The boys from Hebron
Jan Grarup
Rapho
A story from an ultra rightwing Jewish community in the occupied West Bank. 450 deeply religious Jews live in the centre of Hebron. The vast majority of them are immigrants from the US and Canada. Like the boys from Ramallah, the Jewish sons are convinced of their right to fight for what they believe in. The boys from Hebron feel that Hebron belongs to them, for religious reasons - in spite of the fact that they are surrounded by 130,000 Palestinians whom the Jewish boys used to attack with slings, the Palestinians’ own weapon – and more recently, out of arrogance, due to the fact that the Israeli army is in control of the entire city.
Preview
The boys go to school in a nearby settlement, which is a stronghold for the orthodox Jews and heavily guarded. Away from the frontlines and the bloody fighting, they lead normal lives, playing sports and games like all other kids. At the same time they fight a war belonging to adults, a war they truly don’t understand. What makes them - and the Palestinian boys - join the fight as children and go into armed conflict when they grow up? The answer to that question is of universal interest.
It is difficult to get very close to the deeply religious Jewish community in Hebron. It is a closed and suspicious community because these people have been criticized by everyone for years, without any kind of understanding. I spent time telling them about my intentions and getting them to trust me, not to do a "pro" story, but to try and understand. It is not possible to photograph without their trust and confidence. Also, it would not be interesting, because I want to show what is not immediately visible. My aim has been to show different, more personal aspects of life in this small community, just as I have already followed the boys from Ramallah, since the conflict started in September 2000. Time and trust are essential preconditions for telling the story about the people involved in this bloody conflict. That was also the case in Ramallah, where life behind the frontline turned out to be the key to some kind of understanding.
Are these boys plain evil or a product of an adult influence and education in their early age? When from age 5 do call the Oslo peace agreement the "Oslo war" and Sharon a left wing traitor ?
