| Of Life in Gush Katif - Scene 5 |
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At the Ulpana � a regular class influenced by Disengagement�
Biology teacher: "Quickly everyone! The bell rang 10 minutes ago! Open your books to page 103. Today we'll be learning about the heart." Classroom door opens and everyone turns to see who enters. Layah and Na'aomi, two classmates, enter the class. Layah: "Sorry we're late." Smiles apologetically and hurries to her desk. Na'aomi: "But we just got back from Tel Aviv." Everyone's staring at them curiously. Biology teacher: "Oh? And what was so important in Tel-Aviv that you two arrive 17 minutes late for your biology class?! Layah: "From 8:00 to 10:00 this morning we were talking in a secular high school � the Yitzchak Rabin high school. We were trying to convince them that Disengagement is bad." Biology teacher: has temporarily forgotten about lesson. "Did you succeed? How many students did you talk to?" Na'aomi: "we talked to about 200 students. The twelfth graders asked us a lot of questions and I think we managed to convince some." Tamar: "You know when Rachel and I went 'door to door' in Tel Aviv, most of the people we met were either apathetic or left-wing. Not like when we were in Jerusalem�" Adi (fellow classmate): "Maybe the grownups are apathetic or automatically left-wing, but youth are more rebellious and apt to question things and only then form their conclusions." Na'aomi: "Right. Many youth came up to us afterwards and thanked us for coming. They told us that they'd never thought about things that way before. Simple things too � like that G-d gave this land to us, and that never before has a Jewish government thrown Jews from their homes - -" Layah: "And that you have to fight your enemies' not throw Jews from their homes and instead let the Arabs get the land." Moriyah (fellow classmate) digs in her backpack and takes out a newspaper clipping. "I read this in the BaSheva newspaper and wanted to share it. It's by Elyakim Ha'atzani." Biology teacher: "In recess, please. We haven't learned anything about the heart yet!" Adi: "Really, teacher, this is important too. We're talking about our homes! And you live here too � in Neve Dekalim. You know what we're going through and how it helps us to talk things over!" Biology teacher: "Fine � I give up. Goes and sits behind her desk and closes the open biology book on her desk. Go ahead, Moriyah." Moriayah: reads out loud: Summing Up #Arabs � 500 were released from jail and thousands more, including murderers, are on the way. Jews � A new jail with 900 cells was built for them. Detention camps are being made. #Arabs � Governmental commitment not to destroy more homes, including the homes of murderers. Jews � Governmental commitment to destroy 1700 houses and 25 settlements. #Arabs � there won't be more banishments. Nor from Judea and Samaria to Gaza. Jews � 8000 will be banished this year, 80 000 next year. #Arabs � Recognition of dozens of unrecognized villages. Jews � Demolishment of dozens of 'illegal' settlements and destruction of 25 recognized villages. #Arabs � [Government] conceded on terrorists not giving up their arms. Jews � [Government] disarmed the Jews of the Gaza Strip and Northern Shomron before their expulsion. #Arabs � Approval of 100 000 illegal houses. Jews � [Government] destroyal of every caravan that arrived after the freeze. Please say; whose government is this, damn it?!" Bell rings. Class gathers up books and leaves. Tamar: speaking to Rachel "*sigh* another class in which all we did was speak of 'Disengagement'! I'm sick of it!" |