Simeon
I came to Palestine to learn more about the history and home of the people who are closest to me. During my nearly two-month stay, I met hospitable and warm people, saw beautiful landscapes, and ate delicious food. The visit gave me a glimpse into a side of the story that you cannot fully understand without being there: meeting the people behind the words you read in books, see in movies, and hear about in the news.
A moment that stuck with me occurred during a visit to the old city of Jerusalem. While walking the narrow streets, I witnessed a group of young Orthodox Jews pushing a young Palestinian boy riding his bike. The most absurd part was the normality with which other people on the street reacted to the situation. Nowhere else in Palestine did the proximity of two different worlds and realities clash like they did in the old city of Jerusalem.
I completed my internship with Laylac, a Palestinian youth center in the Dheisheh refugee camp in Bethlehem. During our stay, we wrote a report to support young people of Dheisheh who were injured by IOF bullets during nightly raids. But most importantly, we met dozens of youths, cooked, played music, and laughed together.
A sentence that stayed with me from one of my encounters in Bethlehem, after the IOF attacked the refugee camp, arrested people, and destroyed the cemetery, was: “They want you to be silent, silent and blind.” After my time in Palestine, I understand even more than before why I should not remain silent and what I need to speak up for.
Finally, I have learned the traditional art of Palestinian tatreez, and I am eager to deepen my skills further until I can once again set foot on the land of Palestine.
