The Gifts of Life

Resource for Grades 9-12

WNET: Wide Angle
The Gifts of Life

Media Type:
Video

Running Time: 6m 09s
Size: 20.4 MB

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Source: Wide Angle: "The Heart of Jenin"

Learn more about the Wide Angle film "Heart of Jenin."

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This Wide Angle Educational Resource was produced with the support of The Overbrook Foundation.

Ahmed Khatib, a Palestinian boy living with his family in the Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank, was killed by the Israeli army in 2005 when soldiers thought the toy gun with which he was playing was an assault rifle. In this video from Wide Angle, Ismael Khatib, Ahmed’s father, decides what to do with his 12-year old son’s organs and highlights the reactions of Druze, Bedouin and Orthodox Jewish families who received them.

Supplemental Media Available:

The Gifts of Life Transcript (Document)

open Discussion Questions

  • What did Ismael decide to do with his son’s organs? Why do you think Ismael was concerned about donating the heart? Do you think Ismael made the right decisions? What choices would you have made if you were in Ismael’s position?
  • Who received Ahmed’s organs? What were the reactions of the families upon finding out that their children were receiving organs?
  • If you needed an organ to save your life, would it matter to you who the donor was? (What if it was someone who had been mean to you? A racist? A convicted criminal?)
  • Do you want to donate your organs when you die? Why? Why not? Would you care who the recipients were? Would there be any organs you would not want to donate? Why? Why not?

open Transcript

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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