Mornings in Jenin

Sara expresses her wish to go to Palestine, and she and Amal travel to Israel. After four hours of questioning by authorities, they are met at the airport by David and his son, Jacob. The four go to visit Dr. Ari Perlstein. He is very happy to see them, and they listen to his stories of their family’s life in Ein Hod. He asks where Yousef is now, and Amal reveals that he is suspected as the terrorist who entered the US Embassy in Lebanon.

This is a shock to Sara and Jacob, but Ari, who has lived through the Holocaust, the Israeli occupation of Palestine, and Arab retaliation, is compassionate toward Yousef. He explains how Hasan saved his family’s life when they fled from East to West Jerusalem and were in danger from Palestinians.

They visit Jerusalem, and Amal finds it unimpressive, made only of stone. She compares it to the beautiful and humble olive tree in Jenin known as Old Lady.

On March 31, 2002, Amal and Sara return to Jenin, where the people are preparing for an inevitable Israeli attack in retaliation for a recent suicide bombing in Galilee, (which was a response to an Israeli attack on Palestinians previously).