Palestine - The shattered hopes
Report: Christa Hofmann
Camera: Ian Friswell
Editor: Kerstin Bohland
Inserts and speakers:
Comment: Christa
0:26 Fouad Abu-Gosh (Victor) (no insert)
Suad Amiry 02:50, former diplomat (Niki)
07:23 Muhammad Tayseer, olive farmer (Mark)
7:39 Kefah Tayseer, wife (Daniela)
08:26 Women in the village (Niki)
9:44 Rawand Arqawi, Freedom Theatre (Daniela)
10:26 Qais al-Saadi, drama student (Victor)
12:16 Zakaria Zubeidi, former Al-Aqsa Brigades (Mark)
for 12.31: Insert: Jenin, 2002
00:04
Behind this wall is the Palestinian West Bank. It has been occupied by Israel for more than 40 years.
00:11
Permission to enter has been granted but the entrance is closed. Palestinians from the West Bank are not allowed out without a special permit. Arab commuters from Jerusalem are also stuck.
00:26
OT Fouad Abu-Gosh [ENGLISH]
The Israeli army decided to shut down the checkpoint, these are the results, people are getting stuck. And imagine if you have someone sick on an Ambulance who wants to leave, he will probably die.
00:38
00:41
This is a 'zone C' - ‘C’ means ‘under full Israeli military control' – these zones cover 60 percent of the West Bank. The Palestinian authorities have no say here and are not allowed to develop the roads or regulate the traffic, so volunteers have to fill in.
01:03
Things may not have changed much in the West Bank, but the Arab spring has given hope to many Palestinians and has helped temper the occupation. The statehood bid to the UN by the Palestinian National Authority has also raised hopes for the collective recognition of Palestine.
01:23
In the center of Ramallah, the recognition of Palestine is a well discussed subject. 83 percent of Palestinians support the UN bid, but many are also fearful of retribution from Israel. For Palestinians, these fears are well justified: Israel has already punished the Palestinian authorities by blocking taxes and speeding up settlement construction after the cultural organisation UNESCO accepted Palestine with a majority vote.
01:48
The United States, Israel's closest ally also responded but cutting off their financial contributions to UNESCO…The decades-long conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians now threatens to divide the international community.
02:11
Suad Amiry is a writer and architect with a middle class upbringing. Her family was expelled from Palestine during the founding of Israel in 1948 so she grew up in Damascus and Amman.
02:25
In the 90s, Suad was a diplomat in Arafat's negotiating team in Washington. Today she’s the director of the Riwaq Architectural Centre, an organisation which she runs with a handful of employees to restore and protect historic Palestinian buildings.
02:50
Suad Amiry OT, former diplomat [ENGLISH]
Here we are, when we go to the UN, telling the UN for gods sake, come and protect us from this Israelis because neither the Americans nor the Europeans have been fair in telling Israel enough, so at the end we have realised that really we needed international community to be recognised exactly the same Israel was recognised in 1947 and what do we find? We find Obama telling us we are taking short cuts. If 20 years of negotiations is a short cut I would hate to see what is a long cut is with the Israelis
03:28
From the roof you can see why Jewish settlements on Palestinian land have become such a big obstacle in the peace process.
Suad Amiry 03:38, architect and author [ENGLISH]
It starts from there and goes all the way right there. This land belongs to the Abawil family – it’s private land. The people from here went to court; this is almost 20 years ago, asking for their land because they are not supposed to build settlements on private land. They won the case in the Israeli high court but that did not stop the setters from living here.
04:11
OT I (Christa) [ENGLISH]
Did they get compensation?
Suad Amiry OT (OPEN) [ENGLISH]
No… no, no, no
04:16
Ramallah presents itself as a modern city with new offices, hotels, homes and shops. It’s experiencing a building boom despite the restrictions caused by the occupation.
04:31
In the old city, a young architect from the Riwaq Center shows us a historic building that they’ve restored, which is now a music school for disadvantaged children.
04:52
Ala is 13. The song she plays is called 'My Country' - the Palestinian national anthem ... She was only four when she witnessed her cousin being shot by Israeli soldiers. Almost everyone here has a similar story.
05:10
The omnipresence of the occupation in the West Bank is evident through the endless watchtowers, soldiers and barriers.
05:18
But this is a day of joy for Palestinians: more than 1,000 prisoners are due to be released in exchange for the Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, who was kidnapped by Hamas in 2006. It’s the largest prisoner exchange in 25 years.
05:33
OT guy (OPEN)
Alah u Akbar (God is Great)
05:34
Family and friends are on their way to welcome the men at the checkpoint – it’s become something of a national celebration.
05:44
For Israel, the exchange is not easy. Some of those released are responsible for the deaths of Israeli soldiers and civilians. Others have been in jail for minor offences.
06:03
OT Christina (OPEN)
”It should start soon”
06:04
People wait for the prisoners to be released but after two hours there is still no sign. The Israelis ended up using tear gas to disperse the people. They also used something called ‘Skunk-Water’ - an extremely foul-smelling liquid that can remain on skin or clothing for days... The Palestinian prisoners were eventually released at another checkpoint.
06:37
Israeli military vehicles are encountered again and again….They patrol Jewish settlements to protect from Palestinian attacks and to prevent violence from the settlers themselves.
06:55
It’s the time of the Olive harvest. Olives are the main source income for many people in the West Bank, but harvesting them is a risky job. Palestinian farmers are repeatedly attacked by Jewish settlers who destroy their trees. According to the UN, more than 7,500 trees have been cut or burned by Israeli settlers this year alone.
07:18
The Tayseer family from the village of Sawyah, is in a hurry with the harvest… the fear is always there.
07:23
OT Muhammad Tayseer, olive farmer
Up till now it’s been quiet, but last year the settlers disrupted the harvest by attacking us and destroying our trees. This year, so far, it has been ok… thanks to God.
07:38
OT Kefah Tayseer, wife
We are afraid of the settlers because we have children with us… We do not fear for ourselves, just for our children.
07:56
Like most Palestinian villages, Sawyah is on a hillside… 08:03 The children are just coming home from school… Jewish settlements are on top of the hills all around. Four years ago settlers burnt down the village school.
08:26
OT in the village woman (beginning from the OFF)
They have always come at night, in darkness to attack us. We could not even sleep because of fear.
08:42
Most Palestinians only know Israelis as soldiers or aggressive settlers. The settler population has more than tripled in the last 20 years. Despite being illegal under international law, the settlements are supported by the Israeli government through tax breaks and subsidized home ownership. The government also protects the (mostly national-religious) settlers with a military presence and allows them to carry weapons.
09:10
More than 200 settlements now divide the West Bank. There are even separate roads for Israeli settlers that Palestinians are forbidden to drive on
09:23
You can get some idea of what it’s like to live in the occupied territories by visiting the Freedom Theatre in Jenin. During the second intifada it was destroyed and then rebuilt by the son of the former founder. As an Israeli, he paid for his commitment to the theatre with his life and was shot just outside. The perpetrators are still at large and the pain and anger are often reflected on stage…
09:44
OT Rawand Arqawi, Freedom Theatre [ENGLISH]
Just like any society we have problems, we don’t just have problems from living under occupation, but other problems as well. On stage people can say what they want, no one can stop them ... no one can tell them: stop, don’t talk.
10:08
Performance (OPEN)
10:12
Qais was a child during the intifada, the uprising of the Palestinians, and the Israeli attacks - his youth was marked by violence.
10:26
Qais al-Saadi, OT, drama student (beginning from the OFF)
We represent the situation in Palestine as we experience it. We represent what we felt when we were attacked by the Israeli army: anxiety, stress, frustration. This is our everyday life, this is what people experience in Palestinian society.
10:52
Kamal, who is a friend of Qais, also experienced the Israeli invasion of Jenin nine years ago when his father and three brothers were wounded.
11:04
Jenin shines in the sunset, but the idyll is deceptive. The local refugee camp was considered by Israel to be a terrorist stronghold and was almost completely destroyed by the Israeli army in 2002 in a bloody battle. The man Kamal is here to meet witnessed the massacre and was the leader of the notorious Al-Aqsa Brigades.
11:23
OT Kamal (OPEN)
Zakaria!
11:26
Zakaria Zubeidi grew up in refugee camps; the Freedom Theatre even rehearsed in his parents’ house. His mother and brother were killed during the Israeli invasion of Jenin and at 13 he was in prison for the first time. He’s spent 9 years in jail but at 34 he’s now married with three children. He’s survived two targeted assassination attempts and still has nine bullets in his body.
11:54
His face was burned by an explosion that injured his eyes with flying debris. He joined the armed resistance in 2001 during the second intifada and was on Israel's enemies of the state hit list for many years. He says that despite accepting Israel’s amnesty he won’t leave the house without his gun.
OT 12:16 Zakaria Zubeidi, former Al-Aqsa Brigades
The Israeli army has come with tanks and killed our people and in doing so have taken our faith and hope. They want us to strike back so they can say to the world that we’re terrorists. This is the argument they use when they come to our towns and villages.
12:43
Four of his friends have died - two as suicide bombers in Israel. He has also been responsible for terrorist attacks and the deaths of Israeli soldiers. He renounces violence but disagrees about a possible two-state solution.
13:02
OT Zakaria Zubeidi, former Al-Aqsa Brigades
I’m opposed to a two-state solution. I want a state for both, without occupation and with equal rights. If Israelis want to live in Jenin that’s fine but we also want to be able to live in Tel Aviv.
13:12
He’s aware that this will probably never happen, but also knows that the Arab Spring has nurtured people’s hopes for freedom… The Israeli human rights organization ‘B’Tselem describes one of the effects of the occupation:
13:25
OT I (OPEN) (mainly from the OFF)
”Palestinians can no longer lead a normal life.”… And this comes from the Israeli Information Centre for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories - an Israeli organization.
13:43
Another checkpoint is passed, and with it, the West Bank with its concrete and barbed wire, is left behind…
For Palestinians, the Arab spring is still a long way from the West Bank.
END
Report: Christa Hofmann
Camera: Ian Friswell
Editor: Kerstin Bohland
Inserts and speakers:
Comment: Christa
0:26 Fouad Abu-Gosh (Victor) (no insert)
Suad Amiry 02:50, former diplomat (Niki)
07:23 Muhammad Tayseer, olive farmer (Mark)
7:39 Kefah Tayseer, wife (Daniela)
08:26 Women in the village (Niki)
9:44 Rawand Arqawi, Freedom Theatre (Daniela)
10:26 Qais al-Saadi, drama student (Victor)
12:16 Zakaria Zubeidi, former Al-Aqsa Brigades (Mark)
for 12.31: Insert: Jenin, 2002
00:04
Behind this wall is the Palestinian West Bank. It has been occupied by Israel for more than 40 years.
00:11
Permission to enter has been granted but the entrance is closed. Palestinians from the West Bank are not allowed out without a special permit. Arab commuters from Jerusalem are also stuck.
00:26
OT Fouad Abu-Gosh [ENGLISH]
The Israeli army decided to shut down the checkpoint, these are the results, people are getting stuck. And imagine if you have someone sick on an Ambulance who wants to leave, he will probably die.
00:38
00:41
This is a 'zone C' - ‘C’ means ‘under full Israeli military control' – these zones cover 60 percent of the West Bank. The Palestinian authorities have no say here and are not allowed to develop the roads or regulate the traffic, so volunteers have to fill in.
01:03
Things may not have changed much in the West Bank, but the Arab spring has given hope to many Palestinians and has helped temper the occupation. The statehood bid to the UN by the Palestinian National Authority has also raised hopes for the collective recognition of Palestine.
01:23
In the center of Ramallah, the recognition of Palestine is a well discussed subject. 83 percent of Palestinians support the UN bid, but many are also fearful of retribution from Israel. For Palestinians, these fears are well justified: Israel has already punished the Palestinian authorities by blocking taxes and speeding up settlement construction after the cultural organisation UNESCO accepted Palestine with a majority vote.
01:48
The United States, Israel's closest ally also responded but cutting off their financial contributions to UNESCO…The decades-long conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians now threatens to divide the international community.
02:11
Suad Amiry is a writer and architect with a middle class upbringing. Her family was expelled from Palestine during the founding of Israel in 1948 so she grew up in Damascus and Amman.
02:25
In the 90s, Suad was a diplomat in Arafat's negotiating team in Washington. Today she’s the director of the Riwaq Architectural Centre, an organisation which she runs with a handful of employees to restore and protect historic Palestinian buildings.
02:50
Suad Amiry OT, former diplomat [ENGLISH]
Here we are, when we go to the UN, telling the UN for gods sake, come and protect us from this Israelis because neither the Americans nor the Europeans have been fair in telling Israel enough, so at the end we have realised that really we needed international community to be recognised exactly the same Israel was recognised in 1947 and what do we find? We find Obama telling us we are taking short cuts. If 20 years of negotiations is a short cut I would hate to see what is a long cut is with the Israelis
03:28
From the roof you can see why Jewish settlements on Palestinian land have become such a big obstacle in the peace process.
Suad Amiry 03:38, architect and author [ENGLISH]
It starts from there and goes all the way right there. This land belongs to the Abawil family – it’s private land. The people from here went to court; this is almost 20 years ago, asking for their land because they are not supposed to build settlements on private land. They won the case in the Israeli high court but that did not stop the setters from living here.
04:11
OT I (Christa) [ENGLISH]
Did they get compensation?
Suad Amiry OT (OPEN) [ENGLISH]
No… no, no, no
04:16
Ramallah presents itself as a modern city with new offices, hotels, homes and shops. It’s experiencing a building boom despite the restrictions caused by the occupation.
04:31
In the old city, a young architect from the Riwaq Center shows us a historic building that they’ve restored, which is now a music school for disadvantaged children.
04:52
Ala is 13. The song she plays is called 'My Country' - the Palestinian national anthem ... She was only four when she witnessed her cousin being shot by Israeli soldiers. Almost everyone here has a similar story.
05:10
The omnipresence of the occupation in the West Bank is evident through the endless watchtowers, soldiers and barriers.
05:18
But this is a day of joy for Palestinians: more than 1,000 prisoners are due to be released in exchange for the Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, who was kidnapped by Hamas in 2006. It’s the largest prisoner exchange in 25 years.
05:33
OT guy (OPEN)
Alah u Akbar (God is Great)
05:34
Family and friends are on their way to welcome the men at the checkpoint – it’s become something of a national celebration.
05:44
For Israel, the exchange is not easy. Some of those released are responsible for the deaths of Israeli soldiers and civilians. Others have been in jail for minor offences.
06:03
OT Christina (OPEN)
”It should start soon”
06:04
People wait for the prisoners to be released but after two hours there is still no sign. The Israelis ended up using tear gas to disperse the people. They also used something called ‘Skunk-Water’ - an extremely foul-smelling liquid that can remain on skin or clothing for days... The Palestinian prisoners were eventually released at another checkpoint.
06:37
Israeli military vehicles are encountered again and again….They patrol Jewish settlements to protect from Palestinian attacks and to prevent violence from the settlers themselves.
06:55
It’s the time of the Olive harvest. Olives are the main source income for many people in the West Bank, but harvesting them is a risky job. Palestinian farmers are repeatedly attacked by Jewish settlers who destroy their trees. According to the UN, more than 7,500 trees have been cut or burned by Israeli settlers this year alone.
07:18
The Tayseer family from the village of Sawyah, is in a hurry with the harvest… the fear is always there.
07:23
OT Muhammad Tayseer, olive farmer
Up till now it’s been quiet, but last year the settlers disrupted the harvest by attacking us and destroying our trees. This year, so far, it has been ok… thanks to God.
07:38
OT Kefah Tayseer, wife
We are afraid of the settlers because we have children with us… We do not fear for ourselves, just for our children.
07:56
Like most Palestinian villages, Sawyah is on a hillside… 08:03 The children are just coming home from school… Jewish settlements are on top of the hills all around. Four years ago settlers burnt down the village school.
08:26
OT in the village woman (beginning from the OFF)
They have always come at night, in darkness to attack us. We could not even sleep because of fear.
08:42
Most Palestinians only know Israelis as soldiers or aggressive settlers. The settler population has more than tripled in the last 20 years. Despite being illegal under international law, the settlements are supported by the Israeli government through tax breaks and subsidized home ownership. The government also protects the (mostly national-religious) settlers with a military presence and allows them to carry weapons.
09:10
More than 200 settlements now divide the West Bank. There are even separate roads for Israeli settlers that Palestinians are forbidden to drive on
09:23
You can get some idea of what it’s like to live in the occupied territories by visiting the Freedom Theatre in Jenin. During the second intifada it was destroyed and then rebuilt by the son of the former founder. As an Israeli, he paid for his commitment to the theatre with his life and was shot just outside. The perpetrators are still at large and the pain and anger are often reflected on stage…
09:44
OT Rawand Arqawi, Freedom Theatre [ENGLISH]
Just like any society we have problems, we don’t just have problems from living under occupation, but other problems as well. On stage people can say what they want, no one can stop them ... no one can tell them: stop, don’t talk.
10:08
Performance (OPEN)
10:12
Qais was a child during the intifada, the uprising of the Palestinians, and the Israeli attacks - his youth was marked by violence.
10:26
Qais al-Saadi, OT, drama student (beginning from the OFF)
We represent the situation in Palestine as we experience it. We represent what we felt when we were attacked by the Israeli army: anxiety, stress, frustration. This is our everyday life, this is what people experience in Palestinian society.
10:52
Kamal, who is a friend of Qais, also experienced the Israeli invasion of Jenin nine years ago when his father and three brothers were wounded.
11:04
Jenin shines in the sunset, but the idyll is deceptive. The local refugee camp was considered by Israel to be a terrorist stronghold and was almost completely destroyed by the Israeli army in 2002 in a bloody battle. The man Kamal is here to meet witnessed the massacre and was the leader of the notorious Al-Aqsa Brigades.
11:23
OT Kamal (OPEN)
Zakaria!
11:26
Zakaria Zubeidi grew up in refugee camps; the Freedom Theatre even rehearsed in his parents’ house. His mother and brother were killed during the Israeli invasion of Jenin and at 13 he was in prison for the first time. He’s spent 9 years in jail but at 34 he’s now married with three children. He’s survived two targeted assassination attempts and still has nine bullets in his body.
11:54
His face was burned by an explosion that injured his eyes with flying debris. He joined the armed resistance in 2001 during the second intifada and was on Israel's enemies of the state hit list for many years. He says that despite accepting Israel’s amnesty he won’t leave the house without his gun.
OT 12:16 Zakaria Zubeidi, former Al-Aqsa Brigades
The Israeli army has come with tanks and killed our people and in doing so have taken our faith and hope. They want us to strike back so they can say to the world that we’re terrorists. This is the argument they use when they come to our towns and villages.
12:43
Four of his friends have died - two as suicide bombers in Israel. He has also been responsible for terrorist attacks and the deaths of Israeli soldiers. He renounces violence but disagrees about a possible two-state solution.
13:02
OT Zakaria Zubeidi, former Al-Aqsa Brigades
I’m opposed to a two-state solution. I want a state for both, without occupation and with equal rights. If Israelis want to live in Jenin that’s fine but we also want to be able to live in Tel Aviv.
13:12
He’s aware that this will probably never happen, but also knows that the Arab Spring has nurtured people’s hopes for freedom… The Israeli human rights organization ‘B’Tselem describes one of the effects of the occupation:
13:25
OT I (OPEN) (mainly from the OFF)
”Palestinians can no longer lead a normal life.”… And this comes from the Israeli Information Centre for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories - an Israeli organization.
13:43
Another checkpoint is passed, and with it, the West Bank with its concrete and barbed wire, is left behind…
For Palestinians, the Arab spring is still a long way from the West Bank.
END