Lauren Mei and Ezra as Daniel and Yarko

An Interview with Daniel and Yarko

What rights should the Palestinian refugees have? 
The rights that Palestinian refugees have are very, very little to none. The Palestinians should have the right to cross checkpoints like us! The Palestinians should not all be thought of as terrorists. My brother and I met Faraj and Sanabel, and they had very little rights. They should be able to visit Jerusalem. Faraj should be able to build a house where his grandmother used to live. Sanabel should be able to complete her wish to go to Jerusalem. She should be able to pray there, but I don't think we should give Jerusalem to the Palestinians.

What should be the status of Jerusalem? 
Jerusalem should belong to the Israelis. The Palestinians are asking too much to have Jerusalem. The Palestinians should have the right to visit Jerusalem, though. I want to be able to say hi to my Palestinian friends without having to see all the Arabs waiting on the other side of the checkpoint. I don't want to have to see them get checked by the soldiers. My brother and I don't want to be soldiers, but we'll have to be soldiers soon.

What should be the status of the West Bank and Gaza? 
The West Bank and Gaza should be for the Palestinians. The Israelis who build settlements are crazy. Why do they live there when there is plenty of room in Israel? The Palestinians don't have anywhere to go if the Israelis want the Palestinians out. I want Faraj to be able to have his grandmother's house back, and I want Sanabel to live her dream of visiting Jerusalem. The Gaza and West Bank should be the Palestinians since it is the only thing they do have.

Should the U.S. give aid to Israel or Palestine or both? 
The United States gives very little aid to the Palestinians. My brother and I know this because when we went to meet Faraj and Sanabel, they were in a refugee camp. The United Nations and the Israelis made a deal in Resolution 194 to let the Palestinians return to their land, but when the Israelis did not follow up with that promise, all the United Nations did was say, oh you are bad, okay now let's forget about it and move to the next thing. We, the Israelis, get tanks and guns and war materials from the United States, but the Palestinians get nothing to fight with. This proves how selfish and unkind the United States is, and I think the United States should help the Palestinians be free. The United States should insist that the Israelis follow through on Resolution 194.

What additional ideas can you add to the Palestinian-Israeli crisis? 
I think my brother and I know how we can make peace with the Palestinians. Both the Palestinians and the Israelis should stop fighting, because when we fight the Palestinians or when they fight us there is no winning because all anybody is doing is hurting or killing each other, and it's just an ongoing cycle. Why can't there just be a day where Palestinian kids meet Israeli kids. It's not like we are different; we are all just kids. We are told we are different and that the other side is bad, but we met Faraj and Sanabel and we know that this isn't true. If the Palestinian kids and Israeli kids have fun together and make friends, then the next generation might have peace.