Promises

As promised...I am going to write a little about Promises, the documentary movie made a few years ago about the war between Palestine and Israel...the conflict and the hatred, from the viewpoint of the children. This is not a exhaustive explanation of what is going on, why it is going on, for how long, how it has evolved, the issues, the problems, the treatise, politic games, etc. For that...there is the library (or the internet, though for a better understanding you should probably read something more historical and objective...something I have to do).

You learn so much more from children. They were just children...normal, transparent, played volleyball or ran, got upset if they didn't win, loved to tease, be silly, were curious, were shy, rode their bike...yet, they were different from children that are usually around me. They hated, perhaps even if not sure why, they hated those who were from the other side: Palestinian vs. Israelite. Perhaps hate is too strong a word, because honestly they didn't hate each other, they were mostly eager and curious to talk to one another...they hated the conflict, the war, the Palestinians felt like they had been kicked out, turned away from what they considered their very home, their own holy land. And of course the Israelites saw them as infidels, who had taken their promise land. I don't' know much about the promises for the Muslims from the Koran or Islamic tradition, but for the Palestinians, Jerusalem, that land is also promised to them. Promises, promises...

Some people have very strong opinions about this huge conflict, a conflict that as a white European descendant touches me very very little honestly. However, when I moved to the US I was startled a little to the one sided feeling I got here. I guess it is b/c of the history the US government has had with the founding of the new nation of Israel. And I honestly know very little about it so I won't discuss it until I at least further my knowledge on the subject.

But back to the children. The children are real. And the children are dealing with the grown-up world of constant attacks, violent revolts, military occupation, military protection, bombs, social restrictions and constraints....something I have never ever experienced, so even writing about it really doesn't sum up what they go through.

We get to see the world from the perspectives of both Israeli and Palestinian children. Some things they say are very strong, some things they say...or better, the questions they ask and the thoughts they come up with...are very hopeful I would say, because they show flexibility, they show readiness to move on.

Children are the future. Could we help these two countries, these two people, find some peace? some healing?


Here are the stars: Farai, Sanabel, Yako and Daniel, Moishe, Rachel, Malmoud, Shlomo, Ahmed and Motassim....who is who? They are all children, yet they live such different lives, just a few miles from each other.

The last words of Farai...crying, after meeting, playing soccer with, having fun being silly, being kids, with some Israeli kids (the only ones who wanted to and were allowed by parents-- watch that part of the doc!) who ventured for the first time (in history perhaps!) in a Palestinian camp, were these:

"All this will be in vain"

It broke my heart and I cried too. These children (now young adults...we saw some after videos..the documentary was nominated that year for the Oscars...they didnt' win:( ), these flesh and blood little people DO NOT WANT WAR...they don't' want to live with this conflict, this fear, to not be able to interact, to go into town, into the capital, to worry about the bus going to school blowing up, their friends, family, mother, father and sister and brother dying, being thrown into jail. But they are, they have...and they still deal with these things. They are everyday occurrences for them.

Peace is the hardest thing to win. But is it worth it? We don't know, because we are living it now and we take it for granted. Our freedoms. And the respect of freedom we have for each other (most times).

Farai now lives in the states. He is a refugee and he is getting (probably already has) his naturalization. He works (worked?) at Wal-Mart and was wanting to go to college.

He misses his family, but that is not were he wants to live. He doesn't' want the hate, the terror, or the factions.

For some reason I can't help but think of Romeo and Juliet...both of the same country, torn between power? between pride?


The cutest part of the movie was Rachel...it is closer in the beginning. Rachel is an Israeli girl and she is telling the cameraman what she will do when she is older, getting ready for the Sabbath with her family. And during the whole time she is trying hard to get some chairs that are topped on each other, unstuck...it takes about 8 minutes or so. It is so adorable.

Some of them have changed their views growing older. Most of them still don't like the other, of course...The worst part is that they are more like the adults now: they don't' have much hope for things to change. Main reason is that it is really hard to know what to do.

Peace. The hardest thing to win.