My cousin in Gaza City snapped this photograph of a rainbow rising above the coast. In the foreground is a tree.
The Palestine Entries: Everyday people
November 7, 2011 By 4 Comments
// Entry #39
Although under occupation, siege, and the steady threat of invasion, Palestinians in the Gaza Strip must continue with their everyday lives.
A Palestinian man sits in the shade of his storefront in central Gaza City.
In the Sabra neighborhood of Gaza City, Kareem sits with his father and brother during a family visit.
A Palestinian student holds one of two images of his brother currently detained in Israel’s Nafha Prison. Hussain Mustafa Al-Loh is serving a 99-year prison term without ever being formally indicted. His family, like many families in Gaza and elsewhere, await his return. [Read more...]
Before and after Eilat: Israeli air strikes are no different than militant rocket attacks
August 19, 2011 By 5 Comments
Photo by Mahmud Hams, AFP
How are Israel’s air strikes any different from the militant rocket attacks it so boldly denounces? This is sure to spark a poisoned debate — mostly because the general public is informed only to the extent that Fox News, for example, informs them, but ultimately because the more vocal individuals, the ones who hide behind a charade of objectivity, are just too intolerant and too one-sided to even consider the possibility that there really is another side to the coin, a side that can only be explored if the double standards are dropped and the context is expanded beyond Israel’s immediate borders.
Misinformed retaliation
In the wake of the Eilat attacks that killed upwards of eight Israelis on Thursday, August 19, Israeli politicians and their backers quickly issued statements of appeal, citing both their unshakable defense of Israel as well as their intent to, essentially, make “them” pay.
But who is “them”?
Within hours of the Eilat attacks, the government of Israel announced that it had discovered who was behind the attacks and that it would proceed with a timely and justified response. Here is Israel, a beacon of proper self-investigation (see: Goldstone), putting forth the effort to carefully and positively identify those responsible for the damage before retaliating. The United States Congress felt a fatherly goodness for having cultivated such a well-intentioned military machine.
According to the Israeli government (and only the Israeli government), the Popular Resistance Committee (PRC) organized the coordinated operations. Their headquarters and training bases would consequently be the prime targets in any forthcoming attack. Moments later, Rafah was bombed. At least six died, dozens injured, and millions more deceived.
According to both Haaretz and Ynet, Israel’s two most prominent daily news agencies, the Eilat attackers were chased down but not apprehended and in the short three hour span between the bus shooting in Israel and the air strikes in Rafah, Israel had no conclusive evidence to link the PRC to the attacks. Its strategy to surgically remove the PRC from the Gaza Strip was based solely on speculation.
Immediately following the Rafah bombings, the stunned PRC declared it played no role in the Eilat attacks and Hamas did the same. Still, armored personnel carriers and infantry units mobilized along the borders of the Gaza Strip and Israeli F-16s and drones loudly took to the skies. [Read more...]
The Palestine Entries: Marrying in Gaza
August 5, 2011 By 2 Comments
// Entry #36
The summer is marriage season in Palestine, and Gaza City has a lot to show for it.
It is perfectly reasonable to assume that at least one person from your extended family or immediate neighborhood is getting married on any given day. With well over 50% of the population under the age of 25, families are regularly hosting marriage ceremonies or attending them. In fact, marriage is so commonplace that it has inevitably become the butt of almost every joke made by men under the age of 40. And if it isn’t being joked about, it’s used as a tool of coercion.
A perfect example, spoken from the mouth of a relative: “So Sami, I know she’s your cousin and all but she comes from a great family, ours, and you’ll have lots of kids.”
“No.”
But the tradition and cultural significance surrounding marriage in the Gaza Strip is no laughing matter. As chaotic, plentiful, and free-spirited as it may seem, the process of getting married is highly structured and follows the same general patterns. The spectacular part of it all is being able to attend three in one night. [Read more...]
Controversy surrounding SMP
July 29, 2011 By 9 Comments
A group of well-intentioned friends staged what can be considered an intervention of sorts, fearing that I might be putting myself in harm’s way by saying things that a middle class, rational, and ambitious advocate for peace and justice shouldn’t be saying. I was being “too controversial” and needed to be “more careful”. Essentially, it was a slap in the face.
The concern came in response to two particular articles I wrote during my stay in Gaza, the first calling for a protest in Gaza City and the other an interview with a Palestinian resistance fighter about his wounds. The articles garnered quite a bit of heat after publication, due primarily to the controversial nature of the article topics, but the biggest criticisms ironically came from the people who knew me best. The content of the articles supposedly raised alarming suspicions that I had ‘radicalized’.
Although I do appreciate the concern, I feel it is absolutely necessary to defend the reputation and high standards of this blog and of my principled opinions by setting things straight for the record.
I condemn all forms of violence, prejudice, hatred, bigotry, immorality, and criminal activity, and I will forever make this clear in the articles I write and the work I do. Of the 167 posts published on this blog, not a single one contains any support of the ‘radicalization’ that some have suspected me of embracing. Yes, this blog is heavily critical of Israeli policy towards Palestinians but I have never called for or supported violence by any means. If anything, I try hard to find peaceful and effective solutions that will afford Palestinians their rights without stripping other people of their own natural rights. [Read more...]
The Palestine Entries: Shooting the messenger, a tribute to Palestinian journalist Fadel Shana’a
July 26, 2011 By Leave a Comment
// Entry #34
A tribute to Fadel Shana’a, Reuters journalist
1984/85 to 2008
Fadel Shana’a was only 23 years old when his body was pierced by metal darts. Working for Reuters as a cameraman, Fadel ‘s enthusiasm, bravery, and dedication to a life of honest reporting compelled him to be at the scene of an attack even as it unfolded. The footage he captured validated the use of the terms “violent” and “systematic” when describing Israel’s occupation, specifically his final seconds of footage.
On 16 April 2008, Fadel and an accompanying Reuters soundman made their way to the site of an ongoing tank shelling. Standing alongside a silver Mitsubishi SUV labeled in bright red with the words “Press” and “TV”, Fadel focused his camera lens on an Israeli tank in the distance. As he slowly zoomed out, the tank fired a flechette shell that within moments hit near his location. This was the second time he was targeted by Israeli troops. The first was in a 2006 air strike that left him bleeding but alive.
This time, unfortunately, Fadel was not so lucky. The impact of the tank missile threw the camera to the ground and blacked the screen. High velocity shrapnel tore Fadel’s body into pieces. He died at the scene while his soundman survived with severe injuries. Two passing men were also killed by the attack. (His final footage can be found at the end of this article.) [Read more...]
The Palestine Entries: Photos of Gaza City’s Mina and Flotilla memorial
July 21, 2011 By 2 Comments
// Entry #32
The Mina is one of the Gaza Strip’s most beautiful coastal stretches, featuring Gaza City’s main port, a small fish market, a memorial for the Turkish nationals murdered on the Mavi Marmara headed to Gaza, and a series of relatively elegant hotels frequented by foreigners and young Palestinian men and women wishing to escape the noise and the commotion of the city surrounding them. It’s not spatially large nor is it always open to the public but it is a landmark in Gaza that merits publicity.
This marble monument stands in memory of the nine Turkish individuals killed during Israel’s raid of the Mavi Marmara during the first global Freedom Flotilla. Each panel features one of the nine names as well as a Turkish flag alongside a Palestinian flag, symbolizing the strength of international solidarity and celebrating their lives as honorary Palestinians.
Immediately to the side of the marble memorial is this set of flags. Turkish flags line much of Gaza’s coasts and can even be found taped onto store windows, hanging from rearview mirrors, and waving at the front entrance of many restaurants. [Read more...]
The Palestine Entries: Footage of Israeli Navy relentlessly attacking activists on sinking boat
July 20, 2011 By Leave a Comment
// Entry #31
After thirty posts in thirty days, I’m writing from Chicago again. My adventures in Palestine have come to an end but there are hundreds of photographs yet to be shown and dozens of stories that deserve to be told. The Palestine Entries will continue to be published until my duty to report on the reality of life in Gaza is completed in full.
That said, I’d like to direct your attention back toward the coast of Gaza City where there has been a noticeable increase in international interest lately due to the Gaza-bound Flotilla movements and the steady naval attacks against Palestinian fishermen. A number of earlier posts reference these attacks against fishermen, young and old, but until today, I’ve been unable to find authentic footage of the kind of arbitrary punishment these fishermen face on a regular basis.
This video shows an Israeli Navy gunship attacking an international activist group with a high powered water canon. The video was filmed by volunteers with the Civil Peace Service stationed in Gaza, an organization that monitors the safety and human rights of Gaza’s fishermen. [Read more...]
The Palestine Entries: Fishing boats and bullet holes
July 18, 2011 By 1 Comment
// Entry #29
On the evening of 24 June 2011, I interviewed a fisherman about his experiences attempting to catch fish within the 3-kilometer zone enforced by the Israeli Navy. He detailed his daily routine and recounted the many ordeals he and his family have faced since the siege on Gaza began in 2006, including the times when his sons were shot and when his nephew’s ship capsized.
Two weeks later, I met with his family members at the Mina, Gaza’s main port, and spoke with them and other fishermen to learn about their experiences as well.
Upon reaching the Mina, I came across three fishermen carrying their catch to the fish market. Fishermen in Gaza set sail well before sunrise with the hopes of catching enough fish to sell at the market. In effect, they hold two jobs. First, the fishermen must catch the fish, then they must sell it in time for lunch.
This is a boat just like the one these young men use every morning. Note the simplicity of the boat: a wooden frame with plastic trim and a motor.
Next, I met Bakr, brother to the fisherman I spoke with weeks ago. He pulled out two small plastic bags. One was filled halfway with shrimp, the other filled with a pink fish. He pulled out a handful of shrimp and explained that today’s catch is small because it isn’t for sale. He only caught enough to feed his family for the day.
Israeli military commends itself for saving, not taking, lives
After reading the Israeli military’s latest report on its service to humanity, one might actually be compelled to believe that the Israeli military “is always ready to leave everything behind and save lives”. But unless you are a seal trained to clap at the clowns behind such a deceptive report, this should instead lead you to question the morality of Israel’s armed forces and how their mission to save lives ends just outside of Palestine’s borders.
The report features the National Search and Rescue Unit, a collection of volunteer Israeli soldiers, as one component of the Israeli military’s overall dedication to providing humanitarian aid in Israel and abroad. According to the report, this group of individuals was responsible for saving the life of a little girl hidden beneath the rubble of her home after a devastating earthquake hit Turkey in 1999. Admirable, yes, so let us ask Jihan al-Hilu what she thinks about Israel’s altruism. It is likely that she shares the same opinion as Mahdi al-’Athamneh.
Here would be the perfect place to insert quotes by sixteen-year-old Jihan and fifteen-year-old Mahdi but they are not with us to share their thoughts. Jihan and her entire family were killed on January 18, 2009, when armed Israeli forces, not an earthquake, fired a barrage of missiles at her home in Gaza City. Similarly, Mahdi was among the nineteen civilians killed when the Israeli military shelled a residential neighborhood in Beit Hanoun and collapsed his home on his family in 2006. Where was Israel’s altruism then? [Read more...]