fact what it is, it is causing poverty and hardship to so many Palestinians.”
35´10 Jeremy Milgrom
“I think what is happening in Jerusalem is a good indication of how futile this is. This wall here is only – how high is that – about 3 meters and it’s not enough, so they built an 8 meter wall and the 8 meters shill wasn’t enough so they built a 11 meter wall until they get higher and higher. There will be less and less light and more the feeling of being in prison and it’s not good.”
35´41 Narrator
Israel built a wall so that no ´Suicide-bombers` could enter. In A´ram it will run straight through the city. Palestinians demonstrate against the enclosure. The military leaves, the situation is escalating. Everywhere is resistance. Even with international critic, Israel supports the building of the so called `Safety fence`. Hundreds of kilometers long now, it divides not just Israel and the West Bank from one another; it also divides the West Bank into many small areas.
36´22 Jeremy Milgrom
“I hope that we will have a state for both peoples, for the Palestinians and the Jews and they will live in partnership and there will be no government preference to any population. Every individual should be able to pursue his happiness here. It’s a vision which is based on my experience of being with Palestinians and hoping this will be more natural and more possible.”
36´55
In Hebron, the Palestinians are a long way away from wanting to share a city with the Israeli people. The Rabbis have planned a harvest in this instable area.
37’10 Narrator
A peace mission under armed guard. Israeli soldiers protect the Rabbis and the Palestinian farmers from the Jewish settlers.
37´26 Narrator
Arik Ascherman asks the young Palestinians what is left to do. The farmers will only enter the field with the Rabbis and under the protection of soldiers. Some are here for the first time in two years. There is much fear of settlers..
37´43 Narrator
Thirty Israelis help the families to harvest the olive trees.
37´57 Arik Ascherman
“What happens here is that you have many Palestinians with stereotypes about Israelis and it does help to break down with those stereotypes and gives people hope, that there are different kinds of Israelis whom they can talk to, come to agree with and have peace with.”
38´21 Narrator
Not only the Israeli and Palestinian people converse at the harvest, also two young soldiers talk with the Rabbi. An unusual experience for Arik Ascherman, most solders are not interested in what he has to say. The friend or foe philosophy is too strong.
38´47 Arik Ascherman
“The soldiers asked me why we are doing what we are doing and I explained why it is a matter of religious principals, because we are respecting the image of God in all human beings and that we are also concerned about the Israelis. I have children and I am concerned about terror and everything else but I’m also concerned about these people.”
39´07 Narrator
During his work in the West Bank, Arik Ascherman consciously wears his Kippah. He wishes to be known as a Jew, only then can he show the Palestinian people another side of Judaism. But if it becomes troublesome he undogmatically removes his headgear, since it’s the only religious symbol that is not founded by a holy commandment.
39´36 Narrator
Olive farmer Rasim Nawaga´a knows Arik from last year’s harvest. He has a very high opinion of the Rabbi.
39´57 Palestinian
“You can see that Arik is a religious man. But he is a good human being, he helps people. It’s not wrong that he is religous. It’s wrong when a man becomes a fundamentalist in the name of religion.“
40´12 Narrator
The Palestinians have invited Arik for a meal. Arik does not allow himself the pleasure of a minutes break. He is already organizing the next day.
40´44 Arik Ascherman
“I have a number of Palestinian friends. One of the drawbacks of what I do, I think, is that there isn’t a great amount of time for friendships. I’m either doing my work or I’m with my family. And that’s about what there is time for. But certainly there are a number of Palestinians that over the years I’ve become very close to, feel a very emotional and spiritual connection and deep, deep respect and love for them.”
41´37 Narrator
The Settlers often allow their animals to graze on the grass and eat the trees belonging to the Palestinians. Today Arik Ascherman discovers a herd of goats belonging to Settlers, grazing on a Palestinian olive grove.
41´49 Police officer
“What is wrong over there?”
Arik
“Look, over there.“
Police officer
“We must find out who this grove belongs to“.
Arik Ascherman
“Well really, this grove belongs to Palestinians, everybody knows that. If you do not chase them out, we will!”
42´21 Narrator
After he informed the Police he took the case into his own hands. Arik Ascherman wants to drive away the Settlers and their goats. He runs off.
42´39 Narrator
The young herdsman ignores Arik, so the Rabbi calls for backup.
42´52 Arik Ascherman
“These are not your trees! You are sinning in the name of God!
These trees do not belong to you!”
43´03 Narrator
Without violence the Activists scare away the goats. The animals at least, move away from the trees. The Settlers stay.
43´13 Narrator
The Border Police try to arbitrate. The young settlers do not understand why the Rabbi supports the Palestinians. They argue loudly.
43´33 Arik Ascherman
“Now they’re keeping their forces separated but some of our people have heard the Police tell the Settlers: “As soon as they’re gone we’ll let you back in”. So we’re not gonna go to far yet.”
43´46 Narrator
The Settlers have left at least for today. But what will happen when Arik Ascherman and his people are harvesting with other families?
The `Rabbis for Human Rights` cannot be everywhere but they are living examples: Only when Israel is prepared for a just peace will there be a lasting peace.