Reporting of Federici Studies Center
Life as refugees, the story of Hejar and his family
These days in the Holy Land, the Israelis celebrated their independence and the Palestinians their national tragedy, which we reread through the eyes of Hejar Zghari, refugee in Bethlehem.
A dumpster burns, filling the air with a sour smell. It's a Thursday morning and in the narrow streets of the Dheisha refugee camp, at the gates of Bethlehem, there is almost no one there. Hejar Zghari opens the doors of his home to us, surrounded by other concrete buildings in the camp, populated by 15 thousand Palestinian refugees.
Cheers ha 67 years («I am the first born in my family in the camp»), born in diaspora and raised as a refugee. She graduated here, she got married and became a nurse, mother and grandmother. She appears dressed in traditional clothes and a plate of fruit: Tells: «I am originally from Zakaria, between Ramle and Hebron: ours was a peasant village, there were olive trees, fields cultivated with cereals and orchards. My five brothers were born there. My mother and father had a beautiful house, many animals, rabbits, sheep, goats. When the Zionists arrived they were chased out of the village. Adolescents and young people up to 30-35 years they were taken prisoner. Many of them were killed, a pregnant woman was also murdered. The rest of the village, little more than 1.500 people, he was terrified: they all ran away".
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