Ihsan TurkiyyehArab-Hebrew Theatre in Jaffa |
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“ My husband spent his life fighting the Israelis, and he died for it. It's not so easy to make a 180-degree change. It has to be a process, that's what I believe. I don't believe anybody who comes and says, "Hey, I want to make peace with you!" No. I think he is a cheater, in one way or another. We are human beings and we have to go through a process, and in this process, you will cry, you will curse yourself, you will curse everybody. You will curse that you were born in this world, that you were born in this country. But in the end of this process, you will see the change. How? If Palestinians meet a good group of Israelis, there will be a change. And Israelis also, if they meet good, intellectual, nice people, they will change. But if it is the contrary, there will be no change. That is important. I was lucky. ” [Source in Complete Interview]
Personal Loss/Bereavement and Family and Palestinian Refugees:
“ In the end for me he [my husband] was killed, and he sacrificed his life fighting the Israelis. He wanted to go home. The last thing he said to me was, "I love you, I love my kids, but I love Palestine more. I want my children to live in dignity. I don't want my children to live as refugees like us. It's very hard. We lived without dignity. We were humiliated by Arab regimes, and by the Israelis. We have the right to live as people. If I die I will die for this cause." That's what he said. What shall we do? That is our life. ” [Source in Complete Interview]
Personal Story and Palestinian Refugees:
“ There was something my husband told me before he was shot. He said, "If Palestine becomes established, take my children back. Go home. My country is very beautiful." Because I was raised in Lebanon, even though I'm Palestinian, I didn't know Palestine, and I didn't have those emotions like him. He was raised here. I said, "Eh, when Palestine becomes established, god willing, in about a hundred years, we'll go then." That's what I said to him. I was never convinced that we would go to Palestine. The first time I came they took me to Tel Aviv. I couldn't believe it! I said, slap me. Weee, from Beirut to Jordan to Tel Aviv. Nothing is impossible in the world. This teaches you that there is nothing impossible. The impossible became possible. If we believe that, then I also believe that there is no eternal enemy. ” [Source in Complete Interview]
Obstacles and Challenges and Perceptions of the Other:
“ It was difficult, it was difficult [the first time I worked with Israelis]. Because you feel like every word they say to you is because you are Palestinian, you are not Ihsan. This is very humiliating. And when you become liberated from this idea, when I talk to you as an individual, it's not like I talk to you as from where you belong, from your group. This is the main problem of the Palestinians and the Israelis. They talk to you in the name of your group. But you have to talk to me as a person. I learned this, to talk to a person as a person. ” [Source in Complete Interview]
“ We have a problem here: they [Palestinians] don't like to talk about their issues; they want to work on putting their force against the enemy. But I don't believe it works like this. We have to build ourselves, to clean ourselves, to fight corruption, to create new democratic thinking, where people can express themselves. So I feel that changes can't start except from here. Before we go to fight an enemy like Israelis, we have to start with our house. You don't go to clean your neighbor's house; you have to clean your own house first. So that's what I believe. ” [Source in Complete Interview]
Political Peace Processes/Political Leadership:
“ I feel the people who make peace [on the political level] have their intentions and they are the only people who are enjoying the results of peace but the people didn't feel it. And that's why it failed. If the people feel peace on ground, they will feel they can work, they will have good life-peace is going to be stronger. But if the benefits are only going to go to the dealmakers, there is not going to be peace. That's why it was destroyed. ” [Source in Complete Interview]
Occupation and Fear:
“ I feel the Israeli have more fear than us, although we have our fears. I feel they have fear more because they are the occupiers. If somebody steals something from somebody he will always be afraid that the person will come and take the thing back. So I feel fear belongs to them more because they are the occupiers. They stole the land and the land has to come back to its people. I always tell them, "You are afraid because you are the occupier-give them their land and you are not going to feel afraid." It is like an equation, they have to understand that. ” [Source in Complete Interview]
“ [...In] our religion [Islam] it's an eye for an eye and a tit for a tat. And the Jews have an eye for an eye and a tit for a tat, in Christianity no. If they slap you on your cheek, give them the other. So Muslims and Jews have the same religious roots, we are from the same Abraham. We are not going to deal with the Jews like Christianity, giving them the other cheek. No, an eye for an eye and a tit for a tat. But for how long, for how long? I believe in religion if somebody takes something from you it's your right to take it back. Whether it is by force or by negotiation. But there are rules. If you want to get it by force, in our religion they say they have to have a lot of force to be ready to do that. But it's a state thing, it's not like you and I can determine it. ” [Source in Complete Interview]
“ There is a kind of death education, sacrificing yourself for the land. I am not for this. I call it death education, and I am not for it. I say God gives us life. He gives you a mind to think and find ways to live better, and not to kill yourself- kill yourself for whom? For these rich people to be richer, for the government to be more powerful? Why do I have to lose my child and cry? Why don't they send their children! No, I don't believe in it, because afterwards these politicians will kiss each other and have a glass of whiskey on the table, and sell what they sell and give what they give, but our children will not return to us and we will be crying for them for years. I am a single mother and I have suffered to raise my son and I would not send him anywhere to die for anything. ” [Source in Complete Interview]
“ I am a mother, this is the first thing. For me, my son is better than all Palestine, to see him alive. How could I be happy if they gave me all of Palestine and my son was not in it? [...] Yes, this is different than what my husband said, I am different. Maybe also that time was different. In my husband's time we were at war and it was difficult. But now we are in a process of peace. We already started a process of peace, now we have to continue it. Why do we have to lose souls and people? If we want Palestine, we will get it with papers that they sign, not with souls. ” [Source in Complete Interview]
Obstacles and Challenges and Occupation:
“ […How] do we convince a kid when everyday he is throwing stones and he is attacked by the Israeli army? How do you convince him about peace? There has to be a little of it on the ground, if there is a little hope the people will feel it. In Israel it's not every minute that a bus is blown up. They can live their life, but for us, every minute, every second you feel like something is happening. […] How can we tell them... how can I go convince my child that we are for peace? He will be getting out of school and the Israeli army is coming and, you know, teasing them. How can we convince them? How, when everyday there are people killed and houses demolished-- how do you convince them? It's more difficult. ” [Source in Complete Interview]
Identity and Perceptions of the Other:
“ One time they [Palestinian students] said to one of the Israeli actors, "Go home, go home, go back to Romania, what are you doing here, you are making peace? What peace are you selling us, go to Romania!" I came and I said to them that I should intervene. I said, "Okay, he was born here, but it's not his fault that he was born here." I felt the same when I was raised in Lebanon, I was very attached to the place where I was raised, although my parents came from another country. So sometimes I feel like I am in the same situation, you know, a little bit. There is what you call a very small moment where I felt I was in the same situation as the Israelis whose parents are from different places in the world, that they are like me when I was in Lebanon, with my mother and father being Palestinian. ” [Source in Complete Interview]
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