The Escape to Nowhere

This is a fascinating story about Ali, a Palestinian boy from the Dahaisheh refugee camp in Hebron, and it shows various facets of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Although the story is told by Ali, both sides of the conflict are presented in a balanced way.

The story starts in Tel Aviv. Two young girls are injured in a terrorist bombing. One is killed; the other, Ronit, is injured and taken to hospital. At the same time, Ali`s family is trying to get through an Israeli military roadblock to save the life of Issam, Ali`s little sister, who was born with a heart defect. An Israeli officer helps the family reach an Israeli hospital where Issam is successfully operated on, and Issam and Ronit end up in the same hospital room. Ali and Ronit start talking and eventually Ali faces a dilemma. On the one hand, the Israelis are the enemy so together with his friends, Ali takes part in violent demonstrations against the Israeli army. On the other hand, he has come to know Israelis as human beings. Khalil, Ali`s father, is in an even more difficult situation: a terrorist organization is trying to enlist him; at the same time, his Israeli friends are trying to turn him into a collaborator. Suspicion and hostility grow in the Palestinian community until Khalil and his family have no choice but to flee to Israel and settle in Jaffa, where Khalil`s grandfather once lived. There, Ali goes to a mixed Jewish-Arab school and the children have heated discussions. Ali`s mental confusion increases: he doesn`t know where he really belongs any more. But he has one Israeli friend, Ronit, who has left the hospital and is waiting to meet him.