Chapter One: Forced to Leave Home
Looking at Mrs. Mariam Ayesh’s warm smile, you would never expect how much hardship her childhood held. In 1948 Palestinians became refugees in their own land in order to create the State of Israel. Israeli soldiers destroyed over 530 villages and killed approximately 13,000 Palestinians with more than 750,000 expelled from their homes, becoming refugees¹. Mrs. Mariam Ayesh was born in the Dheisheh camp established by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) in 1949 in Bethlehem. Her family is originally from the Palestinian village, Zakaria (Arabic: زكرية). She can recall from childhood over 100 soldiers surrounding her neighborhood forcing them to leave, being told false promises of one day the right to return.
Listen to her share about this traumatic moment that would change her life forever. The recording will begin in Arabic and move into the English translation.
A young Palestinian girl walks in front of a school a part of the Aida Camp (established in 1950 by the UNRWA). Notice the bullet holes in the door. This camp is located between the municipalities of Bethlehem, Beit Jala, and Jerusalem. Today the Aida camp is home to 3,150 refugees².
“The keys of their house are still with people, because they [Israeli government] kept promising them you will come back.”
Mr. Amanallah Ayesh and Mrs. Mariam Ayesh stand in their front garden of their home in Bethlehem, Palestine.
Bullet holes from the Israeli army are seen throughout the refugee camp, including the doors of this school.
Place yourself in Mrs. Mariam Ayesh’s shoes for a moment. Imagine being forced at gunpoint to leave your home, while strangers occupy it with your furniture, family portraits on the walls, and your food on the shelves.