This time I didn’t know that my annual vacation would turn to be business again, and this relaxing in the beautiful nature would turn to be discussions and disputes.
In the beautiful city of Dahad, that is located on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea and was released by the force of both peace and war, I was setting in the morning enjoying the beautiful view of the sea while one of the tourists asked me to take a photo for him with his friends. After taking some photos, I joined them and we were introduced to each other. While asking about the nationality of each one, I heard the word of Israel. I was very upset for a while; there was no reason to make me stay with them any more. She was a girl called Miky, 19 years old, and a boy called Shay, 18 years old. They were studying in a school of Israel.
Miky expressed how much she likes Egypt and asserted her desire to visit it to enjoy the touristy places. And I was very surprised when shy said that she loves the Egyptians more than the Israel people.
Although it was my annual vacation, the weather was perfect, and I have a deep desire to forget all the problems of work; I couldn’t resist my desire of talking with about the most important case between us; peace.
I asked: “what do you think about peace?” She answered;” peace is the best for all nations”. I maintained: “but you refuse peace and your president Netanyahu doesn’t want to keep his promises and tries to rid himself of them”. Miky said: “so what can Israel do to achieve peace?” I answered: “the land, we want peace, but we also want to get back our seized land. With a strange accent she replayed: “then where can we go?”
At this moment I wanted to shout by anger and say: Go to hell, but I controlled my anger and said: “I don’t know, all what I know is that you have seized our land and to achieve peace we should get our land back”
Her friend Shay intervened to lessen her critical situation and said: “Egypt calls for peace, but the Arabs don’t” I said:” Egypt is an Arab state, and they all are one thing, they all want peace that is conditioned by getting back the land”
He answered me by a strange accent: “but Hamas and the other parties don’t want peace”
Then I realized how much the attacks of these parties scare them. I said: “what happens now in the seized land is a natural reaction against the occupation forces.” And to make it clear I gave them an example using my camera and said:” this is my camera, isn’t it?” they said:”yes” I said what if some one tries to take it from me by force? Let him take it so easily?” they said:” of course not” I replied: “the same with the land” they looked at each other and then looked at me.
I said: “you had signed the peace treaty with the Arab in which you obligated to draw back of the seized land and you president Rabin signed on it”. Miky interrupted me and said: “Rabin is dead”. I said: “so when a president of a state dies, all the connections are repealed! How can you say that? Rabin represents Israel, and any state is controlled by political systems and international convections. The president al-Sadat died, does it mean that Egypt has the right to repeal the peace treaty?” they didn’t answer and again they looked at each other and then looked at me.
I thought that new generation, which they represent, would be more understanding for their case and have the desire to achieve peace. But I was surprised that they are more intolerant. They had been taught things which they repeat all the time without understanding the meaning of what they say, which makes the situation more serious.
“Miky, Shay” I said “I want you to have a massage to tell, a very important massage from the Arabs and the Egyptians. Tell your parents, your friends, your neighbors, tell to all people in Israel: go out of our land if you really want peace. There will be no peace as long as there is no land. Tell them: To withdraw from our land, or to die.
Note: to all my friends, sons, and family; my will to you is Never Forget Our Martyrs.