Tribute To The People Of Gaza - Mairead Maguire, Nobel
Peace Laureate
30 May 2010By Mairead Maguire
I never cease to be amazed at the power of the human
spirit to survive. During my last visit to Gaza in
October 2008 I was amazed and deeply moved by the
power of the people I witnessed. In a triumph of hope
over adversity and tremendous suffering, love still
abides.
Gaza comprises a small strip of land 27 miles long and
6 miles wide. This coastal strip is bordered by Israel
on the one side, the Mediterranean Sea on the other
and to a lesser extent by Egypt at the southern end.
With one and a half million inhabitants Gaza is the
fifth most densely populated place on the planet, 50%
of which are under the age of 18. Two thirds of the
total population hold refugees status, and comprise
the victims and their descendants of previous acts of
Israeli aggression.
Gaza’s people have suffered an Israeli occupation for
over 40 years and even though Israel withdrew from
Gaza in August 2005 it has continued to control every
aspect of life in the tiny coastal strip. Hamas was
democratically elected to power in the 2006
Palestinian elections and has governed the Gaza strip
since the summer of 2007. It was at this time in 2007
that Israel commenced its devastating blockade of the
strip. Essentially the blockade represents a draconian
policy by Israel. A minimum amount of basic
subsistence goods are allowed to enter the strip with
the intention of holding a malnourished population
just short of outright starvation. Coupled to the
severe food shortages are the restrictions / ban on
basic essentials such a medicine and desperately
needed reconstruction materials. This blockade
constitutes “Collective Punishment” of a civilian
population an act illegal under Article 33 of the
fourth Geneva Convention. But the Culture of Impunity,
under which Israel operates, means Israel continues to
ignore International Law with many of the World’s
Governments and international bodies’ remaining
silent.
In the words of one Israeli Professor, Israel has made
Gaza into the largest open air prison in the world.
Whether by land, sea or air the one and a half million
inhabitants of Gaza are trapped, their 6 border
crossings are closed (including the Raffah crossing
with Egypt), their airport destroyed and their port
and coastal waters shut down by a naval blockade. The
people are forced to live a suffocating life of misery
and hardship. The closure has impacted every
imaginable aspect of their existence both physical and
emotional. Lives are constantly lost for lack of
access to hospital treatments unavailable in Gaza.
Bright and willing students are deprived of an
opportunity to progress their studies; places offered
abroad in universities can not be accepted as student
are unable to leave. The Israeli policy of divide,
blockade and conquer used against the Palestinian
people strikes right to the heart to family life.
Families in Gaza can no longer visit their relatives
in the West Bank. Wives are torn from husbands and
husbands from wives. Many are forced to live apart
some in the West Bank others in Gaza. All across the
Occupied Palestinian Territories there is a common
shared experience of humiliation. The West Bank is
constantly shrinking under a deluge of illegal Israeli
Settlements and new settlement construction. The
countless thousands of Gazans left homeless after the
Israeli bombings can find a paler shadows of the same
existence among their friends and family in East
Jerusalem where forced evictions and house demolitions
are a daily occurrence.
The children of Gaza are the ones who suffer most.
During my visit to Gaza in October, 2008 I went to
visit the area of Khankhounis. In all my years of
visiting areas of poverty and devastation, I have
never witnessed anything so terrible. The area had
been hit by floods which had washed away the roads
forming a river which flooded the houses, of many
hundreds of people, with mud. We walked through home
after home completely destroyed and yet some families
made vain attempts to salvage what they could and live
in the midst of this horrific destruction. The
children played on the destroyed roads and footpaths,
amidst raw sewerage and the mothers did their best to
protect their young ones all too aware of the dangers
of disease lurking in the open puddles which, children
being children persisted in playing in. Community
leaders explained that they were unable to reconstruct
homes, roads and repair open sewers as Israel would
not permit the materials and equipment to enter Gaza.
Teachers had no writing materials, the doctors not
enough medicines and the children were suffering from
malnutrition and showing signs of stunted growth. One
father asked ‘if I give you some money, next time the
Free Gaza boat comes in will you bring in some milk,
the children have no milk’. (In June, 2009, twenty-one
of us tried to sail on the Freegaza boat to Gaza, but
our boat was hi-jacked in International waters by
Israeli navy and we were all forcibly taken to Israel,
put in prison for a week and then deported).
Since 2008 all of this suffering has only magnified
and worsened due to the shattering effect of operation
“Cast Lead” Israel’s brutal attach on Gaza which took
place in December/January 2008/2009. Disease from raw
sewerage and shortage of medicines are not the worst
things to affect the children these days. During the
Israeli assault on Gaza, bombs and white phosphorus
were dropped on Palestinian civilians and of the l,400
people who died, over 400 were children. The
agricultural land is now radiated with depleted
uranium and holds it own terrible dangers for the
people of Gaza. Many who depended on the land for
their livelihood have seen their stock and crops
destroyed and the soil poisoned.
Where is the hope? Where is the love in the midst of
such suffering and injustice? The international
community has all but failed in its duty of care and
seems unwilling or unable to take a stand against
Israeli brutality but thankfully there are those who
still refuse to stands aide. And so in an expression
of love and solidarity the “Freedom Flotilla” takes to
the water in an attempt to breach the siege on Gaza.
The Freedom Flotilla comprises 8 boats, in a joint
effort including Turkey and Greece, over 600 People
from over 60 countries, will sail to Gaza in May,
2010. The flotilla will be joined by a cargo boat from
Ireland, the MV Rachel Corrie. Its large cargo
includes tonnes of construction material, cement,
medical equipment and a special donation of printing
paper from Norway. This trip will again highlight
Israel’s criminal blockade and illegal occupation. In
a demonstration of the power of global citizen action
we hope to awaken the conscience of all.
We hope the Freedom Flotilla will provide a way to
open up the sea. When we arrived in Gaza on the
Freegaza boat in October 2008 last we stayed at Marna
House, the hotel owner was overjoyed as he invited us
to sign the register. He explained his joy telling us
that, with closure of their Port to the outside world,
we were the first people to enter Gaza by port and
stay in his hotel in over 40 years of Israeli
occupation. It would be wonderful if the sea passage
could be permanently opened for the people of Gaza so
they can freely enter and leave their own land, and be
reunited again as a part of the Mediterranean family,
selling their produce and buying what they need
without let or hindrance.
This journey, by boat, will be my third with The
Freegaza Movement and it has shown me that people can
make a difference. The Free Gaza Movement was started
by a few people with an idea and the courage to make
it happen. If people wish to support their work and
follow us on the boat journey to Gaza visit their
website at freegaza.org
But above all we are inspired by the people of Gaza
whose courage, love and joy in welcoming us, even in
the midst of such suffering gives us all hope. They
represent the very best of humanity and we are all
privileged to be given the opportunity to support them
in their nonviolent struggle for human dignity, and
freedom.
©
EsinIslam.Com
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