If you want to be my friend
If you want to be my friend is a documentary book which tries to explain the Israeli-Arab Conflit with the young people.
This book is made using an epistolary testimony on the israélo-Palestinian conflict between two young girls who have between 12 and 13 years (Galit Fink and Mervet Akram Sha' round of applause), thanks to the participation of Listed Boudalika.
Summary
The dialog is between August 1988 and August 1991, during the Intifada in Israel/Palestine. The difficulty of this exchange is the ditch which separates two heroins: even if she want all two peaces, their respective camps clash. Galit is Jewish and Israeli (it is of an big family of 5 children and lives in Jerusalem close to Bankaa). Mervet is Arab, Palestinian but especially “shabab” (young Palestinian militants from 12 to 25 years). Mervet is of a family of 7 children soon 8 and lives with the camp of Deisheh close to Bethlehem (the camp of Dheisheh is a Palestinian camp of Réfugiés known for its many and violent demonstrations which make many deaths and wounded. But there is also the curfew very severe being able to often last several days after a murder).
These two teenagers try despite everything to become friendly. This task is not a small matter because of the prejudices of their communities, the war which makes rage outside, or of their despair, their fury… In spite of a common goal (the Peace), their points of view differ on the means of reaching that point. In their letters, sometimes naive, sometimes virulent, a desire of revenge for their family, their close relations, for their fatherland, is made more and more feel. Will the peace, hoped so much in this divided country, arrive? Will their friendship survive in spite of the war? Will they be seen one day? Will they defy the borders?
Even if this book is rather hard, it is faithful to reality because it subtly shows the competition between Mervet and Galit and emphasizes their weaknesses, their pains, their duties, their passions…
This history brings knowledge on the history of these two camps (Chahid S, refugee camps, shootings), on their practices…
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