The world without GAZA

It an interesting statement. I have been thinking, what would be the shape of the world without Gaza. Let's see then. From the population point of view, the earth's population will decrease with 1 million and half. Israel will not need to keep its army on alert all the time. Its borders with Gaza will be very very quit without any need to negotiate with Hamas through Egypt because there will be no Hamas. No more rockets will be launched toward Sderot or Asqalan "in Hebrew it is Ashkelon". Nobody will be shouting or screaming or seeking for the help of the whole world that is just watching Gaza collapsing and dieing. No need for the siege to continue any more from the Israeli side. Lots of NOs I guess. The NOs that Israel likes and wishes. I still remember the say of the former priminister Rabin who said " I wish that one day I wake up and found out that Gaza is drown in the sea". So if it might happen, then it means for sure that the dreams of Israel will come true. In fact the situation in Gaza gives you a feeling that the whole world "in terms of governments and officials" have the same dream or wants this situation to end up but without involving in any kind of fair solution that stops Israel from continuing in put the most heavy siege in the history. Most of the governments in the world (especially USA, EU, and even some Arabs) are weeping or even crying but with crocodile tears (an Arabic expression that shows how someone would be such hypocrite) for the suffering of the people in Gaza, the increasing number of sick people whom are dieing everyday due to medicine and treatment missing, the tens of daily crisis which they face in terms of every single life detail. 2 days ago, I hardly could found pampers for me son. It seems very silly but just let's imagine our life without almost all ordinary items that we can easily find in any market allover the world, why? Because these items can be used for making rockets. Even international NGOs (which are not Palestinian) are facing huge problems in doing their humanitarian duties to assist and help the people. So, back to the dream stuff and to the title of my article; what would be the shape of the world without Gaza. This is just an Israeli dream which the Israeli started having it 60 years ago, I mean having not only Gaza but all Palestine without Palestinians, having the world without this Gaza thing. I believe Gaza will remain the nightmare of Israeli unless they change their policy and start thinking with their brains, not with their force and guns. As someone who lives in Gaza and had gone through the suffering that is totally Israeli made, I would recommend the Israeli to try something else rather than doing their best to make us give up and force us to do what we don't want to do. However, I may give them a promise on behalf of all Gazaians that things will change one day and you will bow and plead us not make you pay for what have you done to our life and dreams.

the Internet access story

this is the first time for me to write on my blog from my house. Why? because I didn't have internet access but now you have. It is something very silly, I mean we are in 2008 and I don't have internet. It is linked to the political situation of Gaza Strip. let's get back a bit to the near past, specifically 1 and half year ago; I moved with my small family to our new house which we just finish its first floor. I settled and start applying to get a telephone and an internet access as well. Suddenly, things changed, Hamas took over and controlled Gaza Strip. Due to that, every single window for Gaza to the outer world was closed. Sometimes I thing that even the birds have to get permission from Israel to enter Gaza (luckily they don't have to). So, since that time, no materials entered Gaza (except food and some basic needs) and my internet connections required some poles and cables that were and still missing from the local market. Therefore, I waited for more than one year until I managed to buy a wireless antenna device and put it in my friend's house (which is nearby my house) and then I got the signal and the internet. It cost me some money but I'm happy to have the internet in my house without waiting til the Israelis allow the drags, oh sorry, I mean the needed materials for living and having internet to enter Gaza..

Gaza..after 1 month & half of the TRUCE

Today is the last day of the week. Wow, Thursdays, I like them. It is the weekend that comes after a tiring week, filled with work and excitement as well. This is on the personal level. Generally, the situation in Gaza had not improved that much. Regarding the crossing points and materials which are allowed to enter Gaza, there is a slight change. However, the impact of this minor change is not that big and very insignificant. Some additional fuel quantities, some goods like clothes and shoes, some Israeli juice, so and so, some of the some which is very unsatisfying. Just imagine, for one year, there was nothing entering except the basic needs (according to Israeli identification, not according to those that are described or identified by everyone in the world except the Israeli); then suddenly, something that is very close to the nothing is entering. The Israelis have started complaining, why those Palestinians are still shouting? We have allowed many types of materials that were not allowed to enter, for example we have sent them 2000 tons of cement in a week. Imagine again, we have zero quantities of cement for one year and now we received 2000 tons in a week, whereas, we use to consume according to our ordinary need about 2000 tons a day before the closure. Everyone in Gaza has started questioning the truce and whether the Israelis in the settlements whom are close to Gaza northern borders deserve to get their normal life back for the very minor improve that we have in Gaza. Isn't it fair enough when we get our normal life back and having what we need normally if they (Israelis) have? Or they're considered as human and we're not? What should we do in Gaza to convince the Israeli and the whole world that we're human and we deserve to have normal life. By the way, I just wanted to add something, those materials, which are allowed to enter or even those that are not allowed, are not sent to us freely…. We pay for that..these are not aids…

interesting future plans

It is just a very crowded working day. I arrived to the office early in the morning. I had some time to check my email and then I made a move outside the office, as I had to attend some meetings at several places. I went to the ministry of transportation to help my organization in getting some fuel through some personal contacts that I have there. It is a bit silly but in Gaza it is considered as accomplishment or an achievement when you get some fuel quantities. Any way, it was like that. I went back to the office to finish up some work. I checked my email and discovered that there are some interesting things from my boss in Jerusalem. I asked him to help me in getting a scholarship to do my PhD in Europe and I found out that he has chosen me to attend a one week training program in Paris to be conducted next September. It is amazing for me as this is going to be the first time for me to go to Paris, especially during such circumstances of the siege that Gaza is facing. I hope that I can make it and go there………

Meetings day

Well, the office time is about to end up. I'm preparing myself to switch off my PC and make a move to the south. It was a working day that filled with meetings and work but unfortunately, I'm not going back home because I have a meeting at the engineers syndicate after 2 hours. I prepared my stomach and filled it with a Shawerma sandwich, as I'm not going to eat until the evening. However, I feel full at the moment and I'm not expecting to feel hungry soon.
I'm planning to go to Rafah tomorrow in a site visit to follow up the project that I'm responsible for................that is it for today

electricity disaster

I mentioned last time in my previous post that I have video taped something about al-quds issue for the BBC Arabic to be shown in their live program. I was rushing in early in the morning to upload my video file and send it to the BBC Arabic by email. Unfortunately, our server was down in the office. I went down to our neighbors Coopi, an italian NGO, and I used one of their PC to sent my email but their server was down. What a day, I was saying to myself; it seemed that I won't make it. However, I didn't give up; I went back to my desk and by that time our server works proably and finally I was able to send my email. Lately in the afternoon, I went back home after more half an hour of waiting to get a public taxi to return back to my house and another half an hour for the trip back home. Again, it was not my lucky day. I arrived to my father-in low's house, as my wife was there and I was invited to have my launch there and guess what, there was no electricity at home. I felt very sad, as I couldn't watch the program live and see my video tape on the BBC channel. Any way, I waited until the next day to download the program show from the BBC Arabic website and here I am downloading it.............

BBC Arabic stuff

I have had an ordinary working day yesterday. However, there was something special in it. Let me tell the story first. I always visit the BBC Arabic website and their discussion topics attract me. They usually put a certain topic for discussion and attracting people to write comments about it. Afterward, they show everything on their satellite channel every Wednesday. This time, the topic was about Al - Quds and its situation. I put a comment about it and it attracts the moderator of the website. He called 3 times yesterday requesting for a video taped participation from me. I was very glad and I waited the whole night until the electricity came back (it was a usual cut off) and I asked my wife to use our digital camera to video tape my participation. It was an interesting thing actually and I can't wait to watch today in the TV, as they will show it in their program live.

changing of dreams

Sometimes, your dreams changed from creativity and imagination affair to become a sort of life making. It is difficult to understand such a thing, that is right, but it is possible to experience it. Let me give an example. People usually dream of becoming rich or getting the most beautiful girl in the world or even more, these are common dreams, let's name it like this, but in Gaza, you are forced to change your dreams. In Gaza, you may dream of having some fuel or some extra hours of electricity or if you are more optimistic, you may dream of having coca cola. You may not believe it but that is how the occupation deteriorates your dreams and minimizes them. Few years back, we were dreaming of liberating and freedom. Now we're dreaming of getting back what we use to call normal life (not like other people, for us normal life is our life 8 years ago, under occupation but with some calm and a bit comfort circumstances). However, occupation is doing its best to make the situation even worse. The Israelis are not satisfied with all the suffering which they cause to us, they still hungry to make it more difficult and almost impossible to survive. It is true that all people in Gaza are living in a big prison with some food and drinks and that is it. It is true that most of people feel dispirit and hopeless. Even though, life proceeds and continues with its pain and joy. Despite all of that, we the Palestinians, will always have hope and will always force the life to fit with our dreams.

Ordinary Working Day

It is just an ordinary day of work. I came to the office today but I was a bit late due to the transportation crisis that is linked to the fuel crisis of course. It took more than one hour to reach the office. Any way, I arrived to the office and started my work in a classic manner. We had a small general meeting. All departments and colleagues joined it. Before preceding more on the work stuff, I will explain a bit about our work and organization as well. Our organization is an international humanitarian NGO that provide relief for people whom are suffering due to natural disasters or manmade crisis (war zone for example). Our organization is called Action Against Hunger International Network ACFIN. It was found in 1979 in Paris. It has developed to have 4 Main or HQ offices allover the world, each HQ covers relief operations in different parts of the world. The four HQs are New York HQ, Madrid HQ (which covers relief in Palestine), London HQ, Canada HQ, and the mother HQ in Paris. We provide relief through two core programs, Water & Sanitation program and Food security program. I like my work because it has a humanitarian face. Besides, I receive good salary and I get good experience and knowledge towards improving my abilities. Furthermore, my entire career will have an international touch which everyone wish to have.
That's it for now.....

how to survive in Gaza

How to survive in Gaza?...it is a question that you have to answer if you're in Gaza...why? because everything around you have been settled and designed to take your life away from you or at least to make it impossible for you to live...
what are the basic needs for the life to continue nowadays?I mean in any place in the earth, what do you need to live??????
let's list the important things down and check their availability in Gaza?
1- food and water are very essential...(they're available but guess what...food is available but only through aids from outside, water is available but for few hours a day and with bad quality because of its salinity)
2- Electricity...(again it is available but for half of the day only and with low voltage..it reaches 170 volte sometimes).
3- Transportation..(wow good point...cars, buses,...etc are available but they simply zip the pessengers and always overloaded because of the fuel crisis).
4- Safety...(will it depends on where you live..is it near the borders?in this case you may die at any moment...if you live somewhere else...it may not mattar that much because of the flys in the sky which we call them Israeli Appatchi...they may hunt you at any time)..
5- Hospitals and midical services (wow...no doubts, if you're sick now then for sure you're unlucky at all, especially if you have chronic disease because the situation is simply designed for you take this chance and die..it is easier according to everyone outside Gaza)..
6- Other Goods...(clothes, shoes,...anything you may think that it might be needed is simply not available or it is available but with high prices...
what do you think??????????is it possible to live easily in Gaza or it has become a survival story???