Paradise Now

"Said: I was born in a refugee camp. I was allowed to leave the west Bank only once. I was 6 at the time and needed surgery. Life here is like life imprisonment. The crimes of the occupation are countless. The worst crime of all is to exploit the people's weaknesses and turn them into collaborators. By doing that, they not only kill the resistance, they also ruin families, ruin their dignity, and ruin an entire people. When my father was executed, I was 10 years old. He was a good person. But he grew weak. For that, I hold the occupation responsible. They must understand that if they recruit collaborators, they must pay the price for it. A life without dignity is worthless. Especially when it reminds you day after day, of humiliation and weakness. And the world watches cowardly, indifferently. If you're all alone, faced with this oppression... you have to find a way to stop the injustice. They must understand that if there's no security for us there'll be none for them either. It's not about power. Their power doesn't help them. I tried to deliver this message to them but I couldn't find another way. Even worse, they've convinced the world and themselves that they are the victims. How can that be? How can the occupier be the victim? If they take on the role of oppressor and victim then I have no other choice but to also be a victim and a murderer as well. I don't know how you'll decide, but I will not return to the refugee camp."

"Suha: Why are you doing this? Khaled: If we can't live as equals, at least we'll die as equals. Suha: If you can kill and die for equality you should be able to find a way to be equal in life. Khaled: How? Through your human rights group? Suha: For example! Then at least the Israelis don't have an excuse to keep on killing. Khaled: Don't be so naive. There can be no freedom without struggle. As long as there is injustice, someone must make a sacrifice. Suha: That's no sacrifice. That's revenge. If you kill, there's no difference between victim and occupier."