Subject: Interview with a Palestinian boy, aged 15
Date: Sun, 23 Nov 2003 06:34:22 -0700

Hi, this interview is with a kid i know who comes around our apartment
to practice his English. He's a sweet, sweet kid, a little nerdy. Anything
in parentheses is me clarifying his English mistakes so you'll know what
he meant. xxxxs are in place to prevent him from getting taken away in
the night.
What is your name? "Jihad xxxxxxxxxx"
How old are you? "Fifteen"
Where are you from? "xxxxxxxxx, a small village outside Jenin."
What do you do? "I am student, in a 10th grade. I love math and
English."
When do you finish school? " 3 more years, then go to university."
Do you enjoy school? "Yes i do."
Why? "Because I will be in the future a Doctor."
Jihad, what does your name mean? "{long pause}.......My family give me
that name when i am small because one man die, I take his name.
In the West, people think of 'Jihad' as Muslims fighting everyone who
is not Muslim." Is that correct? "Maybe, i don't know."
Tell me about your village. "Small village, and quiet, good people,
uhhmmmm, no voice {shouting}, no car, no problems. They grow fruit and
vegetables, thats it."
Tell me about your family. "I have family, big family. I am in the
medium {middle}. Have Mom and Dad, 4 brothers, 3 sisters, uncle."
What is your Father's job? "Now, no job because Israel closed the
store, and you know, he's {Israelis} don't want anyone going to Israel and
making a problem, so no one go."
So, since the Intifada, is it difficult for your family? "Yes, Yes!!!
Very Difficult!
Why? "No money to shop clothes, food, anything. You can't."
What has changed since the Intifada started? "In the past good, Israel
open, Father make business. Now, very difficult."
Do soldiers come to your village? "Yes, the jaish {soldiers} coming,
example to want to take one man they think {is} dangerous. Also
killing someone not doing anything."
How does it feel when they come? "uhhhmmm, I don't love it, i feel
like i want to kill them but i can't. Sometimes no feel anything."
How do you feel about 'the war'? "Uhhhmmm, long pause.......I feel I'm
want to help the people of Palestine, but i can't do anything."
How do you feel about the Palestinian fighters? "I feel they strong
and want to help, by what they doing."
And about the soldiers? "Sometimes I scared, sometimes I don't. Its
very bad."
And the Jewish people? "I am in the past work in Israel. See many
people, some them good, some not good."
Are they nice people? "Some people nice. A lady give me a bicycle,
then one man told me to get out."
How do you feel about Palestine? "Sometimes good, sometimes not good.
Sometimes i don't see jaish {soldier} stranger, i am good. I am very
happy. If I see him I am very angry, i want to kill him but I can't."
Why do you want to kill him? "Because the stranger kill the people in
Palestine."
Why does Israel stay in Palestine? "Good question......{long
pause}...2 answers. The first, Israel is want to kill us, thinks we are dangerous.
Second, because people in Israel think, in Jerusalem, they have holy
thing under al-Aqusa {mosque}.
How long have Israelis been in Palestine? "{long pause}.....In the
past, since 1948."
Where were they before that? "Europa {Europe}."
Why did they leave there? "I don't know why.........want to doing here
a country."
Why here? "Because this country not strong, but good place, and the
holy thing under al-Aqusa."
Jihad, will there ever be a free Palestine? "{laughter}.....Maybe.
Maybe yeah, maybe not."
What are your hobbies? "My hobbies are reading the book, playing
football {soccer, Yanks} and computer. Thats it."
What kind of books? "To everything, i love reading everything, I want
to know everything in this world!!"
Whats your favorite book? "The math book!!!"
I mean to read, Jihad. "To read? My English schoolbook."
Send a message to people in America. "I'm want to tell him I love him,
all the people in America, and all the people in the world. And I want to
visit him someday. And, i want to thank him for a help to Palestine, because
they help the people in Palestine."
Jihad, how does America help Palestine? "You people come here."
You mean us, ISM? " Yes, they send you here, very good."
How about a message to Israeli people? "I want to ask him to stop
killing people in Palestine. And if he want to kill us, we must kill him. Its not good."

Can Palestinians live in peace with Israelis? "Yes, maybe, but these
days I don't think so. These days we can't because no one can go to Israel,
they will kill us. All Arabs in Palestine is scared."