Sara Roy on Gaza

Sara Roy is a senior researcher at Harvard University. This article of hers was published today. It describes the current economic, political and human situation of the people in Gaza. Definitely worth reading.

The Peril of Forgetting Gaza
Published On Tuesday, June 02, 2009 5:23 PM
By SARA ROY

(...) Gaza is an example of a society that has been deliberately reduced to a state of abject destitution, its once productive population transformed into one of aid-dependent paupers. (...)

Gaza fishermen petition High Court

Published on June 16th 2009 on Ynetnews, a Israeli news website.


..."Four Palestinians from Gaza petitioned the High Court of Justice Tuesday in an effort to get back their confiscated fishing boat, seized by the IDF last month.

The fishermen claim that their livelihood had been gravely undermined by Israel's Defense Ministry and demand compensation in addition to the ship's return.

The Navy operates near Gaza's shores regularly in a bid to prevent maritime terror attacks and often encounters innocent fishermen, who are promptly warned to sail back to permitted zones. However, the petitioners claim that they were sailing in an approved area during the incident in question.

Two Palestinians were eventually questioned by Shin Bet officials following the seizure, before being returned to the Gaza Strip via the Erez crossing. The four ship owners say Israeli officials promised to return the ship and its contents within a week, but have not done so to date

According to the petition, two IDF vessels approached the ship, fired at it, and ordered the crew to leave. Later, a Navy boat approached the fishing vessel and ordered the fishermen to disembark, the petitioners said. The soldiers are said to have covered the fishermen's eyes and handcuffed them.

The petitioners say they approached the Defense Ministry several times but have not received a relevant response. They said that none of them were ever involved in terror activity against Israel."

No fish, no food

Tyler Westbrook forwarded me today these images which he shot last April in Gaza. Click on the link. Thanks Tyler

First Palestinian animation film

Inspired from a true story, “Fatenah” is the first Palestinian animation film. It is directed by Ahmad Habash, produced by Dar Films and funded by the World Health Organization. It will come out in Ramallah. I don't know about Europe. Synopsis below:

" Fatenah is a Palestinian woman who lives in Gaza Strip. Her simple wishes were her consolation in the absurd living situation around her. But when she discovers a lump near her breast, she will start a journey to save her dreams."

4 Palestinian fishermen abducted, 2 boats stolen by Israeli Navy

According to the International Solidarity Movement (ISM) Gaza, "Since the end of the recent onslaught on Gaza, at least 28 fishermen have been abducted, 13 fishing boats stolen and not returned and at least 5 fishermen have been injured in the sea whilst others have reportedly been injured on the shore. " The news item, dated April 21st, 2009, comes from the ISM Gaza blog whose focus is exclusively on Gaza fishers. To keep an eye onto.

A photo of Erez Crossing Point

This is a photograph of the Erez crossing terminal (from Israel's side) which I found on the web. We hear about it but never see it.

Erez terminal is mostly for foreigners (diplomats, consuls, UN agencies, Red Cross, Government aid agencies, etc.) who want to get into the Gaza strip. Entry and exit procedures are controlled by Israel. They are complex, lengthy and frequently changing making it extremely difficult to enter Gaza.

Guy Delisle's blog

Guy Delisle is Canadian comic book author, well known for his book on Burma (Myanmar), Chroniques Birmanes, which was published in 2007. Guy Delisle is married to a médecins sans frontière (MSF) administrator. With her, he travels around and recounts his trips in comic books. They are now in Jerusalem. In the link attached to the title, there is a posting "Parcours du combattant" dated January, 20th 2008 which is on Gaza. It tells the difficulties for MSF and other NGOs to enter Gaza, via Israel and Egypt, to bring medical assistance to the Gazans. And it tells "l’étendue de cette catastrophe humanitaire".

Closed Zone

"Gisha - Legal Center for Freedom of Movement calls on the State of Israel to fully open Gaza's crossings and to allow the real victims of the closure - 1.5 million human beings - the freedom of movement necessary to realize their dreams and aspirations."

watch the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hzqw7oBZT8k&eurl

Chris Hedges condemns Israeli Gaza Massacre

" to attack a population that has no air force, no air defense, no navy, no heavy weapons, no artillery units, no mechanized armor, no command and control, no army; and [call] it a war-- It is not a war, it is murder."

This is quote from a Chris Hedges' speech. The speech was delivered on January, 13th 2009 at an event organized by the Society for Ethical Culture in New York.

Chris Hedges, a journalist and author, condemns the Israeli incursion on Gaza while analysing the situation there .... and here (US weapons sold to Israel; no platform in the press for Noam Chomsky, Amira Haas, Ilan Pappe, etc.).

This is the first time I hear of Chris Hedges. His speech is very strong. Link to the video below and in the title.

http://a18.video2.blip.tv/1910000576134/Deepdishtv-ChrisHedgesGazaACallToAct105.mov