Captive (2016) s01e06 Episode Script
Bethleham Siege, Palestine
[chattering.]
[woman on TV.]
In Bethlehem, a standoff around the Church of the Nativity has been continuing all day.
Palestinian gunmen are among some 200 people believed to be taking refuge inside the world-famous church.
Israeli soldiers outside [man.]
We knew that the toughest terrorists in Bethlehem are now in a so-called jail.
[man speaking Hebrew.]
It's not a house with three hostages in the center of Tel Aviv that you can destroy or break into it.
But it's just a matter of time.
[man.]
I would prefer to die than to surrender.
We will die inside, but we will never surrender.
- [shouting.]
- [sirens wailing.]
[speaking Hebrew.]
I knew that my wife had taken the kids to Jerusalem.
And there was a bloody attack in the city.
The entire phone system collapsed.
I tried to call my wife and children, and I couldn't make contact.
That can drive a man crazy.
You don't know what to think, what you'll find out.
Whether any of your family members were killed.
That's how people felt.
Terrorists blowing themselves up everywhere.
In your home, in your backyard, in a hotel, a cinema, a supermarket.
It was unbearable.
[sirens wailing.]
March was a very, very bloody month.
We've lost, in one month, 135 people.
Mainly civilians.
Mainly from suicide bombing.
The last straw was Passover in Netanya, Park Hotel when a suicide bomber came into the ceremony of Passover, detonated himself, killed 30 people.
[speaking Hebrew.]
I felt that we must do something about this, any campaign that would reduce terrorist activity and minimize damage.
Not necessarily war, but to stop the terrorism.
This is our country, we must be able to move freely in it, to feel safe.
- [camera shutters clicking.]
- [chattering.]
[Avi Dichter.]
That night, we had a meeting of the Cabinet and Prime Minister Sharon decided to launch the Defensive Shield Operation.
The idea was to invade, by military force, to all areas to include Bethlehem in order to arrest or to kill the terrorists.
[speaking Hebrew.]
This terrorism is directed by one man, the Palestinian chairman, Yasser Arafat.
Arafat is heading a terrorist coalition and operating a terrorism strategy.
The head of the Palestinian Authority is Israel's enemy and the enemy of the free world.
They maybe don't define themselves as terrorists, but they are, definitely.
According to our perspective and to the law, they are terrorists.
[speaking Arabic.]
[rapid gunfire.]
[continues speaking Arabic.]
It's a war.
It's a war.
In the war you don't know what could happen.
If it was suicide in Netanya how many rockets have been landed in Bethlehem, Ramallah, Nablus, Jenin, Gaza? How many thousands of children, women, old people, have been killed from this rocket? One ton, each one.
They threw it at civilian people.
It's a war.
[speaking Arabic.]
I have chosen to fight because I am human.
Because I want to live like a human.
I refuse to live like an animal.
I refuse to live broken.
I refuse to live under occupation.
This feeling will never change until we restore all our lands and live in peace like the rest of the world.
[speaking Hebrew.]
As the soldiers arrived on Friday morning, I saw them scrambling to be first to get their vests and weapons so as not to miss this fight to protect their home.
And so we went off to war for Operation Defensive Shield with the intention of defending our home.
That's our guiding light.
[man on TV.]
It began at dawn when Israeli armored vehicles and bulldozers rumbled through the deserted streets [man 2.]
Israel's Operation Defensive Shield seems to be far from over [woman.]
Dozens of Israeli tanks are reported to have entered the West Bank towns of Bethlehem and Qalqilya hours after Israel's prime minister vowed to crush a terror campaign We were watching the Israeli reinforcements building up all around east, west, south, north of Bethlehem.
We saw lots of tanks, lots of military jeeps.
Lots of soldiers were around the city.
- [muffled gunfire.]
- [chattering.]
[metal clattering.]
We had tried to stop the Israeli army to come inside our city.
[tanks advancing.]
[Rami Hacham in Hebrew.]
Our orders were very clear.
To enter the Palestinian cities apprehend the terrorists, kill anyone who fires at us and gets in the way of our job.
Destroy the terrorist infrastructure and hurt anyone trying to hurt our troops.
[man on TV.]
Rifle fire echoed off the walls of Bethlehem this morning, and helicopter gunships look for targets in Manger Square, next to the Church of the Nativity.
[man speaking Arabic.]
Myself, Nassar, Ibrahim and Hamad we were all the guys fighting.
[Jihad Ja'ara.]
I looked to Rami at the side of me, and I got happy.
I was a little bit afraid.
I got, like, proud.
To be or not to be.
Live or die.
And to die for my country, it will be honor and dignity Myself and all my friends.
[speaking Hebrew.]
We attacked Bethlehem from several directions.
They completely sieged the whole town of Bethlehem.
[speaking Hebrew.]
Once you attack from east to west on the three main streets you reach the church, you've taken Bethlehem.
[shouting.]
[explosion.]
[gunfire.]
We are shooting with the Kalashnikov, with M16, but they are, like, with the huge machine, with the tank, with the helicopter.
Then I got shot in my leg.
We don't want to leave him behind us because he was, like us, one of the most wanted guys.
They want him.
Some guys, they rang us.
They said, "We are in the Nativity Church.
Guys, come to the church.
" But the problem is not to go to Nativity Church.
The problem is the few meters, how you will move.
[gunfire.]
[shouting.]
[Ja'ara.]
I told them, "Just leave me here and run for your life.
" "No, we live together, or we die together.
" Then, I remember Father Ibrahim Faltas welcoming us inside the Nativity Church.
He said "Son, now you are [stammers.]
in the God house.
And we will protect you as much as we can.
" [shouting.]
[gunfire in distance.]
[Ibrahim Faltas speaking Arabic.]
All of them were carrying weapon and they had this idea they could drive the occupiers out of the country.
But they were still people.
And we believe that all people are created in God's image.
[Rami Kamel.]
When I got to the church, the first thing I prayed.
I felt safe, you know, in God's house.
Late today, Palestinian fighters forced their way into a place that to Christians all around the world symbolizes peace.
Tonight, there's no peace there.
Let's go live to CNN's chief international correspondent, Christiane Amanpour in Jerusalem.
Christiane, what is the latest from Bethlehem? Well, Paul, the situation in the Church of the Nativity, the birthplace of Jesus Christ, we're being told by Palestinians inside that what happened was many Palestinians, men and others, including families, apparently went in there to seek sanctuary [rapid gunfire.]
We knew that those terrorists might use the Church of Nativity.
It's, uh more sensitive than any other place in the region.
[speaking Hebrew.]
It's not a house with three hostages in the center of Tel Aviv that you can destroy or break into.
It's a big issue.
It was discussed with Prime Minister Sharon, with the defense minister.
It was discussed in the Cabinet, what should be done.
[man on TV.]
Israel claims up to 30 Palestinian gunmen are still inside.
There are also some 200 other priests, nuns and police officers who are running short of food and water.
We understood it's a worldwide problem that we, Israel, we have to to see how it can be solved without getting hurt amongst the priests, among the innocent people there.
- [gunfire in distance.]
- [chattering.]
[speaking Arabic.]
I have lived in Dheisheh refugee camp ever since I was born.
We were at home when it was invaded.
It was an intense assault from all the roads.
So there was no option but to flee to the church.
We thought it would be the safest place for us to flee to.
- We knocked on the door of the church.
- [knocking on door.]
- [door opens and closes.]
- Father Ibrahim opened it and let us in, offered us protection.
He closed the door and said, "Don't be afraid.
You are safe now.
" The most important thing for them was to find somewhere safe.
The church was always the safest place during these times.
Over the ages, it has always been the safest place.
[explosions in distance.]
[chattering.]
We entered the church at about 7:00, 7:30.
The governor of Bethlehem called Chairman Arafat, and he informed him that we are inside the Church of the Nativity.
Mr.
Arafat said, "Okay, you will stay there, and you will not leave until the problem will be solved.
" All of them were looking for what's going to be This was the main question, "What's going to be?" "That the Israelis will attack the church? That they will kill us all? What's going to be?" After I prayed, I went to look where is Jihad.
Rami came and he hugged me, and he kissed me.
[Kamel.]
He was very cold.
I thought Jihad will die because he bled a lot.
[Kamel speaking Arabic.]
There was, really, really, like, the feeling, "I'm done.
" [Kamel.]
You're looking at your friend injured beside you, your heart is breaking.
[Ja'ara.]
All my clothes are wet, so he give me his clothes to become warm.
[men speaking Arabic.]
I tell them, "Change Jihad's clothes and put him in carpet and roll him.
Maybe he will make it.
" [gunfire in distance.]
[explosion in distance.]
We sit.
The guys together, we sit.
We said, "What's next?" We're still fighting.
We're still resisting.
We didn't give up.
To be alive in that moment, that's you winning.
[man.]
The standoff continues in Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity, where as many as 200 Palestinians have taken refuge inside.
The ancient city itself has become a battle zone.
[gunfire.]
[man on TV.]
An intense gun battle early this morning at the Church of the Nativity, on the site where Christians believe Jesus was born, where tonight, some 200 Palestinians and 60 clergy remain trapped by Israeli soldiers intent on capturing the gunmen holed up inside [bell tolling.]
I ask Israel to halt incursions into Palestinian controlled areas and begin the withdrawal from those cities it has recently occupied.
I speak as a committed friend of Israel.
I speak out of a concern for its long-term security.
We weren't surprised to hear certain calls, voices to deal with it carefully.
We had many advices to give up But we insisted to arrest them.
It was no choice, option, but to solve it by negotiations.
From that minute, we operated in this case as a hostages situation.
Not to use force.
To use a negotiation.
I knew Colonel Lotan as a young soldier.
He has personal skills.
Very smart, very open.
So I chose him to lead the negotiations.
[man.]
We arrived to the nearest square to the Church of Nativity.
We understand some names that are inside.
We call them.
We spoke with them.
[men speaking Arabic.]
[indistinct chatter on headphones.]
[Lior Lotan.]
From that, we've learned a lot of information about who's inside.
We wanted that all terrorists that were inside, involved with a practical terror activity, backed by a solid intelligence, will be arrested and brought to trial in Israel.
[man chattering on cell phone.]
Israel called us by telephone.
I talked to Anton Salman, and I said, "I need to get an agreement with the people inside to convince them to give up their dreams, demands, wishes, desires and to follow my direction.
They need to surrender.
Not by force, but by an agreement.
" Why surrender? Why? Israel entered to Bethlehem, not Bethlehem went to Israel.
They came.
Why to give them ourselves? [Salman speaking Arabic on phone.]
[Salman in English.]
Yes, I'm saying this.
I am Palestinian.
And the people who side with me, they are Palestinians.
They are my people.
[Faltas.]
Jihad's leg was very badly wounded.
He could have died.
[Kamel.]
His leg, from both sides, was completely open.
His bones were completely mashed.
He was in bad pain.
[sighs.]
We all see this.
[Ja'ara.]
I talked to my mother, and I told her "Mom, the Israelis are asking me to surrender.
And they're offering me, if I will surrender, I will have treatment in the hospital.
" She told me, "If you surrender, I will cut my breast My breast, the one that fed you and gave you milk, if you surrender.
And I will never ever be proud of you.
So don't ever think about it.
" I was born in the refugee camp in Arroub between Bethlehem and Hebron in 1971.
We become a refugee because the Israelis took our home.
Even as a child, I feel I need to fight.
"Why I live in this disaster area? In a refugee camp?" I was sent to the Israeli jail for seven years.
And the reason, because I was throwing stone.
It was three days before I become 13 years old.
It's like you live in a black tunnel, alone.
- [gunshot.]
- [indistinct shouting.]
[shouting in Arabic.]
[Ja'ara.]
To put a child to throw stone to the Israeli tank Tank! What a stone will do to a tank? To punish for seven years inside a jail? I'm always telling my brother Rami I told Rami, "You are lucky you haven't been to jail.
" And Rami tells me, "Oh, but, Jihad, you know, we're always saying that jail's for the man.
'" I told him, "Rami, that's because we lie to ourselves to keep us strong.
Jail will kill the man.
" I will prefer to die than to surrender to the Israeli army.
We will be forever in the prison.
And no chance to be in the Israeli jail again.
[speaking Arabic.]
We may never see our families again, but in the end, a freedom fighter must make a choice.
[man on TV.]
The standoff here is central to the immediate future of this entire city.
Until it's resolved, Israeli troops will remain on the streets.
The whole civilian population will remain under military curfew.
So with the siege of the Church of the Nativity still unresolved, there remains no food for the thousands who live around it.
For the people who live here, such moments have become routine.
This woman said, "We're trapped in our houses.
We have nothing to eat.
" [Lotan.]
The pressure became heavier every day.
The pressure from some Israeli that says, "Don't talk to them.
Don't negotiate with them.
You need to kill them all.
" There are other pressures from the Holy Church in the Vatican, that they, of course, are concerned about the sensitivity of these compounds.
[man on TV.]
The sensitivity of the use of the church as a battleground has led to a propaganda war between the two sides.
I meant what I said to the prime minister of Israel.
I expect there to be a withdrawal without delay.
The pressure was about the time.
You know, as long as this situation was a crisis reported all over the world.
There was a pressure from outside to solve it.
From Washington to the Vatican to London to whatever.
[Lotan.]
We did anything we can just to make them really believe, that if you will decide to surrender, your condition will be better.
If not, your condition will be worse [gunfire.]
[woman on TV.]
There is violence at the Church of the Nativity almost every night now.
The Israelis fire sound grenades.
[explosion.]
They blast loud recordings.
[alarm blaring.]
Anything they can to drive out the people inside.
[Faltas speaking Arabic.]
They passed around the wall with a microphone emitting high-pitched animal sounds to prevent anyone from sleep.
[speaking Hebrew.]
We made special noises in order to stress them out.
[loud screeching.]
So they understand there's no playing games with us.
The terrorists who went to the hangout in the church are not children.
They had blood on their hands.
[Faltas speaking Arabic.]
You might sleep for 5 minutes then a sound bomb would be fired, then you'd jump out of bed.
I mean, the sound bombs were the most horrible of tactics they used.
[explosion.]
Of course, when you hear a sound bomb, you'd think they'd come in, they'd stormed the church.
They were all scared.
Scared of prison.
Scared of the Israeli soldiers.
Scared that they would be sent back to prison.
[water boiling.]
After only two or three days, there was no more food left.
[watch ticking.]
We'd pick leaves off a tree, light a fire, boil the leaves in water and drink it.
[Kamel.]
I was starving.
I called my mother and "Hi, Mother, how you doing? What are you eating?" I told her, "Mother, we're eating today maqlooba.
" I cannot tell my mother, "Mother, I'm hungry.
" [man speaking Arabic.]
We craved anything that would fill our stomachs, anything to keep us going.
[Hacham in Hebrew.]
We knew that the terrorists would break.
How long can you be under siege? Another week, another two weeks? Ultimately, you vomit from your own smell.
The Israeli army has the technology to introduce a weapon that fires by remote control.
[chattering on radio.]
When we identified them, whether it was in the window or another place, we had snipers around, allowed to shoot them.
And by doing it, actually, it was part of squeezing them, creating pressure on them in order to convince them to surrender.
[speaking Arabic.]
It was risky to collect leaves, and whenever someone announced that they were going out to bring us food, we knew that they might come back, or they might not.
[speaking Hebrew.]
It works amazingly well.
It's intimidating.
If I were in a church and saw a sniper rifle moving like a robot overhead on a crane, I wouldn't be able to breathe.
We could see on the cameras overhead who is a terrorist and who is a civilian.
You can tell by the movement of the terrorist trying not to be seen.
Especially if he's armed.
A terrorist who fears for his life, who killed innocent Israelis, knows that he's in our sights.
He behaves differently.
[scope whirring.]
He can't help it.
- [speaks Arabic.]
You hear a shot.
- [gunshot.]
A guy called Hassan, from Gaza, was shot.
He was shouting, "Please help me! For God's sake.
" He said a prayer while he was bleeding.
There was no alternative while you were there but to watch what was happening in front of you.
Whenever I want to sleep or just sit on my own with my thoughts, the memories flood back to me.
[explosions.]
[man.]
In the morning, the first martyr came and there was things to do.
Important where to put the body.
How to think "What shall we do with that?" After another maybe two, three days, they shot another one.
The snipers, they shot him from the crane.
He died straightaway.
You know, the conditions in the church, were not so convenient.
[chuckles.]
Without going into too much details.
That's why I believed that the time is in our favor.
[radio static crackling.]
It was a matter of being patient, waiting for the surrender.
[chattering.]
We asked that there is a need to take the bodies from the church, because it's dangerous to stay inside the church.
And from there, we began negotiating with the Israelis.
[man on TV.]
There has just been 45 minutes of sustained explosions around the church, for which both sides blame each other for starting.
In an impromptu news conference, Mr.
Arafat furiously denounced the Israelis as terrorists for firing towards the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem.
He forgot that entering a church, which is a holy place, by armed people, is a violation of the religious code and the norms of behavior.
[chattering.]
[Lotan.]
When the siege became to be long enough, it was obvious that the Palestinian Authority will send a committee.
One of the names was the name of Mr.
Salah Tamari.
Salah Tamari was captured by the IDF in 1982 and spent many months under captivity.
He was a member of the Palestinian Parliament.
We wanted to bring to the table his approach as a military person speaking to other military persons' enemy sides that negotiate safe passage of the innocent people from the siege and arresting and bringing to justice the wanted people inside.
Earlier in the day, Israeli and Palestinian negotiators met for the first time to talk about ending the standoff at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem.
Bethlehem, to me, is the capital of the world and the bridge of salvation for humanity.
It's a village a humble village.
And yet skyscrapers in London, Washington, everywhere they seek Bethlehem's blessing.
[Lotan.]
Salah Tamari was very impressive.
No doubt it is by his personality, his appearance I was very confident that he was pragmatic enough and he's not seeking for using this siege or this theater for other cause than to solve it peacefully.
We met him downstairs to express our honor and our basic approach to him.
He was very committed to his people and to his position as their leader.
I just wanted to free the Bethlehem area from the horrors of the church siege.
[Lotan.]
The basic trade was, "We will let you evacuate the two bodies, if you will let nine youngsters to go out.
We will guarantee the safe passage to their families and home.
" I didn't want the Israelis to spread rumors that there are kids kidnapped and they are under the siege in the church by older Palestinians.
So it was very important to have them released.
[Lotan speaking Arabic on loudspeaker.]
[Lotan speaking Hebrew.]
All Israeli Forces Nine men and two bodies will exit the church.
Hold your fire.
[speaking Arabic.]
We were only small, of course, and the coffins were heavy because we'd made them out of wood and other stuff.
[Lotan in Hebrew.]
They should stand by the wall.
Lift their shirts.
[soldier in Arabic on loudspeaker.]
You, first on the right, come closer.
Lift your shirt, please.
Turn around.
[Lotan in Hebrew.]
Tell them to stay where they are.
[men speaking Arabic.]
- Everything okay? - Yeah.
[speaking Hebrew.]
It's the best sight you could wish for.
Children, they're children.
[speaks Arabic.]
Fouad? Welcome, Fouad.
How are you? [Fouad.]
The army jeep went inside the camp and delivered me to my front door.
[car horn honks.]
I sat down at home, my mom asked me straightaway what I wanted to eat.
[speaking Arabic.]
Kunafa, strands of pastry with sugar, something like that.
Something sweet that's baked.
It came to my mind because when I was in the church, I thought about it a lot.
I used to eat it a lot when I was young.
So she made it and I ate it.
[dogs barking in distance.]
[Kamel.]
Nidal Abayat He was a very strong and stubborn freedom fighter.
He never missed a prayer.
He was very happy.
Very handsome guy.
Tall, full of life.
[chattering on radio.]
At around six o'clock in the morning, Nidal, he gets ready for the prayer.
He went back to his spot to do the prayer.
When he crossed, it was How to tell you? Just a very tiny piece in the roof was opened.
[chattering on radio.]
He shot him exactly in his heart.
I reach him but nothing, you know.
[Ja'ara.]
It's like a big grave.
It was for us.
Not a jail, it's a big grave.
[men speaking Arabic.]
Pressure was really mounting.
There were clashes, deaths, in the last days.
Someone was killed or injured every day.
People would say, "Why did we do that? Why do we have to sit? Why do we have to be here? We want to leave!" [men speaking Arabic.]
[Ja'ara.]
A few people, they jumped from the window from the Nativity Church, and they surrendered to the Israeli army, because they're afraid to die.
They don't like to die.
They like to eat.
[gunfire in distance.]
We were facing a very hard time.
People were afraid.
There was no food.
[explosions.]
So there was a lot of obstacles, or a lot of difficulties, facing us in the church.
[explosions continue.]
[man on TV.]
For some 100,000 people, the streets of their own city are no-go areas.
For much of the time, Bethlehem feels like a ghost town.
Suddenly, the curfew is lifted by the Israelis.
- [clamoring.]
- The pent up people, desperately short of food, come onto the streets.
This is what happens if you imprison people to the point of hunger.
[shouting.]
[wailing.]
[Ja'ara speaking Arabic.]
As fighters, inside the Church of the Nativity, we felt guilty about the siege of our people.
There were 140,000 Palestinians under siege with us in Bethlehem.
In the Middle East, at least ten peace activists reportedly are planning to stay inside the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem as long as the standoff there continues.
The activists managed to slip past Israeli troops stationed outside the church today, so did two photographers.
It made a huge difference for us.
We have American.
We have different European people with us in the Church of the Nativity.
Now we are, like, getting more power, more strong.
[all singing in Arabic.]
[Kamel.]
If the negotiations will take another one week, two weeks we promise you, we are able to manage it.
[Salman.]
Our red line not to surrender, not to arrest not to give any Palestinian to the Israelis.
No matter what we are suffering inside it's our life, our feelings, our future.
We knew that we have a deadline and we discussed it with our prime minister Ariel Sharon, that he knew at the beginning of May he has to go to to Washington to meet with President George W.
Bush.
And we thought about how to end all this issue If the Palestinians refuse to go to Israeli jail let's have a tailor-made solution for every one of the terrorists inside.
And from this logic, we step into the second phase of "Okay, they will be deported.
" The concept of "Exile Palestinian" as a solution for the crisis was a new concept these days.
It was a creative concept, how to solve the deadlock.
[Salah Tamari.]
I want them to leave Bethlehem alone because the whole of Bethlehem was suffering.
It was not a good solution.
We belong to a motherland which we love.
[sighs.]
In any negotiations, you have different positions in order to meet in the middle.
The deportation, it's a good option.
It was the first time for a potential solution.
Colonel Lotan was concentrating in the situation on the ground.
I was looking in a broader perspective to the situation.
It was not just a negotiation between Lior Lotan and Salah Tamari.
[man on TV.]
The Israeli Prime Minister now in Washington preparing to meet a US president who several weeks ago now said that Israel should withdraw without delay from all Palestinian territory including Bethlehem.
It would suit Ariel Sharon very well to have his tanks out of Bethlehem by the time he meets President Bush in the White House tomorrow morning.
[Dichter.]
Late at night, Prime Minister Sharon called me and told me that maybe the best way is that I will contact Yasser Arafat and try to close the deal with him.
I knew that Arafat is awake at these hours every day.
We spoke in Arabic, and he opened his discussion with [speaking Arabic.]
[speaking English.]
Which means, "Hey.
Hello, Avi.
Where have you been? We haven't seen each other for a long time," as if there is no Church of the Nativity.
I told him that 13 terrorists will be deported to Europe or any other country that will be ready to accept them.
Twenty-six will be deported to Gaza Strip, and the others will go home.
He told me, "Avi, I think that we have to bring it down and maybe let's speak about six people to be deported to to Europe.
" I felt that we are bargaining like in the flea market.
You come down a little bit, and I'll come up a little bit.
I told him, "I'm sorry, I'm not working in a flea market.
I'm head of Shin Bet.
" We knew each other from many, many discussions.
He knew that once he hears 13 from Avi Dichter, it will be 13.
It was a lousy deal.
By all means, it was a lousy deal.
I was against it.
For the first time ever a Palestinian authority accepts the deportation of a Palestinian from Palestine.
[Kamel.]
We received a call.
They told us that some guys are going to be exiled.
[speaks Arabic.]
Exile? We did not fight to be sent for exile.
We fought for a brighter future for us and for our children in Palestine.
[Kamel.]
On the night of Monday, they brought with them the list of the people who are going to be exiled.
It was a big shock.
Because, for me, as a guy from Bethlehem forget freedom fighter at this moment.
I never thought in my life to leave my country and to go to Europe.
No, no, never.
[Ja'ara speaking Arabic.]
In the end, it was a unanimous decision to leave the Nativity Church by accepting exile.
[all chanting in Arabic.]
We accepted the exile so the siege would be lifted from the whole governorate of Bethlehem.
[Kamel.]
The agreement was the first 13 who have to be exiled to Europe we have to go out of the church one by one.
Between each one, ten minutes.
[bell tolling.]
They were calling us by name.
The guy's crying.
He doesn't want to leave us.
"Let's stay, to be, like Let's die together.
" [women speaking Arabic.]
[Ja'ara speaking Arabic.]
All their attempts during the 39 days to force us to surrender could not break this thing, and we remained patient and resilient, and we endured all the pain and suffering in the 39 days.
So we were proud.
[woman speaking Arabic.]
[Kamel.]
I don't know why, but I had the feeling that if I will go out of that door, I will never come back again.
I kissed the floor when I get in of the Church of the Nativity, and I kissed the floor when I get out.
[man.]
What were you thinking when you kissed the ground? I will miss home.
[chuckles softly.]
I will miss home.
Will you stop a minute? [chuckles.]
- Please? - [man.]
Yes.
Of course.
I'm sorry, but [breathes deeply.]
we're all human.
We have feelings, you know? [Ja'ara speaking Arabic.]
Because I am Palestinian, I am proud to be Palestinian [speaking English.]
And I will live in Palestine, and I would love to die in Palestine.
[speaking Arabic.]
I didn't fight to end up exiled outside of my country.
I fought for the sake of Palestine.
[Dichter.]
Exiled to Europe, and in my experience, I know that deportation of people is the toughest sanction you can take against any terrorist.
[Ja'ara speaking Arabic.]
My son Samid was born on May 22, 2002 the first day of my arrival in Ireland.
I have never seen him nor met him.
I hope one day I will see him and be able to hug him.
- [clamoring.]
- [sirens wailing.]
[Faltas speaking Arabic.]
After 14 years, how do I see the situation? I see that before it was just the perimeter of the church that was surrounded by tanks and soldiers, and just the Palestinians inside held captive.
But now after 14 years, I see the whole city is surrounded by a wall.
The whole city is surrounded by a wall.
[somber music playing.]
[woman on TV.]
In Bethlehem, a standoff around the Church of the Nativity has been continuing all day.
Palestinian gunmen are among some 200 people believed to be taking refuge inside the world-famous church.
Israeli soldiers outside [man.]
We knew that the toughest terrorists in Bethlehem are now in a so-called jail.
[man speaking Hebrew.]
It's not a house with three hostages in the center of Tel Aviv that you can destroy or break into it.
But it's just a matter of time.
[man.]
I would prefer to die than to surrender.
We will die inside, but we will never surrender.
- [shouting.]
- [sirens wailing.]
[speaking Hebrew.]
I knew that my wife had taken the kids to Jerusalem.
And there was a bloody attack in the city.
The entire phone system collapsed.
I tried to call my wife and children, and I couldn't make contact.
That can drive a man crazy.
You don't know what to think, what you'll find out.
Whether any of your family members were killed.
That's how people felt.
Terrorists blowing themselves up everywhere.
In your home, in your backyard, in a hotel, a cinema, a supermarket.
It was unbearable.
[sirens wailing.]
March was a very, very bloody month.
We've lost, in one month, 135 people.
Mainly civilians.
Mainly from suicide bombing.
The last straw was Passover in Netanya, Park Hotel when a suicide bomber came into the ceremony of Passover, detonated himself, killed 30 people.
[speaking Hebrew.]
I felt that we must do something about this, any campaign that would reduce terrorist activity and minimize damage.
Not necessarily war, but to stop the terrorism.
This is our country, we must be able to move freely in it, to feel safe.
- [camera shutters clicking.]
- [chattering.]
[Avi Dichter.]
That night, we had a meeting of the Cabinet and Prime Minister Sharon decided to launch the Defensive Shield Operation.
The idea was to invade, by military force, to all areas to include Bethlehem in order to arrest or to kill the terrorists.
[speaking Hebrew.]
This terrorism is directed by one man, the Palestinian chairman, Yasser Arafat.
Arafat is heading a terrorist coalition and operating a terrorism strategy.
The head of the Palestinian Authority is Israel's enemy and the enemy of the free world.
They maybe don't define themselves as terrorists, but they are, definitely.
According to our perspective and to the law, they are terrorists.
[speaking Arabic.]
[rapid gunfire.]
[continues speaking Arabic.]
It's a war.
It's a war.
In the war you don't know what could happen.
If it was suicide in Netanya how many rockets have been landed in Bethlehem, Ramallah, Nablus, Jenin, Gaza? How many thousands of children, women, old people, have been killed from this rocket? One ton, each one.
They threw it at civilian people.
It's a war.
[speaking Arabic.]
I have chosen to fight because I am human.
Because I want to live like a human.
I refuse to live like an animal.
I refuse to live broken.
I refuse to live under occupation.
This feeling will never change until we restore all our lands and live in peace like the rest of the world.
[speaking Hebrew.]
As the soldiers arrived on Friday morning, I saw them scrambling to be first to get their vests and weapons so as not to miss this fight to protect their home.
And so we went off to war for Operation Defensive Shield with the intention of defending our home.
That's our guiding light.
[man on TV.]
It began at dawn when Israeli armored vehicles and bulldozers rumbled through the deserted streets [man 2.]
Israel's Operation Defensive Shield seems to be far from over [woman.]
Dozens of Israeli tanks are reported to have entered the West Bank towns of Bethlehem and Qalqilya hours after Israel's prime minister vowed to crush a terror campaign We were watching the Israeli reinforcements building up all around east, west, south, north of Bethlehem.
We saw lots of tanks, lots of military jeeps.
Lots of soldiers were around the city.
- [muffled gunfire.]
- [chattering.]
[metal clattering.]
We had tried to stop the Israeli army to come inside our city.
[tanks advancing.]
[Rami Hacham in Hebrew.]
Our orders were very clear.
To enter the Palestinian cities apprehend the terrorists, kill anyone who fires at us and gets in the way of our job.
Destroy the terrorist infrastructure and hurt anyone trying to hurt our troops.
[man on TV.]
Rifle fire echoed off the walls of Bethlehem this morning, and helicopter gunships look for targets in Manger Square, next to the Church of the Nativity.
[man speaking Arabic.]
Myself, Nassar, Ibrahim and Hamad we were all the guys fighting.
[Jihad Ja'ara.]
I looked to Rami at the side of me, and I got happy.
I was a little bit afraid.
I got, like, proud.
To be or not to be.
Live or die.
And to die for my country, it will be honor and dignity Myself and all my friends.
[speaking Hebrew.]
We attacked Bethlehem from several directions.
They completely sieged the whole town of Bethlehem.
[speaking Hebrew.]
Once you attack from east to west on the three main streets you reach the church, you've taken Bethlehem.
[shouting.]
[explosion.]
[gunfire.]
We are shooting with the Kalashnikov, with M16, but they are, like, with the huge machine, with the tank, with the helicopter.
Then I got shot in my leg.
We don't want to leave him behind us because he was, like us, one of the most wanted guys.
They want him.
Some guys, they rang us.
They said, "We are in the Nativity Church.
Guys, come to the church.
" But the problem is not to go to Nativity Church.
The problem is the few meters, how you will move.
[gunfire.]
[shouting.]
[Ja'ara.]
I told them, "Just leave me here and run for your life.
" "No, we live together, or we die together.
" Then, I remember Father Ibrahim Faltas welcoming us inside the Nativity Church.
He said "Son, now you are [stammers.]
in the God house.
And we will protect you as much as we can.
" [shouting.]
[gunfire in distance.]
[Ibrahim Faltas speaking Arabic.]
All of them were carrying weapon and they had this idea they could drive the occupiers out of the country.
But they were still people.
And we believe that all people are created in God's image.
[Rami Kamel.]
When I got to the church, the first thing I prayed.
I felt safe, you know, in God's house.
Late today, Palestinian fighters forced their way into a place that to Christians all around the world symbolizes peace.
Tonight, there's no peace there.
Let's go live to CNN's chief international correspondent, Christiane Amanpour in Jerusalem.
Christiane, what is the latest from Bethlehem? Well, Paul, the situation in the Church of the Nativity, the birthplace of Jesus Christ, we're being told by Palestinians inside that what happened was many Palestinians, men and others, including families, apparently went in there to seek sanctuary [rapid gunfire.]
We knew that those terrorists might use the Church of Nativity.
It's, uh more sensitive than any other place in the region.
[speaking Hebrew.]
It's not a house with three hostages in the center of Tel Aviv that you can destroy or break into.
It's a big issue.
It was discussed with Prime Minister Sharon, with the defense minister.
It was discussed in the Cabinet, what should be done.
[man on TV.]
Israel claims up to 30 Palestinian gunmen are still inside.
There are also some 200 other priests, nuns and police officers who are running short of food and water.
We understood it's a worldwide problem that we, Israel, we have to to see how it can be solved without getting hurt amongst the priests, among the innocent people there.
- [gunfire in distance.]
- [chattering.]
[speaking Arabic.]
I have lived in Dheisheh refugee camp ever since I was born.
We were at home when it was invaded.
It was an intense assault from all the roads.
So there was no option but to flee to the church.
We thought it would be the safest place for us to flee to.
- We knocked on the door of the church.
- [knocking on door.]
- [door opens and closes.]
- Father Ibrahim opened it and let us in, offered us protection.
He closed the door and said, "Don't be afraid.
You are safe now.
" The most important thing for them was to find somewhere safe.
The church was always the safest place during these times.
Over the ages, it has always been the safest place.
[explosions in distance.]
[chattering.]
We entered the church at about 7:00, 7:30.
The governor of Bethlehem called Chairman Arafat, and he informed him that we are inside the Church of the Nativity.
Mr.
Arafat said, "Okay, you will stay there, and you will not leave until the problem will be solved.
" All of them were looking for what's going to be This was the main question, "What's going to be?" "That the Israelis will attack the church? That they will kill us all? What's going to be?" After I prayed, I went to look where is Jihad.
Rami came and he hugged me, and he kissed me.
[Kamel.]
He was very cold.
I thought Jihad will die because he bled a lot.
[Kamel speaking Arabic.]
There was, really, really, like, the feeling, "I'm done.
" [Kamel.]
You're looking at your friend injured beside you, your heart is breaking.
[Ja'ara.]
All my clothes are wet, so he give me his clothes to become warm.
[men speaking Arabic.]
I tell them, "Change Jihad's clothes and put him in carpet and roll him.
Maybe he will make it.
" [gunfire in distance.]
[explosion in distance.]
We sit.
The guys together, we sit.
We said, "What's next?" We're still fighting.
We're still resisting.
We didn't give up.
To be alive in that moment, that's you winning.
[man.]
The standoff continues in Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity, where as many as 200 Palestinians have taken refuge inside.
The ancient city itself has become a battle zone.
[gunfire.]
[man on TV.]
An intense gun battle early this morning at the Church of the Nativity, on the site where Christians believe Jesus was born, where tonight, some 200 Palestinians and 60 clergy remain trapped by Israeli soldiers intent on capturing the gunmen holed up inside [bell tolling.]
I ask Israel to halt incursions into Palestinian controlled areas and begin the withdrawal from those cities it has recently occupied.
I speak as a committed friend of Israel.
I speak out of a concern for its long-term security.
We weren't surprised to hear certain calls, voices to deal with it carefully.
We had many advices to give up But we insisted to arrest them.
It was no choice, option, but to solve it by negotiations.
From that minute, we operated in this case as a hostages situation.
Not to use force.
To use a negotiation.
I knew Colonel Lotan as a young soldier.
He has personal skills.
Very smart, very open.
So I chose him to lead the negotiations.
[man.]
We arrived to the nearest square to the Church of Nativity.
We understand some names that are inside.
We call them.
We spoke with them.
[men speaking Arabic.]
[indistinct chatter on headphones.]
[Lior Lotan.]
From that, we've learned a lot of information about who's inside.
We wanted that all terrorists that were inside, involved with a practical terror activity, backed by a solid intelligence, will be arrested and brought to trial in Israel.
[man chattering on cell phone.]
Israel called us by telephone.
I talked to Anton Salman, and I said, "I need to get an agreement with the people inside to convince them to give up their dreams, demands, wishes, desires and to follow my direction.
They need to surrender.
Not by force, but by an agreement.
" Why surrender? Why? Israel entered to Bethlehem, not Bethlehem went to Israel.
They came.
Why to give them ourselves? [Salman speaking Arabic on phone.]
[Salman in English.]
Yes, I'm saying this.
I am Palestinian.
And the people who side with me, they are Palestinians.
They are my people.
[Faltas.]
Jihad's leg was very badly wounded.
He could have died.
[Kamel.]
His leg, from both sides, was completely open.
His bones were completely mashed.
He was in bad pain.
[sighs.]
We all see this.
[Ja'ara.]
I talked to my mother, and I told her "Mom, the Israelis are asking me to surrender.
And they're offering me, if I will surrender, I will have treatment in the hospital.
" She told me, "If you surrender, I will cut my breast My breast, the one that fed you and gave you milk, if you surrender.
And I will never ever be proud of you.
So don't ever think about it.
" I was born in the refugee camp in Arroub between Bethlehem and Hebron in 1971.
We become a refugee because the Israelis took our home.
Even as a child, I feel I need to fight.
"Why I live in this disaster area? In a refugee camp?" I was sent to the Israeli jail for seven years.
And the reason, because I was throwing stone.
It was three days before I become 13 years old.
It's like you live in a black tunnel, alone.
- [gunshot.]
- [indistinct shouting.]
[shouting in Arabic.]
[Ja'ara.]
To put a child to throw stone to the Israeli tank Tank! What a stone will do to a tank? To punish for seven years inside a jail? I'm always telling my brother Rami I told Rami, "You are lucky you haven't been to jail.
" And Rami tells me, "Oh, but, Jihad, you know, we're always saying that jail's for the man.
'" I told him, "Rami, that's because we lie to ourselves to keep us strong.
Jail will kill the man.
" I will prefer to die than to surrender to the Israeli army.
We will be forever in the prison.
And no chance to be in the Israeli jail again.
[speaking Arabic.]
We may never see our families again, but in the end, a freedom fighter must make a choice.
[man on TV.]
The standoff here is central to the immediate future of this entire city.
Until it's resolved, Israeli troops will remain on the streets.
The whole civilian population will remain under military curfew.
So with the siege of the Church of the Nativity still unresolved, there remains no food for the thousands who live around it.
For the people who live here, such moments have become routine.
This woman said, "We're trapped in our houses.
We have nothing to eat.
" [Lotan.]
The pressure became heavier every day.
The pressure from some Israeli that says, "Don't talk to them.
Don't negotiate with them.
You need to kill them all.
" There are other pressures from the Holy Church in the Vatican, that they, of course, are concerned about the sensitivity of these compounds.
[man on TV.]
The sensitivity of the use of the church as a battleground has led to a propaganda war between the two sides.
I meant what I said to the prime minister of Israel.
I expect there to be a withdrawal without delay.
The pressure was about the time.
You know, as long as this situation was a crisis reported all over the world.
There was a pressure from outside to solve it.
From Washington to the Vatican to London to whatever.
[Lotan.]
We did anything we can just to make them really believe, that if you will decide to surrender, your condition will be better.
If not, your condition will be worse [gunfire.]
[woman on TV.]
There is violence at the Church of the Nativity almost every night now.
The Israelis fire sound grenades.
[explosion.]
They blast loud recordings.
[alarm blaring.]
Anything they can to drive out the people inside.
[Faltas speaking Arabic.]
They passed around the wall with a microphone emitting high-pitched animal sounds to prevent anyone from sleep.
[speaking Hebrew.]
We made special noises in order to stress them out.
[loud screeching.]
So they understand there's no playing games with us.
The terrorists who went to the hangout in the church are not children.
They had blood on their hands.
[Faltas speaking Arabic.]
You might sleep for 5 minutes then a sound bomb would be fired, then you'd jump out of bed.
I mean, the sound bombs were the most horrible of tactics they used.
[explosion.]
Of course, when you hear a sound bomb, you'd think they'd come in, they'd stormed the church.
They were all scared.
Scared of prison.
Scared of the Israeli soldiers.
Scared that they would be sent back to prison.
[water boiling.]
After only two or three days, there was no more food left.
[watch ticking.]
We'd pick leaves off a tree, light a fire, boil the leaves in water and drink it.
[Kamel.]
I was starving.
I called my mother and "Hi, Mother, how you doing? What are you eating?" I told her, "Mother, we're eating today maqlooba.
" I cannot tell my mother, "Mother, I'm hungry.
" [man speaking Arabic.]
We craved anything that would fill our stomachs, anything to keep us going.
[Hacham in Hebrew.]
We knew that the terrorists would break.
How long can you be under siege? Another week, another two weeks? Ultimately, you vomit from your own smell.
The Israeli army has the technology to introduce a weapon that fires by remote control.
[chattering on radio.]
When we identified them, whether it was in the window or another place, we had snipers around, allowed to shoot them.
And by doing it, actually, it was part of squeezing them, creating pressure on them in order to convince them to surrender.
[speaking Arabic.]
It was risky to collect leaves, and whenever someone announced that they were going out to bring us food, we knew that they might come back, or they might not.
[speaking Hebrew.]
It works amazingly well.
It's intimidating.
If I were in a church and saw a sniper rifle moving like a robot overhead on a crane, I wouldn't be able to breathe.
We could see on the cameras overhead who is a terrorist and who is a civilian.
You can tell by the movement of the terrorist trying not to be seen.
Especially if he's armed.
A terrorist who fears for his life, who killed innocent Israelis, knows that he's in our sights.
He behaves differently.
[scope whirring.]
He can't help it.
- [speaks Arabic.]
You hear a shot.
- [gunshot.]
A guy called Hassan, from Gaza, was shot.
He was shouting, "Please help me! For God's sake.
" He said a prayer while he was bleeding.
There was no alternative while you were there but to watch what was happening in front of you.
Whenever I want to sleep or just sit on my own with my thoughts, the memories flood back to me.
[explosions.]
[man.]
In the morning, the first martyr came and there was things to do.
Important where to put the body.
How to think "What shall we do with that?" After another maybe two, three days, they shot another one.
The snipers, they shot him from the crane.
He died straightaway.
You know, the conditions in the church, were not so convenient.
[chuckles.]
Without going into too much details.
That's why I believed that the time is in our favor.
[radio static crackling.]
It was a matter of being patient, waiting for the surrender.
[chattering.]
We asked that there is a need to take the bodies from the church, because it's dangerous to stay inside the church.
And from there, we began negotiating with the Israelis.
[man on TV.]
There has just been 45 minutes of sustained explosions around the church, for which both sides blame each other for starting.
In an impromptu news conference, Mr.
Arafat furiously denounced the Israelis as terrorists for firing towards the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem.
He forgot that entering a church, which is a holy place, by armed people, is a violation of the religious code and the norms of behavior.
[chattering.]
[Lotan.]
When the siege became to be long enough, it was obvious that the Palestinian Authority will send a committee.
One of the names was the name of Mr.
Salah Tamari.
Salah Tamari was captured by the IDF in 1982 and spent many months under captivity.
He was a member of the Palestinian Parliament.
We wanted to bring to the table his approach as a military person speaking to other military persons' enemy sides that negotiate safe passage of the innocent people from the siege and arresting and bringing to justice the wanted people inside.
Earlier in the day, Israeli and Palestinian negotiators met for the first time to talk about ending the standoff at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem.
Bethlehem, to me, is the capital of the world and the bridge of salvation for humanity.
It's a village a humble village.
And yet skyscrapers in London, Washington, everywhere they seek Bethlehem's blessing.
[Lotan.]
Salah Tamari was very impressive.
No doubt it is by his personality, his appearance I was very confident that he was pragmatic enough and he's not seeking for using this siege or this theater for other cause than to solve it peacefully.
We met him downstairs to express our honor and our basic approach to him.
He was very committed to his people and to his position as their leader.
I just wanted to free the Bethlehem area from the horrors of the church siege.
[Lotan.]
The basic trade was, "We will let you evacuate the two bodies, if you will let nine youngsters to go out.
We will guarantee the safe passage to their families and home.
" I didn't want the Israelis to spread rumors that there are kids kidnapped and they are under the siege in the church by older Palestinians.
So it was very important to have them released.
[Lotan speaking Arabic on loudspeaker.]
[Lotan speaking Hebrew.]
All Israeli Forces Nine men and two bodies will exit the church.
Hold your fire.
[speaking Arabic.]
We were only small, of course, and the coffins were heavy because we'd made them out of wood and other stuff.
[Lotan in Hebrew.]
They should stand by the wall.
Lift their shirts.
[soldier in Arabic on loudspeaker.]
You, first on the right, come closer.
Lift your shirt, please.
Turn around.
[Lotan in Hebrew.]
Tell them to stay where they are.
[men speaking Arabic.]
- Everything okay? - Yeah.
[speaking Hebrew.]
It's the best sight you could wish for.
Children, they're children.
[speaks Arabic.]
Fouad? Welcome, Fouad.
How are you? [Fouad.]
The army jeep went inside the camp and delivered me to my front door.
[car horn honks.]
I sat down at home, my mom asked me straightaway what I wanted to eat.
[speaking Arabic.]
Kunafa, strands of pastry with sugar, something like that.
Something sweet that's baked.
It came to my mind because when I was in the church, I thought about it a lot.
I used to eat it a lot when I was young.
So she made it and I ate it.
[dogs barking in distance.]
[Kamel.]
Nidal Abayat He was a very strong and stubborn freedom fighter.
He never missed a prayer.
He was very happy.
Very handsome guy.
Tall, full of life.
[chattering on radio.]
At around six o'clock in the morning, Nidal, he gets ready for the prayer.
He went back to his spot to do the prayer.
When he crossed, it was How to tell you? Just a very tiny piece in the roof was opened.
[chattering on radio.]
He shot him exactly in his heart.
I reach him but nothing, you know.
[Ja'ara.]
It's like a big grave.
It was for us.
Not a jail, it's a big grave.
[men speaking Arabic.]
Pressure was really mounting.
There were clashes, deaths, in the last days.
Someone was killed or injured every day.
People would say, "Why did we do that? Why do we have to sit? Why do we have to be here? We want to leave!" [men speaking Arabic.]
[Ja'ara.]
A few people, they jumped from the window from the Nativity Church, and they surrendered to the Israeli army, because they're afraid to die.
They don't like to die.
They like to eat.
[gunfire in distance.]
We were facing a very hard time.
People were afraid.
There was no food.
[explosions.]
So there was a lot of obstacles, or a lot of difficulties, facing us in the church.
[explosions continue.]
[man on TV.]
For some 100,000 people, the streets of their own city are no-go areas.
For much of the time, Bethlehem feels like a ghost town.
Suddenly, the curfew is lifted by the Israelis.
- [clamoring.]
- The pent up people, desperately short of food, come onto the streets.
This is what happens if you imprison people to the point of hunger.
[shouting.]
[wailing.]
[Ja'ara speaking Arabic.]
As fighters, inside the Church of the Nativity, we felt guilty about the siege of our people.
There were 140,000 Palestinians under siege with us in Bethlehem.
In the Middle East, at least ten peace activists reportedly are planning to stay inside the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem as long as the standoff there continues.
The activists managed to slip past Israeli troops stationed outside the church today, so did two photographers.
It made a huge difference for us.
We have American.
We have different European people with us in the Church of the Nativity.
Now we are, like, getting more power, more strong.
[all singing in Arabic.]
[Kamel.]
If the negotiations will take another one week, two weeks we promise you, we are able to manage it.
[Salman.]
Our red line not to surrender, not to arrest not to give any Palestinian to the Israelis.
No matter what we are suffering inside it's our life, our feelings, our future.
We knew that we have a deadline and we discussed it with our prime minister Ariel Sharon, that he knew at the beginning of May he has to go to to Washington to meet with President George W.
Bush.
And we thought about how to end all this issue If the Palestinians refuse to go to Israeli jail let's have a tailor-made solution for every one of the terrorists inside.
And from this logic, we step into the second phase of "Okay, they will be deported.
" The concept of "Exile Palestinian" as a solution for the crisis was a new concept these days.
It was a creative concept, how to solve the deadlock.
[Salah Tamari.]
I want them to leave Bethlehem alone because the whole of Bethlehem was suffering.
It was not a good solution.
We belong to a motherland which we love.
[sighs.]
In any negotiations, you have different positions in order to meet in the middle.
The deportation, it's a good option.
It was the first time for a potential solution.
Colonel Lotan was concentrating in the situation on the ground.
I was looking in a broader perspective to the situation.
It was not just a negotiation between Lior Lotan and Salah Tamari.
[man on TV.]
The Israeli Prime Minister now in Washington preparing to meet a US president who several weeks ago now said that Israel should withdraw without delay from all Palestinian territory including Bethlehem.
It would suit Ariel Sharon very well to have his tanks out of Bethlehem by the time he meets President Bush in the White House tomorrow morning.
[Dichter.]
Late at night, Prime Minister Sharon called me and told me that maybe the best way is that I will contact Yasser Arafat and try to close the deal with him.
I knew that Arafat is awake at these hours every day.
We spoke in Arabic, and he opened his discussion with [speaking Arabic.]
[speaking English.]
Which means, "Hey.
Hello, Avi.
Where have you been? We haven't seen each other for a long time," as if there is no Church of the Nativity.
I told him that 13 terrorists will be deported to Europe or any other country that will be ready to accept them.
Twenty-six will be deported to Gaza Strip, and the others will go home.
He told me, "Avi, I think that we have to bring it down and maybe let's speak about six people to be deported to to Europe.
" I felt that we are bargaining like in the flea market.
You come down a little bit, and I'll come up a little bit.
I told him, "I'm sorry, I'm not working in a flea market.
I'm head of Shin Bet.
" We knew each other from many, many discussions.
He knew that once he hears 13 from Avi Dichter, it will be 13.
It was a lousy deal.
By all means, it was a lousy deal.
I was against it.
For the first time ever a Palestinian authority accepts the deportation of a Palestinian from Palestine.
[Kamel.]
We received a call.
They told us that some guys are going to be exiled.
[speaks Arabic.]
Exile? We did not fight to be sent for exile.
We fought for a brighter future for us and for our children in Palestine.
[Kamel.]
On the night of Monday, they brought with them the list of the people who are going to be exiled.
It was a big shock.
Because, for me, as a guy from Bethlehem forget freedom fighter at this moment.
I never thought in my life to leave my country and to go to Europe.
No, no, never.
[Ja'ara speaking Arabic.]
In the end, it was a unanimous decision to leave the Nativity Church by accepting exile.
[all chanting in Arabic.]
We accepted the exile so the siege would be lifted from the whole governorate of Bethlehem.
[Kamel.]
The agreement was the first 13 who have to be exiled to Europe we have to go out of the church one by one.
Between each one, ten minutes.
[bell tolling.]
They were calling us by name.
The guy's crying.
He doesn't want to leave us.
"Let's stay, to be, like Let's die together.
" [women speaking Arabic.]
[Ja'ara speaking Arabic.]
All their attempts during the 39 days to force us to surrender could not break this thing, and we remained patient and resilient, and we endured all the pain and suffering in the 39 days.
So we were proud.
[woman speaking Arabic.]
[Kamel.]
I don't know why, but I had the feeling that if I will go out of that door, I will never come back again.
I kissed the floor when I get in of the Church of the Nativity, and I kissed the floor when I get out.
[man.]
What were you thinking when you kissed the ground? I will miss home.
[chuckles softly.]
I will miss home.
Will you stop a minute? [chuckles.]
- Please? - [man.]
Yes.
Of course.
I'm sorry, but [breathes deeply.]
we're all human.
We have feelings, you know? [Ja'ara speaking Arabic.]
Because I am Palestinian, I am proud to be Palestinian [speaking English.]
And I will live in Palestine, and I would love to die in Palestine.
[speaking Arabic.]
I didn't fight to end up exiled outside of my country.
I fought for the sake of Palestine.
[Dichter.]
Exiled to Europe, and in my experience, I know that deportation of people is the toughest sanction you can take against any terrorist.
[Ja'ara speaking Arabic.]
My son Samid was born on May 22, 2002 the first day of my arrival in Ireland.
I have never seen him nor met him.
I hope one day I will see him and be able to hug him.
- [clamoring.]
- [sirens wailing.]
[Faltas speaking Arabic.]
After 14 years, how do I see the situation? I see that before it was just the perimeter of the church that was surrounded by tanks and soldiers, and just the Palestinians inside held captive.
But now after 14 years, I see the whole city is surrounded by a wall.
The whole city is surrounded by a wall.
[somber music playing.]