ISRAEL/PALESTINE - DEIR YASSIN: THE AGONY

Apr 1948

DUR 18'42"

ZEINAB MOHAMMAD ISMAIL ATTIEH SPEAKING TO INTERVIEWER

SHOTS OF DEIR YASSIN BUILDINGS

TITLE SCREEN

ZEINAB MOHAMMAD ISMAIL ATTIEH SINGING

SHOTS OF DEIR YASSIN WRECKAGE AND SHRUBBERY

OLD FOOTAGE OF DEIR YASSIN AND AL-KASTAL

MAP OF PALESTINE OUTLINING THE JEWISH ATTACKS

OLD FOOTAGE OF CONFLICT

ZEINAB MOHAMMAD ISMAIL ATTIEH SHOWING PARTS OF DEIR YASSIN WHERE CONFLICT TOOK PLACE

SHOTS OF HOUSES IN DEIR YASSIN

ZEINAB MOHAMMAD ISMAIL ATTIEH SITS DOWN AND CRIES

DEIR YASSIN STREETS AND BUILDINGS

PICTURES OF MUTILATED CORPSES

ZEINAB MOHAMMAD ISMAIL ATTIEH SITS UNDER A TREE

SYNC ZEINAB MOHAMMAD ISMAIL ATTIEH:
AS LONG AS I REMAIN ALIVE, I'LL NEVER FORGET WHAT HAPPENED IN DEIR YASSIN. IT'S AS IF I'M LOOKING AT IT NOW, JUST LIKE I'M LOOKING AT THIS CAMERA FACING ME.

Zeinab Mohammad Ismail Attieh born in Deir Yassin in 1924.

Between agony and reality is an eye blink.

SYNC ZEINAB MOHAMMAD ISMAIL ATTIEH:
HOW MUCH FRUITS OF THIS LAND WE HAVE EATEN! WE WERE IN A FLOOD OF BLESSINGS. WHEN THEY CAME, THEY ATTACKED OUR VILLAGE'S MILLS. IN THE FIRST TIME, WE REPELLED THEM AND SO WE DID IN THE SECOND AND THE THIRD. IN THE FOURTH TIME, WE BLOCKED THE ROAD IN THEIR FACE, WE DUG TWO METRES DEEP IN THE GROUND.

SYNC ZEINAB MOHAMMAD ISMAIL ATTIEH:
WHEN THE JEWS OCCUPIED AL-KASTAL IT PROVOKED OUR DIGNITY, A TRUE MUSLIM CAN NEVER TOLERATE THIS. THE PROPLE OF OUR VILLAGE RUSHED TO HELP, ABDUL QADER HUSSEINI WON THE BATTLE OF AL-KASTAL AND RAISED THE BANNER OF VICTORY. GOD ONLY KNOWS HOW HE WAS KILLED; BY THE JEWS OR BY TREASON. HAS HE REMAINED ALIVE, NO INCH OF PALESTINE WOULD HAVE BEEN OCCUPIED. WE REGAINED AL-KASTAL ON THURSDAY AFTERNOON, AT DAWN BREAKING THE NEXT DAY, THE JEWS ATTACKED US.

SYNC ZEINAB MOHAMMAD ISMAIL ATTIEH:
THEY BESIEGED US FROM THREE SIDES, EXCEPT FROM THE DIRECTION OF EIN KAREM. AT THAT TIME MY BROTHER BEHELD THEM FROM THE TOP OF OUR HOUSE. HE SHOUTED "THE JEWS ARE TAKING US". FROM THE VALLEY, FROM THIS SIDE THE JEWS ADVANCED TO MASSACRE US. MY FATHER WAS HOLDING A RIFLE AND WAS GUARDING THIS SIDE, MY BROTHER MAHMOUD WAS GUARDING THE OTHER SIDE. THEY WERE BOMBARDED BY MORTAR FROM THIS SIDE, MY FATHER WAS WOUNDED IN THE HEAD, MY BROTHER MAHMOUD WAS ALSO WOUNDED.

SYNC ZEINAB MOHAMMAD ISMAIL ATTIEH:
WHEN MY BROTHER MAHMOUD SHOUTED OUT "THE JEWS ARE TAKING US", ABU AL-ABED FLED TO THE DWELLING OF HIS DAUGHTER TAMAM, WHO IS MARRIED IN THE HOUSE OF MUSTAFA. THE JEWS FOLLOWED HIM AND BROKE INTO THE HOUSE, THEY MASSACRED TWENTY SEVEN PEOPLE IN MUSTAFA'S HOUSE. MY GRANDMOTHER, AMNEH, WANTED TO HIDE HERE, BUT THE JEWS SAW HER. THEY HIT HER; THEY MURDERED HER WITH THE BOY SHE WAS CARRYING ON HER BACK. AT THAT MOMENT SHE WAS WALKING HAND IN HAND WITH HER GRANDDAUGHTER NAZEIHA. WHEN NAZEIHA SAW THE JEWS WERE ADVANCING IN HER DIRECTION, SHE STAINED HERSELF WITH BLOOD AND LAY NEXT TO MY GRANDMOTHER SO THAT THEY WOULD THINK SHE WAS DEAD.

SYNC ZEINAB MOHAMMAD ISMAIL ATTIEH:
LIVING NEAR US WAS A FAMILY FROM THE HOUSE OF AL-SHAREEF FROM HEBRON, THEY LIVED IN ONE HOUSE AND WE LIVED IN ANOTHER. THEY WOKE UP, AS THEY NORMALLY DO, AT THREE O'CLOCK AND OPENED UP THEIR BAKERY. THEY WERE ABU HUSNI AND HIS SON ABDUL RA'OUF. THE VILLAGE WAS ATTACKED JUST WHEN THEY WERE BAKING BREAD, THE JEWS SNATCHED THE SON AND THREW HIM IN THE BAKING OVEN. THE FATHER ATTEMPTED TO FLEE, BUT THEY HIT HIM WITH A BOM AND HE FELL DEAD.

THIS HOUSE BELONGS TO HILWEH ZEIDAN, IT WAS HERE WHERE HER HUSBAND, HER SON, HER SISTER'S HUSBAND, HER SISTER'S SON ALI HASSAN AND THE SECOND WIFE OF HER SISTER'S HUSBAND WERE KILLED, THEY ALL WERE MURDERED HERE. WHEN THEY MURDERED HER SON, HILWEH CRIED THE CHEERS OF MARTYRDOM, THEY KILLED HER SISTER'S SON AND SHE CRIED THE SAME CHEERS. THEN THEY KILLED HER WHEN SHE WAS ULULATING. WHEN HILWEH ZEIDAN'S DAUGHTERS SAW THAT ALL THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS HAD BEEN KILLED, THEY HID HERE, LET ME SHOW YOU WHERE. THE POOR WOMEN LURKED THERE FOR FOUR DAYS IN THE DUNG, THEY WERE HOLDING THEIR BABIES WHO WERE CRYING OUT OF HUNGER AND THIRST. WHEN A HEN LAYED AN EGG THEY FED IT RAW TO ONE OF THE CHILDREN TO KEEP THEM ALIVE.

ONE OF THE VILLAGE'S YOUNG MEN HAD BEEN ENGAGED JUST TWO MONTHS EARLIER, HE WAS STILL A GROOM. HE WAS CALLED FUAD AND HIS MOTHER MAGHRIBIYEH, THEY MURDERED HIM ON HIS MOTHER'S KNEE. NEXT TO HIM WAS SITTING HIS UNCLE MAHMOUD, WHO WAS BLIND, THEY ALSO MURDERED HIM AS THEY MURDERED FUAD. FUAD'S MOTHER, WIFE OF SHAIKH KHALEEL, CAME OUT WITH HER DRESS ALL STAINED WITH BLOOD. WHEN THE PEOPLE OF THE VILLAGE SAW HER, THEY BURST INTO TEARS OUT OF SYMPATHY WITH HER PLIGHT.

MY GRANDFATHER, HAJ JABER, WAS ILL IN BED, HE WAS ONE OF THE VILLAGE'S NOTABLES AND EVERYONE KNEW HIM. THEY WENT TO HIM UPSTAIRS AND THREW HIM FROM THE TOP OF THE HOUSE DOWN TO THE WATER WELL. THEY THREW MY GRANDFATHER JABER AND RAISED THE FLAG OF VICTORY.

MY UNCLE ASA'AD WAS ALSO ONE OF THE NOTABLES, HE OWNED A MILL. HE WAS HOLDING HIS CRUTCH SHOUTING OUT "DON'T BE SCARED ARABS! DON'T YOU GIVE IN!". THE JEWS KILLED HIM HERE.

IN THE HOUSE OF ZAHRAN WERE MOHA'D ZAHRAN'S GRANDDAUGHTER AND HIS GRANDSON'S WIFE WHO WAS FROM MALHA, THEY WERE BOTH NAMED ZEINAB, BOTH WERE PREGNANT IN THE EIGHTH MONTH. THE WIFE OF ONE OF ZAHRAN'S SON, WHO WAS CALLED HILWEH YOUSEF SAID SHE WENT TO SEE THEM AND FOUND THAT THE PREGNANT WOMEN HAD BEEN STABBED IN THE BELLY. SHE WENT THERE LOOKING FOR HER SON. SHE FOUND THAT HER SON AND HER HUSBAND HAD BEEN MURDERED. HIS COUSIN, FATMEH JUMA'A ZAHRAN, WAS ALSO MURDERED. SHE WAS FOUR YEARS TOO. THEY WERE AMONG THE TWENTY SEVEN PEOPLE WHO WERE MURDERED WITH THEIR MOTHERS, BUT SAMIH, MY HUSBAND'S NEPHEW, WAS ONLY WOUNDED. HE REMAINED FOUR DAYS LYING AMONG THE DEAD IN THIRST, HUNGER AND MISERY

SYNC ZEINAB MOHAMMAD ISMAIL ATTIEH:
WE WERE HIDING IN THIS HOUSE, MYSELF, MY CHILDREN AND MY BROTHER, MUSA. MUSA STAYED THE NIGHT WITH US TO CHEER US UP. THEY CAME AND THREW A BOMB ON US, MY CHILDREN AND I WERE WOUNDED. WHEN THINGS CALMED DOWN, THEY BROKE THE DOOR AND TOOK US OUT, THEY STARTED TO BEAT UP MY BROTHER, MUSA, IN ORDER TO KILL HIM. I TOOK OUT MONEY AND BESEACHED HIM NOT TO KILL MY BROTHER, WHO WAS STILL A STUDENT. HE TOOK THE MONEY AND SAID "YOU ARE KIND HEARTED, I'LL SHOW YOU WHAT I'LL DO TO YOUR BROTHER". HE THREW HIM TO THE GROUND AND MY BROTHER FELL DOWN AS IF HE WAS PRAYING, THE JEW POINTED THE GUN TO MY BROTHER'S HEAD AND SHOT HIM FIVE TIMES. MY DAUGHTER, MARYAM, SAW HER UNCLE BEING MURDERED, SO SHE FLED TO MY FATHER'S HOUSE. AS FOR ME, I WAS ABOUT TO JUMP IN THE WATER WELL TO DROWN, BUT HE HELD ME BACK. I WISH HE HAD NOT PREVENTED ME FROM DROWNING IN ORDER NOT TO SEE WHAT I HAD SEEN. THEN I WANTED TO FLEE TO MY AUNT'S HOUSE, HE ASKED ME "WHERE TO?” I SAID MY AUNT'S HOUSE. I THOUGHT THAT THE SITUATION WAS NORMAL, I WAS SHOCKED TO KNOW THAT THE PEOPLE HAD EITHER FLED OR HAD BEEN MURDERED. THE JEW SAID "NO, YOU TAKE THIS ROAD". MY DAUGHTER, MARYAM, WHO WAS FOUR YEARS OLD FLED THE HOUSE WHERE HER UNCLE, MUSA, HAD BEEN MURDERED. SHE HAD BEEN WOUNDED UP AND DOWN HER LEG, HER DRESS WAS TORN UP, AND SHE WENT UPSTAIRS TO HIDE IN MY FATHER'S HOUSE. SHE SAW MY GRANDMOTHER SARAH AND CRIED OUT "HIDE ME, GRANDMOTHER!", BUT THEN SHE FOUND THAT THE OLD WOMAN WAS DEAD, SO SHE WENT UP TO THE ATTIC IN THE THIRD FLOOR. SHE FOUND MY BROTHER, MAMOUD, LYING NEXT TO THE BED, WOUNDED IN THE FACE, MY BROTHER SHUT HIS EYES PRETENDING HE WAS DEAD WHEN HE HEARD FOOTSTEPS. WHEN MY DAUGHTER FIRST SAW HIM SHE THOUGHT HE WAS A JEW, SHE WENT OUT ONLY TO SEE THAT THE JEWS HAD FILLED THE PLACE. THEY WERE ON THE STAIRS AND EVERYWHERE, SHE SAID "BETTER BE WITH ONE JEW THAN WITH HUNDREDS OF JEWS", SHE WENT BACK TO WHERE MY BROTHER WAS, HE OPENED HIS EYES AND FOUND IT WAS HER.

SYNC ZEINAB MOHAMMAD ISMAIL ATTIEH:
MY BROTHER, TO MY HEAD, WAS A CROWN. THE JEWS KILLED HIM AND BROKE ME DOWN. I WALK ALONG THIS SIDE OF THE WALL TO AVOID THE LOOKS OF THOSE WHO REJOICE IN MY MISHAP, I WALK ALONG SIDE THE WALL IN ORDER NOT TO MEET THEM FACE TO FACE. I WISH THE SUN HAD NEVER RISEN. HOW KIND YOU ARE, OUR COUNTRY, MAY GOD BRING US BACK TO YOU.

SYNC ZEINAB MOHAMMAD ISMAIL ATTIEH:
THEN THEY TOOK US AND PUT US IN A LINE BEHIND ABDUL MAJEED'S HOUSE. IT WAS THERE I MET MY SISTER, JAMILEH, MAY HER SOUL REST IN PEACE. I WANTED TO TELL HER THAT MUSA WAS MURDERED, BUT I COULD NOT TALK, AS IF MY TONGUE WAS TIED. I SAID MUSA, MUSA WAS KILLED, SHE SAID IT WAS BETTER FOR HIM TO BE KILLED THAN TO BE MUTILATED BY THEM AS THEY DID WITH THE REST OF THE MEN.

Deir Yassin massacre was not only necessary; but without it the state of Israel could not have emerged - Manahem Beglin

SYNC ZEINAB MOHAMMAD ISMAIL ATTIEH:
ON THE THIRD DAY THEY WENT UPSTAIRS TO MY PARENT'S HOUSE, THEY FOUND MY FATHER HAD BEEN WOUNDED BUT WAS STILL ALIVE, THEY FINISHED HIM OFF! THEY WANTED TO KILL EVERY MAN WHO WAS STILL ALIVE. MY GRANDFATHER ISMAIL ATTIEH WENT CRAZY WHEN HIS SONS WERE KILLED, HE SLAMMED THE JEW ON THE FACE. HE TOLD HIM "YOU BETRAYED US, YOU BROKE THE COVENANT YOU HAD GIVEN TO US!". THE JEW REPLIED "IT'S NOT US WHO IS DOING THIS TO YOU, IT'S BRITAIN THAT IS MURDERING YOU". HE THEN KILLED MY GRANDFATHER AND THREW HIS BODY NEXT TO THOSE WHO HAD ALREADY BEEN MURDERED.

I LOST MY FATHER, MY BROTHER MUSA, MY BROTHER MAHMOUD, MY UNCLE RIBHI, MY GRANDFATHER HAJ ISMAIL, MY STEP MOTHER SARAH, MY GRANDMOTHER AMNEH, AND HER GRANDSON. THOSE MURDERED OF MAHMOUD ZAHRAN'S FAMILY INCLUDED MAHMOUD ZAHRAN AND HIS WIFE, MY COUSIN BASMA AND HER CHILDREN, RUQAYYAHUM SAMIH AND HER CHILDREN. MY AUNT FATMEH AND HER CHILDREN, MY TWO SONS AND MY STEPSON WERE ALSO KILLED.

This was on the 9th of April 1948, two weeks after signing a peace treaty requested by the leaders of the nearby Jewish settlements, and approved by the people of Deir Yassin.

SYNC ZEINAB MOHAMMAD ISMAIL ATTIEH:
THEY MASSACRED US AND BETRAYED US. THEY MURDERED OUR CHILDREN AND OUR MEN AND TOOK OUR LAND, IS IT POSSIBLE THEN TO RECONCILE WITH THEM? CAN YOU PUT A SNAKE IN YOUR BREAST POCKET? IT WILL BITE YOU NO MATTER HOW SMOOTH IT IS. THIS IS HOW THEY BEHAVE, THEY ARE THE ENEMIES OF RELIGION, AND THEY ARE THE JEWS OF KHAYBER. YOUR FATHER'S ENEMY WILL NEVER LOVE YOU, EVEN IF YOU WORSHIP HIM AS YOU WORSHIP GOD.