Adonis Diaries

The Children of Arna”: Who is Juliano Mer-Khamis?

Arna Mer-Khamis (1930-95) was Jewish who married a Palestinian from the neighborhood of the Palestinian Camp of Jenine in the West Bank. The couple had three children, two boys and a girl who were brought up to live in freedom and among plenty of other children of different religious affiliations and nationalities.

Arna founded the “House of kids” in Jenine.  The children in the camp enjoyed a place to get together, laugh, run, play games, dream of a better future, and be creative.

In 2002, during the “Second Palestinian Intifada”, the still in coma Ariel Sharon PM, savagely and bloodthirsty invested the camp and the Israeli tanks moved over live children, women, and Palestinian civilians. The UN didn’t dare investigate this crime against humanity:  Over 500 were killed and thousands injured.

After this massacre in Jenine, the elder son of late Arna returned to Jenine searching for the children of Arna.  Most the adults of the House of the Kids were killed in the massacre and the few remaining surviving were more familiar with weapons and explosives, as part of the new reality.

Juliano also founded an institution for the Palestinians in the camp called the Theater of Liberty in 2006. Many Palestinians were trained and participated in Juliano’s movies. Juliano had directed several films, one of them is “The children of Arna”, in 2003.

This April 4, 2011 Juliano was assassinated.  Gee, I thought Israel always discovered the murderer of a Jew, but not this time around.  Most probably, an Israeli sniper did the job, getting rid of a most turbulent and dangerous non-violent Jewish/Palestinian activist.

Note:  The movie “The Children of Arna” is produced by Osmat Trabelsi and Pieter Van Huyster; 84 minutes.  Check http://www.momento-films.com