Rami is a 67-year-old Israeli graphic designer and military veteran. Having served in a tank unit during the Yom Kippur War, he lived a mostly traditional domestic life until experiencing a profound family tragedy. He now dedicates his time to traveling the world to deliver lectures, aiming to spread a message of human unity and advocate for an end to the Occupation.

Bassam is a 48-year-old Palestinian scholar and former prisoner living in Anata. After spending seven years in an Israeli prison starting at age 17, he educated himself on history and the Holocaust. He channels the profound grief of losing a child into a global mission of civil disobedience and peaceful advocacy.

Smadar is the 13-year-old daughter of Rami and Nurit. She is a vivacious student with a talent for swimming and a deep appreciation for music. She cuts her hair close to the scalp and pierces her nose to emulate her idol, the singer Sinéad O’Connor.

Abir is the 10-year-old daughter of Bassam and Salwa. She plays cheerfully with her friends in the streets of Anata, carefully trying not to get dirty water on her white dress. She possesses a strong intellect and is particularly gifted in mathematics and in memorizing long passages from the Qur’an.

Nurit is an intelligent, strong-willed Israeli university professor and author. She writes critically about Israeli school books and state propaganda, drawing high attendance at her lectures alongside hate mail from detractors. She firmly rejects the state's attempts to use personal tragedy for political messaging.

Salwa is Bassam's wife, marrying him shortly after his release from a seven-year prison sentence. She strives to establish a sense of routine for her children despite the ongoing political strife and personal hardship in the West Bank. She strongly supports her husband's community groups and educational missions.

Hertzl is an Israeli prison guard and mathematics student who forms an unlikely bond with Bassam over Arabian poetry and amicable numbers. Unlike the other guards, he refuses to participate in stripping and beating the prisoners, facing physical retaliation from his colleagues for his restraint.

Youssef is a young Palestinian man who studies graphic art at Bethlehem University. Originally an artist who wants to make a Star of Bethlehem out of protest refuse, his wrongful arrest and subsequent four-year prison sentence propel him toward radicalization.

Matti is a prominent Israeli general and the primary architect of the Six-Day War. After a long military career shaped by his democratic and Zionist beliefs, he drastically shifts his worldview to speak out against the Occupation. He teaches Palestinian poetry at Tel Aviv University, drawing significant public backlash and death threats.

Elik is Rami and Nurit's 27-year-old son. Having served in the military where he was taught strict survival tactics, he later joins the grassroots group Combatants for Peace and invites his father to attend their meetings.

Araab is Bassam and Salwa's son, who is 14 years old during the central crisis of the family. After getting in trouble for throwing stones, his father makes him swear on the Qur'an never to participate in a riot.

Yigal is Rami and Nurit's younger son, who is five years old when tragedy strikes his family. He grows up in the shadow of this loss and eventually stands alongside his father during public speaking engagements.

Hiba is Bassam and Salwa's youngest daughter. Her mother attempts to establish a quiet sense of routine for her as she grows up in a household fundamentally altered by grief.

Yitzhak is an Orthodox Jewish man who founded the Parents Circle, a support group for grieving parents of all backgrounds. Having lost his own son, he reaches out to Rami and encourages him to meet with other bereaved families.