- The speaker emphasizes that everyone, including Hamas in Gaza, wants peace and likes life
- They are against occupation, not against Israel as people
- They express frustration about the lack of water and living conditions in the camp
- A Palestinian Christian discusses coexistence with Muslims and tension with Israel
- A third-generation refugee shares hope for peace and an end to occupation
- Another resident expresses a desire for peace and freedom to travel
- The speaker offers tea and coffee as a symbol of hospitality and peace

I traveled to the West Bank and spoke with many Palestinian people there, from all walks of life. Most conversation were offline, but a few were on camera, and I include those latter ones here, in this video.

I also spoke to Mohammed El-Kurd on the podcast about Palestine:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34wA_bdG6QQ

OUTLINE:
0:00 - Interview 1: No Water
2:35 - Introduction by Lex
3:26 - Interview 2: Palestinian Christian
5:16 - Interview 3: Nothing Lasts Forever
6:56 - Interview 4: In the end, we're all human
8:13 - Lex drinks tea

Everybody here, any human being in this area, in all the world, is not against peace.

Even Hamas in Gaza, they like life, they like peace.

If I want to buy something from you, if I agree for your price, and I am happy for your things, I will buy it.

So our situation here, what's going on with the Israelis, we are not against Israel as people, Jews.

You remember what's happened with Russia and Ukraine?

Look, 1 year, Russia, they have a problem.

They afraid from NATO come close to, they going inside Ukraine.

All the world and all the arming of the world against Russia.

Did I make anything for the Jews in the world?

And If you want to say the truth, there is no justice in the world.

If you are strong, everybody afraid from you.

If you want to see the peace, come to our camp where I live.

What are the conditions like in the camp?

My friend, they're waiting for water, water.

In Europe, the dog, he live in good condition.

How come a human being don't have water, water to drink?

I'm not look to fight, I'm not look to kill.

We love your kids to live in good condition, the Israeli side and the Palestinian.

We are against the violence, we don't want to see more blood.

I recently traveled to the West Bank and spoke with many Palestinian people there, from all walks of life.

There was anger, and there was hope, in their voice, in their eyes, in their stories, in ways that I probably can't express with words.

But I wanted to begin to experience directly.

Most conversations were offline, but a few were on camera.

And I include those latter ones here in this video.

I'm not a journalist, nor a documentary filmmaker, just a fellow human being trying to understand the struggles and the beauty of other people.

And I just sometimes may bring a camera along.

So I ask For your forgiveness if I fall short of what I could have done with this opportunity I will car to improve and I will do many more videos like these.

I think a lot of people would be surprised to see a Palestinian who's a Christian.

Yes, actually because I've been to America once when I was there and I said that I'm Palestinian Christians and they how come you are Palestinian Christians?

They don't know that in Palestine there are Christian people.

Palestinian Christians have existed since Jesus was born in here.

The house that I live in, it's 200 years old, and it was my grand-grandfather who lived in this, and my grandfather and my father and me in the same house.

In this area, Palestine especially, you can see Christians and Muslims together, living side by side.

And as neighbors, as we go to the universities together, we work together, we do everything together.

What aspects of life has made it difficult here because of the tension between Israel and Palestine.

Actually, since Jesus was born, it was occupied by many.

Till now, occupation after occupation, we passed Palestine through the Turkish, the British, Egyptian, Jordanian, and that was the last is the Israeli.

So there's quite a bit of tension between the various religions here.

That's right, yes, because you know, Christianity, Muslims, and Judaism, and which means that all praise the Lord.

This makes me feel very happy because I'm not a judge to judge the other religions.

I'm just praying and God will judge everyone as what he believes.

But the most important thing between the 3 major religions is just to have

First of all, how long have you lived here?

My father was a second generation refugee.

You know, Palestinians, they became refugees in 1948 when, you know, they lost their homeland.

A lot of them live in Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, and everywhere in Palestine.

You know, Palestine's get divided to West Bank, Gaza, East Jerusalem, Jordan Valley.

Do you have hope for peace in the region?

I do have hope because nothing lasts forever.

We have a lot of solidarity from the Jewish community, from the Christian community, from the whole world.

But that's something to do with the governments and politicians.

They are trying to control over 1 state, equal rights, equal citizens.

Because Jews, Christians, and Muslims, they have always lived together.

During the British Mandate, during the Ottoman Empire, for decades.

The only hope for people to live peacefully together, it's related to 1 word, which is occupation.

If occupation ends, there's no reason for Bosnians to fight, there's no reason for Bosnians to throw rockets.

But people, I think they have a legitimate right to resist Palestinian people in general.

They are nice people, not what the media says about us.

You know, it's crazy, when you resist, they call you a terrorist.

We are in the 21st century and we're still occupied.

So 1 day, that's why again, like I started saying...

Eventually this occupation will end and I do believe that history is repeating itself, but it seems to me people, they didn't learn from the history, you know?

People who get the power, they want to just keep going on, you know, but at least we are not alone in this damn world.

I lived in this city, I was born in this city, since I was born until now, I grew up in this town.

There are a lot of people that have anger towards Israel, hate towards Israel.

Like if someone comes to fight your family and to enter your home, you will stand closing your hand.

If someone killed your brother, killed your father, you will be as easy, you will be as super crazy.

This is what's happened for the Palestinian.

A lot of Palestinian was killed for no reason.

Second thing I want to tell you something, I don't like politics so much, because you know, in the end we are all human, doesn't matter if you are Palestinian or Israeli or Russian or American, doesn't matter what your religion is, Christian, Muslim, in the end we are all human.

What we want, we want just peace, we want to live in peace, we don't want any more fight, we want to have our freedom to travel to go wherever we want and that's it Palestinian scarf

looks good what's tell us about the coffee I make very good coffee and very good tea.

I make the tea with mint, cinnamon, sage, thyme, ginger, coriander, rosemary, lemon, 2 seeds of cardamom and rose.

This is very good for working in the night.


Speaker 0: Listen, you have to know something. Everybody here, any human being in this area, in all the world, is not against peace. Everybody likes life. Even Hamas in Gaza, they like life, they like peace. But peace is not like what you want.

If I want to buy something from you, if I agree for your price, and I am happy for your things, I will buy it. So our situation here, what's going on with the Israelis, we are not against Israel as people, Jews. We are against occupation. You remember what's happened with Russia and Ukraine? Look, 1 year, Russia, they have a problem.

They afraid from NATO come close to, they going inside Ukraine. All the world and all the arming of the world against Russia. How come I am a refugee in my land? Why I lost my house? Did I make something for Israel?

Did I did my Hitler was my cousin. Did I make anything for the Jews in the world? Me and my family and the Palestinians.

Speaker 1: Do you have hope for peace?

Speaker 0: My age is 50 years. I have 7 kids. No hope. If I told I have hope, I'm a Jew. And If you want to say the truth, there is no justice in the world.

If you are strong, everybody afraid from you. If you are not, everybody kill you. They make you like this by your foot. That's what's happen. There is no peace, my friend.

If you want to see the peace, come to our camp where I live. You will cry. You will cry, you see our peace.

Speaker 1: What are the conditions like in the camp?

Speaker 0: My friend, they're waiting for water, water. You know what's in water? Yeah. In Europe, the dog, he live in good condition. Dog, animals.

How come a human being don't have water, water to drink?

Speaker 1: I asked you about anger. What about love? You got love in your heart?

Speaker 0: Well, I love everybody. Even the Jewish. They kill us. They destroy our houses. I'm not look to fight, I'm not look to kill.

I am against the violence. We love your kids to live in good condition, the Israeli side and the Palestinian. We are against the violence, we don't want to see more blood. We want to destroy this wall. You come to me, I come to you.

That's it. That's my hope.

Speaker 1: Thank you my brother.

Speaker 0: My English not so nice.

Speaker 1: No, it's pretty good.

Speaker 0: Spanish state. Thank you. Good.

Speaker 2: Spanish. Colombia, arriba Colombia. How are you?

Speaker 3: Hello friends. I recently traveled to the West Bank and spoke with many Palestinian people there, from all walks of life. There was anger, and there was hope, in their voice, in their eyes, in their stories, in ways that I probably can't express with words. But I wanted to begin to experience directly. Most conversations were offline, but a few were on camera.

And I include those latter ones here in this video. I'm not a journalist, nor a documentary filmmaker, just a fellow human being trying to understand the struggles and the beauty of other people. And I just sometimes may bring a camera along. So I ask For your forgiveness if I fall short of what I could have done with this opportunity I will car to improve and I will do many more videos like these. I Love you all So

Speaker 1: I think a lot of people would be surprised to see a Palestinian who's a Christian.

Speaker 2: Yes

Speaker 4: Is there a tension in that Can you

Speaker 1: explain what it's like to be you?

Speaker 2: Yes, actually because I've been to America once when I was there and I said that I'm Palestinian Christians and they how come you are Palestinian Christians? They don't know that in Palestine there are Christian people. Palestinian Christians have existed since Jesus was born in here. The house that I live in, it's 200 years old, and it was my grand-grandfather who lived in this, and my grandfather and my father and me in the same house. In this area, Palestine especially, you can see Christians and Muslims together, living side by side.

And as neighbors, as we go to the universities together, we work together, we do everything together.

Speaker 1: What aspects of life has made it difficult here because of the tension between Israel and Palestine.

Speaker 2: Yes. Actually, since Jesus was born, it was occupied by many. Till now, occupation after occupation, we passed Palestine through the Turkish, the British, Egyptian, Jordanian, and that was the last is the Israeli.

Speaker 1: So there's quite a bit of tension between the various religions here. Yes. What gives you hope for the future?

Speaker 2: That's right, yes, because you know, Christianity, Muslims, and Judaism, and which means that all praise the Lord. This makes me feel very happy because I'm not a judge to judge the other religions. I'm just praying and God will judge everyone as what he believes. But the most important thing between the 3 major religions is just to have

Speaker 0: love.

Speaker 1: First of all, how long have you lived here?

Speaker 5: My father was a second generation refugee. I'm a third generation. My grandfather first lived in

Speaker 0: 1948.

Speaker 1: What does it mean to be a refugee?

Speaker 5: Refugee, that's a long story. You know, Palestinians, they became refugees in 1948 when, you know, they lost their homeland. They became refugees. A lot of them live in Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, and everywhere in Palestine. You know, Palestine's get divided to West Bank, Gaza, East Jerusalem, Jordan Valley.

Speaker 1: Do you have hope for peace in the region? Of course,

Speaker 5: I do have hope because nothing lasts forever. You know, You know what that means? Nothing lasts forever. We are not alone. We have a lot of solidarity from the Jewish community, from the Christian community, from the whole world.

But that's something to do with the governments and politicians. They are trying to control over 1 state, equal rights, equal citizens. Because Jews, Christians, and Muslims, they have always lived together. During the British Mandate, during the Ottoman Empire, for decades. The only hope for people to live peacefully together, it's related to 1 word, which is occupation.

If occupation ends, there's no reason for Bosnians to fight, there's no reason for Bosnians to throw rockets. But people, I think they have a legitimate right to resist Palestinian people in general. They are nice people, not what the media says about us. You know, it's crazy, when you resist, they call you a terrorist. It's a crazy world that we live in.

We are in the 21st century and we're still occupied. So 1 day, that's why again, like I started saying... Nothing

Speaker 1: lasts forever?

Speaker 5: Exactly. Eventually this occupation will end and I do believe that history is repeating itself, but it seems to me people, they didn't learn from the history, you know? Right? People who get the power, they want to just keep going on, you know, but at least we are not alone in this damn world.

Speaker 1: How long have you lived here?

Speaker 6: I lived in this city, I was born in this city, since I was born until now, I grew up in this town.

Speaker 3: There are a lot of people that have anger towards Israel, hate towards Israel.

Speaker 6: I will give you an example. Like if someone comes to fight your family and to enter your home, you will stand closing your hand. If someone killed your brother, killed your father, you will be as easy, you will be as super crazy. This is what's happened for the Palestinian. A lot of Palestinian was killed for no reason.

Speaker 3: What gives you hope about the

Speaker 6: future here. All the entrance of the city is closed. Second thing I want to tell you something, I don't like politics so much, because you know, in the end we are all human, doesn't matter if you are Palestinian or Israeli or Russian or American, doesn't matter what your religion is, Christian, Muslim, in the end we are all human. What we want, we want just peace, we want to live in peace, we don't want any more fight, we want to have our freedom to travel to go wherever we want and that's it Palestinian scarf

Speaker 3: speed me it

Speaker 1: looks good what's tell us about the coffee I make very good coffee and very good tea. I make the tea with mint, cinnamon, sage, thyme, ginger, coriander, rosemary, lemon, 2 seeds of cardamom and rose. This is for me?

Speaker 2: This is for his job.

Speaker 1: This is very good for working in the night.

Speaker 3: You you

See all Lex Fridman transcripts on Youtube

Lex Fridman speaks to Palestinians in the West Bank