A year later, the boy who was hit by a Molotov cocktail in "The Guardian of the Walls" speaks: "I want my face to be the way it was"
A year ago, an explosive sound interrupted the children's game in the Gintazi family's living room in Jaffa.
A Molotov cocktail was thrown into the house by their Arab neighbors following a "misidentification": "We were much more upset when we found out they were Arabs."
13-year-old Muhammad was seriously injured: "He looks in the mirror, cries and asks 'Why me, what did I do?'"
Uri Sela
11/05/2022
Wednesday, 11 May 2022, 00:18 Updated: 16:55
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"Why me? What did I do?"
Muhammad Gintazi (Photo: Niv Aharonson)
At the end of last year's Ramadan fast-breaking meal, the Gintazi family returned to their home in the Ajami neighborhood of Jaffa.
Earlier that day, in May, during Operation Wall Guard, they were warned of rioters throwing Molotov cocktails in the area.
"We were not afraid, we said no one does it with us," recalls the mother Nora.
An explosive sound suddenly interrupted the game of the five children in the living room.
The threat materialized, a Molotov cocktail penetrated their home, and 13-year-old Muhammad, who was standing near the window, was seriously injured.
"We heard an explosion and saw that Muhammad was burned," Nora recalls.
Her son was rushed to the intensive care unit at Sheba Hospital and was hospitalized for a month, with bandages all over his upper body, without getting out of bed.
Since then he goes out and enters the doctors' rooms.
Burning scars that cross his face and hands remain a testament to the shock he experienced.
The laser treatments for blurring the marks have not been helpful, and other medical procedures are too expensive for the family.
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"We heard an explosion and saw that Muhammad was burned."
Was shot (Photo: Niv Aaronson)
He was supposed to go up to seventh grade at the beginning of the current school year.
The recovery, mentally and physically, delayed entry to the new school until about six months ago.
Immediately upon entering the first lesson he discovered that the injury was more severe than he thought.
"I lost some of my memory, in reading, in writing. Now I am re-learning things," he says.
Recently started going to a psychologist.
With her, he says, he plays, paints and processes his feelings.
The treatment relieves a little, but the trauma is still deeply etched in his head.
"Almost no friend from the previous school spoke to me. Now I have two new ones from the class and a few more from the class," Muhammad shares.
"When asked I do not tell, it takes me back."
During the conversation in the living room of the family home, Muhammad bursts into tears.
Nora comforts him, wiping a tear from her eye.
"I just want my face to be the way it was," he explains.
Before the injury he dreamed of becoming an accountant when he grew up.
He now finds it hard to believe that the imagination can become a reality.
"I see that slowly the treatment improves his condition. But the night comes and he is scared, shouts out of sleep, says he remembers everything. I also remember every day again," says Nora, trying to stay calm, not to break near her son.
"He goes to the mirror, looks at his face and cries. He asks 'Why me? What did I do?'. We talk about the injury not being related to him but it doesn't help much."
"I lost some of my memory."
Muhammad Gintazi (Photo: Niv Aharonson)
The initial direction of the police investigation was a hate crime committed by Jews.
The riots in the mixed cities were at their peak that week, and Jaffa was burning with agitation and hatred.
The turning point came with the discovery that four houses of Jews in the neighborhood were also set on fire.
Shortly afterwards, three of the family's neighbors were arrested, 21-year-old Ahmed Daoud, 35-year-old Rizk Jarboa and 38-year-old Raed Jarboa.
In June, with the filing of the indictment, came the final determination: misidentification.
"We were surprised, we are neighbors," Nora shares.
"They say they did not know who lived in the house. We had Ramadan decorations outside, how did they not know? We were much sadder when we found out they were Arabs. But we live with Jews, no Jew does that."
After the indictment was filed, the public interest in the family slowly waned.
"In the news we do not ask, no one updates us on what is happening in court. We need to hear everything from friends. There were some lawyers who wanted to help, took forms and photos - and disappeared. Maybe they are scared. There were MKs who promised to help, so far I have not seen anyone from them".
From the previous house they moved to another one, a five minute walk away.
Every meter in the old apartment reminded them of the trauma.
In order to provide Muhammad with close care, Nora was required to stop working, and Father Sabri, who works in installing boilers, was left with a single breadwinner.
"In two weeks we will run out of contract and the landlord wants to live in the house. The previous house was owned by the family and we have no money to rent another apartment," she says.
"In Jaffa we will be expensive - three rooms, which are smaller than us, cost NIS 8,000-7,000."
Nora says that a year ago she contacted Halamish, which belongs to the Tel Aviv municipality and the Ministry of Construction and Housing, and helps provide housing solutions to those who need it.
"Every time they ask for new forms and do not help. I do not know where we will go."
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