Amazing Video: Israeli IDF conversation with Palestinians (Israeli soldier and Palestinian civilians explain fears and hopes)

This video was recorded on Jan 9 -2009. It provides a fascinating insight into the thinking of Israeli soldiers and Palestinian civilians. In reality both want peace. Now if only the leaders on both sides would listen.

The IDF come across as nervous and on edge and somewhat aggressive eventhough there is a camera filming the exchange of views. The video opens with the following question to the soldiers: "Its confusing to me that when one person hurts another group of people then the whole group of people have to suffer for it. So maybe you can help me understand".

A soldier explains why he is in Gaza. "I help you understand (sic)." "You think I want to be here? ..... I do this for one reason, because I love my country (sic). Because I want my mother to go to work and dont die (sic). I want my sister to go to school and not to be scared." The soldier admitted shooting a child for pointing at him. He said that the Palestinian was not scared to go to Israel because he knows he could go there and come back alive. The Israeli soldier stated that he was scared to go to Qalqilya and Jayyous-"I know they want to kill me".

The Palestinian replies..."If you want to come to my house we can stop together... We need peace we want peace. We want to stop the blood. We want to be like neighbours, like friends."

Stories by eye-witnesses (Russia and Georgia at War)

The following is taken from the Russia and Georgia At War blog. The stories are by eyewitnesses (letters received on email). They are heart rending and serve to display the futility of war.

"It should be my wedding day today . . . I'm looking at my wedding dress and don't know if I will ever see my fiancé. It's been the second day that he's not answering my calls. Yesterday, on BBC, I saw the Georgian hostages, walled and waiting to be shot by Russians. I looked at the back of the neck of one of the soldiers and thought that it looked exactly like my fiancé's. . . I know it's silly. . . Everyone's necks look the same from the back. I know I should not think negative . . . and brace myself . . . I've never been religious, but now, I cannot do anything but praying to God. I try not to cry . . . What is happening in my country is not expectable . . . I'd like to ask the world not to leave us in front of this bloody dragon – Russia. Georgia is not Russia's last prey. Tomorrow its' going to be Ukraine, then the rest of the Europe. Please defend us, defend yourselves! "
Tamta Kilasonia
------------------
The Russian shell ruined down the Public School of Kurta. Arkad Mekhaturashvili, employee of the school, who was blocked inside, was asking to be taken out. In response to his help plea Russian invader killed him.
------------------
Kato Papelashvili was killed in the yard of her house and she is still unburied.
---------------
The old married couple residing in the village of Achabeti is trying to hide away from Russian invaders. They contact us and tell about Russian aggressors trespassing the houses owned by Georgians, robbing and taking any goods and finally setting the houses to fire.
---------------
Happened incredible thing: Russian barbarians demolished our gorge. They bombed houses; houses with people inside were in flames. We left our homes and escaped, the road was horrifying: bombs were exploding in front of us damaging cars and people. I saw a car packed with people blew up, human intestines were flying in the air. Some women from my village chose other way to leave the gorge, through river and forests. Cars were carrying bodies of young boys. The gorge is full of dead bodies who were not buried and have been left for crows to eat. I saw a woman who bowled up in front of her house, she was split in many many parts. Wounded asked for help, but there was nobody able to help them. I saw how Russians put two men in sacks and shoot them… Elders stayed in gorge. My parents stayed there. My dad has diabetes and can’t walk. I know their life is in danger, they know it too and they are waiting for death.
Tina Khutsishvili
---------------
It is the tenth day that I am back from Oxford, Saint John College. I studied antique writings in order to understand the concept of hero in antiquity. I came back to Tbilisi, were my husband and two little children were waiting for me. My husband is actively involved in school reform and works to inculcate tolerance in pupils. One of my sisters travels across the Caucasus holding film festival "Nationality Human" and organizes discussions on human rights issues. My second sister makes films on human rights. The war had started absolutely unexpectedly couple of days ago. My husband was recruited together with his pupils as reservist. My sister was blocked in western Georgia, where she had been looking for the place to make a film, the other sister tried to contact her Ossetian friends to get news. All day long I heard Russian aircrafts shelling city of Gori, which is some 50 kilometers far from the conflict zone. My husband was in Gori. I saw burning houses, killed and wounded people on TV. The mobile connection was paralyzed and I had no idea of what had happened to my husband. Later he and his friends came back alive. Unfortunately, I don't need antique texts any more in order to understand what heroism means, as each of us are expected to be heroes right now. Afterwards, if I stay alive, I will write on heroism nowadays.
Ketevan Gurchiani
------------------
Maybe what I want to tell you is not so shocking, but I was crossing Gori on Sunday (place which Russia troops were bombing intensively). I was travelling with my son who is only 10 years old. We were terrified - the city seems to be dead. There were many destroyed buildings, only the gray ruins and terrified silence - no children voices, nor laugh… and what was scaring was the sky, where each moment could be visible Russian Bombardiers. And my son was asking me questions, the meaning of the words were not clear for me when I was 10. He was speaking about troop's location, about international Human Low, and the Moratorium… What a pity to take away the childhood from our children!
Manana Ratiani