Source: Wide Angle:"Heart of Jenin"
In Search of Peace Transcript (Document)
Narration: Yaakov Levinson works as a cook in Jerusalem.
Yaakov Levinson (English) V/O: I was born here in Israel. My father grew up in Chicago, and my mother grew up in New York. I met my wife here in Israel. We got married during the Gulf War. We have six kids.
We believe in God, whatever he says. So he’s our father and we’re the kids. That’s what a good Jew is supposed to do.
Aaron Brown: Ismael Khatib has run a clothing store and been a car mechanic. he now he runs a children’s center in Jenin. He has also fought against the Israelis.
Ismael Khatib (Arabic) V/O w/ Subtitles: I’ve lived under occupation since I was born. I joined the resistance. We built road blocks, handed out flyers, and threw Molotov cocktails at security vehicles. The first time I was sent to prison was in '84.
In '87 the resistance started using weapons and heavily armed operations.
Aaron Brown: The resistance soon took on a name: intifada...uprising. the violence raged for some six years, until 1993, when the oslo peace accords offered a potential end to the larger conflict, and the potential for a palestinian state.
Ismael Khatib (Arabic) Subtitles: Suddenly people began talking about peace, and what Palestine would be like, and how we would live. It was important to my father that I stay away from the resistance. He didn’t want me to spend my life in Israeli prisons. He told me to get married and build a home.
Aaron Brown: Khatib got married, and had six children.
But peace never came. a second intifada began in 2000.
in 2002, israel was hit with a wave of suicide bombings. many of the bombers came from jenin and the surrounding areas. one attack on passover killed some 28 people.
In the wake of the bombings, israel struck forcefully.
Ismael Khatib (Arabic) V/O w/Subtitles: Ahmed like the other kids was asking all the time, “Why is this happening? Who are those people?” The look in his eyes was reflecting our reality. Ahmed was born between the two Intifadas. I don’t think he saw one good day in his life.
Children have nothing to do with the battle between us and the Israelis.
Ismael Khatib (Arabic) V/O: We are not asking for much. Only for our rights and for peace. Without peace the killing will continue, the killing of children, Palestinians and Israelis will continue. Making peace shouldn’t be so hard, in my opinion peace shouldn’t be so hard.
Yaakov Levinson (English) V/O: They are trying to kill us as much as possible. Bombing busses and killing people. We want to live in peace we need to live in peace. We should want to help each other, talk to each other. It's a very bad situation.
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