In 1976, I was 19 years old when I spent my summer holidays in Israel. I worked for three weeks in a Kibbutz, then travelled one week through the country. I very much enjoyed those weeks and have many beautiful memories of them. However, contrary to the expectations I had at the time, my fondest memories today have to do with Palestinians rather than Israelis. For instance, I vividly remember that, during my weeks in the Kibbutz, I was ordered to join a group that worked on a sunflower field in a nearby village, supervised by an old Palestinian man.

The full text of the poems can be read and / or downloaded here, together with introductory background information: Children of Gaza – Introduction and Text of the Poems.

YouTube:

Complete song cycle:

Premiere, part 1:

Premiere, part 2: