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 These details will not be published (the blog is moderated and comments are posted only after reading each post).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
Sunday, December 21, 2008
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!
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