WEBVTT - Leaving Gaza 0:00:01.720 --> 0:00:08.440 Also media. 0:00:09.200 --> 0:00:13.200 As mass bombing continues across Gaza. Two point three million 0:00:13.240 --> 0:00:17.120 Palestinians remain trapped in the Strip as the Israeli military 0:00:17.200 --> 0:00:21.760 conducts a total blockade. Israel has cut off water, electricity, 0:00:21.800 --> 0:00:26.720 and fuel while intentionally restricting humanitarian aid from being sent 0:00:26.880 --> 0:00:31.080 into Gaza. This is it could happen here. I'm Garrison Davis. 0:00:31.560 --> 0:00:35.400 On October seventh, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave a 0:00:35.440 --> 0:00:40.280 speech addressing Palestinians inside Gaza. A part of the official 0:00:40.440 --> 0:00:43.760 English translation of the speech reads, quote, all of the 0:00:43.760 --> 0:00:48.239 places which Hamas is deployed, hiding and operating in that 0:00:48.440 --> 0:00:52.520 wicked city, we will turn them into rubble. I say 0:00:52.600 --> 0:00:55.840 to the residents of Gaza, leave now, because we will 0:00:55.880 --> 0:01:02.960 operate forcefully everywhere unquote. Sentence in this speech was left untranslated, 0:01:03.360 --> 0:01:07.120 but it roughly read quote, we will target each and 0:01:07.280 --> 0:01:12.080 every corner of the Strip unquote. According to the UN 0:01:12.280 --> 0:01:15.679 by last Thursday, October twelfth, about four hundred and twenty 0:01:15.720 --> 0:01:18.399 three thousand people had been displaced from their homes by 0:01:18.440 --> 0:01:21.120 Israeli air strikes. That's about twenty five percent of the 0:01:21.160 --> 0:01:26.080 Palestinian population. Many sought refuge in crowded United Nations shelters 0:01:26.120 --> 0:01:29.840 set up in schools, but even those shelters and hospitals 0:01:29.920 --> 0:01:35.720 were attacked by air Last Friday, October thirteenth, Israel issued 0:01:35.760 --> 0:01:39.679 a military order for all citizens in northern Gaza, including 0:01:39.760 --> 0:01:42.680 Gaza City, to evacuate their homes within a twenty four 0:01:42.680 --> 0:01:47.119 hour period, in apparent preparation of a major ground assault 0:01:47.240 --> 0:01:51.680 on the besieged enclave. Over one million Palestinians live in 0:01:51.760 --> 0:01:55.680 this area, it's almost half the population of Gaza. In 0:01:55.760 --> 0:01:59.920 between bombings, Israeli military aircraft dropped thousands of leaflets into 0:02:00.080 --> 0:02:04.280 Gaza City, advising civilians to immediately leave their homes and 0:02:04.480 --> 0:02:08.480 the UN shelters, but not to actually try and leave Gaza. 0:02:08.639 --> 0:02:11.519 As the leaflet warned that if anyone approached the Israel 0:02:11.600 --> 0:02:17.120 Gaza security wall, they would quote expose themselves to death unquote. 0:02:17.200 --> 0:02:19.640 Israel laid out just a few roads that it was 0:02:19.840 --> 0:02:24.240 supposed to be quote unquote safe to travel southbound. Thousands 0:02:24.280 --> 0:02:27.240 of people in northern Gaza began to flee towards the 0:02:27.280 --> 0:02:30.760 strip's southern half on Friday morning, but as they were 0:02:30.760 --> 0:02:35.160 following Israel's orders, Civilian convoys transporting Palestinian families out of 0:02:35.160 --> 0:02:38.800 Gaza City were bombed by the Israeli military at three 0:02:38.840 --> 0:02:43.040 different points along the evacuation route. At least seventy people 0:02:43.040 --> 0:02:46.760 were killed, with hundreds more injured by the Israeli airstrikes 0:02:47.040 --> 0:02:50.360 as they were trying to follow Israel's impossible order to 0:02:50.400 --> 0:02:53.680 evacuate everyone from their homes in just twenty four hours 0:02:54.639 --> 0:02:58.640 between Netanyahu's speech and the evacuation order of northern Gaza. 0:02:59.240 --> 0:03:03.959 This leaves people questioning where exactly are these people supposed 0:03:03.960 --> 0:03:08.519 to go. A Palestinian in Gaza told the Associated Press quote, 0:03:08.720 --> 0:03:13.320 we can't flee because anywhere you go, you are bombed. Unquote. 0:03:14.360 --> 0:03:17.800 Gaza isn't that big. It's only twenty five miles long, 0:03:18.120 --> 0:03:21.920 and it's completely surrounded by Israel and the Mediterranean Sea 0:03:22.000 --> 0:03:24.440 save for a small section on the southern tip, which 0:03:24.480 --> 0:03:29.120 borders Egypt with Israel, sealing off access to Gaza. The 0:03:29.160 --> 0:03:32.120 only way in or out is the Rafa border Crossing, 0:03:32.200 --> 0:03:35.640 located at the southern end of the strip bordering Egypt's 0:03:35.800 --> 0:03:40.280 Sinai Peninsula. The Rafa Crossing is a critical passage for 0:03:40.360 --> 0:03:43.840 humanitarian aid and serves as a vital gateway between Gaza 0:03:43.920 --> 0:03:47.360 and the outside world. One of the very first targets 0:03:47.400 --> 0:03:50.320 of Israeli bombing this month was the Rafa border crossing 0:03:50.360 --> 0:03:53.560 between Gaza and Egypt. It was targeted by three air 0:03:53.640 --> 0:03:57.680 raids in a twenty four hour period, severely damaging the crossing, 0:03:57.880 --> 0:04:02.640 preventing it from operating and resulting in fatalities. There's video 0:04:02.680 --> 0:04:06.200 and audio of the bombings where you hear hundreds of 0:04:06.240 --> 0:04:11.880 people make a singular scream. It's pretty gruesome. With Israel 0:04:12.040 --> 0:04:15.920 undergoing a quote unquote complete siege of Gaza, this crossing 0:04:16.120 --> 0:04:18.919 was the only way to send humanitarian supplies into the 0:04:18.960 --> 0:04:24.120 Strip and to let willing refugees flee the assault. The 0:04:24.160 --> 0:04:27.159 Egyptian Foreign minister has said that Israel has yet to 0:04:27.200 --> 0:04:30.960 allow the reopening of the crossing. Egypt is expected to 0:04:31.160 --> 0:04:34.440 assist in delivering humanitarian aid to Palestinians and the enclave, 0:04:34.960 --> 0:04:38.839 but it has rejected proposals to accept fleeing Palestinians into 0:04:38.880 --> 0:04:44.039 its borders. Both Egypt and Israel operate a blockade of 0:04:44.080 --> 0:04:47.520 Gaza to strictly control the passage of people and supplies 0:04:47.600 --> 0:04:50.799 going in and out of the Strip. There's no freedom 0:04:50.839 --> 0:04:54.080 of movement to enter or leave Gaza, even when there's 0:04:54.080 --> 0:04:58.680 not a declared war, one can't simply leave Gaza. There's 0:04:58.720 --> 0:05:02.400 no Gaza airport, least not since two US and two Historically, 0:05:02.520 --> 0:05:06.119 the Rafa border crossing into the Egyptian Peninsula was only 0:05:06.160 --> 0:05:09.880 open to the public very sporadically and often for very 0:05:09.960 --> 0:05:15.280 narrowly defined categories, such as medical patients, religious pilgrims, foreign residents, 0:05:15.400 --> 0:05:19.400 or residents of Gaza with foreign visas or passports. But 0:05:19.720 --> 0:05:21.360 I don't have to tell you how hard it is 0:05:21.400 --> 0:05:24.240 to leave Gaza even when there's not a war. Because 0:05:24.320 --> 0:05:27.520 late last year, we interviewed two Palestinians for a still 0:05:27.600 --> 0:05:31.200 upcoming episode that's being worked on. During the interview, they 0:05:31.360 --> 0:05:35.640 touched on their own experiences escaping Gaza. So we're going 0:05:35.720 --> 0:05:38.640 to place some of that interview for this episode, and 0:05:38.839 --> 0:05:42.960 I'll jump in occasionally to add some context. So here 0:05:43.080 --> 0:05:47.719 is Ahmed Matar and Abdullah al Casab, athletes from a 0:05:47.760 --> 0:05:51.040 PK Gaza, one of the most recognized parker teams in 0:05:51.080 --> 0:05:51.600 the world. 0:05:52.160 --> 0:05:55.000 My name is Ahmad Matar. I'm twenty six years old. 0:05:56.480 --> 0:06:02.160 I'm from Gaza, Palestine, and I do Barkour. I live 0:06:02.200 --> 0:06:06.839 at the moment in Sweden because yeah, I'm open within 0:06:07.000 --> 0:06:11.800 six years ago after I got invited for the Eraword Challenge. 0:06:11.839 --> 0:06:15.640 It's a parkour competition that was organized in Sweden and Helsingburg. 0:06:16.680 --> 0:06:20.719 And yeah, since that time, I just live in Sweden 0:06:20.800 --> 0:06:23.840 because I just did not want to go back for 0:06:23.880 --> 0:06:26.640 so many reasons that we can just talk about it 0:06:26.760 --> 0:06:28.520 later in this episode. 0:06:29.400 --> 0:06:34.000 Hey guys, I'm a tadler. I'm twenty five years old 0:06:34.520 --> 0:06:38.240 and also in Barkour Athleta and I'm also right now 0:06:38.279 --> 0:06:38.840 in Italy. 0:06:39.000 --> 0:06:42.679 I do the chance to travel to Italy because I part. 0:06:42.560 --> 0:06:46.920 Of bated in a in a movie or in a film, 0:06:47.400 --> 0:06:51.800 which is the directory is in my village Gurosa. He's 0:06:52.040 --> 0:06:55.080 an Italian movie. It's called more jumb But my friend 0:06:55.080 --> 0:06:56.760 he was the main character. I was one of the 0:06:56.839 --> 0:06:59.600 characters in the film. So we got a chance to 0:06:59.600 --> 0:07:03.600 to to participate in a festival in si and it 0:07:03.640 --> 0:07:06.880 wasn't really easy. It was really hard to do it 0:07:06.920 --> 0:07:12.400 because because you know, having visa ahmed Alsos Dad, it's 0:07:12.760 --> 0:07:15.520 we get a visa as a Palestinian and especially from 0:07:15.560 --> 0:07:19.440 gethera city with something really really hard. And even though 0:07:19.440 --> 0:07:22.320 it's about having the business about it, traveling outside Gaza, 0:07:22.440 --> 0:07:25.720 something else this is also other, completely different story, but 0:07:25.960 --> 0:07:28.920 we could manage that. And I've been here in Italy. 0:07:29.000 --> 0:07:31.440 I came to participate in Sishida. First of all, me 0:07:31.520 --> 0:07:33.960 and my friend we managed to get shing visa and 0:07:33.960 --> 0:07:38.040 it was just for five days. And now I'm here 0:07:38.080 --> 0:07:41.559 in Italy for almost eleven months. In the other city. 0:07:41.640 --> 0:07:45.200 You when you were there, it is not you don't 0:07:45.240 --> 0:07:48.840 really feel free as free, you know, because you're surrounded 0:07:48.880 --> 0:07:51.080 all the time by so many obstacutes, you know, which 0:07:51.120 --> 0:07:54.440 is which is really crazy and it drives even though 0:07:54.440 --> 0:07:58.720 because we were really kids and we didn't have a 0:07:58.760 --> 0:08:00.440 really good childhood somehow. 0:08:00.920 --> 0:08:04.880 Yeah, I remember since we were kids, we were seeing 0:08:04.960 --> 0:08:08.679 the tanks or what is it called, Yeah, the tanks 0:08:08.680 --> 0:08:11.760 that we were seeing it in front of the street, 0:08:11.800 --> 0:08:16.320 and we were hearing bombs and shootings. And that was 0:08:16.360 --> 0:08:19.360 before two thousand and five. That was like since I 0:08:19.520 --> 0:08:22.320 was four years I could remember all of that moments 0:08:22.360 --> 0:08:25.800 where the tanks are crossing our road and we were 0:08:25.840 --> 0:08:31.480 seeing that attacks happening between people together, and bombs and 0:08:31.520 --> 0:08:36.640 flights and drones and and that's something that for sure 0:08:36.720 --> 0:08:42.079 affects us as a kid, that we we get the 0:08:42.080 --> 0:08:45.600 fear whenever we see some bombs and just we want 0:08:45.640 --> 0:08:49.240 to hide from the bombs and we want to be 0:08:49.320 --> 0:08:53.440 close to the family. For me, all of these things 0:08:53.440 --> 0:08:56.960 that happened around me affected me that I wanted to 0:08:57.000 --> 0:09:00.840 be that guy who would like to enjoy life. In 0:09:00.920 --> 0:09:04.360 the same time, Gaza was a place that we had 0:09:04.440 --> 0:09:09.880 the situation where we are the psychologically or how is 0:09:09.920 --> 0:09:13.560 it called, like when you are affected by the situation 0:09:13.720 --> 0:09:17.720 where you know that you are you can be dead 0:09:17.840 --> 0:09:20.199 at a moment, or it can get a bump close 0:09:20.320 --> 0:09:22.800 to you any moment, or someone close to you who die. 0:09:23.760 --> 0:09:25.599 I mean kids the most important for the kids just 0:09:25.640 --> 0:09:32.120 the more safety, and we didn't have safety. The safety 0:09:32.240 --> 0:09:35.480 is what kids really want, you know all the time. 0:09:35.520 --> 0:09:37.120 I mean, when you're a kid, you just need your 0:09:37.160 --> 0:09:38.920 mom or your dad next to you because you really 0:09:39.080 --> 0:09:41.800 feel this kind of safety. But when we were kids, 0:09:41.880 --> 0:09:44.320 we couldn't have this kind of feeling because even our 0:09:44.520 --> 0:09:47.920 parents they were not really sure what might happen to 0:09:48.000 --> 0:09:50.440 us or to them, so how they will protect us. 0:09:50.480 --> 0:09:53.360 So it's not really easy for anyone to protect the others. 0:09:53.400 --> 0:09:59.400 You know, no one april to you know, to do that. 0:09:59.400 --> 0:10:05.280 That's something affected us for sure. Right, because we we 0:10:05.280 --> 0:10:08.960 we we've grown up on such things like that. Maybe 0:10:09.000 --> 0:10:11.280 for me an hour, if you were talking about this 0:10:11.360 --> 0:10:13.760 is maybe something usual, which is something normal, because I 0:10:13.880 --> 0:10:16.240 really good used to it somehow, which is not normal. 0:10:16.240 --> 0:10:17.800 I mean it should have been normal for anyone, but 0:10:17.840 --> 0:10:19.760 for us, you know, we could it kind of normal 0:10:19.840 --> 0:10:23.120 because it's kind of we used to. And now when 0:10:23.160 --> 0:10:28.000 I really because before I was really kids, so I 0:10:28.000 --> 0:10:30.480 didn't know what but it's really going on. I was 0:10:30.559 --> 0:10:33.920 really terrified and I was really scared, and I didn't 0:10:33.920 --> 0:10:36.319 know what is really going to happen. But now when 0:10:36.280 --> 0:10:38.079 I'm kind of an adult and I know what is 0:10:38.120 --> 0:10:40.560 really going on and I see the kids when when 0:10:40.640 --> 0:10:43.880 because for example, the last four especially when I'm even outside, 0:10:43.920 --> 0:10:47.199 guess that's completely completely different, you know, because when you're 0:10:47.240 --> 0:10:50.240 inside Gaza, you with your family and your friends, top apply, 0:10:50.280 --> 0:10:54.320 it's really different. But now when I can see how 0:10:54.360 --> 0:10:57.280 the kids they are screaming, how the kids they they 0:10:57.480 --> 0:10:59.840 they have this kind of feeling, you know that you know, 0:11:00.280 --> 0:11:04.040 they are very terrififiled with the poemps because it sneaks 0:11:04.040 --> 0:11:06.720 to them. So I can really remember myself and I 0:11:06.840 --> 0:11:12.199 just go through back, you know, the memory, the stories 0:11:12.200 --> 0:11:15.199 that really happened, the memories, a lot of memories before 0:11:15.240 --> 0:11:17.640 about that it was really crazy. 0:11:18.800 --> 0:11:20.840 We're going to go on a quick ad break, but 0:11:20.880 --> 0:11:24.480 when we get back, Ahmed will talk about his long 0:11:24.559 --> 0:11:39.920 experience trying to leave Gaza. When Ahmed was younger, he 0:11:40.000 --> 0:11:43.720 began to share videos online of his athletic skills, slowly 0:11:43.760 --> 0:11:48.840 gaining notoriety around the world for his pretty impressive parker ability. 0:11:48.960 --> 0:11:52.400 Soon both himself and Pik Gaza were being invited around 0:11:52.400 --> 0:11:55.240 the world to perform a parkour or to enter into 0:11:55.280 --> 0:11:59.320 parker competitions. P k Gaza was invited to the Arabian 0:11:59.360 --> 0:12:02.960 TV show Arabs Got Talent, but they were unable to 0:12:03.000 --> 0:12:06.280 go on the program due to difficulties traveling outside Gaza. 0:12:07.120 --> 0:12:10.120 During this time period, the Rafa border crossing into Egypt 0:12:10.480 --> 0:12:12.800 was only open around six times a year and for 0:12:12.880 --> 0:12:16.160 only a few days. To catch a flight out of Egypt, 0:12:16.160 --> 0:12:18.520 you need to have all of your proper paperwork, tickets, 0:12:19.000 --> 0:12:22.360 and a valid visa which lines up perfectly for when 0:12:22.520 --> 0:12:26.320 the Rafa border crossing happens to be open, and you 0:12:26.400 --> 0:12:28.240 have to also hope that you're not in the back 0:12:28.280 --> 0:12:30.480 of the line to get through the border crossing because 0:12:30.520 --> 0:12:32.920 they only let a certain number of people through each day. 0:12:33.600 --> 0:12:36.920 Ahmed was invited to participate in the Red Bull Parker 0:12:37.040 --> 0:12:40.319 Challenge in China and even successfully got a visa to travel, 0:12:40.640 --> 0:12:43.520 but wasn't able to leave Gaza because the Rafa border 0:12:43.559 --> 0:12:47.600 crossing was closed during the timeframe when the visa was valid. 0:12:48.360 --> 0:12:51.760 The US based World Free Running and Parker Federation tried 0:12:51.760 --> 0:12:54.680 to help Ahmed travel to the United States to participate 0:12:54.960 --> 0:12:59.080 in the wfpf's twenty sixteen competition in Las Vegas, but 0:12:59.280 --> 0:13:03.120 Ahmed was unable to get an American travel visa due 0:13:03.120 --> 0:13:06.360 to long wait times to use the Northern border crossing 0:13:06.520 --> 0:13:09.520 into Jerusalem, and even if you did manage to get 0:13:09.520 --> 0:13:12.320 into Israel, it was quite difficult to receive a US 0:13:12.360 --> 0:13:16.880 travel visa as applicants were frequently denied. A park Ori 0:13:16.920 --> 0:13:20.680 Gym in Italy frequently invited Ahmed to participate in their 0:13:20.760 --> 0:13:24.920 summer and winter events, but the Italian embassy denied requests 0:13:25.000 --> 0:13:29.680 for a travel visa three times. In late twenty sixteen, 0:13:29.880 --> 0:13:34.040 Ahmed got invited to the Air Whip Parkour Challenge in Sweden, 0:13:34.640 --> 0:13:37.000 and with the help of some Swedish friends, he was 0:13:37.040 --> 0:13:41.520 able to secure a travel visa in just two weeks. Unfortunately, 0:13:41.679 --> 0:13:45.520 when Ahmed got the visa, the Rafa crossing was closed, 0:13:45.960 --> 0:13:48.959 but by pure luck, just one day later it was 0:13:49.000 --> 0:13:53.080 announced that the crossing would be reopening. When he went 0:13:53.120 --> 0:13:55.840 to the crossing, he learned that there were thirty thousand 0:13:55.920 --> 0:13:59.680 people in line in front of him, with the crossing 0:13:59.720 --> 0:14:02.680 only he said to be opened briefly and the temporary 0:14:02.760 --> 0:14:07.200 visa set to expire. It was not looking great. After 0:14:07.280 --> 0:14:10.439 a very challenging series of events that Ahmed is about 0:14:10.480 --> 0:14:14.040 to explain, he was able to get to Sweden and 0:14:14.200 --> 0:14:16.679 just last year he started in a play about his 0:14:16.720 --> 0:14:20.640 own life and his journey traveling from Gaza to Sweden. 0:14:21.160 --> 0:14:23.440 Tell us a little bit about this. This is going 0:14:23.520 --> 0:14:25.240 to be a play about your life that they're doing 0:14:25.280 --> 0:14:25.840 in Sweden. 0:14:26.600 --> 0:14:29.120 So we have had the premiere for the play in 0:14:30.520 --> 0:14:34.200 ninth of May. So we have been doing the show 0:14:34.280 --> 0:14:37.800 for a while now, like we have had eight performances 0:14:37.840 --> 0:14:43.280 at the moment, and the play is about me with 0:14:43.440 --> 0:14:47.760 my family and then my friends from Picky Gaza. I 0:14:47.840 --> 0:14:51.240 also talks about the journey from Gazza to Sweden, which 0:14:51.360 --> 0:14:55.280 was the biggest part of the play that yeah, talking 0:14:55.720 --> 0:15:00.160 exactly about how it is to face the visa. There's 0:15:00.160 --> 0:15:05.720 an embassy Egyptian control, Egyptian security when we get out 0:15:05.760 --> 0:15:09.640 of Gaza, that they have to also a Palestinian side 0:15:09.680 --> 0:15:12.640 that they have to interview. Was every if I have 0:15:12.760 --> 0:15:16.960 the visa. Let's say I got the visa after some trial, 0:15:17.040 --> 0:15:20.120 then I have to apply for the trouble which I 0:15:20.160 --> 0:15:22.720 have to stand in the queue behind all of that 0:15:22.840 --> 0:15:26.760 people who already applied before me, which is image nine 0:15:26.920 --> 0:15:31.480 thirty one thousand, Mike, you number is thirty thousand. Then 0:15:31.480 --> 0:15:35.160 I have to wait. And okay, let's say I got 0:15:35.280 --> 0:15:37.800 in front of all of that people and today I 0:15:37.840 --> 0:15:40.760 am here in the Palestinian side. Then this Palestinian side, 0:15:40.800 --> 0:15:44.600 then RAPA orders have to interview me and check all 0:15:46.320 --> 0:15:49.000 why do I need to travel? Show me your documents 0:15:49.320 --> 0:15:52.200 if I have any mistaken my documents, and I go 0:15:52.280 --> 0:15:54.360 back to Gaza. Even if all my documents, I have 0:15:54.440 --> 0:15:56.440 the vision and everything. And then if you don't want 0:15:56.480 --> 0:16:00.160 me to travel, then I have to stay in Gaza. Okay, 0:16:00.240 --> 0:16:03.240 let's say I did best the Palestinian side. I am 0:16:03.320 --> 0:16:08.120 in the Egyptian security side, and there one time the 0:16:08.120 --> 0:16:11.920 Egyptian security sent me back to Gaza after waiting. I 0:16:12.000 --> 0:16:15.680 have the visa, and I was like, no, what are 0:16:15.720 --> 0:16:17.600 you going to do. I'm going to do parkour. I 0:16:17.640 --> 0:16:23.160 have a poor competition out what is parkour? Jump? Oh, 0:16:23.320 --> 0:16:26.600 then you go jump back in Gaza. I have to 0:16:26.680 --> 0:16:29.840 go back. And my family did not expect I would 0:16:29.840 --> 0:16:31.920 be back in as because I was at home around 0:16:31.960 --> 0:16:35.120 five am in the morning and I was a whole 0:16:35.200 --> 0:16:38.960 day like waiting to get to the Egyptian side, and 0:16:39.000 --> 0:16:43.240 then from there he sent me back and yeah, and 0:16:43.320 --> 0:16:47.320 the end, I mean, without the help I could, I 0:16:47.360 --> 0:16:51.080 would not have to travel because thirty thousand people in 0:16:51.080 --> 0:16:53.360 front of me. I have the Q number, but I 0:16:53.400 --> 0:16:56.920 am behind them, and I have the visa that will 0:16:56.960 --> 0:17:01.080 expire in two days. Like let's say that starts in 0:17:01.120 --> 0:17:04.760 two days and it will expire in twenty days. And 0:17:04.800 --> 0:17:07.240 if I don't travel in this twenty days, my visa 0:17:07.280 --> 0:17:11.639 will expire and then I cannot travel with him. And 0:17:11.880 --> 0:17:14.280 the only thing I had to do was like going 0:17:14.320 --> 0:17:17.320 to the crossing the first day with my father. He 0:17:17.359 --> 0:17:19.880 went with me and we just stand there in front 0:17:19.920 --> 0:17:22.680 of the crossing. It's you know, there is a control. 0:17:22.720 --> 0:17:26.080 There is a list with names that you cannot really 0:17:26.160 --> 0:17:29.600 cross if you don't get any help. So I go 0:17:29.760 --> 0:17:32.879 there and then we just waited around six hours, me 0:17:32.920 --> 0:17:35.480 and my father. Then the sunset came and good dark, 0:17:35.600 --> 0:17:37.919 and then he was like, I cannot do anything. We 0:17:38.040 --> 0:17:39.840 have to go back. And then we went back home. 0:17:40.359 --> 0:17:43.160 The day after my fight, tell my father live, can 0:17:43.200 --> 0:17:45.199 we go? I have to travel. I have the visa 0:17:45.400 --> 0:17:49.360 I just will expire. And then he was like, well, 0:17:49.400 --> 0:17:52.040 I cannot do anything. He don't know what he will do, 0:17:52.200 --> 0:17:55.399 my father. So I told him, okay, I will go 0:17:55.480 --> 0:17:59.720 for the guy. We have a guy close to us 0:17:59.840 --> 0:18:02.960 like that say my neighbor, but he's a far neighbor. 0:18:03.600 --> 0:18:06.840 And he was the manager of the crossings between us, 0:18:07.000 --> 0:18:12.919 like the manager of coordinating the visas or like the 0:18:13.280 --> 0:18:16.560 list between US and Egypt. So he can really do 0:18:16.640 --> 0:18:20.080 whatever he wants. He can enter Egypt whenever he wants. 0:18:20.080 --> 0:18:23.360 He's a very friend between Egyptians. So he's the manager 0:18:23.400 --> 0:18:26.399 of the cross he's the boss. So I go to 0:18:26.520 --> 0:18:29.280 him and I wait him outside his car like so 0:18:29.560 --> 0:18:32.240 I was close to his car waiting him to get 0:18:32.320 --> 0:18:34.600 out of his home. I know he goes to his 0:18:34.680 --> 0:18:37.239 work around eight in the morning. Then I wake up 0:18:37.240 --> 0:18:39.720 at seven in the morning and I go there waiting 0:18:39.800 --> 0:18:41.560 him to come to his car. I see his car. 0:18:41.640 --> 0:18:43.480 Then I was really happy that he did not leave 0:18:43.560 --> 0:18:46.400 to his work and I knew that he's still there 0:18:46.440 --> 0:18:50.280 and I was waiting, waiting, and then he came and 0:18:50.320 --> 0:18:52.520 then I show him my visa and I really have 0:18:52.600 --> 0:18:55.800 to travel the competition and they have to join this competition. 0:18:55.840 --> 0:19:02.360 And then he was like, okay, but have the Q number. Yes, but. 0:19:03.800 --> 0:19:06.360 I am the last in the list. Okay, but how 0:19:06.440 --> 0:19:09.399 will we do? I cannot tell you, but I have already. 0:19:09.480 --> 0:19:11.879 I told him I have already been into Egypt before, 0:19:11.960 --> 0:19:15.080 but the Egyptian security sent me back to Gaza and 0:19:15.440 --> 0:19:18.080 he told me, do you have the registration of that 0:19:19.560 --> 0:19:21.359 the time you travel? And I told him yes, and 0:19:21.440 --> 0:19:24.600 did have that time, and it was okay, follow me 0:19:24.640 --> 0:19:27.760 to the cross and I told him, yeah, but I 0:19:27.800 --> 0:19:29.840 can I go with you in your car so you 0:19:29.880 --> 0:19:33.880 don't forget me when you go there. Because he's very 0:19:34.240 --> 0:19:36.760 like Beoble to just run after him and a crossing 0:19:36.840 --> 0:19:41.639 Marianda there, I had to tell you, I want to 0:19:41.680 --> 0:19:44.560 go with you, and he said, yes, okay, you can 0:19:44.600 --> 0:19:45.080 come with me. 0:19:45.880 --> 0:19:48.359 And then he told me, but you cannot stop. I 0:19:48.359 --> 0:19:50.240 told him, can I stop her and say goodbye to 0:19:50.320 --> 0:19:52.480 my family first, because they did not know that I 0:19:52.480 --> 0:19:54.639 will travel. I just took a very small bag with 0:19:54.800 --> 0:19:57.440 me in case. I really had like a tack bag 0:19:57.520 --> 0:20:00.760 with me. And he said, yeah, but you cannot stop. 0:20:01.359 --> 0:20:03.280 I have to go now. And then I was okay, 0:20:03.359 --> 0:20:06.240 I called my mom, Mom, he's going to help me, 0:20:06.320 --> 0:20:10.720 and but I cannot stop say goodbye. And then yeah. 0:20:10.800 --> 0:20:14.120 I went to the crossing and he put me into 0:20:14.200 --> 0:20:17.720 like a viv list that I had to go like 0:20:17.800 --> 0:20:21.280 in a very special past that was just five people 0:20:21.359 --> 0:20:26.480 in it. And I was very like respected by the 0:20:26.520 --> 0:20:29.199 control there and there was like I got all the 0:20:29.200 --> 0:20:32.040 way today to Egypt. And in Egypt, I really met 0:20:32.080 --> 0:20:35.679 the same guy that he also asked me about parkour 0:20:35.840 --> 0:20:40.280 and he was like, oh you And then my friend, 0:20:40.359 --> 0:20:43.080 the guy that manager of the crossing told me show 0:20:43.160 --> 0:20:46.920 him what parkour is. I really had to go a 0:20:47.000 --> 0:20:49.920 slept for him. I did a workst in that room 0:20:49.960 --> 0:20:53.840 where he the control chick, and I was oh, wow, 0:20:54.080 --> 0:20:58.159 so cool. Okay, here's the stamp enter to Egypt. But 0:20:58.920 --> 0:21:02.920 I had to go into that airport. He did not know, 0:21:03.160 --> 0:21:06.400 you know, the Egyptian don't understand the visa. Like if 0:21:06.720 --> 0:21:09.760 it's in the visa, it says that it's gonna be 0:21:09.880 --> 0:21:13.520 valid in this day. If it's valid in this like, 0:21:13.760 --> 0:21:16.360 imagine I get the visa today, but it's not valid yet, 0:21:17.080 --> 0:21:19.680 but the crossing is open today and tomorrow and the 0:21:19.800 --> 0:21:22.120 day after. I have to travel in these three days. 0:21:22.200 --> 0:21:25.439 Then the crossing will close for another six months. So 0:21:25.480 --> 0:21:27.800 I had to travel in the days otherwise I will 0:21:27.840 --> 0:21:31.920 lose my visa. So my visa was not valid at 0:21:31.920 --> 0:21:35.159 that time. I traveled from Kazas, so he thought that 0:21:35.640 --> 0:21:38.040 it's valid. So it was oh, go to the airport 0:21:38.119 --> 0:21:40.479 now and travel from there. He thought that I can 0:21:40.560 --> 0:21:43.600 travel to Europe directly, but if my visa is not valid, 0:21:43.640 --> 0:21:46.280 Europe would not let me in. So I had to 0:21:46.280 --> 0:21:49.399 stay in the airport that time that my visa was 0:21:49.480 --> 0:21:55.960 not valid, which was five days and then and I traveled, 0:21:56.119 --> 0:21:58.480 but I had to wait in the airport because he 0:21:58.520 --> 0:21:59.960 did not understand my visa. 0:22:01.680 --> 0:22:04.320 No one should have to do a Webster front flip 0:22:04.400 --> 0:22:08.080 to cross a border. Because there was still one week 0:22:08.200 --> 0:22:12.480 left until the visa became valid, Egyptian security sent Ahmed 0:22:12.560 --> 0:22:15.560 straight to the airport to wait for the week. While 0:22:15.600 --> 0:22:18.600 in Limbo. At the airport, the Egyptian authorities locked him 0:22:18.680 --> 0:22:21.840 in a small room without his phone or his belongings 0:22:22.320 --> 0:22:27.080 until the visa became valid. After many harsh difficulties and 0:22:27.160 --> 0:22:43.760 compounding inconveniences, Ahmed boarded his plane for Europe. Ahmed has 0:22:43.800 --> 0:22:46.720 built a life for himself in Sweden. He's been teaching 0:22:46.760 --> 0:22:50.080 parkour classes there for years now. In fact, that's how 0:22:50.160 --> 0:22:52.720 the play came about. The mother of one of his 0:22:52.760 --> 0:22:55.760 students is a theater director and she became interested in 0:22:55.800 --> 0:22:59.760 his story. By his account, life is much better for 0:22:59.840 --> 0:23:02.679 him him now, but he still is not free to 0:23:02.880 --> 0:23:05.040 see his own family or to go back to his 0:23:05.119 --> 0:23:08.880 original home. Getting into Gaza is almost as hard as 0:23:09.040 --> 0:23:10.000 getting out of Gaza. 0:23:10.560 --> 0:23:15.080 And hopefully you guys can get back into your families too, 0:23:15.080 --> 0:23:18.879 because I know that must be really difficult, being separated 0:23:18.920 --> 0:23:20.119 and not being able to get back. 0:23:20.760 --> 0:23:23.359 Yeah, it's been six years almost. 0:23:23.320 --> 0:23:26.440 Jesus said, yeah, that's really hard, you. 0:23:26.400 --> 0:23:31.880 Know, dramat the theater. I've invited my brother and luckily 0:23:32.040 --> 0:23:35.280 he got the visa from first time. He got help 0:23:35.400 --> 0:23:39.440 from the same guy that helped me and asked them 0:23:39.440 --> 0:23:42.080 and he put him into a special vest. He traveled 0:23:42.119 --> 0:23:46.440 from Gaza with having doing and now he's here. Oh wow. 0:23:46.920 --> 0:23:48.639 He didn't have to do a backflip in the visa. 0:23:49.680 --> 0:23:51.760 Now I did not. Because he's an artist and he 0:23:51.880 --> 0:23:55.000 had the visa and everything. So he got the visa 0:23:55.359 --> 0:23:59.959 because Dramat in the Theater Center invited him to be 0:24:00.200 --> 0:24:03.399 part of the show with his oh cool bas of 0:24:03.480 --> 0:24:09.440 fabric that he drove. True. Yeah, Abdullah the same way 0:24:09.520 --> 0:24:14.920 with the Yeah, if you don't have someone to help you, 0:24:14.920 --> 0:24:15.960