Megiddo (2017): Season 1, Episode 2 - Episode #1.2 - full transcript
Is there a chance they're digging here?
-There's always a chance.
It comes from the prisoners'
quest for freedom.
The Hamas cellblock has be
looking for trouble for a few days no
What nerve.
Does the word "abduct" appear here?
-Yes, here. "Abductors."
Go to hell, assholes!
Come out, motherfuckers!
If a search was on.
why would he hide
a dispatch in his pocket?
Couldn't he have gotten rid of it?
Cliff from 41,
ready to move in on Cell 2.
Copy that.
41, permission to move in.
You in the pink, c'mere.
Face the wall.
Leave two soldiers here.
As the cellblock commander
you'll bear the responsibility.
I'm the cellblock commander
and I'll bear the responsibility. -Enough.
Some 6,000 Palestinian political prisoners are
currently being held
in Israeli prisons, mainly from Hamas, Fatah
and the People's Front
Over 1,000 of them are in Megiddo Prison
and are guarded by 300 prison guards
Following the seizure of the dispatch about
thee abduction of a soldier
the electrical appliances in the Hamas
cellblock were confiscated.
In response the prisoners
refuse to leave their cells.
Please go
and tell them there are
enough prison guards,
they can come here
and hand out water, food,
pita,
we don't want to come out.
Your prisoners want
water and food.
I'm telling you,
send out two prisoners
to hand out the food.
I understand.
Call the Intelligence Officer
so we can talk.
Don't want to? No problem.
Call the Intelligence Officer
-No problem. Goo< day.
After the search by Masada
(Prison Service tactical squad)
we shut down the cellblock
and yesterday they told us we're being
punished - lockdown and no visitors.
Cellblocks 6 and 2,
the Hamas cellblocks,
lately we've had to deal with them
too much.
Their spokesman
thinks he runs the prison.
He refused to close his cell door
and decided to shut down
the whole cellblock,
As far as concerned
they can remain restricted all month.
Anyone says anything out of line,
report to me immediately.
Don't let them get
"To the Northern Region Commander:
"We, the prisoners of Cellblock 1
of Megiddo Prison are writing to you
"because we have a problem
with the prison administration.
"The picture was a caricature,
it wasn't meant to be seditious
"and there was no need to confiscate
our appliances.
"We refuse to accept
"this collective punishment.
"We looked for a solution
but the prison administration ignored us.
"We don't want escalation,
we want peace and quiet
"and we hope to solve this problem.
"We ask that you see our request
in a positive light."
This was because of the drawing
of the abducted soldier.
Roll call, folks.
Let’s go, brothers. Roll call.
Good morning.
Ask him why the cellblock
is locked down.
Why the lockdown?
Why the lockdown?
After visiting hours yesterday you said
the cellblock is under lockdown, right?
No, for half a day. Two exercise breaks.
-Two exercise breaks? -That's right.
You don’t run the prison,
this isn't Request Hour.
You have to put us into
the cycle.???
This is unfair, Asher.
What for?
This does nobody any good.
It doesn't help stability.
Watch what you say.
You protested yesterday's search
by locking yourselves in.
You can't lock yourselves
Since you took those measures,
it was decided to lock down the wing
until the case is reconsidered.-When?
Today.
Since you locked yourselves in,
the wing is locked down.
Can the Intelligence Officer come?
Both the Intelligence Officer
and the Operations Officer are coming.
Apparently one terrorist has a gun
and the other has a knife.
It seems there is still a body
lying inside the bus,
I still don't know whose body it is.
There are many troops here...
It's nearly impossible
to keep prisoners
because if you don't afford them
some kind of hope
or ability to live decently,
you push them to the wall because
they feel they have nothing to lose.
We don't Want to do that
and there are people
who'd like to see
these prisoners,
or at least some of them,
in some moldy basement
with heavy weights shackled
to their legs like in the movies,
but we live in a democratic state.
If they deserve benefits
we, I give it to them,
and if we have to get tough,
we'll get tough.
in most cases it works.
After a week of holing up in their cells, the
Hammas prisoners
and the prison administration come to a
conciliation.
Tell me what happened here
over the past week.
Things were very heavy.
Very, very heavy.
I gather Abdel Basset
has been here a while.
Where is he now?
-In Cellblock 2.
He brought the administration here
to calm the men down.
We came to an agreement
that we should respect one another
and solve the problem together
without bringing in troops,
and avoid tension
in the cellblock.
I've spoken Hebrew fluently
for three years now.
I've noticed that both nations
use the same symbols,
the same terms and
the same moral expressions.
It's as if this place we're stuck in
together makes us talk to each other
and learn from each other. It’s our fate
even though we're enemies.
They want our children
to grow up ignorant
but we'll teach the to be charging
warhorses when they need to be,
ready to go to war when necessary,
and not because we're bloodthirsty.
That sounds pretty in our language.
If they have to fight, they should do it
out of a sense of duty, not hatred.
Parade rest.
At this hour of unity,
present here are the members
of the great family of bereavement
and an entire nation stands with them with
a single heart in silence, grief and thanks
before the long rows of stone.
And here we stand,
proud guards in a political prison
which holds terrorists
who wished to take our lives.
"We are from the same village
"The same accent,
what can you say?
"The same accent,
what can you say?
"For we are from the same village
"For we are from the same village
"We are from the same village..."
Searches for seditious material and cell
phones in the prisoners' cells
take place often, usually without warning.
Tactical Force, this is 3.
You may move in now.
3 from TF 1.
The cell is under control.
Is this your cell?
-Yes.
They search for cell phones,
SIM cards and so on.
That's what they wan
It takes at least a day to put the cell
back together. A whole day.
And in the end they don't find a thing.
They find a screw.
That's it, bring them out.
Look what we brought you
at our own expense.
Open the rest of the cells.
Did you write down
who this belongs to?
What? -Did you write down
who this belongs to? -Yes.
You know what this is.
It's a charger for a shaver.
True, they jerry-rigged
the connection,
but they didn't break the rules.
The prisoner can have it back.
Okay? -Yes.
-Copy.
The Fatah cellblock is the second biggest in
the prison.
Although the cellblocks are divided by
affiliation
there's tension between Hamas and Fatah
prisoners.
Zaki Issa
39 years old Prisoner No. 1150236
Leader of the Fatah cellblock
Accused of aiding and abetting hostile acts
Arrested 3 times in 15 years
I've been in prison
for a total of 14 years.
I was first imprisoned
when I was 15.
was released as part of
the Oslo Accords,
then I was imprisoned again.
I was released again under
the Annapolis Accords in 2008
as a gesture toward Abu Mazen (Abbas),
everyone who worked for
the Palestinian Authority
and the security forces
was released as a gesture
toward Abu Mazen.
I was one of them.
I was released in 2008
and imprisoned again in 2010.
"Freedom of Speech Put to the Test"
Abu El Anis,
you want to see the letter
I wrote to the lawyer?
Nasser Awarthani
28 years old Prisoner No. 1183307
Fatah Spokesman in Megiddo Prison
Accused of attempted murder and hostile
acts. Sentenced to 20 years
When he was first arrested his mother was
also arrested
"To Atty, Leah Zemel, greetings.
"I am political prisoner
Nasser Fuad Adel Awarthani.
"I was sentenced to 20 years' imprisonment
and my lawyer wasn't present at the trial.
"They told me I had
the right to appeal
"but the lawyer
didn't submit the appeal
"and while I was in prison my mother
was also under administrative detention
"which had nothing to do
with my case.
"Why did I get such
a harsh sentence? I don't know.
"I hope to God and to you
that you can help me
"and believe me,
as I write this letter
"my eyes fill with tears
because of my situation.
"I hope you can help me."
Hello, -Hey.
Hello. -Hello
-Hi.
Hello. -Hello.
How are you?
-Fine.
Anyway, I have a friend who carried out
an attack... -Yes. Your partner.
Exactly. He carried out a suicide attack
near Azzun Atma,
in Palestinian Authority territory.
Okay, that's one charge.
What's the second?
Remember the boy they caught
at Huwara Checkpoint in 2004?
He was wearing an explosive belt.
Do you remember his name?
-Osama Abdu.
In court and in the indictment I was
mentioned as being in charge of the cell.
I had nothing to do with it.
was a little boy, I didn't know
what interrogation was.
Okay. It's good that you
aren't giving up.
I'm not giving up, but my jail sentence
is taking forever.
Imprisonment is killing me.
All right, Nasser...
-Thinks.
I see if we can overcome
this obstacle.
One things in his favor,
he isn't from a radical organization
He’s no fanatic,
he's only a Fatah member,
which should give him
a better chance of being released
but not even Fatah members
are being released now.
And his behavior in jail is so good
that he's a prisoners' spokesman
so he should have
and even better chance,
but the whole system
is oppressive and discouraging
and pushy
so I don't think a routine
adjutant's committee
will release him.
Can you imagine what it'll be like
the day you're released?
I'll probably faint.
I can't picture it.
Only my mother keeps me going.
If not for my mother I would've
committed suicide long ago.
Do you think I can survive
another nine years here?
it's too much.
You see how we're suffering.
It's hard.
And besides my mom, the other thing
that keeps me going is hope.
My hope that I'll be
released tomorrow.
So, Talal, you're being released
on Thursday, God willing.
And never coming back.
Do you plan to get married right away,
Talal? -God willing.
Meaning? -In May.
The hardest time is right before
you're released.
Yeah, you're always thinking about
the future, what you'll do out there,
you wonder what's changed.
12 years is a long time.
I think that's the hardest part
when you're about to leave.
Talal, will you start working
as soon as you get out?
Not in the meantime.
I don't know what it's like out there.
My mind is elsewhere,
I'm not even thinking about work.
There were rumors that the
Palestinian Authority would employ us.
Abu Madien told me yesterday
that the Authority is taking in
ex-cons 30 aged and over
and employing them.
How much do you make a month?
6,000 shekels.
As a prisoner.
-Yes.
And when you're released it's reduced
to 4,000? -4,300.
Not bad.
Soon by everyone, God willing.
-God willing.
God willing we'll all be released.
How long do you have left, Yihie?
-11 years.
11 years?
That's a long time.
I was sentenced to 17 years.
It'll pass.
Goodbye.
-Bon voyage.
By your leave, friends.
Don't come back.
-I won't.
Goodbye.
-Bon voyage.
That's it.
-Bye. -Bye.
Hey, Talal.
Is that it?
-That's it, I'm out.
Goodbye, Nasser.
-Hey.
Put him
Hello.
What's your name?
-Hamid.
Where do you live?
-Nablus.
Nablus? How old are you?
-30. -30?
Married? -No.
-No? -No.
Everything okay?
-Everything's okay.
Which organization do you belong to?
-None. -None? -None.
Bnei Akiva? -Bnei Akiva.
(Jewish national youth movement)
Everything okay?
-Thank God.
Hello. -Hello, sir.
-How are you?
How are you doing?
Good morning.
Tell everyone to go inside, Sasi.
-Come on, everyone.
The commander asked everyone
to go inside.
This is a good opportunity
to chat with you,
the cellblock spokesmen,
and to hear from you.
There've been some changes
around here.
We switched cellblocks...
If anyone doesn't understand me
I'll talk slower
or someone can translate.
We're asking that this meeting
not be a one-time thing
or once every 6 or 8 months,
we should meet again
we have issues to bring up.
We want to meet
every month or two.
Whenever's good for you.
Okay, we’ll look into it.
Commander, they said
we'd get different kinds of eggs.
They haven’t switched yet. They give us
milk. -I gave you milk instead.
Folks, you won't get soft-boiled eggs
in prison.
There's a virus called salmonella,
and if the eggs aren't
stored properly,
people can get sick,
and I can't send 300 prisoners
to the hospital
because of a virus.
We have prisoners coming in and out
every day. -Right.
And blankets are a big problem.
We have no blankets in the canteen.
They give us the guards' blankets.
I waited two days,
just ask the sergeants,
for Prison Service blankets.
We won't allow blankets
to be brought in
because prohibited objects
were smuggled in in blankets
so that was discontinued.
Sir, I have a TV in my cell
and I spoke to the cellblock commander.
It keeps turning off and on.
Yasser, you have to understand,
we have budgets.
The Prison Service
lives off budgets.
There's a certain annual budget
for televisions.
Ultimately, life is more complicated
than anything else
and we have to survive
until the end of the year.
What's your complaint?
The way the guard treated me.
-Behavior.
Which guard?
-His name is Yossi. I don't know him.
I don't know his last name.
-A guard named Yossi. What did he do?
He said: It’s not enough
that we feed you,
you have to strut your stuff?
He said that to me personally.
He swore at me and I swore back,
that's exactly what happened.
Almost 30 guards came here,
because of that I got
a month of punishment,
four days in solitary,
no TV, no nothing.
No appliances besides
a hot plate.
And I spoke to you
but you didn't understand me.
You didn't help me,
instead you made things harder.
"I spoke to you as the commander
and you made things harder..."
You took away a month of visits
over nothing.
Welcome.
"Spread your arms and fly
from dream to fantasy.
"I am in prison, you are in my liberty,
you are in my imagination,
"hold me close, hug me
and take me in,
"let the tears flow
down your face
"as compassion flows
between you and you
"let this longing flow
when it sees my dreams,
"when I waken to
the golden sunrise,
"remember the events of the past
and hold a white flower."
Let's go, boys,
second round of elections.
You have two hours, you guys.
Bravo, Mahdi.
Once every six months the Hamas prisoners
elect leaders to represent them in prison.
Let's go.
Oudai, Omar, Rabia,
Montasser, Hadi,
laad, Ghazi.
Muhammad Shalalda,
Fathi Shalalda.
Suhaib Radwan, Musab Jdeir,
Ahmed Fuad, Hamam, Amjad.
Aren't you running?
No. -Why not?
I've had enough.
You were elected twice.
-Yeah, but that was enough.
Because you're being released soon?
-Yeah.
I want time to read and write,
I don't want to be busy.
How many men on your list
haven't voted yet?
17, 18, 19, 20, 21.
Well done, dear friends.
Hello.
Hello.
I wrote an X.
Bless you.
May Allah make everything
you do easier.
Time's up, you guys
Brothers, holy warriors,
the vote is over.
"Your life is worthless
if you don't inspire fear,
"you've captured our hearts, martyr
"You taught us perseverance,
we miss you now that you've gone*..."
You'll remain in our hearts, martyr.//'
35.
These are the five elected members
of the committee.
Do us a favor, go call them.
Now? -Yes.
Montasser? Go to the library.
The election committee
wants you there now.
Kuteibeh.
Hello.- They want you
in the library
Well done. -Four members are here,
Tamer is the fifth.
Congratulations.
May Allah reward you.
We'll give your names
to Cellblock 6
and get their names from them.
Wait.
Our families are visiting.
We, the Hamas members,
are being punished.
They're only giving us
a half hour for visits.
The other prisoners
get 45-minute visits
and they hold us back for 15 minutes
and then take us.
Why? We didn't do anything.
It's a political move.
Allah is my help and my redeemer.
Amar Barghouti
63 years old Prisoner No. 7507885
Sentenced to 20 years
Accused of aiding and
abetting enemy activities
Affiliation: Hamas
Last time he was in prison,
he was released in a prisoner exchange
and then arrested a month later
I want to see them.
Greetings.
Hello, hello, my dears.
Hello, big guys.
Welcome. Bless you.
How are you?
Thank God. I really missed you.
Knock on wood.
How's school?
-Fine.
Yes? Bless you.
We're on vacation now. -What?
-We're on vacation. -Oh, okay.
Everyone's grown while I've been away.
How's the olive grove?
-Fine, thank God.
Are the trees okay?
-Yes.
Praise Allah. Knock on wood.
Three minutes.
-We only have three minutes.
Don't worry about me,
I'm fine, thank God.
Bisan, I'm throwing you a kiss.
May Allah protect you.
Up you go.-Move it.
Do you know if someone here
is supposed to be released?
Zaki? The spokesman?
Today?
You've completed your job
as spokesman, Mr. Zaki.
You've been in prison for six years.
I didn't come to you
and say I resign.
Do you agree to him
replacing me?
I didn't ask you that.
-Of course.
finally coming to you
to tell you
it's been fun working with you,
I resign. By your leave,
this is my replacement.
When you tell me you agree
I'll rest assured.
When we needed your help
in Cellblock 7
when we opened the tent wing,
you went to Cellblock 7, Nasser was here
and he did a fine job.
But this is your third term
and there might be a fourth.
No, God willing, there won be.
I'm going home to my family.
That's all that matters.
Is that so, Zaki? Didn't you say that
the first time around?
The first time around I was only 15...
Didn't you say that the second time?
The second time, to be honest,
I did a lot of things
that I deserved to do time for
but this time was really unfair...
Your ideology is stronger
than your willpower and your character
and your families and everything.
Nobody comes back to jail
a third time.
If someone serves three terms
I guarantee he'll come back
for a fourth. -No.
And a fifth. Guaranteed.
Decide which is more important,
your family... -For Sure.
I promised myself
before I promised anyone else
that I won't come back
to jail again.
No way. Never. I've had enough.
I'm almost 39
and I don't have much time left.
Have a good day.
-You too.
If you need anything I'm in my office.
-Thank you.
In Allah's name, knock on wood...
-In Allah's name, knock on wood...
All creation believes in one God...
-All creation believes in one God...
Before we do anything...
-Before we do anything...
We pray for the Prophet...
-We pray for the Prophet...
Before we do anything...
-Before we do anything...
We pray for the Prop
The flowers and the jasmine
are blooming...
We're here to celebrate with you...
Don't come back.
-God willing.
Oh, God...
Welcome back, brothers.
-Bless you.
May you gain fame and
never be imprisoned again.
Control, the release escort
is heading to the checkpoint.
Copy that.
Move back so we can.
let them out.
Be patient, speak to the commander.
Go ahead.
-Here's your dad.
Hello, Uncle Abu Samekh.
Wait a minute. We can’t go in,
they'll shoot us.
He'll come here.
Do you have an ID card? Anything?
-This is all I have.
Go back over there.
Haj, come here.
Tell everyone to move back
or I won't let him out.
Hello? Take him back.
Move back!
Hello.
Back to the fence!
Move back!
Hey, you guys, to the right.
To the right, mister.
Don't cry.
Kiss his hand.
Daddy's back.
Don't cry.
-Let's go.
Let's go, you guys.
This guy's mother died.
I think she was sick or something.
We always saw her
at visiting time.
What's the matter, Jamil?
We just reminded him of her.
Get some water for the bird.
"Say: Allah is one,
the Lord forever,
"He neither gave birth nor was born'
and there is none like Him."
Allah is supreme.
Allah is supreme.
"In the name of Allah the gracious
and merciful, praise almighty Allah,
"the gracious and merciful..
"The way of those on whom
You have bestowed Your Grace,
"not that of those who earned Your anger,
nor of those who went astray."
Amen.
"Who were marked be
your Lord's eyes as trans
"we took the believers
from among them
"and found no devotees among them
but for one family,
"with whom we left a sign
for those who fear severe punishment."
Amen.
Please, Yussef,
if you want to stand there,
move over,
you're disturbing our prayers.
The bird keeps doing
embarrassing things.
Go on, go to sleep.
You'll end up getting us in trouble.
-Hide, it's Commander Saar.
Go on, honey.
Finish up, please.
"Mr. Prime Minister"
Deri is leading
the Shas party again.
It was all just a show
Yeah.
Deri, who was accused of
embezzlement.
He's talking about security.
Who'll be defense minister?
This is Benett...
Is that his daughter?
-Must be his wife.
"Letter from the 11 year old girl
who was wounded in the terror attack in
Samaaria"
Arab citizens flocked to the polls
more than in the past...
Abu Wassel, what do you think
about today's elections?
was asked that question already.
I don't ascribe much importance
to elections,
especially since their campaigns
reveal the true face
of the oppressive occupation.
The prisoners issue, for instance.
We're media fodder
that serves their purposes.
Imagine, Lieberman proposes the death
penalty for Palestinian prisoners.
You won't find a single point
in their campaign platforms
that addresses the future
of the Palestinian people.
They imprison us, break into our houses,
expropriate our land,
They cut off our trees,
defile our mosques,
and then they tell us: "You have
the Palestinian Authority."
Which Palestinian Authority
are you talking about?
Ultimately, Hamas isn't just
a word that can be erased.
To them, Hamas is a monster
living in their subconscious.
Hamas is a bomb, Hamas is scary,
Hamas is a beast...
When someone's walking
on a tightrope
if you tell him "don't fall,"
he'll fall.
Eventually they'll fall and they'll
have to negotiate with Hamas,
even the most minute demands,
because they'll have no choice.
The danger of the high voter
turnout among the Arabs...
The right-wing regime is in danger
Arab voters are thronging
the polls.
The leftist organizations
are bussing them in
they don't want Netanyahu
He got them in trouble
with the whole world.
If Herzog, who's
somewhat moderate, wins,
it'll be the last chance
to make peace
because Abu Mazen has maybe
a year or two or three left,
then may Allah have mercy on him.
He's already 800 years old.
Then there'll never be peace.
Despite all this
there's a certain sense
of achievement tonight
a victory by the Arab sector.
Over 14 mandates, God willing.
Let's say there's a miracle
and the Arab party
led by Ayman Odeh
gets 62 mandates.
Do you think he'd be prime minister?
-No.
why not?
They call this a Jewish state
and you expect a Palestinian
to be prime minister?
But they claim it's a democracy
don't they?
They claim the state is
run by laws, don't they?
The chance of becoming
the third-biggest party in the Parliament
which will influence the government..
I tell you how it'll affect us.
long have you been in prison?
-Four years.
Four years, right?
Name me one prisoner who only served
a third of his sentence. -Nobody.
Nobody, but the minute
there are negotiations
and a government
that wants peace
it'll affect us prisoners, too.
It'll affect our conditions in jail.
When I was imprisoned
I got my first look at Israeli politics
and I started to learn from it.
There's nothing wrong with
learning from the enemy.
The truth is, we'll have
no authority and no government
and Israel will bear
the responsibility for us.
What kind of state
has no sovereignty?
Let Israel bear
the responsibility for us.
We're the only country in the world
living under an occupation.
Even in Africa they broke away
and founded a state.
Before Sudan
and South Sudan separated,
Obama said in one of his speeches:
"I predict that a new state
will arise this year."
We applauded and shouted:
"Praise Allah, he still has
Muslim roots,"
we thought he meant us.
Turns out he meant Sudan.
You think the American president
decides? -Who else?
The Zionist lobby runs the show.
You think the Israeli prime minister
decides?
The Shin Bet runs the show
in Israel.
in court... Don't stare.
That's our problem, when we hear
"Shin Bet" we stare and don't say a word.
Who judges you in court?
The investigator has found you guilty
even before you're tried.
The investigator tells you
what sentence to expect.
He told me before I came to court.
How many Israelis want peace?
73 percent?
I don't remember exactly how many
but I think 73% of Israelis
want peace.
No way. Much less.
Okay, let's say it's 50%.
Does anybody care?
As a Palestinian I want peace,
but the question is,
does the other side want peace?
They suffer even more than we do.
Here it comes.
We’ll know in just a few seconds.
Counting down, 10, 9, 8, 7,
5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
According to the Channel 10 News poll
and Prof. Camil Fuchs,
Israel is divided in two.
A tie between the Likud party
and the Zionist Union,
It's unclear who Israel's
next prime minister will be.
27. Mandates according
to the channel 10 News poll.
We're in a hurry to see...
Netanyahu didn't lose
the right won
the Joint Arab List
the sensation of the elections
is the third biggest party
in Israel
Switch to channel 2.
Bibi! Bibi! Bibi!
Against all odds,
the Likud has won a great victory!
"Don't give up, strive to be
with the Prophet in Paradise..."
It's business as usual here.
-On what do you-base' that?
We're still talking to them
every day,
everything's under control.
The explosive belt was ready to go.
They filmed him speaking,
he sent a message to his family...
He knew he was giving up his life.
"Once upon a time
there were three heroes
"who competed over
who would die first.
"They were persecuted by the tyrants
until they became world-famous..."
We're on a hunger strike.
English: Aryeh Naftaly
Subtitles: Trans Titles Ltc.
-There's always a chance.
It comes from the prisoners'
quest for freedom.
The Hamas cellblock has be
looking for trouble for a few days no
What nerve.
Does the word "abduct" appear here?
-Yes, here. "Abductors."
Go to hell, assholes!
Come out, motherfuckers!
If a search was on.
why would he hide
a dispatch in his pocket?
Couldn't he have gotten rid of it?
Cliff from 41,
ready to move in on Cell 2.
Copy that.
41, permission to move in.
You in the pink, c'mere.
Face the wall.
Leave two soldiers here.
As the cellblock commander
you'll bear the responsibility.
I'm the cellblock commander
and I'll bear the responsibility. -Enough.
Some 6,000 Palestinian political prisoners are
currently being held
in Israeli prisons, mainly from Hamas, Fatah
and the People's Front
Over 1,000 of them are in Megiddo Prison
and are guarded by 300 prison guards
Following the seizure of the dispatch about
thee abduction of a soldier
the electrical appliances in the Hamas
cellblock were confiscated.
In response the prisoners
refuse to leave their cells.
Please go
and tell them there are
enough prison guards,
they can come here
and hand out water, food,
pita,
we don't want to come out.
Your prisoners want
water and food.
I'm telling you,
send out two prisoners
to hand out the food.
I understand.
Call the Intelligence Officer
so we can talk.
Don't want to? No problem.
Call the Intelligence Officer
-No problem. Goo< day.
After the search by Masada
(Prison Service tactical squad)
we shut down the cellblock
and yesterday they told us we're being
punished - lockdown and no visitors.
Cellblocks 6 and 2,
the Hamas cellblocks,
lately we've had to deal with them
too much.
Their spokesman
thinks he runs the prison.
He refused to close his cell door
and decided to shut down
the whole cellblock,
As far as concerned
they can remain restricted all month.
Anyone says anything out of line,
report to me immediately.
Don't let them get
"To the Northern Region Commander:
"We, the prisoners of Cellblock 1
of Megiddo Prison are writing to you
"because we have a problem
with the prison administration.
"The picture was a caricature,
it wasn't meant to be seditious
"and there was no need to confiscate
our appliances.
"We refuse to accept
"this collective punishment.
"We looked for a solution
but the prison administration ignored us.
"We don't want escalation,
we want peace and quiet
"and we hope to solve this problem.
"We ask that you see our request
in a positive light."
This was because of the drawing
of the abducted soldier.
Roll call, folks.
Let’s go, brothers. Roll call.
Good morning.
Ask him why the cellblock
is locked down.
Why the lockdown?
Why the lockdown?
After visiting hours yesterday you said
the cellblock is under lockdown, right?
No, for half a day. Two exercise breaks.
-Two exercise breaks? -That's right.
You don’t run the prison,
this isn't Request Hour.
You have to put us into
the cycle.???
This is unfair, Asher.
What for?
This does nobody any good.
It doesn't help stability.
Watch what you say.
You protested yesterday's search
by locking yourselves in.
You can't lock yourselves
Since you took those measures,
it was decided to lock down the wing
until the case is reconsidered.-When?
Today.
Since you locked yourselves in,
the wing is locked down.
Can the Intelligence Officer come?
Both the Intelligence Officer
and the Operations Officer are coming.
Apparently one terrorist has a gun
and the other has a knife.
It seems there is still a body
lying inside the bus,
I still don't know whose body it is.
There are many troops here...
It's nearly impossible
to keep prisoners
because if you don't afford them
some kind of hope
or ability to live decently,
you push them to the wall because
they feel they have nothing to lose.
We don't Want to do that
and there are people
who'd like to see
these prisoners,
or at least some of them,
in some moldy basement
with heavy weights shackled
to their legs like in the movies,
but we live in a democratic state.
If they deserve benefits
we, I give it to them,
and if we have to get tough,
we'll get tough.
in most cases it works.
After a week of holing up in their cells, the
Hammas prisoners
and the prison administration come to a
conciliation.
Tell me what happened here
over the past week.
Things were very heavy.
Very, very heavy.
I gather Abdel Basset
has been here a while.
Where is he now?
-In Cellblock 2.
He brought the administration here
to calm the men down.
We came to an agreement
that we should respect one another
and solve the problem together
without bringing in troops,
and avoid tension
in the cellblock.
I've spoken Hebrew fluently
for three years now.
I've noticed that both nations
use the same symbols,
the same terms and
the same moral expressions.
It's as if this place we're stuck in
together makes us talk to each other
and learn from each other. It’s our fate
even though we're enemies.
They want our children
to grow up ignorant
but we'll teach the to be charging
warhorses when they need to be,
ready to go to war when necessary,
and not because we're bloodthirsty.
That sounds pretty in our language.
If they have to fight, they should do it
out of a sense of duty, not hatred.
Parade rest.
At this hour of unity,
present here are the members
of the great family of bereavement
and an entire nation stands with them with
a single heart in silence, grief and thanks
before the long rows of stone.
And here we stand,
proud guards in a political prison
which holds terrorists
who wished to take our lives.
"We are from the same village
"The same accent,
what can you say?
"The same accent,
what can you say?
"For we are from the same village
"For we are from the same village
"We are from the same village..."
Searches for seditious material and cell
phones in the prisoners' cells
take place often, usually without warning.
Tactical Force, this is 3.
You may move in now.
3 from TF 1.
The cell is under control.
Is this your cell?
-Yes.
They search for cell phones,
SIM cards and so on.
That's what they wan
It takes at least a day to put the cell
back together. A whole day.
And in the end they don't find a thing.
They find a screw.
That's it, bring them out.
Look what we brought you
at our own expense.
Open the rest of the cells.
Did you write down
who this belongs to?
What? -Did you write down
who this belongs to? -Yes.
You know what this is.
It's a charger for a shaver.
True, they jerry-rigged
the connection,
but they didn't break the rules.
The prisoner can have it back.
Okay? -Yes.
-Copy.
The Fatah cellblock is the second biggest in
the prison.
Although the cellblocks are divided by
affiliation
there's tension between Hamas and Fatah
prisoners.
Zaki Issa
39 years old Prisoner No. 1150236
Leader of the Fatah cellblock
Accused of aiding and abetting hostile acts
Arrested 3 times in 15 years
I've been in prison
for a total of 14 years.
I was first imprisoned
when I was 15.
was released as part of
the Oslo Accords,
then I was imprisoned again.
I was released again under
the Annapolis Accords in 2008
as a gesture toward Abu Mazen (Abbas),
everyone who worked for
the Palestinian Authority
and the security forces
was released as a gesture
toward Abu Mazen.
I was one of them.
I was released in 2008
and imprisoned again in 2010.
"Freedom of Speech Put to the Test"
Abu El Anis,
you want to see the letter
I wrote to the lawyer?
Nasser Awarthani
28 years old Prisoner No. 1183307
Fatah Spokesman in Megiddo Prison
Accused of attempted murder and hostile
acts. Sentenced to 20 years
When he was first arrested his mother was
also arrested
"To Atty, Leah Zemel, greetings.
"I am political prisoner
Nasser Fuad Adel Awarthani.
"I was sentenced to 20 years' imprisonment
and my lawyer wasn't present at the trial.
"They told me I had
the right to appeal
"but the lawyer
didn't submit the appeal
"and while I was in prison my mother
was also under administrative detention
"which had nothing to do
with my case.
"Why did I get such
a harsh sentence? I don't know.
"I hope to God and to you
that you can help me
"and believe me,
as I write this letter
"my eyes fill with tears
because of my situation.
"I hope you can help me."
Hello, -Hey.
Hello. -Hello
-Hi.
Hello. -Hello.
How are you?
-Fine.
Anyway, I have a friend who carried out
an attack... -Yes. Your partner.
Exactly. He carried out a suicide attack
near Azzun Atma,
in Palestinian Authority territory.
Okay, that's one charge.
What's the second?
Remember the boy they caught
at Huwara Checkpoint in 2004?
He was wearing an explosive belt.
Do you remember his name?
-Osama Abdu.
In court and in the indictment I was
mentioned as being in charge of the cell.
I had nothing to do with it.
was a little boy, I didn't know
what interrogation was.
Okay. It's good that you
aren't giving up.
I'm not giving up, but my jail sentence
is taking forever.
Imprisonment is killing me.
All right, Nasser...
-Thinks.
I see if we can overcome
this obstacle.
One things in his favor,
he isn't from a radical organization
He’s no fanatic,
he's only a Fatah member,
which should give him
a better chance of being released
but not even Fatah members
are being released now.
And his behavior in jail is so good
that he's a prisoners' spokesman
so he should have
and even better chance,
but the whole system
is oppressive and discouraging
and pushy
so I don't think a routine
adjutant's committee
will release him.
Can you imagine what it'll be like
the day you're released?
I'll probably faint.
I can't picture it.
Only my mother keeps me going.
If not for my mother I would've
committed suicide long ago.
Do you think I can survive
another nine years here?
it's too much.
You see how we're suffering.
It's hard.
And besides my mom, the other thing
that keeps me going is hope.
My hope that I'll be
released tomorrow.
So, Talal, you're being released
on Thursday, God willing.
And never coming back.
Do you plan to get married right away,
Talal? -God willing.
Meaning? -In May.
The hardest time is right before
you're released.
Yeah, you're always thinking about
the future, what you'll do out there,
you wonder what's changed.
12 years is a long time.
I think that's the hardest part
when you're about to leave.
Talal, will you start working
as soon as you get out?
Not in the meantime.
I don't know what it's like out there.
My mind is elsewhere,
I'm not even thinking about work.
There were rumors that the
Palestinian Authority would employ us.
Abu Madien told me yesterday
that the Authority is taking in
ex-cons 30 aged and over
and employing them.
How much do you make a month?
6,000 shekels.
As a prisoner.
-Yes.
And when you're released it's reduced
to 4,000? -4,300.
Not bad.
Soon by everyone, God willing.
-God willing.
God willing we'll all be released.
How long do you have left, Yihie?
-11 years.
11 years?
That's a long time.
I was sentenced to 17 years.
It'll pass.
Goodbye.
-Bon voyage.
By your leave, friends.
Don't come back.
-I won't.
Goodbye.
-Bon voyage.
That's it.
-Bye. -Bye.
Hey, Talal.
Is that it?
-That's it, I'm out.
Goodbye, Nasser.
-Hey.
Put him
Hello.
What's your name?
-Hamid.
Where do you live?
-Nablus.
Nablus? How old are you?
-30. -30?
Married? -No.
-No? -No.
Everything okay?
-Everything's okay.
Which organization do you belong to?
-None. -None? -None.
Bnei Akiva? -Bnei Akiva.
(Jewish national youth movement)
Everything okay?
-Thank God.
Hello. -Hello, sir.
-How are you?
How are you doing?
Good morning.
Tell everyone to go inside, Sasi.
-Come on, everyone.
The commander asked everyone
to go inside.
This is a good opportunity
to chat with you,
the cellblock spokesmen,
and to hear from you.
There've been some changes
around here.
We switched cellblocks...
If anyone doesn't understand me
I'll talk slower
or someone can translate.
We're asking that this meeting
not be a one-time thing
or once every 6 or 8 months,
we should meet again
we have issues to bring up.
We want to meet
every month or two.
Whenever's good for you.
Okay, we’ll look into it.
Commander, they said
we'd get different kinds of eggs.
They haven’t switched yet. They give us
milk. -I gave you milk instead.
Folks, you won't get soft-boiled eggs
in prison.
There's a virus called salmonella,
and if the eggs aren't
stored properly,
people can get sick,
and I can't send 300 prisoners
to the hospital
because of a virus.
We have prisoners coming in and out
every day. -Right.
And blankets are a big problem.
We have no blankets in the canteen.
They give us the guards' blankets.
I waited two days,
just ask the sergeants,
for Prison Service blankets.
We won't allow blankets
to be brought in
because prohibited objects
were smuggled in in blankets
so that was discontinued.
Sir, I have a TV in my cell
and I spoke to the cellblock commander.
It keeps turning off and on.
Yasser, you have to understand,
we have budgets.
The Prison Service
lives off budgets.
There's a certain annual budget
for televisions.
Ultimately, life is more complicated
than anything else
and we have to survive
until the end of the year.
What's your complaint?
The way the guard treated me.
-Behavior.
Which guard?
-His name is Yossi. I don't know him.
I don't know his last name.
-A guard named Yossi. What did he do?
He said: It’s not enough
that we feed you,
you have to strut your stuff?
He said that to me personally.
He swore at me and I swore back,
that's exactly what happened.
Almost 30 guards came here,
because of that I got
a month of punishment,
four days in solitary,
no TV, no nothing.
No appliances besides
a hot plate.
And I spoke to you
but you didn't understand me.
You didn't help me,
instead you made things harder.
"I spoke to you as the commander
and you made things harder..."
You took away a month of visits
over nothing.
Welcome.
"Spread your arms and fly
from dream to fantasy.
"I am in prison, you are in my liberty,
you are in my imagination,
"hold me close, hug me
and take me in,
"let the tears flow
down your face
"as compassion flows
between you and you
"let this longing flow
when it sees my dreams,
"when I waken to
the golden sunrise,
"remember the events of the past
and hold a white flower."
Let's go, boys,
second round of elections.
You have two hours, you guys.
Bravo, Mahdi.
Once every six months the Hamas prisoners
elect leaders to represent them in prison.
Let's go.
Oudai, Omar, Rabia,
Montasser, Hadi,
laad, Ghazi.
Muhammad Shalalda,
Fathi Shalalda.
Suhaib Radwan, Musab Jdeir,
Ahmed Fuad, Hamam, Amjad.
Aren't you running?
No. -Why not?
I've had enough.
You were elected twice.
-Yeah, but that was enough.
Because you're being released soon?
-Yeah.
I want time to read and write,
I don't want to be busy.
How many men on your list
haven't voted yet?
17, 18, 19, 20, 21.
Well done, dear friends.
Hello.
Hello.
I wrote an X.
Bless you.
May Allah make everything
you do easier.
Time's up, you guys
Brothers, holy warriors,
the vote is over.
"Your life is worthless
if you don't inspire fear,
"you've captured our hearts, martyr
"You taught us perseverance,
we miss you now that you've gone*..."
You'll remain in our hearts, martyr.//'
35.
These are the five elected members
of the committee.
Do us a favor, go call them.
Now? -Yes.
Montasser? Go to the library.
The election committee
wants you there now.
Kuteibeh.
Hello.- They want you
in the library
Well done. -Four members are here,
Tamer is the fifth.
Congratulations.
May Allah reward you.
We'll give your names
to Cellblock 6
and get their names from them.
Wait.
Our families are visiting.
We, the Hamas members,
are being punished.
They're only giving us
a half hour for visits.
The other prisoners
get 45-minute visits
and they hold us back for 15 minutes
and then take us.
Why? We didn't do anything.
It's a political move.
Allah is my help and my redeemer.
Amar Barghouti
63 years old Prisoner No. 7507885
Sentenced to 20 years
Accused of aiding and
abetting enemy activities
Affiliation: Hamas
Last time he was in prison,
he was released in a prisoner exchange
and then arrested a month later
I want to see them.
Greetings.
Hello, hello, my dears.
Hello, big guys.
Welcome. Bless you.
How are you?
Thank God. I really missed you.
Knock on wood.
How's school?
-Fine.
Yes? Bless you.
We're on vacation now. -What?
-We're on vacation. -Oh, okay.
Everyone's grown while I've been away.
How's the olive grove?
-Fine, thank God.
Are the trees okay?
-Yes.
Praise Allah. Knock on wood.
Three minutes.
-We only have three minutes.
Don't worry about me,
I'm fine, thank God.
Bisan, I'm throwing you a kiss.
May Allah protect you.
Up you go.-Move it.
Do you know if someone here
is supposed to be released?
Zaki? The spokesman?
Today?
You've completed your job
as spokesman, Mr. Zaki.
You've been in prison for six years.
I didn't come to you
and say I resign.
Do you agree to him
replacing me?
I didn't ask you that.
-Of course.
finally coming to you
to tell you
it's been fun working with you,
I resign. By your leave,
this is my replacement.
When you tell me you agree
I'll rest assured.
When we needed your help
in Cellblock 7
when we opened the tent wing,
you went to Cellblock 7, Nasser was here
and he did a fine job.
But this is your third term
and there might be a fourth.
No, God willing, there won be.
I'm going home to my family.
That's all that matters.
Is that so, Zaki? Didn't you say that
the first time around?
The first time around I was only 15...
Didn't you say that the second time?
The second time, to be honest,
I did a lot of things
that I deserved to do time for
but this time was really unfair...
Your ideology is stronger
than your willpower and your character
and your families and everything.
Nobody comes back to jail
a third time.
If someone serves three terms
I guarantee he'll come back
for a fourth. -No.
And a fifth. Guaranteed.
Decide which is more important,
your family... -For Sure.
I promised myself
before I promised anyone else
that I won't come back
to jail again.
No way. Never. I've had enough.
I'm almost 39
and I don't have much time left.
Have a good day.
-You too.
If you need anything I'm in my office.
-Thank you.
In Allah's name, knock on wood...
-In Allah's name, knock on wood...
All creation believes in one God...
-All creation believes in one God...
Before we do anything...
-Before we do anything...
We pray for the Prophet...
-We pray for the Prophet...
Before we do anything...
-Before we do anything...
We pray for the Prop
The flowers and the jasmine
are blooming...
We're here to celebrate with you...
Don't come back.
-God willing.
Oh, God...
Welcome back, brothers.
-Bless you.
May you gain fame and
never be imprisoned again.
Control, the release escort
is heading to the checkpoint.
Copy that.
Move back so we can.
let them out.
Be patient, speak to the commander.
Go ahead.
-Here's your dad.
Hello, Uncle Abu Samekh.
Wait a minute. We can’t go in,
they'll shoot us.
He'll come here.
Do you have an ID card? Anything?
-This is all I have.
Go back over there.
Haj, come here.
Tell everyone to move back
or I won't let him out.
Hello? Take him back.
Move back!
Hello.
Back to the fence!
Move back!
Hey, you guys, to the right.
To the right, mister.
Don't cry.
Kiss his hand.
Daddy's back.
Don't cry.
-Let's go.
Let's go, you guys.
This guy's mother died.
I think she was sick or something.
We always saw her
at visiting time.
What's the matter, Jamil?
We just reminded him of her.
Get some water for the bird.
"Say: Allah is one,
the Lord forever,
"He neither gave birth nor was born'
and there is none like Him."
Allah is supreme.
Allah is supreme.
"In the name of Allah the gracious
and merciful, praise almighty Allah,
"the gracious and merciful..
"The way of those on whom
You have bestowed Your Grace,
"not that of those who earned Your anger,
nor of those who went astray."
Amen.
"Who were marked be
your Lord's eyes as trans
"we took the believers
from among them
"and found no devotees among them
but for one family,
"with whom we left a sign
for those who fear severe punishment."
Amen.
Please, Yussef,
if you want to stand there,
move over,
you're disturbing our prayers.
The bird keeps doing
embarrassing things.
Go on, go to sleep.
You'll end up getting us in trouble.
-Hide, it's Commander Saar.
Go on, honey.
Finish up, please.
"Mr. Prime Minister"
Deri is leading
the Shas party again.
It was all just a show
Yeah.
Deri, who was accused of
embezzlement.
He's talking about security.
Who'll be defense minister?
This is Benett...
Is that his daughter?
-Must be his wife.
"Letter from the 11 year old girl
who was wounded in the terror attack in
Samaaria"
Arab citizens flocked to the polls
more than in the past...
Abu Wassel, what do you think
about today's elections?
was asked that question already.
I don't ascribe much importance
to elections,
especially since their campaigns
reveal the true face
of the oppressive occupation.
The prisoners issue, for instance.
We're media fodder
that serves their purposes.
Imagine, Lieberman proposes the death
penalty for Palestinian prisoners.
You won't find a single point
in their campaign platforms
that addresses the future
of the Palestinian people.
They imprison us, break into our houses,
expropriate our land,
They cut off our trees,
defile our mosques,
and then they tell us: "You have
the Palestinian Authority."
Which Palestinian Authority
are you talking about?
Ultimately, Hamas isn't just
a word that can be erased.
To them, Hamas is a monster
living in their subconscious.
Hamas is a bomb, Hamas is scary,
Hamas is a beast...
When someone's walking
on a tightrope
if you tell him "don't fall,"
he'll fall.
Eventually they'll fall and they'll
have to negotiate with Hamas,
even the most minute demands,
because they'll have no choice.
The danger of the high voter
turnout among the Arabs...
The right-wing regime is in danger
Arab voters are thronging
the polls.
The leftist organizations
are bussing them in
they don't want Netanyahu
He got them in trouble
with the whole world.
If Herzog, who's
somewhat moderate, wins,
it'll be the last chance
to make peace
because Abu Mazen has maybe
a year or two or three left,
then may Allah have mercy on him.
He's already 800 years old.
Then there'll never be peace.
Despite all this
there's a certain sense
of achievement tonight
a victory by the Arab sector.
Over 14 mandates, God willing.
Let's say there's a miracle
and the Arab party
led by Ayman Odeh
gets 62 mandates.
Do you think he'd be prime minister?
-No.
why not?
They call this a Jewish state
and you expect a Palestinian
to be prime minister?
But they claim it's a democracy
don't they?
They claim the state is
run by laws, don't they?
The chance of becoming
the third-biggest party in the Parliament
which will influence the government..
I tell you how it'll affect us.
long have you been in prison?
-Four years.
Four years, right?
Name me one prisoner who only served
a third of his sentence. -Nobody.
Nobody, but the minute
there are negotiations
and a government
that wants peace
it'll affect us prisoners, too.
It'll affect our conditions in jail.
When I was imprisoned
I got my first look at Israeli politics
and I started to learn from it.
There's nothing wrong with
learning from the enemy.
The truth is, we'll have
no authority and no government
and Israel will bear
the responsibility for us.
What kind of state
has no sovereignty?
Let Israel bear
the responsibility for us.
We're the only country in the world
living under an occupation.
Even in Africa they broke away
and founded a state.
Before Sudan
and South Sudan separated,
Obama said in one of his speeches:
"I predict that a new state
will arise this year."
We applauded and shouted:
"Praise Allah, he still has
Muslim roots,"
we thought he meant us.
Turns out he meant Sudan.
You think the American president
decides? -Who else?
The Zionist lobby runs the show.
You think the Israeli prime minister
decides?
The Shin Bet runs the show
in Israel.
in court... Don't stare.
That's our problem, when we hear
"Shin Bet" we stare and don't say a word.
Who judges you in court?
The investigator has found you guilty
even before you're tried.
The investigator tells you
what sentence to expect.
He told me before I came to court.
How many Israelis want peace?
73 percent?
I don't remember exactly how many
but I think 73% of Israelis
want peace.
No way. Much less.
Okay, let's say it's 50%.
Does anybody care?
As a Palestinian I want peace,
but the question is,
does the other side want peace?
They suffer even more than we do.
Here it comes.
We’ll know in just a few seconds.
Counting down, 10, 9, 8, 7,
5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
According to the Channel 10 News poll
and Prof. Camil Fuchs,
Israel is divided in two.
A tie between the Likud party
and the Zionist Union,
It's unclear who Israel's
next prime minister will be.
27. Mandates according
to the channel 10 News poll.
We're in a hurry to see...
Netanyahu didn't lose
the right won
the Joint Arab List
the sensation of the elections
is the third biggest party
in Israel
Switch to channel 2.
Bibi! Bibi! Bibi!
Against all odds,
the Likud has won a great victory!
"Don't give up, strive to be
with the Prophet in Paradise..."
It's business as usual here.
-On what do you-base' that?
We're still talking to them
every day,
everything's under control.
The explosive belt was ready to go.
They filmed him speaking,
he sent a message to his family...
He knew he was giving up his life.
"Once upon a time
there were three heroes
"who competed over
who would die first.
"They were persecuted by the tyrants
until they became world-famous..."
We're on a hunger strike.
English: Aryeh Naftaly
Subtitles: Trans Titles Ltc.