Documentary. Decades now israelis and palestinians have been locked in an ongoing dispute over a few 1000 square kilometers of land the west bank sandwiched in between israel and jordan ever more jewish settlers are moving here some of them from germany like. She lives in undershorts. Personally i see no problem with and living here and its a matter of how we live in. Higher tolerance or settler and to many palestinians provocation. The hard part she claims direct contact is the only real part to pace. Higher tower was born in some petersburg in 1991 and grow up in cologne at age 19 she emigrated to israel shes been living in a jewish settlement in the west bank since 2014 the couple this is and what is it this land they saw the chain symbolizes the country of israel and im not a political person im a religious person for one thing or another ive called my principles the fund one is that the land should be unified for everyone who lives on it. Higher lives in this converted container in the alone should settlement just over 20 kilometers south of jerusalem the United Nations on the European Union both regard the jewish settlements as violations of International Law as theyre built on occupied territory but the settlers justify their initiative by citing an Israeli Court ruling that declares the building of the settlements legal a conflict isnt over by a long shot it may get worse anything can happen we might all contract the coronavirus and wind up in solitary confinement so nobody will be able to attack the other thatd be just underneath this corona. We 1st met high up in early march. As the Program Festival was just getting underway traditionally jews dont costumes for it and exchange gifts. At the time the coronavirus had already come to israel but the people were still getting together to celebrate they kept up their usual social contacts and did not yet practice distancing. Why did the settlers prefer the relative isolation of the jew to han mountains on some of the most disputed land in the world to mention the hilarity in the minds of people who live there do so partly for their beliefs partly financially since just because its cheaper well they like the sense of community. Itself a little like never lived in a community before where all the neighbors and so tightly knit. Land. The more. Sustain us in school is nice really nice because it reminds us were not alone and that everything is not as simple and beautiful as it would appear at 1st glance. The west bank is about the size of the u. S. State of delaware but the potential for conflict is vast about 430000 jewish settlers live here among 2700000 palestinians behind fences walls and barbed wire. The expansion of jewish settlements extensively impacts the lives of palestinians like Ali Abu Awwad he comes from a family of political activists his brother was shot and killed at an israeli checkpoint in 2001. Was active in the resistance against israel and spent years in prison he says hes rounds to violence even if the discrimination continues unabated. Palestinian bisons night is enough to get him stopped at the supermarket by security the redish well im so the father asked where hes coming from abu awwad replies that he came from good. The officer asks to see some id but doesnt have any on hand the officer suggests he look for it in his car but he cannot let him into the parking lot without an id even if he did the next officer would stop him so i wanted the office to turn back. So i wasnt allowed to so. This doesnt happen to the israel is just the palestinians that has to be checked and if you forget your id its a big deal. I feel sometimes that every ball last thing you is a suspicion. Until you prove you are a good guy. One hears like. 3 within a worry because there is a lot of fear a lot of. Different activities attacks and the and the wrong move in this junction english is your injunction. And a mistake for their own good move while you are in driving good care cost to your liking. When i look around i see many subtle moments around the rounding this learned i mean. This is what i see. And this is what palestinians face every day for these people to exist practice their identity there is a price of my dignity and my rights that i have to be everything this is and just. As well as our without considering the palestinians as fact in vista that palestinians are struggling to survive that but also to start the heart of a cube ration in any way and this is an endless i dont want to spend my life doing this out of this victim and the feeling of victim in both sides is such a huge issue its even the competition of suffering who suffers more none of us is going to give up his right none of us. For decades israelis and palestinians have been locked in a kind of local cold war in which neither side wins. Higher shan states sees it as unfair that she and other jewish settlers are called an obstacle to peace in the middle east silicosis 150000 israelis are not something to be ignored and you cant just classify several 100000 people as criminals and think youll be able to expel them for some political motives it doesnt is a couple of closely i see no problem with the fact that were living here its more of a question of how we live here and how we behave and how the other section of the population the arab inhabitants of today or in some areas the palestinians behave towards us of the kind of interaction happening here and its not happening very positively i have to admit to given. On the question of who the land belongs to there are no easy answers people debate the issue and seek dialogue with the other side. Like hired rabbi hung on schlessinger lives in the alone should settlements together with palestinian partners hes launched a Grassroots Initiative called roots 60 years and 6 weeks ago for the 1st time my life i had a face to face meeting with the real palestinian before that i had seen them on the street i had hired them to work in my house they did my gardening but i never really talked to them i was completely thrown for a loop that here are people that i thought of as terrorists and they have a human story just like mine i was so taken aback to hear their stories of living under occupation id never use that word before id never heard that word before in a face to face conversation you know. Both sides are an obstacle to the other sides peace our identities are the obstacles to peace who have 2 contradictory identities israelis say and its true historically that the whole land theres ours thats true we were here 2000 years ago. But the palestinians are also connected to the whole land from the jordan to mid train in the same old way and it belongs to both sides legitimately. Routes organizes regular events for israelis web palestinians talk about their lives under Israeli Occupation for some of the young men and women here this presentation will be their very 1st direct contact with an arab. Once an enemy becomes a partner theres a chance of finding a political solution thats the idea behind roots we have to create a new reality which would not be expensive side but in partnership with at the side and the truth is that the best place to begin trading that partnership is here in the west bank slasher dean scenario were of close so close to each other. This is precisely what higher town set out to do in roots she got to know a palestinian and over time theyve become good friends he lives in who sat on an arab village halfway between alone shorts and jerusalem but the political situation does not make such into ethnic friendships easy signs even warn israelis not to enter palestinian villages claiming that its dangerous higher town doesnt agree shes even learn some arabic because she wishes to communicate with her neighbors. Higher and more rockets are determined to let what they share and not what separates them shake their friendship. Weve had enough of warring so either we decide no how we can live together reasonably peace or one stable through the other out or whether. Some are against us meeting more others are for it when i dont hear them i have no reservations about meeting with israelis everyone knows that i have to him have you heard because of his contacts with israelis was detained for 4 days by Palestinian Security forces the mutual distrust from cern deep that anyone ever has contact with the other side is quickly suspected of being either a traitor or a spy even so there is something essential that to share. The desire for peace. And we go with latest news. And. Its the personal contacts that make all the difference for higher. Almost rather have loads of why do i stay on here because i have a good social community i have lots of friends here both jews and arabs and im getting along fine here. In spite of their differences higher up all i want and rabbi shares in just a formed a common bond that convinced its the only way to bring peace to their own country. This is polar ice in the in slices and he can interpret it physicist john haas how does the ice change how does it expand in winter and how does it melt in summer and what does this mean for the earths climate Big Questions big expedition we let ourselves freeze in to morrow to do. Or do you believe. Heidelberg as romantic as. The tourists are staying away because of the corona virus cant imagine what does that mean for local battle for tourists so likely to manage to come whats the likely outcome that this is true destination for people from all over the world maybe even more romantic than before chickie im. 32 w. Im not laughing at the germans because im coming down but most have nothing with me but germany think theyve been to the german culture. News weve picked this grandma day oh you know its old out who they know im rachel join me to meet again on the gulf coast. From. The ice cap is shrinking but there is some good news from the north pole well hear more. Mental illness which genes are linked to schizophrenia a large scale study aims to find out. And beavers have been called natures engineers but not everyone likes well paid bill. Welcome to tomorrow today the science show on d w