A powerful new short film by Israel Collective demonstrates the how people are on a mission to choose love and break the cycle of conflict in the midst of the bloody Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This battle to change hearts and minds has far more potential than any governmental ‘peace’ agreement does.
The video features an unidentified Palestinian explaining the indoctrination their children receive growing up, but begins with the tragic story of Israeli Micah Avni. His worst fears were realized when he found out his dad was shot in the head and then viciously stabbed by a terrorist while riding a city bus. His dad was just one of many innocent civilians who were wounded by terrorists who jumped on the bus and began attacking without so much a word.
He rushed to the hospital, and watched on as doctors worked feverishly to save his dad’s life.
Just a couple beds down from his dad, doctors are working feverishly on another gravely wounded individual: the terrorist.
The very same terrorist who attempted to kill his dad.
Minutes feel like hours, hours like days – and just when it seems things couldn’t take a downward turn, they do. He watched his dad slip away, battling till the end, but ultimately losing the fight.
A needless, unnecessary death at the hands of an evil monster.
An evil monster whose health, by the way, was improving. The doctors said he just might pull through.
And then he does.
Dad is gone. Terrorist survives.
The video then introduces a Palestinian man, whose identity is concealed, who proceeds to explain how hate is a generational problem in his culture.
“I grew up in Dehesha refugee camp” the man said, where the “default impression against Israel is hatred.”
As children, casual admonitions such as “get to sleep” were filled with anti-semitism and phrased like this: “Go to sleep, or the Jews will kill you.”
Micah’s father, meanwhile, was memorialized – but not in the way he’d hoped. While Micah says he was “overcome with the feeling that I have to make something positive out of this. This is what my father lived for.” The terrorists who killed him had a Palestinian scout program named after them, describing them as the “kind of leader we want you to become.”
The unidentified Palestinian urged that education is the key to changing hearts and minds. He said “children need to be educated to love not to hate” and that countries should be weary of who they send aid and donation money to.
“After 68 years of conflict… it’s a shame. if you give to wrong person, you’re giving is worthless.”
Both conclude the video by saying they “choose love” hope the video raises awareness and ultimately helps steer more people towards peace instead of hate and violence.