Source: Wide Angle: "The Heart of Jenin"
The Gifts of Life Transcript (Document)
Aaron Brown: JENIN IS LOCATED ABOUT 50 MILES NORTH OF JERUSALEM...IN THE WEST BANK.
OCCUPIED BY ISRAEL SINCE THE 1967 WAR, THE WEST BANK IS DISPUTED TERRITORY.
AND JENIN’S HISTORY IS RIFE WITH VIOLENT EPISODES, LIKE THE ONE IN 2005 THAT TOOK THE LIFE OF 12-YEAR OLD AHMED KHATIB.
Aaron Brown:THE DEATH OF AHMED KHATIB GAVE RISE TO CRIES FOR VENGANCE IN THE STREETS OF JENIN.
Crowd: (Arabic) Subtitles Each of the dead will be revenged with 100
You, martyr, we are following you
Aaron Brown: BUT AT THE HOSPITAL WHERE THE BOY DIED, NURSE RAYMOND SHEHADEH HAD ALREADY SET IN MOTION A VERY DIFFERENT RESPONSE TO THE TRAGEDY WHEN HE APPROACHED AHMED’S FATHER, ISMAEL KHATIB.
Raymond Shehadeh (subtitles): I said, “When you want me to stop, tell me to stop and that you don’t want to hear. And I will stop. While you are sitting here beside your son, whom we unfortunately could not save, there are many children in other hospitals who are also in critical condition.”
I kept quiet for a while, seconds, maybe a minute. I gave him time to think. “These children, their lives could be in your hands by your decision. If you decide to donate your son’s organs to these children you may give them a new chance at life.”
I knew how Ismael felt. He began to cry. He asked me, “Does the donation include also the heart?” I said, “It depends on you. If you decide to donate the heart and they find someone suitable, they could use the heart. If you don’t want to, feel free to say no.” In the beginning he said, “I agree, but not the heart.”
But I felt that Ismael was different from other people. He was somehow rational and acted with his mind rather than his feelings. And then he said, “If someone needs the heart, they can take it.”
Newscast (Hebrew) Dubbed: Good evening. A Palestinian boy dies in Rambam hospital. And his parents decide to donate his organs. Six Israelis will receive the heart, kidneys, lungs and liver of little Ahmed.
Aaron Brown: AMONG THE RECIPIENTS: A 12 YEAR OLD DRUZE GIRL NAMED SAMAH GADBAN, WHO RECEIVED AHMED’S HEART.
YUSRA GADBAN (SUBTITLE) (HEBREW): I want to tell the mother that I also lost my son. I want to visit her in her home, to hug and kiss her. And thank her for saving my daughter’s life.
Aaron Brown: ONE OF AHMED’S KIDNEYS WENT TO A FIVE YEAR OLD BEDOUIN BOY NAMED MOHAMED KABUA.
FAIRUZ KABUA (Arabic) Subtitles: They called on Sunday, I'll never forget it. They spoke to my husband, Kayed. I couldn't believe it. I fainted at once. I fell where I stood. I never thought that Mohamed would receive a kidney. Allah be praised.
Aaron Brown: AHMED’S OTHER KIDNEY WENT TO A THREE-YEAR-OLD ORTHODOX JEWISH GIRL, MENUHA RIVKA LEVINSON.
TOVA LEVINSON (English) V/O : It was a Sunday, it was just after dialysis. The doctor told me to come into the doctor’s office. There’s something she has to tell me. She said, “We have a kidney for Menuha Rivka.” So I looked at her. And I couldn’t believe it, I just started crying. She ran quickly to get me a glass of water. We were on cloud nine.
NARRATION: THE FAMILIES HAD RUSHED TO THE HOSPITAL WHEN IT BECAME KNOWN THAT ORGANS HAD BECOME AVAILABLE FOR THEIR CHILDREN.
YUSRA (Arabic) (Subtitles): We were surprised when we saw all the press in the hospital in the waiting room.
JOURNALIST (Hebrew) (Subtitles): Do you know who the donor is?
YUSRA GADBAN (Hebrew) (Subtitles): No.
JOURNALIST (Hebrew) Subtitles: Does it matter if the donor is Jewish or Arab?
YAAKOV LEVINSON (Hebrew) (Subtitles): Of course I prefer him to be Jewish.
JOURNALIST (Hebrew) (Subtitles): Why?
YAAKOV LEVINSON (Hebrew) (Subtitles): It would be from a Jew. Not from an Arab.
MAN NEXT TO YAAKOV (Hebrew) (Subtitles): Just a feeling, nothing more.
YAAKOV LEVINSON (Hebrew) (Subtitles): It’s a feeling not an ethical matter.
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