The bad news from Gaza
September 12th, 2007Israeli parents are furious at the army for letting their sons, new conscripts, sleep in unprotected tents at the Zikim army base, where dozens of them were wounded on Monday night by a rocket from Gaza. The government, for its part, has decided not to hit Gaza hard in retaliation.
But please spare a thought for another unintended victim of the rocket attack. This morning I got this email from a friend in Gaza who, after months of struggle to get the necessary visa, exit permit and who knows what else, was due to leave yesterday to realise a long-awaited dream of studying abroad. His words express eloquently one of the things that one can so rarely learn from media reports: the misery of being an ordinary Gazan trapped between the forces of Israel’s occupation on the one hand and Palestinian extremism on the other:
I set out of here on time Tuesday 4:00 am. I got on the bus with the other travelers and we moved on to Erez crossing, passed it after we had done all the checking procedures on the Israeli side so swiftly and smoothly. Every thing seemd fine and good. We got on other buses and were supposed to head to Egypt. We waited and waited and waited to move, time of waiting on the buses almost 4 hours. We did not move to Egypt though :-( . Then we were told we have to return to Gaza for security reasons. We heard later that it was because some Palestinian stupid group fired a rocket against Israel and hit a group of Israeli soldiers, one was killed [NB: according to reports today he is critically injured but still alive - Gideon] and 60 others were injured…. On the way back, I saw the women and kids traveling back bursting into tears feeling so disappointed, grievous and upset. All of them were of course stuck in Gaza and this was their only chance to reunite with their families, fathers and husbands… It is so sad and agonizing to know that we ,the Palestinian, do this to ourselves and call this “resistance” of the occupation… The Israelis did not do this to us… quite the opposite they were so helpful at the crossing and let us pass so quickly…. I do not know.. I am beginning to hate my own country and people.. not all of them but those utilitarians blood traders who use the Palestinian cause merely for personal and party interests without caring about the people’s well being… I want to know… why why why… they would fire rockets only when they know people are traveling through Erez crossing… it was not a coincidence, It was known to every body in Gaza that we were traveling today earlier…. It is all because the Palestinian “blood traders” cant travel through Israel, they are screwing this way up…. though more than 80% of the Palestinian people can benefit from this crossing to go after their business, education and to reunite with their families out of Gaza…. It is so fuckin stupid and ungly…. Excuse my words.. I am so upset right now….
This year, in a rare coincidence, the Jewish and Muslim festivals begin together. To everyone, wherever you are, and especially to my Gazan friend,
