Maansi and Luca as Mahmoud

An Interview with Mahmoud

What rights should the Palestinian refugees have? 

Any Palestinian should have the same rights as any other Israeli. Right now, the Israeli has taken control of some Palestinian areas, and the entire Israel. The Palestinians don't have their own place, or a place to call home. The Palestinians should have more rights than they do now. They should be able to go to Israel when they want to and they should be able to return to their homes. They should be able to go where they want and not be pushed around by the Israelis. The Palestinians should be able to claim the land that was once theirs, and even if someone has occupied it, they should give the land back. Palestinian Refugees should be able to cross the checkpoints and go where they would like.


What should be the status of Jerusalem?

Jerusalem can't be under the control of Israel. It should be the Palestinians, because it was once ours. Jerusalem contains many holy sites where Muslims pray, and they should be allowed to go to those places. There are many checkpoints in Jerusalem which Palestinians can not cross. Palestinians should be able to cross those checkpoints and even take control of them, and then it would be fair to the Palestinian and Israeli Arabs. There should be no Jewish settlements in the West Bank, and Palestinians need to be able to enter any settlement or any town they want to—today.


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

I think that Gaza and the West Bank should be ours because it was originally ours. First the U.N. and Israel took our land in 1948, then again in 1967. They forced us into the West Bank and Gaza and then turned these places into prisons. I want to have more room for all of us to move from these dreadful camps. I think that we should also have all the right that Israelis get and have no guards in our places that they forced us to live in.


Should the United States give aid to either the Israelis or Palestinians—or to both of them? If so, what kind of aid?

I think the Americans should give soldiers or weapons to us the Palestinians. I think they should fight for us if the Israelis start fighting us. But I think they won't because they are close allies with the Israelis, so I don't think we will get much help from the U.S.


What additional ideas or proposals can you make to bring about a peace and just solution to the Israeli-Palestinian crisis?

I think that killing people and destroying houses is not going to solve anything. People need to think about what they are doing to others. The other side will get more angry if this happens. Both sides need to understand that the more they kill, the more people on their side will get killed. I also believe that people need to raise their children to believe that peace can happen. If Israeli and Palestinian children meet and become friends, they most likely will not hate each other in the future. The more people who understand this, the more likely it will be that the conflict will be solved.