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                                                                  "The shelling is far from our house (we live near the old city of Bethlehem)
                                                                   but I feel uncomfortable because of the people I know who do live in the
                                                                   areas of shelling. Also it affects my studies because the college is right
                                                                   near Rachel’s Tomb and ‘Azza camp, where there has been a lot of shelling.
                                                                   You have to always be thinking, how late can I stay?  Do I have time to do
                                                                   this in the library? My parents are always worrying about my safety in this area."

                        F. Z.

                        University Student - Bethlehem

                        May 2001

                                                                                                                                9

 

                                                  

                                                "The checkpoint between Bethlehem and Jerusalem was
                                                very hard this week and I was not allowed to pass
                                                several times to get to the campus. Approaching the
                                                checkpoint now is very frightening. All the soldiers
                                                are pointing their guns at the people and yelling.
                                                They are afraid too."

 

                                                                    L. S.
                                                                    University Student - Bethlehem

                                                                    March 2002

 

 

 

 

                                                                                                                              10

                                                               

 

                                                                                "WE shall not continue to fight beyond the 1967 borders in
                                                                                order to dominate, expel, starve, and humiliate an entire people.

                                                                                WE hereby declare that we shall continue serving in the
                                                                                 Israel Defense Forces in any mission that serves Israel’s
                                                                                 defense. The missions of Occupation and oppression do
                                                                                 not serve this purpose ö and we shall take no part in them." 

                                                                                                    Excerpt from "Refusenik" Statement
                                                                                                    (January 25, 2002) Signed by an Increasing
                                                                                                    Number of Israeli Soldiers

 

 

                                                                               11

                                                                 

 

                                           "I expect that nothing very new will happen in the near future.
                                            The Palestinians have almost nothing to lose. So much has
                                            been taken away from them. There is not much left that
                                            the Israelis did not do. Will more death and destruction
                                            make the Palestinians accept the situation? Israelis do not
                                            want peace. They want domination.”

                                   

                               S.D.              
                                           University Student - Bethlehem

                                                                               March 2002

 

 

 

 

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                                                                             "I would tell them how this situation that we are forced to live
                                                                              in every day gives us the feeling that there is no meaning in life.
                                                                              I would tell them all the different ways Israelis take our freedom,
                                                                              and how the situation will not change until we are given our freedom."

                                       B.A.

                                       University Student – Bethlehem

                                       March 2002

 

 

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