Kenya and Khulan as Faraj

An Interview with Faraj

1. What rights should Palestinian refugees have?

The Palestinian refugees should be allowed to live outside of camps and should be able to leave the country as they wish without having to pass through checkpoints. We should be allowed to visit Israel as we wish and live wherever we want. We deserve the same rights as the Israelis. We are not animals to be kept in pens.

2. What should the status of Jerusalem be?

After meeting Daniel and Yarko, the first Israelis I ever met, I have looked at the Israelis from a different perspective. I know now that not all Israelis are bad, but not all are good. Daniel and Yarko are good examples of nice Jews, but Moishe, for example, is ignorant and cruel. I think that there should be equality between the two sides, and we have to recognize the other's right exist and to the land. Jerusalem is holy not only to the Muslims, but to the Jews, and to the Christians. There are just too many sacred sites there for it to belong to one group of people. Whether we agree or not, it could only be shared, and for it to be shared, there can't be any restrictions. Sure, you might not let Jews into the Dome of the Rock, or Muslims to the Wailing Wall, but you can't cut of that whole section of the country from one another. If these sections are cut of, people feel threatened, offended, and angry. This is the only way to make peace over this very sacred land.


3. What should be the status of the West Bank and Gaza currently occupied by Israel?

Gaza and the West Bank are 22% of the original Palestine. Now it houses five hundred thousand Israeli citizens. I think we should get what was ours before the 1967 war back—or at least the government should give us land of equal value or money to compensate us. Didn't the United Nations say that Israel had to do that? Why haven't they done it yet? Israel should also get rid of the guards around the West Bank and Gaza. We should be let out of these camps, and Israel should take down the wall separating the two countries.


4. Should the U.S. give aid to the Israelis or Palestinians, or both? If so what kind of aid?

I don't think the U.S should give aid to either side. Even if they did give aid to both of us, the other Arab countries might get mad that the U.S. gave aid to Israel, and they might declare war. If they do declare war on Israel, Palestine would have to pick side, and I don't think either side can go through any more war. Plus, I think that the two countries have to find a way to work it out themselves, and not have other people fix their problems.


5. Do you have any other suggestion for peace.

Equality of freedom for both sides. I think there should be a speech and both of the sides should apologize to the other for all the bad things we have done.