Refugee Voices:

On Saturday 29 July 2000, over 500 Palestinian children and youth from refugee camps in Lebanon and the West Bank journeyed by bus to the border between Lebanon and 1948 Palestine/ Israel to meet and call for the right of return.
Within minutes of arriving at the boder, the Israeli military set up a roadblock to prevent refugees from the West Bank from reaching the fence at Fatima Gate to greet their brothers and sisters from the camps in Lebanon, and exchange gifts, including material for the Campaign for the Defense of Palestinian Refugee Rights, personal addresses, and email addresses.

For more than an hour activists from BADIL Friends Forum and the children themselves, attempted to persuade the Israeli military to allow the children to reach the fence. "They have kept us apart for more than 50 years," said one girl, "and all we want is 5 minutes to see each other, and they won't even allow us that." Having spotted glimpses of their brothers and sisters on the Lebanese side of the border, some of the young people climbed a nearby abandoned building to waive Palestinian flags so that those in Lebanon could see those from Palestine. Within a short time, the young people from the Lebanese side of the border had climbed to the top of a 5- story building, also waiving flags. Both sides attempted to communicate with each other via megaphones.

While the children on both sides of theborder were disappointed that they were prevented from meeting and embracing each other, the day strengthened the feeling of being united as one people and the determination to return to their homeland. The day was also a reminder of the importance of educating the new generation about their inherited right of return to their villages of origin, and the right to restitution of their properties and lands, especially at a time when there is great pressure by Israel, with the support of the Clinton administration, to reach an agreement not based on UN Resolution 194 (III) and the basic principles of international law. The day also highlighted Israel's responsibility for the refugee issue, its violation of UN resolutions and international law, not only with regard to the right of return, but also concerning the simple right of people and families to be together.

The visit was coordinated by BADIL/ BADIL Friends Forum in the West Bank and Ai'doun in Lebanon, in conjunction with grassroots partner organizations in the West Bank refugee camps of al-Fawwar, Deheishe, 'Azza, 'Aida, Balata, Nur Shams, Askar, and Ein BeitAlma, and the Lebanon refugee camps of Shatila and 'Ain al-Hilwe. 

Below are excerpts of a letter from partners in Lebanon describing the visit.Refugees Embrace the Right of Return Across the Border The youngsters from Shatila camp could not wait for the sun to rise on the day of the meeting. On Saturday, 29 July 2000, the youngsters gathered in front of the youth center in the camp. Everything was ready. Impatiently they waited, everyone was singing, smiling, laughing,and dancing, because most of them had not yet seen the southern liberated border of Lebanon or  the soil of beloved Palestine.

The first group started from Shatila camp in Beirut and journeyed toward Ein el-Hilwe camp (40 km south of Beirut) in Saida where they were supposed to meet the others. Suddenly,  amid the chaos, the beat of the drums was cut short, and the songs for Palestine stopped. Someone had raised a question. "How would theyrecognize us?" Some started to talk about their expectations of the meeting. Others who had already visited the border began describing the visits, "When we met at al-Dahera Gata…." It was the most interesting experience they had ever had.

The expressions on their faces can't be described. The questions never ended, mixed with love, longing, and uncertainty. The children were anxious to meet others who they never knew, but nevertheless considered them as dear relatives and sons coming from the heart of their homeland Palestine. They imagined warmly greeting them,giving them their names, telephone numbers, and email addresses and to make plans in the hope of coming together for another meeting…

The buses that were waiting for us in front of the Ein el-Hilwe camp were overovercrowded. There was not a single space left. Still, youngsters were looking for seats and saying, "Take me with you. I don't want a seat." "I'll stay standing the whole way." "It's unbearable, impossible, that I'll miss seeing dear relatives and from beloved Palestine and to miss having my eyes washed with the sight of the homeland…"

We hesitated, caught between these sentiments and the thought of leaving thembehind. In the end we decided to take an additional bus. Everybody was waiting to hear the news from the brothers from  ADIL in Palestine via the cellular phone, which was covered with telephone numbers. Hours went by, time passedquickly. The temperature outside was hot, but it was even hotter inside the bus as the excitement and enthusiasm continued to increase.

The youngsters were singing national songs as their voices grew louder and their throats opened even wider. They also sang other emotional songs, thirsty for love and happiness. It was theexperience of a lifetime. And then they would ret rn back to think about the purpose of the trip, sitting in silent scrutiny of the sights they passed on the way to the border. Moments later, voices would rise again in national song, at timesinterrupted by questions. Mohammed kept asking, "Where are we now? Others asked,

"Were these occupied areas before? How far is the border from here? Is this area in Lebanon or Palestine?" The cellular rang … complete silence … a voice from Beirut was on the line saying that the brothers in Palestine had already called to inform that they had reached Tabariya (Tiberias) on the way to al-Matalla. Screams and shouts of joy filled the air, and the news was transferred to the other buses. We would reach the border first, which is good because our brothers on the other side would not have to wait under the heavy heat of the sun.

And then we arrived, adjacent to al-Matalla settlement in Palestine. One of the girls named Amanda shouted, "Palestine is exactly like I drew it". The ten-year-old girl had never seen Palestine, but she had imagined what it was like, and set her imagination to paper in a drawing competition on Palestine at the Children and Youth Center in Shatila. The barbed wire fence isthe only thing that separates occupied Palestine and Lebanon.

Everyone was shocked, eyes wide open, as they stared at the homeland. They didn't havewords to describe what they were feeling. Soil is soil, but they wanted to describe the magic and charm of both the ground and the homeland. Palestine was a prisoner of that barbed wire. So many questions were running through the minds of the boys and girls; reaching the edge of their homeland, which they have dreamt and talked about since the day they were born, and seeing it only brought more questions. Hear is the Palestine that they also sing about, and write poems about, even though they had never seen it until today. One of the youngsters shouted, "What will happen if we remove this fence and enter our homeland?"

By now, the cellular phone had taken on a special significance. Everyone was waiting to hear from those in the other side. We moved from place to place, trying to find the best  ocation for the frequency of the phone … here it's good … no, here it's better … watch out, be careful … we shouldn't occupy the line, our people are waiting and they will call us when they arrive …. From time to time someone came to ask if they had called. Embarrassed, we had to answer, "No".

At mid-day the sun was already burning and the face of the children started to become red. Under one of the roofs they gathered and began to dance and sing. Boys and girls joined in
the dabke, dancing to the beat of the drums. Others went up to the upper floors of the building hoping to see those who would be coming from the other side. They looked towards the horizon, hoping to see them from afar. The enemy was not satisfied with one barbed wire fence on either side of the border. Cement blocks, 2 meters high, had been placed at the fence to prevent people from seeing and reaching each other.

All of a sudden, from the top of the building, some started to shout, "They are there, they are coming!" From over the apple trees, we could see the ends of the Palestinian flag playing with the wind … everyone start running toward the 50 cm-concrete fence. Voices and shouts became mixed together. "Wave the flags to let them see us!" "They are coming slowly". In fact we saw nobody. Some of the older youth started to search for ways to see them from behind the trees. One of the youth was sent to check out the view from an unfinished building a little further from the border. "Come, come here," he shouted.

"The view is much better from this building." We brought with us loudspeakers in case we couldn't reach the fence and speak face to face; just as they do in the occupied Golan where the people of Majdal Shams talk to their relatives on the other side of the border in Syria with a loudspeaker.We carefully climbed the five floors, one after the other, holding the hands of the children and checking each floor to see if the view was clear or not. "Yes they are there, not more than 300 meters away." BDAR - naujasis duomenų apsaugos reglamentas

"They are arguing with the enemy soldiers to come close. They must succeed, just to come a little closer so we can see them." "But it seems that it doesn't work." Flags waved without stopping, and through the speakers we sent our warm greetings and welcome to our beloved, dearest brothers from Palestine. We urged them, "Make another try. Try to come closer. Try to speak with them." We tried again, and again, repeating our demand. But to no avail. The matter is not in their hands. More enemy soldiers arrived at the border.

The blood started to boil, and the anger increased. In loud voices and over the megaphone, the youth started calling the descendents of Jerusalem, Jaffa, Hebron, Ramallah, Bethlehem, Safad and Nazareth, Gaza and Jericho, Nablus and Acre, toevery inch of Palestine. "All of our greetings and love!" We shouted loudly, "Remain steadfast, we are with you, the occupation will not separate us, we will liberate Palestine from the dark forces.

The children of the refugee camps in Lebanon, the Lebanese, and the Arab nation, we will not give up, we will continue fighting, victory is coming, if not today then tomorrow, and if not tomorrow, then the day after. We will return, we will be unified, and the families will be together again. We will live freely in peace and dignity on the soil of Palestine, the whole Palestine from the sea to the river. We will have victory over the Zionist enemy. Palestine will be free, independent and it will prosper.

"These words came from the depths of the heart. They were not prepared. They were not for public consumption or the media, but from the heart, expressing the great love, and a pledge to continue the struggle until the liberation and freedom of our kind homeland. We were not sure if the words from our hearts reached the hearts of our people on the other side of the border. We couldn't see the expressions on their faces, just the waving of the flags.

"Good bye, say hi to the whole family, say hi to the whole of Palestine…" We sent these words through the megaphone as they were waving their hands, and we were receiving the same message as they got onto the three big buses and would take our dear ones, and our hearts and feelings, far away to the heart of Palestine. But they are lucky to at least be in Palestine. Filled with sadness, our eyes followed them as they left, hoping we could run behind them just as our eyes followed them into the distance.
Abu Mujahed

Children and Youth Center, Shatila Refugee Camp

Letters from Children in Lebanon at the Sit-In
Marhaba to all of you My name is Ibrahim Khalil. I'm from Saffouri in Palestine. People say my village was so beautiful. I live now in Badawi Refugee camp in northern Lebanon. I'm fourteen years old and I took the brevet [secondary school entrance exam] last year. I'm now sitting-in in front of the UNRWA office because I don't have a place at any secondary school. You know I'm the youngest of my brothers who were all obliged to leave school and support my mother, earning money for our everyday needs. They have put all their hope in me to study and achieve their dream to finish my education.

They always helped me and loved me so I would succeed. They were so happy when I did. But now my family and I are so sad because our only dream is about to be over since I don't have a place at school. Our dream is vanishing and I will end up working like my brothers. Is it fair? I don't want to end up working. All the people in the camp work in the same jobs - construction, electricity and all the menial jobs left for us in Lebanon. These are the only jobs we are allowed to do. I want to go back to school and continue my education and achieve the dream of my family. My mother is always crying because I'm the last one. I'm her hope to get an education. She also doesn't want me to end up doing the same jobs as my brothers. Thank you for helping me to achieve my dream and the dream of my family. I used to feel abandoned but we read your letters I cried because I felt that my dream will come true. It is already true: We are all together. Stay with us and please don't leave us.
Thank you so much.
Ibrahim Khalil
Badawi Camp