Gaza has been in the spotlight for the last couple of weeks in connection with the Freedom to Gaza Flotilla movement and Israel’s illegal and immoral response to it. There is no denial to the fact that the siege imposed by Israel for the last three years has worsened the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip and has brought it to the brink of a man-made catastrophe.
Apart from food and fuel shortages, what other problems do Gazans face on a daily basis? With the ongoing economic drought that has decimated Gaza’s economy and dried up jobs and businesses, what future awaits the youth of Gaza? What are the social consequences of the crippling blockade that hits every single soul in Gaza? Foreign Policy Journal’s new feature “Citizen” tries to reveal the ground situation and gives you a complete picture of the place dubbed as the world’s largest prison. We shadow Mahmoud Jamie, a 24-year-old graduate who lives in Gaza City and works for a foreign humanitarian organization.
No kidding! This is the kind of water that comes from the taps in bathrooms and kitchens in Gaza. When I wake up in the morning to wash my face and brush my teeth, sometimes this is the type of water I’ve to put up with. And it’s not just me. This is the tale of every single household in Gaza. Do you wonder why? The Zionist occupier won’t allow us to rebuild our water treatment and sewerage system that it regularly destroys. Around 90-95% of the drinking water in Gaza is contaminated and unfit for consumption. This is not my assessment. Amnesty International says this in its report.
And if you’re going to suggest me to use bottled water, know that it’s harmful too. A United Nations survey found that recycling factories in Gaza do not have the capability to cleanse the plastic bottles properly. As a result, contaminants are widely found in plastic bottles and containers.
Our main source is the coastal aquifer, which too gets contaminated by large amounts of untreated sewage that goes into the sea without any treatment, thanks to the Israeli blockade. For a population of 1.5 million, there is no desalination plant, water recycling facility or fresh water supplies from neighboring areas. As a result, we’re forced to drink contaminated water from our wells and pipelines.
Food, especially wheat and flour shortages, are common in Gaza. Israel is supposed to allow 450 tons of wheat daily into Gaza but it seldom lets the required amount reach the besieged flour mills. Whatever supplies that end up in Gaza cannot be adequately processed due to fuel shortages. So the bread that I eat for breakfast is sometimes obtained from long queues.
While having my breakfast I hear the shrill sound of the generators that pierce the eardrum constantly. But what can you do? No power means absolutely nothing in our lives. We’re paying a very heavy price to live this life…which you’ll realize very soon…
Wonderful dear , It gives a clear picture to the life in Gaza under the siege and the occupation , tou express it as you live there with the palestinians , you have reflexed the daily life in Gaza in the best way , nice work Moign :)
@Menna
Thank you very much for your input Menna. Credit also goes to Mahmoud who gave me real insight and knowledge to write this photo feature. Without you both, my work remains incomplete and sightless. Thanx to you both.
Reading this feature was like a rollercoaster ride. I caught myself shaking my head in disbelief, I felt deep sympathy, I was in shock, and the more I read, the angrier I became. How man can deliberately destroy his own species is something I will never understand. I refuse to.
At the same time I am aware that this situation will never change. As long as there are men, there will be fights and wars, there will be terror, violence and cruelty. I am not a pessimist, but looking back into the past and considering the current situation makes me doubt man will ever learn. I doubt mankind will ever overcome their anxieties and fears of the unknown and the different. I doubt the majority of men will ever start to develop something like real acceptance and respect for others.
Fortunately, there are people like you, Moign, who make an effort to provide people all over the world with different views and alternate opinions. This feature – this whole website – is like a little stone that’s being thrown into the water. The stone itself may be only small – but even small stones draw big circles!
I am looking forward to the next ‘citizen’ features, and I hope they’ll give us widespread ideas and impressions of the lives of many different people in many different places and situations. These articles will, I am sure, show and prove that despite some certain obvious differences, we all have much more in common than we maybe would have thought before. The same feelings, ideas and thoughts are shared all over the world.
@ Steph
Thank you very much for sharing your views and feelings with us Steph. It is important for us to know how our readers feel when they find out personal experiences of other people like them. This is the very objective of this feature and I’m glad it seems to be working.
Now coming to your point that “this situation will never change”, I’d like to express a few this here. First of all, we seem to be losing our ability to ask the vital question “why?”. Whenever something happens, be it an event in personal life or an incident on national or international scene, we seldom go into the depth of the matter and ask “why is it happening”. Rather than investigation and analysing, we tend to rely on the general view given to us which is easy to accept. A friend might give you his/her view when you ask about an issue in your life or people you know or see in the media might give you their point of view regarding a situation in the country or worldwide. Though it may be very nice to have people speaking their frame of mind, it should not infringe on our right of thinking and analysis.
The violence, terror and cruelty that shocks you, me and millions of people around the world is not happening without a reason. There is always a reason which might be complex but in order to solve a conflict we have to address it. Otherwise, it will spiral out of control and beget more violence.
I strongly disagree that violence is the foundation of mankind and is innate quality of the human race. Mankind has only flourished when there was complete harmony and a sense of justice with acceptance and respect for others. These are the foundations of civilisations and will always remain. But once a civilisation is denied these very basic values and principles, there will always be a conflict and the bad side, as you pointed out, will rear its head.
The conflict in the Middle East, especially in Occupied Palestine, is taking place due to the infringement of the very values you mentioned in your comment. The Palestinians have been subjected to terror, violence and cruelty for the last 63 years. They’ve been stripped the right to justice, respect and acceptance by the Zionist regime. Now any regime committing such acts cannot be termed as human by any standards, be it legal, moral or humanitarian. The problem arises when their acts are justified and supported. Problems also arise when appeasement becomes the order of the day instead of confronting the abuse and nipping it in the bud.
It is human nature to be compassionate and kind to the others. Travel around the world and you’ll find the majority of people living with the same values of trust, kindness and compassion and trying to help out each other. It’s only a bad influence of few people that corrupts the society and drives it to the brink of disaster. What goes around, comes around. Spread mercy and kindness and we all will see the results…
I thank you once again for your participation in the feedback process. I really look forward to grow this idea and make it into an interesting experiment of human interaction and enlightenment, for which I look forward to readers like yourself.
@ Moign
First of all I would like to thank you to for your in-depth and detailed reply. I agree with basically everything you said. Let me just make it clear that I do NOT believe that “violence is the foundation of mankind”. There certainly is more to man than this. But I do believe there is a certain degree of violence in everyone – it has ever since been an essential feature of every animal in order to defend themselves in their struggle for life.
On the other hand, of course, compassion and kindness are traits even more vital, innate and powerful in every human being. I believe we all long for peace and harmony, and I also believe, like you do, that you get back what you give, that action is followed by reaction, and that there’s always a reason for what we do and how we react. Kindness and trust will be reacted to with kindness and trust, whereas violence will lead to ever more violence, until, in the end, the original reasons that led to any fight may long be forgotten, but the fights continue nevertheless. This is, and here I agree with you again, a highly dangerous condition.
Where bad influence, oppression and injustice reigns, there peaceful people will be turned into people who fight to get their rights back. This is what we should keep in mind before blindly trusting others’ comments or mainstream news in the media that naturally just report just one side of the story. Thanks to FPJ that we are also supplied with different and alternate views!
NaZionism of Israel plays the holocaust card very well to make the world is feeling bad for its struggled in WWII. That is the truth, but a big problem is Israel has learned very well while they were in “refugee camps” across EU. Since Israel uses all tactics cutting water, foods, electricity at “Palestinian refugee camps” anytime it wants to. Israel now becomes a modern Nazi (NaZionism, NaZionist). More than anyone, Jews knew how hard to be as victims of war, hatred, but Jews don’t care, they are promoting Zionist as NaZionism to push helpless Palestinians to the situation of noway out. The whole world close the eyes on Palestinian: Israeli Holocaust from NaZionism.
The new NaZionist has gone too far then normal of human kind to create war and incited allies into war to destroy Iraq/Afghanistan, Lebanon and shot Palestinians any times NaZionist wanted to, then use the media tactics to cover-up the truth of ruthlessness, evil of new NaZionist.
When people live in poor countries and live in the refugee camps. They have no choice to to look up to their future. The only way they could make their young one to remember them is to die for any causes, no matter that cause comes from. Why the world waited too long to protect the Palestinians? How many years Jews were in “Refugee Camps”? and how many years the Palestinians are being in the “Modern NaZionism Refugee Camps”? Who will end the struggle of Palestinian? 50 years for the whole world watch the Palestinian suffering in their own soil, because they are not “children of God”? What the moral value US, UK, UE, (United of Europe) and UN created state of NaZionism of Israel? also sailing DEMOCRACY to the world and 4U acted behind the New NaZionist and blindly support NaZionism to spread to new millennium.
@Free4everyone
You’ve raised some very serious questions here which need to be answered by the international community especially the American establishment. What Jews went through the WW 2 is sad but in no way Palestinians have to go through anything like that. In fact no nation deserves this kind of treatment.
The world is coming to realise the dangers of racial/religious supremacy ideologies one of which is Zionism. But it will take a long time before there is some stern action taken against it. Oppression extends till it extinguishes itself.
Great article ,,, Well done mogin ,, anyone who reads your articles about palestine will feel that u are palestinian ,, you can reach to the smallest and the tiny things that gaza people suffer from
thanks for menna and for her friends who inspire you and help you to present a clear and a vivid picture to what is happening in Gaza .
thanks for ur great care for the palestinian cause and gaza conditions
@ Heba
Thanks a lot Heba. With people like yourself, and your friends, I’ve been able to get just an idea of life in Gaza but it is impossible to feel what you people are going through. The things Gazans put up with daily is just unimaginable. I really wish this nightmare comes to an end and your nation gets the freedom it long deserves. We all stand united with Gaza…the least we can do.
we are trying to understand & support Gazan people but I guess your words are more efficent ….helping them to show ‘ what is going on in Gaza ‘…
people in developed countries also every member of UN should open their eyes & minds… we should be really ‘united’ with every means of word…
thanks for sharing your observations with us.. it is really brave thing in this world…
we could be and can be a Gazan… our prays for them and for other countries who are suffering from the ”’big brothers”’
regards from Turkey…
@Emine
I’m really glad to have your supportive comment my friend. The recent events have made it more clear than ever that Zionism stands for aggression and occupation and violations of human rights and international laws. It is absolutely clear that Zionism is the modern form of Nazi fascism and is committed to the destruction of Palestinians by adopting the same Nazi methods. I salute Turks for their exemplary courage and honesty for which they stood against the Zionist injustices in Gaza. A few more leaders like Erdogan and Zionism’s days can be numbered. The solidarity for Palestinians is growing and getting stronger day by day. I’m glad that your nation is leading us.
Israel is treating the native Palestinians in Gaza EXACTLY the same way that Hitler treated the Jews in the Warsaw Ghetto!
The State of Israel has become a shanda, a disgrace to the Jewish People.
I cannot agree more my friend. I can imagine how it feels to be a Jew and see criminality perpetrated in the name of Jewish religion. It is heart rending to say the least…
It’s really difficult to make that someone feels of other places in this world, and you get it… We can understand how others feel and live. This is the best way to understand each other and be able to help. You know how I like your work. Keep it on!
All what you say is correct, but do not forget to take your interest after publishing this article. None of you serve the cause of Palestine.
BUSINESS is BUSINESS
@Moutaz
I totally understand your point my friend. I can’t say about the others but Foreign Policy Journal has been very consistent in reporting about the issues in Gaza. We also take pride in being very vocal in supporting the war-ravaged people of Gaza and highly critical of the Zionists policies in the region. And our addressing this issue comes out of duty and dedication not business. Our business is only giving voice to the voiceless people, empowering them and raising awareness for their cause. And we care about our business Moutaz.
Thank you very much for registering your voice here. We cannot forget our cause as long as readers like you are with us.
very good article …… when i was reading it i wanted to help them imediatly ….. but i can’t help it . It means that your aticle is writen in best way to give informations to the others and to show how people of GAZA live and it stir emotions
well done Moign and Inshaallah GOD will be with u
Thanks buddy. Good submissions you got going on here. Got some more sites to point to which have more stuff like this?