They sit and follow the drama from student dormitories at United World College in Fjaler. Miriam Mebrot Mehari is Israeli and Ismail Ismail is Palestinian. The two neighbours, in more ways than one, are distraught over what is happening. – I think it is a great tragedy. Neither Israeli nor Palestinian civilians should have to go through something like this, says Miriam. 18-year-old Ismail is Palestinian and lives in southern Lebanon, 16-year-old Miriam is from Israel. Photo: Oddmund Reisæter Haugen / news – This is so terrible that no one in the whole world should have to experience something like this. On her right sits the young Palestinian. – I am upset about what is happening right now. Upset about all the innocent civilians who have lost and who are losing their lives right now on both sides, says Ismail. Follows all news broadcasts In peaceful Fjaler, the two young people can meet and talk about what is happening in their homeland. But the war and fear for family and friends are never far away. Ismail says that he follows all news broadcasts. That’s time he should rather spend on schoolwork. – I call home every morning to make sure that everyone is okay. I follow all the news. It takes a lot of time and energy, but I have to make sure that they are doing well at home. The conflict between Israel and Hamas continues to escalate. Israel yesterday asked 1.1 million Palestinians to flee northern Gaza and warned of missile attacks. The camp in the picture is at the southern end. Photo: MOHAMMED ABED / AFP The 18-year-old is still very disappointed with how the international community is handling the conflict. – They have only rushed to choose sides and say who has the right to do what and who has the right to defend themselves, instead of working towards a solution or a ceasefire. In the meantime, the fighting continues, and 1.1 million people have been told to flee south to the Gaza Strip. – I hope the war will end. That people should stop killing each other. I hope and it is possible to come to an agreement that everyone can accept, says Ismail. Support each other In Fjaler, the two, who in their homeland had been on opposite sides in the bloody conflict, now seek support from each other. – We ask each other every day if everything is going well. Here we have the opportunity to meet each other in a respectful and calm manner. Something that I greatly appreciated, says Miriam. The two think a lot about how to talk about the war both with each other and with their fellow students. The two young people both attend the international school UWC in Fjaler. Photo: Linn Haug Eide – When I talk to Miriam, for example, it is important to remember, as she herself says, that she only represents herself and not the actions of the government and the army in her homeland, says Ismail. – When I talk to others, I am concerned that they should know that their political point of view actually applies to my life and the lives of others and is not just a story, says Miriam. The 16-year-old says he feels that they are surrounded by people who love them and take care of them. Both hope that the bloody conflict will soon end. – I hope that both Palestinians and Jews in Palestine get equal rights and learn to live together. Because I think that is the only possible solution, says Ismail.
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On either side of the bloody conflict in the homeland – here are the friends – news Vestland
