Note: Some links of sites and interviews that refer to this blog have been added in a new links area on the right.
It's been almost 3 months since the war in Gaza ended.
My friend Peaceman is still in Gaza.
Once every couple of weeks the Rafah border into Egypt opens for a day or two and some people are let through.
Peaceman has not been able so far to get permission to leave since Israel will not allow any Palestinians out and Egypt is making it extremely difficult.
The people of Gaza are still stranded in this unbearable situation.
During the first month after the war, rockets continued hitting Sderot and the region. For almost 2 months we are having a relative quiet. Only occasional rockets are fired from Gaza, and Israel seems to be holding it's fire and not operating in Gaza .
Many Israelis hoped that the war would bring quiet. Now that the war has ended, no one believe the quiet will hold. It is just a matter of time before the next escalation.
We are at a similar point we were before the war, only with thousands more killed injured and hopeless.
Our life has settled back to a rather calm and normal life. We are however always in alert that the quiet may end at any time.
As before Israel and the Palestinians are not working together on a real long lasting solution for the situation. It is not clear if and what the new Israeli government plans to do regarding the situation in Gaza, however from the public statements made both by Netaniahu (The prime minister) and Lieberman (the foriegn affairs minister) the policy of the new government will be even less hopeful than the previous one...
So what can we hope for? Well, maybe for human compassion, person to person connections, civil initiatives, people on both sides that keep on the ties of humanity even in these despperate times. Looking at the big picture brings much sorrow and despair. Looking at day to day life with all the small and amazingly beatiful humanity it contains gives me hope and allows me to move on.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Sunday, February 15, 2009
new truce will begin
I apologized for not writing since long time as I am constantly trying to get out of gaza to continue studies abroad .
To exit from Gaza is very difficult, its as prison, where the crossing is closed, especially the Rafah crossing
The news says that the new seas fire will begin soon and for long time between the parties ,
and this is good news, where the parties are given an opportunity to rethink and not to use again the idea of war.
and give an opportunity for dialogue, peace
where the idea of violence led to the growing hatred between the two parties, therefore, we want to repair what was destroyed by violence.
That we have a lot of work to build what was destroyed by the violence, build trust between the parties .
To exit from Gaza is very difficult, its as prison, where the crossing is closed, especially the Rafah crossing
The news says that the new seas fire will begin soon and for long time between the parties ,
and this is good news, where the parties are given an opportunity to rethink and not to use again the idea of war.
and give an opportunity for dialogue, peace
where the idea of violence led to the growing hatred between the two parties, therefore, we want to repair what was destroyed by violence.
That we have a lot of work to build what was destroyed by the violence, build trust between the parties .
Monday, January 19, 2009
cease-fire
At the beginning I would like to thank everyone for their follow-up,and ,also' I would also like to thank my friend, hope man for continued support during the war.
Yesterday was the first day of the cease-fire after 23 days of war and destruction and killing, killed more than 1300 and 6000 injured, and destroyed thousands of houses and places and lands
I hope that the cease-fire will be the beginning of a new future and hope of ending the long suffering.
and give the opportunity for peace between the parties,
they have tried and experienced the war, and I wish they give peace and dialogue a chance for once .
we have much to do because this war increased the pain and the hate between the two parties.
Yesterday was the first day of the cease-fire after 23 days of war and destruction and killing, killed more than 1300 and 6000 injured, and destroyed thousands of houses and places and lands
I hope that the cease-fire will be the beginning of a new future and hope of ending the long suffering.
and give the opportunity for peace between the parties,
they have tried and experienced the war, and I wish they give peace and dialogue a chance for once .
we have much to do because this war increased the pain and the hate between the two parties.
Saturday, January 10, 2009
2 weeks and still going
I wish to thank all those who have commented and supported our effort in sending out our message. It is impossible for us during this time to answer any specific questions; however we read everything and thank you for your contribution.
An additional note: We post 95% of the comments and try not to censor comments.
Some comments that use abusive language or that we feel will cause more misunderstanding than understanding are not posted. The purpose of the blog is to further understanding of our reality and not be a platform for debate and blame.
We are now 2 weeks into the war.
1 week since the ground incursion and Peace man and I have been in very little contact since the. He is out of electricity 99% of the time and cannot charge his cell phone. Added to that is the fact that reception of cell phones from Gaza is almost nil, he has to be in a high and exposed place to talk. This endangers him so we have had very little contact.
It is a horrifying reality. Clearly the situation in Gaza is much worse than what we are experiencing, however I will share what we are going through so the complexity and absurdity can be understood.
On the Israeli side 1 million people are in the range of the rockets from Gaza. Many people have fled to safer areas in Israel. Most rockets are hitting in open areas, however some have injured civilians and lot's of damage has been caused to homes and buildings. People are in constant fear and alert.
The war has created chaos in most of the southern part of Israel. No school or university studies, people are not allowed to crowd which means no weddings and other gatherings are not allowed, many businesses are closed and people have not been to work for 2 weeks.
I have personally spent most of the time in Sderot however my wife and kids have been out of the area for the whole time. Today we are all together again at home. The rockets are still hitting, however it feels good to be back home even in face of danger. We have been in this reality for 8 years so for us it seems amazingly normal.
Today has been a rather quiet day in Sderot, Only rocket alerts, no one hurt and no damage.
It feels rather normal however as I type, I can clearly hear the sounds of war. Blasts and planes, shooting and helicopters. A horrible war so close across the border.
I am horrified by the number of civilian casualties in Gaza. The civilians are to suffer once again from the brutality and incompetence of their leaders and this time the result is worse than ever.
For 4.5 months from June to November 2008 we had a cease fire. Only a very small amount of hostile actions from both sides were occurring. Our life was back to a very quiet and normal reality. The main problem was that for the Gazen civilians, the cease fire did not create any hope since there was an ongoing siege on Gaza.
Both sides were blaming each other. Israel claming that the Hamas is not abiding to the ceasefire since there were occasional rockets and the arms smuggling continued, and Hamas claiming that Israel is not fulfilling its part since the siege continued.
This war has broken out for the simple reason that neither side was willing to make a serious effort to avoid it. Both sides were sharpening their swords waiting for the next horrible round.
Was there no other option? Of course there was!
Both sides state that on the other side there is no partner to talk to. However the initial cease fire was achieved by talks. Indirect talks but that is only a technicality.
We all know that sometime (hopefully very soon) there will be some kind of agreement and both sides will talk. We all know that this agreement will not disarm either side and remove the treat of future hostilities. However it will be reached. Why then did so many civilians have to pay such an appalling price for the stupidity and incompetence of our leaders? I am both furious, heartbroken to see how our region has fallen so deep into this tragedy which could have been avoided in the first place.
More bombings are heard from my home across the border, deepening the pain, suffering and hatred.
Once this is over there will be so much work to be done to build any kind of hopeful future. We keep this dialog going to make it just a bit easier when it ends.
An additional note: We post 95% of the comments and try not to censor comments.
Some comments that use abusive language or that we feel will cause more misunderstanding than understanding are not posted. The purpose of the blog is to further understanding of our reality and not be a platform for debate and blame.
We are now 2 weeks into the war.
1 week since the ground incursion and Peace man and I have been in very little contact since the. He is out of electricity 99% of the time and cannot charge his cell phone. Added to that is the fact that reception of cell phones from Gaza is almost nil, he has to be in a high and exposed place to talk. This endangers him so we have had very little contact.
It is a horrifying reality. Clearly the situation in Gaza is much worse than what we are experiencing, however I will share what we are going through so the complexity and absurdity can be understood.
On the Israeli side 1 million people are in the range of the rockets from Gaza. Many people have fled to safer areas in Israel. Most rockets are hitting in open areas, however some have injured civilians and lot's of damage has been caused to homes and buildings. People are in constant fear and alert.
The war has created chaos in most of the southern part of Israel. No school or university studies, people are not allowed to crowd which means no weddings and other gatherings are not allowed, many businesses are closed and people have not been to work for 2 weeks.
I have personally spent most of the time in Sderot however my wife and kids have been out of the area for the whole time. Today we are all together again at home. The rockets are still hitting, however it feels good to be back home even in face of danger. We have been in this reality for 8 years so for us it seems amazingly normal.
Today has been a rather quiet day in Sderot, Only rocket alerts, no one hurt and no damage.
It feels rather normal however as I type, I can clearly hear the sounds of war. Blasts and planes, shooting and helicopters. A horrible war so close across the border.
I am horrified by the number of civilian casualties in Gaza. The civilians are to suffer once again from the brutality and incompetence of their leaders and this time the result is worse than ever.
For 4.5 months from June to November 2008 we had a cease fire. Only a very small amount of hostile actions from both sides were occurring. Our life was back to a very quiet and normal reality. The main problem was that for the Gazen civilians, the cease fire did not create any hope since there was an ongoing siege on Gaza.
Both sides were blaming each other. Israel claming that the Hamas is not abiding to the ceasefire since there were occasional rockets and the arms smuggling continued, and Hamas claiming that Israel is not fulfilling its part since the siege continued.
This war has broken out for the simple reason that neither side was willing to make a serious effort to avoid it. Both sides were sharpening their swords waiting for the next horrible round.
Was there no other option? Of course there was!
Both sides state that on the other side there is no partner to talk to. However the initial cease fire was achieved by talks. Indirect talks but that is only a technicality.
We all know that sometime (hopefully very soon) there will be some kind of agreement and both sides will talk. We all know that this agreement will not disarm either side and remove the treat of future hostilities. However it will be reached. Why then did so many civilians have to pay such an appalling price for the stupidity and incompetence of our leaders? I am both furious, heartbroken to see how our region has fallen so deep into this tragedy which could have been avoided in the first place.
More bombings are heard from my home across the border, deepening the pain, suffering and hatred.
Once this is over there will be so much work to be done to build any kind of hopeful future. We keep this dialog going to make it just a bit easier when it ends.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
war in Gaza
More than ten days since Israel has started the military operation.
in Gaza, more than 700 hundred has been killed in Gaza ,80% of them civilians.
Israeli announced when they started the operation they want to stop the rockets from Gaza they can't do this by targeting the civilians.
What is going in Gaza is real and big crime, against all the laws in the world, they are killing everything moving, especially the civilians .
When the operation started in Gaza, they destroyed all the government centers, and in the same time killed many civilians, Israel said they don’t mean to kill civilians .
But when the ground operation started, most people die is civilians and children.
It is hard to describe what is going on in Gaza, a terrible disaster, where the aircraft do not distinguish between civilians and military and children, no water ,electricity and difficult to get your needs .
We didn't have electricity since 6 days, and today was the first day to have it, that’s why I have chance to write this quickly.
We have said from the beginning that violence will bring more violence.
I hope the world will understand that’s there people want to live safe with dignity and peace .
I hope I will have the chance to write you again.
in Gaza, more than 700 hundred has been killed in Gaza ,80% of them civilians.
Israeli announced when they started the operation they want to stop the rockets from Gaza they can't do this by targeting the civilians.
What is going in Gaza is real and big crime, against all the laws in the world, they are killing everything moving, especially the civilians .
When the operation started in Gaza, they destroyed all the government centers, and in the same time killed many civilians, Israel said they don’t mean to kill civilians .
But when the ground operation started, most people die is civilians and children.
It is hard to describe what is going on in Gaza, a terrible disaster, where the aircraft do not distinguish between civilians and military and children, no water ,electricity and difficult to get your needs .
We didn't have electricity since 6 days, and today was the first day to have it, that’s why I have chance to write this quickly.
We have said from the beginning that violence will bring more violence.
I hope the world will understand that’s there people want to live safe with dignity and peace .
I hope I will have the chance to write you again.
Friday, January 2, 2009
The day after the war
The war has been going on for 6 days.
On Saturday December 27th at 12:08 I received an SMS message from a friend in Sderot that a large scale attack has started by the Israeli air force in Gaza and that blasts are being heard very strongly in Sderot. I was in the north of Israel with my family visiting our family.
That evening I returned home. My wife and kids remained in the north and are there until this very moment.
The past 6 days have been extremely troubling. Israel has been continuously bombing Gaza. The sounds of the attacks can be clearly heard in Sderot. For the first 2 days only very few rockets were launched from Gaza towards Israel and then the counter attack came. The whole southern part of Israel covering areas with several large cities (Ashkelon, Beer Sheva, Ashdod) have been targeted. Between 60 and 100 rockets a day have been fired from Gaza. In these attacks 4 people have been killed dozens wounded and thousands of people that previously had not been regarded in the range of the rockets are in shock.In Gaza over 400 people have been killed and thousands wounded. The air force and navy have been targeting hundreds of targets.
The public opinion in Israel is largely supporting the war. A poll taken shortly after the attack said that over 81% of the population in Isreal supports the action. I am not sure the poll is accurate and what more recent polls will show, but I expect that this percentage will decrease only slightly.
Sderot has been attcked as all other cities and towns in the range of the rockets (40-50 km around Gaza) but due to the fact that so many other palces have been targetted, strangely we have actually been hit less that in some previous escalations...
Many people have left Sderot and I estimate less than 50% of the people remain. Very few people are walking in the streets and no children are seen anywhere.
The war was a great mistake, however it is no wonder that so many people in Israel support it.
The ongoing reality of rockets falling in Sderot and other places for 8 years is a terrible reality. Many people of our region have left it for good over the years. Bringing up children in such a reality seems almost abusive and certainly irresponsible.
There is a feeling in most of the Israeli society, that there was no choice but to attack Gaza and stop the rockets once and for all. This is an expected human reaction to the on going situation.
With that said, I personally think it is a terrible mistake that could have been avoided. For 5 months there was an almost complete cease fire. Instead of taking advantage of this long period of quiet to reach a long term agreement, both sides spent their time preparing for this war by planning and arming. No serious efforts were made to start a dialog. The siege by Isreal continued and the smuggling of arms by the Hamas continued. It was a cease fire but only to prepare for the next terrible round which we are experiencing this very moment.
I am very pessimistic at the moment. My fear is that a ground attack is coming and that much more pain is still ahead. Eventually some kind of agreement will be achieved. I hope it will happen soon, I fear it will not.
Peace Man and I talk every day. We support each other and worry for each others well being. I am in contact with others in Gaza and share my situation while hearing of theirs. Much fear and pain on both sides.
What me and others are doing is continuing the dialog with friends in Gaza. We are working to widen and deepen this dialog with more people on both sides. The day after the war we want to start finding ways to work together and create a normality. We are only several kilometers apart and that will never change. It is extremely important to widen our dialog and create trust between those that are willing to talk. To share our stories, fears and hopes.
The day after the war we need a new beginning. Let's start planting seeds of humanity and trust now.
On Saturday December 27th at 12:08 I received an SMS message from a friend in Sderot that a large scale attack has started by the Israeli air force in Gaza and that blasts are being heard very strongly in Sderot. I was in the north of Israel with my family visiting our family.
That evening I returned home. My wife and kids remained in the north and are there until this very moment.
The past 6 days have been extremely troubling. Israel has been continuously bombing Gaza. The sounds of the attacks can be clearly heard in Sderot. For the first 2 days only very few rockets were launched from Gaza towards Israel and then the counter attack came. The whole southern part of Israel covering areas with several large cities (Ashkelon, Beer Sheva, Ashdod) have been targeted. Between 60 and 100 rockets a day have been fired from Gaza. In these attacks 4 people have been killed dozens wounded and thousands of people that previously had not been regarded in the range of the rockets are in shock.In Gaza over 400 people have been killed and thousands wounded. The air force and navy have been targeting hundreds of targets.
The public opinion in Israel is largely supporting the war. A poll taken shortly after the attack said that over 81% of the population in Isreal supports the action. I am not sure the poll is accurate and what more recent polls will show, but I expect that this percentage will decrease only slightly.
Sderot has been attcked as all other cities and towns in the range of the rockets (40-50 km around Gaza) but due to the fact that so many other palces have been targetted, strangely we have actually been hit less that in some previous escalations...
Many people have left Sderot and I estimate less than 50% of the people remain. Very few people are walking in the streets and no children are seen anywhere.
The war was a great mistake, however it is no wonder that so many people in Israel support it.
The ongoing reality of rockets falling in Sderot and other places for 8 years is a terrible reality. Many people of our region have left it for good over the years. Bringing up children in such a reality seems almost abusive and certainly irresponsible.
There is a feeling in most of the Israeli society, that there was no choice but to attack Gaza and stop the rockets once and for all. This is an expected human reaction to the on going situation.
With that said, I personally think it is a terrible mistake that could have been avoided. For 5 months there was an almost complete cease fire. Instead of taking advantage of this long period of quiet to reach a long term agreement, both sides spent their time preparing for this war by planning and arming. No serious efforts were made to start a dialog. The siege by Isreal continued and the smuggling of arms by the Hamas continued. It was a cease fire but only to prepare for the next terrible round which we are experiencing this very moment.
I am very pessimistic at the moment. My fear is that a ground attack is coming and that much more pain is still ahead. Eventually some kind of agreement will be achieved. I hope it will happen soon, I fear it will not.
Peace Man and I talk every day. We support each other and worry for each others well being. I am in contact with others in Gaza and share my situation while hearing of theirs. Much fear and pain on both sides.
What me and others are doing is continuing the dialog with friends in Gaza. We are working to widen and deepen this dialog with more people on both sides. The day after the war we want to start finding ways to work together and create a normality. We are only several kilometers apart and that will never change. It is extremely important to widen our dialog and create trust between those that are willing to talk. To share our stories, fears and hopes.
The day after the war we need a new beginning. Let's start planting seeds of humanity and trust now.
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Gaza situation
Since the operation started in Gaza Strip, more than 300 people killed in two days and two hundred missing and about 160 were in critical condition .
Israel destroyed all the police station and all the Government centers .
police and civilians and children who killed in this operation.
It is hard to describe what is going on in Gaza , a terrible disaster, where the aircraft do not distinguish between civilians and military and children.
At this moment there are tanks in the around Gaza in preparation for the invasion of the Gaza Strip
I am asking the international community to stop what is going on in Gaza I hope to return to ceasefire and move away from violence
Because violence will bring more violence
I will update you with the situation
Israel destroyed all the police station and all the Government centers .
police and civilians and children who killed in this operation.
It is hard to describe what is going on in Gaza , a terrible disaster, where the aircraft do not distinguish between civilians and military and children.
At this moment there are tanks in the around Gaza in preparation for the invasion of the Gaza Strip
I am asking the international community to stop what is going on in Gaza I hope to return to ceasefire and move away from violence
Because violence will bring more violence
I will update you with the situation
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Request for assistance
The readers of the blog have probably already read of impossible situations for students in Gaza wishing to study abroad.
Peaceman has lost 2 years of studies being trapped in Gaza. He came back for a year in the middle of his studies to make some money so he can finish his degree in Europe.
In June 2007 the Hamas took control over Gaza and ever since Israel has placed a siege of the Gaza strip and only very few students had been able to leave since.
Due to the very high unemployment in Gaza, he has been barely able to find work and what he had managed to find has been only enough to support himself within Gaza. His plans to make enough money to pay for his tuition and expenses during his studies in Europe have are not possible under the siege.
Thanks to the University he studied in, they are allowing Peaceman to partially study on line. This is extremely difficult in his current situation with continuous power shortages and no reasonable studying facilities. He is of course not able to attend classes and keep up with the requirements.
The good news is that there is a good chance that peaceman will be able to leave Gaza within the next few days or weeks.
Peacman is seeking help in finding ways to receive a load or grant for his tuition and initial living expenses. He is will of course pay back any loan once he has the ability to do so.
Any help from the readers of ways to assist him would be greatly appreciated.
If you know of a way to help, please post your details to the blog (email+ phone). These details will not be published (the blog is moderated and comments are posted only after reading each post). Peaceman or I will contact you to for further information.
Thank you. Hopeman
Peaceman has lost 2 years of studies being trapped in Gaza. He came back for a year in the middle of his studies to make some money so he can finish his degree in Europe.
In June 2007 the Hamas took control over Gaza and ever since Israel has placed a siege of the Gaza strip and only very few students had been able to leave since.
Due to the very high unemployment in Gaza, he has been barely able to find work and what he had managed to find has been only enough to support himself within Gaza. His plans to make enough money to pay for his tuition and expenses during his studies in Europe have are not possible under the siege.
Thanks to the University he studied in, they are allowing Peaceman to partially study on line. This is extremely difficult in his current situation with continuous power shortages and no reasonable studying facilities. He is of course not able to attend classes and keep up with the requirements.
The good news is that there is a good chance that peaceman will be able to leave Gaza within the next few days or weeks.
Peacman is seeking help in finding ways to receive a load or grant for his tuition and initial living expenses. He is will of course pay back any loan once he has the ability to do so.
Any help from the readers of ways to assist him would be greatly appreciated.
If you know of a way to help, please post your details to the blog (email+ phone). These details will not be published (the blog is moderated and comments are posted only after reading each post). Peaceman or I will contact you to for further information.
Thank you. Hopeman
Friday, December 19, 2008
A walk in the fields
For a little over a month the cease fire has come to an end.
Yesterday morning my wife and I decided to walk to the fields. I said to her that it may be a mistake to leave our kids alone at home, but she said "we cannot let the rockets control our life". We kept walking, hoping that no rockets will be fired today. After about 15 minutes away from our home we heard the rocket alert. We had no where to hide so we both lay flat on the ground covering our heads. This is the safest thing to do when out in the open while rockets fall.
We heard the rockets fall at a distance and ran quickly home. We called our kids on the cell phone and made sure they were safe. They were all fine inside the safe room. The rockets fell somewhere in an open field, and no one was hurt.
On November 4th Israeli armed forces entered Gaza and as claimed blew up a tunnel that was being dug towards the Israeli border. As a result Palestinian forces attacked the Israeli forces, and the circle of blood has returned...
Since then the region has been slowly but surely moving back into instability. With Qassam rockets and mortars being targeting Israeli communities and Israeli helicopters and tanks targeting Palestinian locations. Several Palestinians have been killed. Several Israelis injured, All people in the region are in fear of further escalation.
We lived for almost 5 months in a ceasefire situation. On my side of the border things had returned to normal and we finally once again felt safe. Kids played freely outdoors, streets filled once again with people, and the constant fear of the rocket alerts had disappeared.
My kids went to sleep in their room again instead of the safe room, and I could walk out to the fields surrounding the town without the fear of being out in the open with no where to hide.
During this time I have been in touch with many friends of mine in Gaza, and from them I heard a very dark and troubling reality.
The siege Israel had imposed on them continued. Basic items were allowed into Gaza, however manufacturing materials and many other items that are needed for normal life were not allowed. They had many power shortages and had very little fuel and cooking gas. People could not enter of leave Gaza and could not start living a normal life since the economic and employment situation remained as it was before.
As Peaceman mentioned, hundreds of Palestinian students and been stranded in Gaza. Some, like Peaceman, have already missed 2 years of academic studies.
Neither side took advantage of these 5 months to work out a solution that will prevent the return of violence, and now it is back. Once again talks about major Israeli attacks on Gaza and major rocket attacks on Israel. Politicians on both sides blaming the other side for the situation and hope for the civilians in the region is once again very slim.
Once again we should all call to end the violence, open the siege, start talking and bring back hope to us, civilians on both sides, pawns in the unbearable senseless political game.
Let us live with dignity, freely, quietly and securely in this region!
Yesterday morning my wife and I decided to walk to the fields. I said to her that it may be a mistake to leave our kids alone at home, but she said "we cannot let the rockets control our life". We kept walking, hoping that no rockets will be fired today. After about 15 minutes away from our home we heard the rocket alert. We had no where to hide so we both lay flat on the ground covering our heads. This is the safest thing to do when out in the open while rockets fall.
We heard the rockets fall at a distance and ran quickly home. We called our kids on the cell phone and made sure they were safe. They were all fine inside the safe room. The rockets fell somewhere in an open field, and no one was hurt.
On November 4th Israeli armed forces entered Gaza and as claimed blew up a tunnel that was being dug towards the Israeli border. As a result Palestinian forces attacked the Israeli forces, and the circle of blood has returned...
Since then the region has been slowly but surely moving back into instability. With Qassam rockets and mortars being targeting Israeli communities and Israeli helicopters and tanks targeting Palestinian locations. Several Palestinians have been killed. Several Israelis injured, All people in the region are in fear of further escalation.
We lived for almost 5 months in a ceasefire situation. On my side of the border things had returned to normal and we finally once again felt safe. Kids played freely outdoors, streets filled once again with people, and the constant fear of the rocket alerts had disappeared.
My kids went to sleep in their room again instead of the safe room, and I could walk out to the fields surrounding the town without the fear of being out in the open with no where to hide.
During this time I have been in touch with many friends of mine in Gaza, and from them I heard a very dark and troubling reality.
The siege Israel had imposed on them continued. Basic items were allowed into Gaza, however manufacturing materials and many other items that are needed for normal life were not allowed. They had many power shortages and had very little fuel and cooking gas. People could not enter of leave Gaza and could not start living a normal life since the economic and employment situation remained as it was before.
As Peaceman mentioned, hundreds of Palestinian students and been stranded in Gaza. Some, like Peaceman, have already missed 2 years of academic studies.
Neither side took advantage of these 5 months to work out a solution that will prevent the return of violence, and now it is back. Once again talks about major Israeli attacks on Gaza and major rocket attacks on Israel. Politicians on both sides blaming the other side for the situation and hope for the civilians in the region is once again very slim.
Once again we should all call to end the violence, open the siege, start talking and bring back hope to us, civilians on both sides, pawns in the unbearable senseless political game.
Let us live with dignity, freely, quietly and securely in this region!
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Trapped students
Today I will write you the trapped students in Gaza ,am one of Hundreds of post graduate students from the Gaza Strip accepted to study abroad are unable to reach our universities because of the closure of the Strip imposed by Israel since June 2007
Am trying to leave Gaza ,since more than one year ,and till now I couldn't because of the siege ,my friend hope man tried hardly different time to get me out
I tried 3 times to leave from rafah border but they returned most of the students ,and the last time was yesterday.
Some of students lost there scholarship, others don’t have any money to study ,and people losing there future ,and the world still watching .
I hope the world can do some thing to keep our dream to study and to help our people.
What we need is our right of freedom ,to study like every one ,we need from the world to conceder us as human .
Am trying to leave Gaza ,since more than one year ,and till now I couldn't because of the siege ,my friend hope man tried hardly different time to get me out
I tried 3 times to leave from rafah border but they returned most of the students ,and the last time was yesterday.
Some of students lost there scholarship, others don’t have any money to study ,and people losing there future ,and the world still watching .
I hope the world can do some thing to keep our dream to study and to help our people.
What we need is our right of freedom ,to study like every one ,we need from the world to conceder us as human .
Monday, October 13, 2008
It's been a while
Sorry for not writing for such a long time.
Much has happened since my last post and I will try to give a brief summary.
The cease fire is holding!
Many people were skeptic this can actually occur, however for 3 and a half months now there are no real fire exchanges. There have been a handful of rockets fired into our region, however these have not really disrupted the cease fire. They did however remind us how fragile things are, and how much restraint is needed to keep it going.
Our life here in Sderot has improved significantly. People are out in the streets and moving around without fear.
My kids are now sleeping outside of the safe room after about a year and a half. They feel safer and are able to play outside without the constant fear of alerts and rockets.
The cease fire is not an official one. It was not signed directly by leaders on both sides. It's details are a bit vague and each side claims the other is not keeping the agreement, which makes it even more fragile.
Goods are being allowed to enter into Gaza, however at a much slower rate than in the past. This is causing great discomfort and need for the civilians.
As my friend Peace Man wrote, there is no freedom of passage. There are 2 ways to enter and leave Gaza: The Erez crossing which allows people through to Israel and from there to the west bank, and the Rafah crossing which allows people through to Egypt. Both these crossings are closed for the majority of the civilians. Both Israel and Egypt are making it extremely difficult for people to pass. This is why Peace Man has not been able to leave Gaza for more than a 18 months and has missed 2 years of University studies!
I am involved in a grassroots group called Other Voice which has been active for about 8 months. The group is creating contacts with civilians like us in Gaza and we are trying together to think of ways to help sustain the cease fire and create a trust building process that may influence the way we see each other.
I invite people to go to the web site for more information: www.othervoice.org
Much has happened since my last post and I will try to give a brief summary.
The cease fire is holding!
Many people were skeptic this can actually occur, however for 3 and a half months now there are no real fire exchanges. There have been a handful of rockets fired into our region, however these have not really disrupted the cease fire. They did however remind us how fragile things are, and how much restraint is needed to keep it going.
Our life here in Sderot has improved significantly. People are out in the streets and moving around without fear.
My kids are now sleeping outside of the safe room after about a year and a half. They feel safer and are able to play outside without the constant fear of alerts and rockets.
The cease fire is not an official one. It was not signed directly by leaders on both sides. It's details are a bit vague and each side claims the other is not keeping the agreement, which makes it even more fragile.
Goods are being allowed to enter into Gaza, however at a much slower rate than in the past. This is causing great discomfort and need for the civilians.
As my friend Peace Man wrote, there is no freedom of passage. There are 2 ways to enter and leave Gaza: The Erez crossing which allows people through to Israel and from there to the west bank, and the Rafah crossing which allows people through to Egypt. Both these crossings are closed for the majority of the civilians. Both Israel and Egypt are making it extremely difficult for people to pass. This is why Peace Man has not been able to leave Gaza for more than a 18 months and has missed 2 years of University studies!
I am involved in a grassroots group called Other Voice which has been active for about 8 months. The group is creating contacts with civilians like us in Gaza and we are trying together to think of ways to help sustain the cease fire and create a trust building process that may influence the way we see each other.
I invite people to go to the web site for more information: www.othervoice.org
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Apology
At first I would like to thank you for your attention to us and also apologized for not writing for some time but it was for personal reasons .
I am trying since long time to get out of the Gaza Strip to complete my studies abroad, because of the closure of crossings borders couldn’t leave until this moment, and I hope to open soon .
The situation in Gaza is better than the previous, no violence or fighting between the two parties and the food entre gaza, but the crossing border still closed where only for the few allowed to leave Gaza
and that’s make significant problems, especially for patients and students
I wish the border will open in the near future and solve all the problems and that peace would prevail in the all
As we want to know We will complete what we started me and friend Hope Man to spread peace and to create good future for our people
Peace to you All
I am trying since long time to get out of the Gaza Strip to complete my studies abroad, because of the closure of crossings borders couldn’t leave until this moment, and I hope to open soon .
The situation in Gaza is better than the previous, no violence or fighting between the two parties and the food entre gaza, but the crossing border still closed where only for the few allowed to leave Gaza
and that’s make significant problems, especially for patients and students
I wish the border will open in the near future and solve all the problems and that peace would prevail in the all
As we want to know We will complete what we started me and friend Hope Man to spread peace and to create good future for our people
Peace to you All
Saturday, July 12, 2008
A step forward
the cease-fire that took effect between Israel and Hamas , and since that time the situation was calm for military operations and the firing of rockets.
and this make people happy a lot, because there no dead and wounded. We hear the good news daily about what will happen, but unfortunately the boarder still closed except the entry of goods but not the required quantity and prices remain expensive .Rafah crossing boarder is still closed, and there are thousands of passengers, patients, students want to leave Gaza and I am one of them waiting to leave since two years, I can not go to Europe to study. my friend is very encouraging and must be shared by everybody and I agree with him and support .
Because the previous period made things very difficult and we must build trust again and that requires us great effort and not just talk .
The opportunity ahead is a golden opportunity to try to build a new world without violence 'I know what am saying is not easy, but at least we will try to change to the best .
This chance for our families and our children to live safely and to have good future with out pain .
and this make people happy a lot, because there no dead and wounded. We hear the good news daily about what will happen, but unfortunately the boarder still closed except the entry of goods but not the required quantity and prices remain expensive .Rafah crossing boarder is still closed, and there are thousands of passengers, patients, students want to leave Gaza and I am one of them waiting to leave since two years, I can not go to Europe to study. my friend is very encouraging and must be shared by everybody and I agree with him and support .
Because the previous period made things very difficult and we must build trust again and that requires us great effort and not just talk .
The opportunity ahead is a golden opportunity to try to build a new world without violence 'I know what am saying is not easy, but at least we will try to change to the best .
This chance for our families and our children to live safely and to have good future with out pain .
Friday, June 20, 2008
The cease fire MUST hold
The cease fire has begun! One would expect dancing in the streets and peace parades, however no such thing is happening.
My closest friends on the Israeli side are extremely skeptic that the cease fire will hold more than a few days or weeks at the most. 6 months seems almost impossible.
My friends on the Palestinian side say the same.
Both feel the reasons for the cease fire are not sincere, that they are political and military and therefore it will only hold as long as it serves these interests.
I personally do not care whether the reasons are sincere or not. What is most important now is to do everything and anything to make the cease fire hold.
I am not allowing my self to be skeptic because this means sitting back and waiting to see what happens.
We need to takeing advantage of this fragile quiet to create a trust building process between people on both sides, a process that will prevent the sides from wanting to renew the violence.
The cease fire is only one first step. Next steps must include lifting the siege, solving the prisoners issues, solving the economical disaster in
I am not alone in my efforts. There are Israelis and Palestinians that are starting to work together to create this process.
More information on these efforts and how people around the world can help will be posted here soon.
If you have Israeli or Palestinian friends let them know about this.
Let's make the cease fire hold!
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Stop the Siege on Gaza
. I wished to write something pleasing such The siege ended anthe crossings boarder opened But
The situation in Gaza has reached emergency levels , inadequate water, electricity, and medicine; widespread hunger, poverty, and unemployment;
The shortage of electricity subsequently affects the water pumping systems, spacially in rural areas ,you Amgen your life without water and electricity.
The continuous closure, economic siege, power cuts, and the ongoing military operations against Gaza will not end the violence but will increase it and create hatred.
people cannot see any hope.. In such situations,. We hope that we can live with dignity and have normal lives like other people in the world, we are frustrated, but still have the hope to change
I wish next time there is change and peace will come an see the world without violance .
The situation in Gaza has reached emergency levels , inadequate water, electricity, and medicine; widespread hunger, poverty, and unemployment;
The shortage of electricity subsequently affects the water pumping systems, spacially in rural areas ,you Amgen your life without water and electricity.
The continuous closure, economic siege, power cuts, and the ongoing military operations against Gaza will not end the violence but will increase it and create hatred.
people cannot see any hope.. In such situations,. We hope that we can live with dignity and have normal lives like other people in the world, we are frustrated, but still have the hope to change
I wish next time there is change and peace will come an see the world without violance .
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Cease fire will happen
The situation was quite for some time , and began to talk about cease fire again ,and all the radio talk seriously about cease fire.
We rejoiced in the Gaza Strip frequently, because the siege will end, even for a short period ,but this will give the parties time to rethink
the situation in Gaza is very difficult, especially because of the closure of the crossings boarders and fuel shortage specially that’s most of cars is stopped .
What we hear in the news give us hope, that there is cease fire will start soon.
the Palestinian leaders of all factions in Egypt News says that cease fire would begin next week .I wish this to happen and become a real calming and a return to calm as before .
Other alternatives would be very difficult.
Where tried that before, recently two days ago where was a very difficult situation when four children and their mother has been killed .
the situation was very difficult with my friend hope man also ,he told me that’s dozens of rockets felt in his town .this is a proves that the civilians are the victims of violence, so it must be cease fire..
We rejoiced in the Gaza Strip frequently, because the siege will end, even for a short period ,but this will give the parties time to rethink
the situation in Gaza is very difficult, especially because of the closure of the crossings boarders and fuel shortage specially that’s most of cars is stopped .
What we hear in the news give us hope, that there is cease fire will start soon.
the Palestinian leaders of all factions in Egypt News says that cease fire would begin next week .I wish this to happen and become a real calming and a return to calm as before .
Other alternatives would be very difficult.
Where tried that before, recently two days ago where was a very difficult situation when four children and their mother has been killed .
the situation was very difficult with my friend hope man also ,he told me that’s dozens of rockets felt in his town .this is a proves that the civilians are the victims of violence, so it must be cease fire..
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Away from home
I am on a 2 week trip abroad, away from home. I have planned taking this trip for some time, however since I could not take my family with me on this trip I was very hesitant in leaving them in the midst of the latest escalation and kept postponing it. The past month has been relatively quiet which enabled my departure.
In this sense Peace man's and my reality is different. He is unable to travel. No one is allowed to leave Gaza. The only people allowed to leave Gaza are people with need for immediate medical treatment that cannot be treated within Gaza. Many people in Sderot have left the town over the past few years, however the majority of people do not wish to leave and have not.
While abroad, I am asked again and again by everyone who knows I live in Sderot, why do I not leave. It seems inconceivable to people that one chooses to live in a war zone.
The answer is rather simple. I do not wish to leave the place where I have decided to build my home, where my friends are where my work is, where my kids grew up and have friends and bonds, where my community is. For many years I have built a life in Sderot, and leaving is not something I wish to do at this point. The rockets create fear and frustration, but do not change my will to keep my home and continue my life. If I were to leave now because of the situation I would become a refugee even if it may be considered "A refugee of choice".
The past month has been relatively quiet. It is not an official cease fire but there are only rare incidents of rockets falling in Sderot and much fewer actions taken by Israel in Gaza.
However, since the cease fire is not official, it can be broken very easily by any one-sided action that can once again cause escalation. It is extremely important that both sides declare an official cease fire to pervert this instability. Such a call can also enable in my understanding the end of the siege which is creating so much suffering on the Palestinian side. The end of the siege will also strengthen the stability by creating a trust building action by Israel that may be followed by similar trust building steps on the Palestinian side and further stabilize the cease fire. This is the process I cam see happening and creating a hopeful future for our region.
Our One Month Initiative is aimed at creating this opportunity.
If you have not yet signed our petition, you are welcome to do so:
http://www.one-month.org/
In this sense Peace man's and my reality is different. He is unable to travel. No one is allowed to leave Gaza. The only people allowed to leave Gaza are people with need for immediate medical treatment that cannot be treated within Gaza. Many people in Sderot have left the town over the past few years, however the majority of people do not wish to leave and have not.
While abroad, I am asked again and again by everyone who knows I live in Sderot, why do I not leave. It seems inconceivable to people that one chooses to live in a war zone.
The answer is rather simple. I do not wish to leave the place where I have decided to build my home, where my friends are where my work is, where my kids grew up and have friends and bonds, where my community is. For many years I have built a life in Sderot, and leaving is not something I wish to do at this point. The rockets create fear and frustration, but do not change my will to keep my home and continue my life. If I were to leave now because of the situation I would become a refugee even if it may be considered "A refugee of choice".
The past month has been relatively quiet. It is not an official cease fire but there are only rare incidents of rockets falling in Sderot and much fewer actions taken by Israel in Gaza.
However, since the cease fire is not official, it can be broken very easily by any one-sided action that can once again cause escalation. It is extremely important that both sides declare an official cease fire to pervert this instability. Such a call can also enable in my understanding the end of the siege which is creating so much suffering on the Palestinian side. The end of the siege will also strengthen the stability by creating a trust building action by Israel that may be followed by similar trust building steps on the Palestinian side and further stabilize the cease fire. This is the process I cam see happening and creating a hopeful future for our region.
Our One Month Initiative is aimed at creating this opportunity.
If you have not yet signed our petition, you are welcome to do so:
http://www.one-month.org/
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Sige in gaza
Today I was going to visit one of my friends, and this need 20 minutes by car
the driver told us that’s the price is increased , When we asked him why he said that there is no SOLAR
We all know how we became after the siege ,Everything is sold at high prices if there is supplies .
There is no oil and gas ,and 90% cars were stopped and a lot of supplies is missing .Why the world still watching us .
Gaza Strip is suffering from the siege since long time ago the economy is totally destroyed and 'has become a high unemployment rate' and crossings boarders is closed The siege will not bring peace, killing will not bring peace, but will bring destruction and the hatred. History has proved that,
Why they do not leave us as civilians to choose our future even once, Why the world don’t tells the two sides leaders Enough
the threats to invade Gaza started again and planes have come back Why the world leaders don’t work to end this conflict peacefully why they still watching this conflict as action movie .
the driver told us that’s the price is increased , When we asked him why he said that there is no SOLAR
We all know how we became after the siege ,Everything is sold at high prices if there is supplies .
There is no oil and gas ,and 90% cars were stopped and a lot of supplies is missing .Why the world still watching us .
Gaza Strip is suffering from the siege since long time ago the economy is totally destroyed and 'has become a high unemployment rate' and crossings boarders is closed The siege will not bring peace, killing will not bring peace, but will bring destruction and the hatred. History has proved that,
Why they do not leave us as civilians to choose our future even once, Why the world don’t tells the two sides leaders Enough
the threats to invade Gaza started again and planes have come back Why the world leaders don’t work to end this conflict peacefully why they still watching this conflict as action movie .
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Different voice
Since 2000, violence is the only language exchanged between the two parties, thousands have been killed and thousands wounded ,and the problem remains as it is
the history shows that violence does not solve the conflict. Only through negotiation will reach to better future .
the efforts of political leaders can put an end to the pain and suffering of the Palestinians and Israelis on both sides.
But the leaders did not end the mutual violence, therefore We must as civilians work to finish this conflict .I know that is not easy, but at least the civilians in both sides will say what the want , we want to live normal life away from rockets and bombs .
This initiative will approve to the leaders and to the world that’s there is different voice coming says we want to change this situation .
Today we are small group ,but in the future will be loud ,and every body will join us ,because what we doing is the right thing for our people .
the history shows that violence does not solve the conflict. Only through negotiation will reach to better future .
the efforts of political leaders can put an end to the pain and suffering of the Palestinians and Israelis on both sides.
But the leaders did not end the mutual violence, therefore We must as civilians work to finish this conflict .I know that is not easy, but at least the civilians in both sides will say what the want , we want to live normal life away from rockets and bombs .
This initiative will approve to the leaders and to the world that’s there is different voice coming says we want to change this situation .
Today we are small group ,but in the future will be loud ,and every body will join us ,because what we doing is the right thing for our people .
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Where change is happening
It's been 12 days since my last post. These have been relatively quiet days, interrupted by the one incident my friend Peace man mentioned in his post. Every few days a "stray rocket" is launched towards Sderot but life is almost normal.
We have been used to this type of fragile periods of quiet. They are so easily broken since the basic reality of life is not changing. Israel feels threatened by the Palestinians and The Palestinians by Israel. This fear is nurtured by old misconceptions and beliefs.
During these days I have been part of a new amazing initiative that evolved from this blog and the One Month initiative.
The initiative which we call "A different Voice" involves an amazing array of people from a wide range of views, ages and backgrounds. The clear and common ground being: Our understanding that we cannot wait for our leaders to solve our problems for us and that if any change is to happen it will happen from us, the civilians. We have partners, such as Peace man and others, on the Palestinian side, who share our understanding. This initiative is young, however it has the power to grow through the amazing people that are willing to look into their hearts and reach out to the other side in a true effort to change our seemingly helpless reality into a hopeful future. We are not alone. More to come...
We have been used to this type of fragile periods of quiet. They are so easily broken since the basic reality of life is not changing. Israel feels threatened by the Palestinians and The Palestinians by Israel. This fear is nurtured by old misconceptions and beliefs.
During these days I have been part of a new amazing initiative that evolved from this blog and the One Month initiative.
The initiative which we call "A different Voice" involves an amazing array of people from a wide range of views, ages and backgrounds. The clear and common ground being: Our understanding that we cannot wait for our leaders to solve our problems for us and that if any change is to happen it will happen from us, the civilians. We have partners, such as Peace man and others, on the Palestinian side, who share our understanding. This initiative is young, however it has the power to grow through the amazing people that are willing to look into their hearts and reach out to the other side in a true effort to change our seemingly helpless reality into a hopeful future. We are not alone. More to come...
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