IN STEREO

Bethlehem is not that religious, but it has this big religion background. Bethlehem nowadays is different. It has modern things mixed with all these heritage things. At night, [visitors] will never go to the Nativity Church to drink a beer, you know. So yeah, maybe [visit] the old city of Bethlehem, the Nativity Church. What else? Maybe [go] to the wall, to make them understand the political part. It’s the typical tour. Some people, when they’re interested politically, they go to the camps, like Aida camp, Dheisheh. Because Dheisheh camp is one of the oldest in Bethlehem: it’s been seventy years since they started the camp there. And maybe [see] the nature, some cool bars in Bethlehem and Beit Sahour. Religious part, political part, fun part. And visiting Banksy… I have a different point of view, which I don’t like to discuss. Honestly, I see making them understand the situation.

Just not telling them, “You have to be on my side.” It doesn’t work like that. I think I have a lot of work to do myself to make change, let’s say, before anyone comes here and feels, “Ah, I have to feel sad now.” I don’t want that feeling. I want the concept of: I have to do my own part, and other people should feel what justice is for me. It depends, because the ‘good way’ is a point of view. And here, we have two points of view on the good way. Yes, this should be a clear right and wrong. [But] for most people, the conflict – or the ‘situation’ here – it’s a religious conflict. That’s a really fucked-up way to think. It’s beyond religious things. It’s just a matter of capitalism. That’s it. It’s really, really clear, I think, and that’s part of reading history. History is not my favourite subject to explore, but it’s a must: to understand the future, you have to read the past. – Ibrahim H.