British Broadcast Journalism student Tom Goudsmit atop the Amir mountain range overlooking the security fence, Palestinian and Jewish communities in the Jezreel Valley
Studying for a Broadcast Journalism MA, British student Tom Goudsmit is working on his final project, a 20-minute documentary on education in Israel and Palestine.
“I am hoping to produce a short documentary on the attitude and education of Israeli and Palestinian kids regarding the current situation and the future. I don’t anticipate too many problems capturing the Israeli side of things but obviously Palestinian kids will be hard and possibly an impossible task,” Tom emailed Givat Haviva International Department staff member Lydia Aisenberg a few months ago when asking if it was possible to advise him.
Tom was in Israel with a British Birthright group two years ago but did not visit Givat Haviva then. When the present project arose the Falmouth university student contacted Josh Salter, director of Birthright.israel in London, and asked whom he thought might be approachable for help.
Mr. Salter told him to contact the Givat Haviva International Department and thus yet another interesting Anglo-Israeli connection was born. Tom is the son of Israelis who moved to London when he was just a few years old and Lydia is originally from Wales but made aliya 40 years ago.
Tom arrived in Givat Haviva laden down with his heavy filming equipment after having already had some meetings with Israeli educators and attending a seminar at Haifa University dealing with Arab-Jewish relations.
Following a short tour around Givat Haviva and explanation of activities undertaken by the Jewish-Arab Center for Peace and the Arts Center, Tom was whisked off by staff members to the nearby village of East Barta’a in the West Bank where he filmed interviews with Palestinian adults, teens and children.
Rateb Kabha being interviewed in his East Barta’a
(Area B) West Bank barber’s shop
First interviewee was Rateb Kabha a local barber who went to school when East Barta’a was under the Jordanian Ministry of Education. The father of 8 (three of whom graduates of West Bank universities) Rateb’s children are being educated in the local school, now under the Palestinian Ministry of Education.
“Truthfully, I do not remember anything in particular with regard education about Israel or the Jews in my school days,” said Rateb as Tom filmed him sitting in his barber’s chair, 2 posters of a uniformed and saluting Saddam Hussein peeking out of the glass fronted cupboards either side of the large barber’s mirror in Rateb’s salon.
A map of Palestine on the wall does not feature the State of Israel where Rateb worked for two decades. He speaks fluent Ivrit learned on the streets of Tel Aviv but his sons, who were also interviewed, do not. Through a mixture of broken English and hand signs the young men made it clear that they would much prefer to be living in West Barta’a (part of the State of Israel) than have to deal with the situation of East Barta’a (under the Palestinian Authority) even though they are proud Palestinian youth.
“Life is just so much easier over there,” explains the eldest son, a recent university graduate in sport education who has yet to find employment. His younger brother, a 15 year-old high-school student, agrees.
When talking about “over there” both young men either nod their heads in the direction of, or point toward, Israel – less than 100 paces from the entrance to their father’s barber shop.
Youth in the barber and film hot seat
Following a visit to Rateb’s nephews further down the main road, both of whom speaking excellent English, Tom visited the Reichan checkpoint and Shaked settlement area constantly setting up and putting away his filming equipment.
Reaching the small Palestinian village of Umm Reichan between the Jewish settlements in the area and Katzir, a Jewish community just over the Green Line and perched high on the mountain ridge, Tom had the opportunity to film the small village school where 120 Palestinian youngsters study – when school is in which it isn’t right now.
Two young boys curious to see what is going on by their school gates, arrive – one on a bike, the other racing behind him. Ten year-old Omar and his 14 year-old friend on wheels know a few words in English, “welcome” being one of them. They punctuate every word with broad smiles and feel rather important lined up in front of Tom’s camera, the bike propped up between them.
Last stop on the tour, a vantage point extremely close to the security fence at Mei Ami and overlooking a string of Palestinian villages down below, all hugging the lower slopes of the mountain range, the Green Line just on the other side.
The Palestinian town of Jenin sits in the corner of the valley, the Israeli town of Afula a short distance away. The security fence can be seen running across the valley floor between the two towns and the many smaller Palestinian and Jewish communities straddling it in close proximity on either side.
Last stop on the way down the mountain to rejoin Route 65, Wadi Ara and Tom sets up the equipment once again for a shot of the sprawling Israel Muslim city of Umm el-Fahm streaking across the lower hills in that area, the Menashe Hills running parallel on the other side and Carmel Mountain range in the near distance.
“This has been an unbelievable day and well beyond my expectations,” comments Tom Goudsmit as dusk falls and the day draws to an end.
An elderly Israeli Arab gentleman exits a small fenced off fruit garden on the precipice where the cameraman is standing. As he fiddles with the key in a large metal padlock, the gentleman calls out “welcome” like the two young lads in Umm Reichan just a short drive – but world away - over the Green Line, literally down the road and around the corner.
Looking at the Givat Haviva t-shirt of Lydia the gentleman says “Kol HaKavod” (all the honors) to the work undertaken by Givat Haviva.
As he walks toward his car he calls out ‘Salam, shalom haverim’ – peace be with you.
The last frame, dusk falls on Umm el-Fahm
JULY 2008
