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Activities |
Teacher Notes for using ‘Three Wishes – Palestinian and Israeli children speak – Deborah Ellis (Frances Lincoln 2007)
“Between 29 September 2000, when the second Palestinian uprising against Israeli occupation began and 7 March 2003, 3,399 people were killed. 429 were children under 18.”
More than 60% of Palestinians are under 18 (UNICEF)
There are about 4 million Palestinian refugees and one million live in refugee camps.
The following quotes provide an indication of the issues raised by the children’s stories in this book:
- Artov, 15 a recent arrival in Israel from Russia said “I know a bit about Palestinians from the news. It seems that they all hate us, but I don’t know why. I have not met any yet. It is impossible for us to meet. We are separate people.”
- Gul,12 “People have always hated Jews everywhere, not just Germans and not just Palestinians.”
- Marayam, 11 “I used to cry when I saw the soldiers, but I don’t do that anymore. They still scare me but I don’t like to let them see that. I’m more angry than afraid, I think. I would like to kill the soldiers but I can’t, because I have no weapons.
- Elisheva, 18 following the deaths of two friends “I feel a lot of anger towards the Palestinians. We the Israelis have been trying, but how much can we give? After all this is our land. I wish all the Jews would come to Israel and all the Palestinians would leave and go live in some Arab country.”
- Nora, 12, a Palestinian explains how the Israeli soldiers at the checkpoints regularly delay children going to school and have prevented her from seeing her grandparents who live only a few miles away in the last two years.
Areas for discussion:
Israeli checkpoints Mona and Mahmood, both 11 and their experiences of checkpoints and curfews
Conscription at 18 is compulsory for Israeli youths. How would you feel about doing national service? For a boy this means the army and for a girl it could be the army or community work. Compare how Gul 12, and Asif, 15 view this prospect
The security wall and Jewish West Bank settlements Read about Merav, 13 a Jewish settler. Is building the wall a solution to the conflict?
House demolitions; Wafa 12, “I was 8 the first time my house was demolished” many Israelis came to help us rebuild it, killing an Israeli will make me feel glad. It will make me feel strong. I am tired of them making me feel small and weak I want to feel strong and proud.
Peace Campaign in Israel Mai, 18 “A lot of young people think to have protests in Israel (against the occupation) makes Israel look weak. I think it makes us look stronger, because we are a strong society where differences of opinion can be expressed.” Is Mai correct?
KS3 Three Wishes Conflict resolution activity
What are your 3 wishes for the future?
Which adults currently most affect whether your wishes can come true?
Now select four of the children between 11 and 18 years old, two Israeli and two Palestinian and answer the following questions:
- What does each young person enjoy doing? Are they free to do this and if not why not?
- What makes them unhappy?
- Decide how safe each young person is and identify the causes of them feeling unsafe
- What human rights (UNCRC) are the young people being denied?
- Which adults currently most affect the young people’s rights?
- What are each young person’s wishes for the future?
Can they come true?
