always on the internet, the site of Art (www.arte.tv) finds an extraordinary reportage: the cameras come in a school in Ramallah in the West Bank and in Jerusalem, in Israel. Children who study history? What are the maps? The Balfour Declaration, which is it? And the Nakba? And the war of 48 and that the Six Day?
not have the energy to translate the transcript of the report, but I post the link where you can watch the documentary.
Boys and girls will be about thirteen fourteen years for the other two "Entities" does not exist, and if it exists, it is the enemy. How many generations will have to go and live on this Earth before they create a workable and viable solution? In my more than humble opinion, the solution will not be one of the two states but a single state like Switzerland or a "state" of the genre.
The report can be viewed by clicking here: http://www.arte.tv/fr/az/1087350.html
I report the transcript in full, I wish I could write the name of journalists, but does not appear on the site
ARTE REPORTAGE DU 11 JANVIER 2006
"Une ground, two stories "
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7:30 am, Chanin Aziz College of Ramallah. College girls, not mixed occupancy in Palestinian territory.
Each morning, the same ceremony. The day begins by reading a passage from the Koran followed by the national anthem.
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TRANSCRPTION
Tradition again. Each day a student must read a short text composition. Today is the turn of May, 12, grade five. May composed a poem. On his country. A country that does not exist ... yet.
Staffroom. Rana, 27 years taught history for six years. The College of Ramallah is one of the first schools with new history textbooks published by the Palestinian Authority. Previously, students and teachers had only old books Jordanian or Egyptian. Rana
wife of 30 years: "The new programs are more focused on Palestinian history itself. They talk about building Palestinian institutions, the map of Palestine with what may happen in case of agreement. All students know the map of Palestine but the goal is to get them to accept the new configuration in response to possible agreements. Look here on this map, there are administrative boundaries. It's almost the map of future ... "
But Israel is not mentioned on this card?
Rana: "For the moment, it is hard for us to mention Israel. That would mean that this land is not ours, we're not with us then that since we are small, we are told that Palestine is from the Lebanese border to the Gulf of Aqaba, Jordan to the Mediterranean. " We
November 2. For Rana, one topic is needed today.
Rana: "Today we will discuss the Balfour Declaration because it relates to the Palestine homeland. You know that the Balfour Declaration? Who wants to say something? "
May, 12 year old girl:" The Balfour Declaration, the decision of British authorities to give Gift of Palestine to Israel. Jews were oppressed in Britain, the British wanted to get rid of them and they decided that Palestine was the best place for Jews. "
Rana:" But who gave Palestine to whom? "Another
12 year old girl: "It was Sir Arthur James Balfour, British Foreign Minister who gave it to Lord Rothschild, one of the leaders of Zionism and one of its biggest suppliers in Britain."
Rana: "Is that Great Britain had the right to give Palestine to the Jews and Israelis?"
Another girl: "No, it was not their country, they had no right to decide on something that was not theirs. "
Like all young Palestinian professors, Rana deliberately chose to make history a tool of political struggle . In interpreting the facts when it suits his cause. For her, like thousands of other Palestinians, the Balfour Declaration, it is the beginning of the misfortunes of his people, the starting point of a story being written in overnight. In tears, blood and anger. 1917, 1948, on this same land, both dates resonate very differently.
Rana: "What has happened in 1948? "
another student:" The Palestinians have had to emigrate to neighboring countries like Jordan, Syria, Lebanon. The West Bank is returned to Jordan, the Gaza Strip to Egypt. "
Here, difficult to forget for a moment Israel and its soldiers. Yet, in schools, it is as if the Jewish state simply did not exist.
Rana: "It is impossible for us to recognize the state of Israel. You can search you will never find mentioned the name of Israel. On any map, any atlas, any document. Even on TV ... We are always told the "so-called state of Israel."
When reminded that Rana Yasser Arafat himself has recognized the State of Israel therefore admitted share this land, the young teacher begs the question.
Rana: "There is only one way of seeing things is to go back to history. Since ancient times, the history of this land is tied to the Arab-Palestinians. And that's it ... "Like all
Palestinians today, Rana is full of anger against those whom we call here the "occupiers." In the West Bank and Gaza, not a school, not a classroom without walls covered with drawings, photos, celebrations of the "martyrs" of the case. Not a single symbol of peace.
Make this reflection is immediately attract Ramallah and elsewhere in the territories as a response to long cry of despair. "How could we talk about peace when every day we are humiliated, abused, killed by the Israelis?"
Maya is 14, is Israel's third college student Rene Cassin. We are in Jerusalem, Ramallah is nearby. Another world, another young girl who in other times might well have been friends with Maya, the Palestinian. A
same land, two stories. That is learned here is first that of the land of Israel, that of the Bible. The college Cassin is a secular college, but in all institutions of the Jewish state, the elementary school to high school, the Bible courses are part integral to the program.
Three hours per week. Taught by a professor who claims the need for a secular reading of a critical reading of the Bible:
A woman of 40 years, professor of Bible
"The teaching of the Bible is something very important. That's why I teach. The Bible is a fundamental discipline is a cornerstone of our culture, for the people of Israel and worldwide. That includes us, identifies us. Much people who live here claim it to justify our presence on this earth. "
parallels the history through the Bible is taught by a history of Zionism and in terminal only, contemporary history, the creation of the State of Israel.
Yair is a history professor and head of the college charts. He shows us his latest acquisition: "This card is one of the few that we just bought. It is a map of the Middle East with Israel and the Palestinian Authority territories. It was printed in 1999, but obviously things are constantly changing here. "
You use the term Palestine?
"It depends on the teachers. When we speak of the territories under control of the Authority, we use the word Palestine. But it depends. If we talk about ancient history when it said neither Israel nor Palestine, one speaks of Judea, Samaria and the coastal strip. "
In Israel today, the weight of words is important. Rares such are those who use the term West Bank. All continue to say the Judea and Samaria.
What do we young Israelis on the Palestinians? There is little in history class. But in public institutions, it attempts to approach the issue through civics courses. Just like what Orna, design manager for the third.
Orna, 40 year old woman: "My classes are called identity and belonging. They treat links with Judaism, links to this earth but we are also talking about other people who have ties to this land."
It's a bit of Jewish philosophy, a little history of Jewish origins and a bit of news. It's something that we created for addressing the issues posed by students, the needs they feel.
Theme of course now the situation of Palestinians following the blockade of the Army Israel.
Roni, 14 year old boy: "There are many unemployed people there because they can no longer work here. And why they can not come to work here because they are afraid of attacks, we do not want terrorists could disguise himself as a worker. "
Here we have a state and an army, they themselves have no state, no army. This gives the illusion that we are strong and mean. And they are weak but in my opinion is different. One thing leads to another. When something happens here, there's something going on there, it's a vicious circle.
Female 14 years old: "Roni is right, one thing leads to another. If they come here and make an attack, then they are arrested. And when they are arrested, they are attacks. But I do not not say it's normal to put them in jail but how to prevent attacks. 10 young people will die because they wanted to celebrate a birthday in the city. One thing leads to another, we must stop this. "
Maya, 14 years old: "I think the best answer to all that is peace. When there is peace, there will be more attacks, we are and they have more fear they can live normally, they may travel. There must be peace. "
At the end of the course, Orna, at our request, organize a vote.
Orna:" Who is for the creation of a Palestinian state, not in Uganda as he says, speaking of a state here. And that is for the creation of a Palestinian state? And who is against? "
The question addressed and the vote were heated spirits. The few supporters of the creation of a Palestinian state are taken to task. On this side nor the side Palestinian, no attempt to understand the other. Here
also expressed anger. Anger attacks against Palestinian suicide bombers.
In Jerusalem, in Tel Aviv in Israel as elsewhere, we live in fear. Not without reason. Despite multiple safety measures, the pervasiveness of police and military tension is obvious. Everyone lives in fear of an attack.
We decide to take Maya and her friend Galia in the old city. Not without concern, they agreed. They did not return here for years. We ask why Maya has been one the only ones to vote for the creation of a Palestinian state
Maya: "I think every people should have a state, anywhere but must have a state. Today in Israel, Maya's view is rather a minority. It is ready to share his land well almost ... "
Maya:" It depends which part. Jerusalem, no, I do not think the city should be shared but where there are colonies , where there is nothing, I think we can give them. " Galia
14 year old daughter: "Let there be a state yes, but not here. Not Israel, not inside Israel. Wherever they find space. "
Maya:" I think there's room for a Palestinian state. In Judea and Samaria to the Gaza Strip. "
Galia:" We conquered this land, it does not bother me there over Arab villages but all these attacks, it is not good. "
We're a few kilometers from Ramallah, in the refugee camp Jalazun. One of the oldest, built by the United Nations in the '50s. A temporary camp intended to accommodate the Palestinians driven from their land by the war of 1948. The provisional hard tents have long since disappeared, a city built was uprooted.
Here the boys' school camp. The students are all in blue, the colors of the United Nations fund and manage the facility. At least five hundred meters from the school and camp, a sort of Swiss village: the Jewish settlement of Bet El.
class fifth, history lesson on 1948, what all Palestinians call the Nakba, the disaster.
Moujahed, Professor 30 years: "Our subject is the heart of the history of Palestine is the Nakba."
"The Nakba is what?. ... Alaa?"
Alaa, 12 years old boy: He is interrupted twice by the teacher who asked him to clarify. "This is the defeat of Arab armies and the expulsion of millions of Palestinians ... .. to neighboring Arab countries Syria, Lebanon and to other parts of the world. ... America, Great Britain. "
Moujahed: "They have been expelled but who came in their place?
" Jews. "
Moujahed "Alaa us, you will draw the map of Palestine as it is today."
When Jews came in 1948, they took the whole party. They gave the West Bank to Jordan and the Gaza Strip to Egypt. After 1967 that happened?
Alaa: "In 67, the Jews have occupied the rest of the Ppalestine, the West Bank and Gaza."
Moujahed: "Well, take the green pencil ..." So here was
Israel in 1967 ... .. everything became Israel. As Rana
in Ramallah, is a Moujahed Young activist professor. He is the son of a refugee, he lives in a small village half an hour's drive from Jalazun. Today
Moujahed takes his class to a photo exhibition organized by the youth camp. A Jalazun as in all refugee camps, it is openly pro or pro Hamas Islamic Jihad. Here the living conditions are harsh, extremist movements are the only ones to provide social and material assistance. And to refuse any concessions to Israel.
Moujahed: Look, this woman, she is under the tent, she had a house she has her whole life to build. A Jew came from Ethiopia, the United States United States, I know not where. He moved and said this is my house. "
Look, the tragedy is written on the face of this woman.
Moujahed:" In Palestine, before Israel, before the arrival of Jews, all these cities, these villages were Arabs. Their names are mentioned on this card. "
Now realities have changed, there is Israel?
" We want it as Palestine. We do not want the Jews. "
Alaa:" They, they have occupied this land but, she appartientdans its entirety. "
So what is the solution ?
Alaa: "We must fight ...."
"Until when?"
Alaa: "Until the end of time."
After class we take Alaa and three of his friends as close as possible to the Jewish settlement of Bet-el facing their school. We are less than three hundred meters.
"You learn history, you know what the Holocaust?"
Alaa: "We just studied the Second World War."
Other young: "Hitler, massacred Jews across Europe. He was killed but them they came here to kill us. "
Opposite, there are people your age. They too were born on this earth?
Alaa:" They are the ones that have occupied us we were there before them. They came, they built settlements, but we we were there before them.
IILS simply leave, they just go back whence they came. "
" fresh start where? "
Alaa:" In hell. "
the Bet El settlement, here. The first settlers moved in 1977. Three to four families then. They are 5000 now, more 25 hectares. A small world apart. All are religious. Here we do not practice a critical reading of the Bible but a reading at face value.
A little world of its own although, again, tension and fear are apparent. colonies have thought of fortresses, they are not immune to the kamikaze attacks.
Beth-El has a dozen colleges and even a university. We were not allowed to film school and one family to agree to receive us.
Family Avigat. The eldest son, Yair, 12, is a yeshiva pupil. Reading and learning the holy books from morning till evening. From its terrace, Yair can see the school Jalazun, Alaa and his cronies. He never talked to them, even through a fence.
Yair, 12 year old boy: "It depends, certainly not now, it's impossible but if there is peace ..."
They hate us, they hate us. They do not want to talk to us.
"Do what you can learn the history only by the Torah?"
Yair: "Yes of course, everything is told, whatever happened to the people Israel. The Torah was written three thousand years ago or more. She talks about what happened and what will happen. When the people of Israel will be gathered here, this is the time of redemption. "
But if everything is written in the Torah, what will happen tomorrow?
Yair:" I do not know what will happen, I'm sure there will be no war all the time. This will end one day. "
A Bet-el, we live a little in isolation. Intentionally we do not watch television and went outside to a minimum. Yair and his brothers and sisters are not open to this that happening on the other hand, a few hundred meters in the camp Jalazun. Obviously their reading of the Torah knows no compassion or tolerance for their Palestinian neighbors.
Yair: "Actually, they have enough room. They already have seven states that represent, I do not know, 40 times the size of Israel. They do not lack of space. They say that c is holy ground for them, but it is their belief. "
Elizar, 11 years old girl: "In the Torah is not written that it is a holy land for them and yet they say they want stay there, it's their land, they have a religious obligation to make us leave. "
courtesy of his parents, we agreed to go make some pictures of Jair out of school . The presence of the camera causes a very fast reaction to the unexpected display of pupils in school. A religious school.
often said about her past to better understand the present. In Israel as in Palestinian territories, the past serves as an ideological weapon to justify this.
On this earth, each claiming holiness, the cycle of violence, anger and hatred often swept for the moment, any idea of \u200b\u200btolerance, understanding each other.
Published on: 12-01-06
Last Updated: 20-02-06
