Hazal Sipahi / JERUSALEM
Mohammed Hawsawi, a 23-year-old Palestinian man, lives in a crowded home in the Shuafat neighborhood of East Jerusalem with his extended family. During the summer he makes a living selling fresh orange juice from a stand in the Muslim Quarter of the Old City. In winter, he helps his father, who has a souvenir shop. Just a year and a half ago, he married Shahnaz, and soon became responsible for supporting her and their now 1-year-old son.
When asked about the conflict between Palestine and Israel, he started to give a history lecture from his perspective, how the conflict started and how it has continued. According to Hawsawi, the Six Day War did not last six days but three hours. The land was taken in three hours, he’s been told by people who were around at the time; it was an occupation, not a fight.
“The officers and soldiers took control of villages, destroyed our buildings and cut the trees,” says Hawsawi, adding that sometimes he cannot eat, sleep or drink thinking about this unfair intervention. He doesn’t feel safe in his land, his home.
He complains about the current working conditions of Arab people. “There is no job for Arabs in Jerusalem; all the positions are taken by the Israelis and other foreigners. The ones who were not born here are stealing our bread,” Hawsawi says, lighting a cigarette.
Mentioning the financial conditions changes his expression. He says that Arabs are widely discriminated against; even the tour guides do not let the tourists shop from the Muslim Quarter of Old City. The bad reputation of Arabs must change in the minds of people. He points to the security cameras and says, “They are watching us all the time, waiting for Arabs to make a mistake.”
Hawsawi does not think peace talks will solve any problems because he does not believe in the sincerity of the politicians. He thinks that there are two kinds of heart: the pure and the corrupted.
“The people who have corrupted hearts cannot bring the peace because their solution is to exclude Arabs,” says Hawsawi.
After generously offering me a cup of orange juice, he asks “Do you like the politicians? I don’t.” The peace talks are superficial and are about gaining time in order to exclude the Arabs from the society and the land.
Hawsawi does not believe that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants peace between Palestinians and Israelis. If he wants the peace, Hawsawi said, he should first stop settlement building.
“And then, the Israeli government should recognize the rights of Palestinians,” says Hawsawi. He blames Netanyahu for being hypocritical because his actions don’t match his words.
Hawsawi believes that Muslim countries should support each other in order to stop unjust treatment. He sees all Muslims as his brothers and sisters because they all read the same Quran. From Hawsawi’s point of view, the Arab Spring and other internal conflicts are weakening the Middle Eastern countries and creating a situation in which they cannot help each other.
But people shouldn’t give up on wishing for peace, he adds.
“The peace will come, Inshallah.”
