Israeli-Palestinian Memorial Day Ceremony 2020

With great sadness, I fear Israel’s grand experiment in the Gaza Strip may have achieved its desired goal.

We won’t find this goal spelled out in any government planning documents, but what bizarre purpose do the Israeli leaders have in deliberately and methodically isolating two million people from the rest of the world for more than a decade?

Ostensibly they had hoped to squeeze the Palestinians tight enough that they would rise up against their leaders (Hamas) and topple them from power, despite the fact that there’s universal agreement that Hamas won the election in 2006 fair and square. After a year or two, Israeli leaders should have gotten the message; they couldn’t compel Palestinians in the streets to do their dirty work for them.

Another likely goal was to punish and humiliate the entire population of the Gaza Strip into submission, to accept their Zionist overlords and the occupation without protest. Battering and slaughtering men, women and children with three military campaigns in the past 10 years should have done the trick. Killing and wounding thousands of protesters at the fence every Friday failed too. Israeli leaders didn’t factor in the Palestinian SUMUD … strength, determination, resolve and dignity. Israel’s military campaigns violated international humanitarian laws and the law of occupation but their leaders have never been held accountable. They’ve never been able to declare “victory” either.

The Israeli hasbara (propaganda) machine has tried to convince the world that Hamas and the Gaza Strip enclave are a festering hotbed of radicalism threatening the State of Israel and, by extension, the entire world. In the early years, many in the international community might have been fooled by this campaign, but no longer. The Palestinian voices (teachers, doctors, engineers, merchants, journalists, students, mothers and fathers) have slashed through the Israeli propaganda.

Now, perhaps, the Israeli masterminds behind the 13-year blockade of the Gaza Strip have succeeded.

They’ve succeeded in convincing many in Gaza to voluntarily lock themselves behind a wall of silence. Alongside the checkpoints, sharpshooters and naval gunships threatening Palestinians who raise their voices for justice, are the Palestinians themselves who now punish their own for raising their voices for justice.

Rami Aman is a Palestinian man in Gaza who had the audacity to connect with Israelis over a Zoom meeting a few weeks ago. Hamas arrested him for the crime of engaging in “normalization” activities.

When I was in Gaza (2012-2013) I recall a public execution of several Palestinians convicted of being collaborators with the enemy. (I didn’t witness the execution.) As disturbing as those executions were for my Western brain to grasp, I understood the rationale for condemning and punishing people working with the Israelis against their own community.

Rami is not accused of being a collaborator, and he couldn’t be. His crime was engaging in speech with the “enemy” with the goal of fostering better understanding on both sides of that Zoom chat. As far as I know, Rami remains in prison.

I completely understand why many Palestinians in Gaza would refuse to engage with any Israeli, and no one should be compelled to do so.

But when a Palestinian has an interest in educating Israelis about the reality of the occupation and siege which most Israelis know absolutely nothing about, I will never understand the desire of those Palestinians who would shroud their brothers and sisters in silence and punish them. If Israel’s experiment was to create a society where the population is self-policing against free will and freedom of thought, apparently the experiment has succeeded.

While many Palestinians in Gaza remain locked up in their self-imposed confinement, the largest peace event ever jointly organized by Palestinians and Israelis in history is planned for Monday, April 27th, co-hosted by Combatants for Peace and the Parents Circle – Families Forum and co-sponsored by over sixty peace organizations and religious institutions around the world.

Monday, April 27

10:30am Pacific, 1:30pm Eastern
5:30pm UTC, 8:30pm in Israel & Palestine

Watch the Ceremony here: www.afcfp.org/watch-the-memorial 

Speakers will include Yaqub al-Rabi of the village of Bidya, whose wife, Aisha, was killed by a stone suspected to have been thrown by a settler at their vehicle in 2018; Tal Kfir of Jerusalem who lost her sister, Yael, in a terrorist attack at Tsrifin in September 2003; Yusra Mahfoud of the Al-Arroub refugee camp near Hebron, whose 14-year-old son Alaa was shot and killed by soldiers in 2000; and Hagai Yoel of Kibbutz Ramat Rachel, whose brother Eyal was killed in Operation Defensive Shield in Jenin in 2002.

For the first time last year, Rami Aman livestreamed the event in Gaza. It’s doubtful that anyone in Gaza will be able to watch or participate this year.

#GoingtoGaza November 1 – 30, 2014

I made a lot of progress in September and October 2014 on my journey to return to Gaza. I left my hometown Albuquerque in November. The following is my chicken-scratching during November 2014.

Days #60 – 65   Tonight is my last night in my house. I’ve been so utterly overwhelmed with this move to Gaza that I haven’t kept my daily journal current. No way could I get my house ready for a new tenant without the help of a handyman to make repairs in the bathroom, a painter, a house-cleaner, a mover, and many friends. In the morning, my bed goes into storage and I’ll be living out of two suitcases for the next few years.   #GoingtoGaza

Days #66 – 68   So now that all of my “stuff” is out of the house, the deep cleaning really made a difference. Two funny things happened.

1) We couldn’t get my very large desk out of the house (note–it came into the house when there was a large hole made in the Adobe wall before the window was installed). But the carpet cleaning man figured out an ingenious way to get it through the door! So I gave him the desk to reward him for his spatial brain. Yeah!

2) Today a yard worker helped me pick up a load of crusher fine. He was very interested in my travel to Gaza. Then I learned that he believes in the “end of times” which will come very soon. Jerusalem figures into that story. Before he left, he said he wanted to say a prayer for me on the porch. He proceeded to praise the Lord in a very loud voice for a very long time — asking the Lord to give me guidance in my travels (and a whole lot more).#GoingtoGaza

Days #69 – 71   My final days in Albuquerque were a whirlwind of meetings, farewells, hugs, and finishing everything on my TO DO list. Scattered my wonderful black lab’s ashes at the UNM Duck Pond yesterday. Feeling now like I’m closing a chapter of my life so that I can open a new one. Waiting at the airport for my flight to Phoenix. Goodbye Albuquerque. #GoingtoGaza

Day #72 – Family is the glue that keeps us human in an inhumane world.  I’m with family in AZ today and feeling very blessed. #GoingtoGaza

Day #73 – Looking for prayers, strong healing thoughts, meditation and whatever other form of spiritual guidance might be helpful for a loved one in surgery today.

Day #74 – I’m sitting at the bedside of my family member in the Phoenix hospital, aware how fortunate we are to be together in this hour of need; while a Palestinian friend in Florida sits alone in anguish because he knows he can’t get to the bedside of his dying father in Gaza. The Israeli-US blockade of the Gaza Strip tears apart much more than the economic life of Palestinians. It tears about families and the social fabric of the community. #ShameonIsrael   #ShameonUSA   #GoingtoGaza

Day #75 – Details, details, details. Leaving ABQ requires tying up so many loose ends, such as utilities, banking, etc. I can do a lot of it via Internet. Al-hamdulillah!  #GoingtoGaza

Day #76 – Well, 3 out of 4 boxes that I shipped via UPS last week arrived in CA. Might have been too much to hope for 100% delivery.  Now I must spend hours (it seems) on hold waiting to see if the UPS folks can find it. #GoingtoGaza with fewer items than I thought. 😦

Day #77 – Israel issued a lifetime ban against the Norwegian doctor (Mads Gilbert) from ever entering Gaza again, citing “security concerns.”  I’ve had friends who learned about a 1 year, 5 year, 10 year ban when they arrived at Ben Gurion Airport. They were immediately deported on the next flight out. I wonder if my name is on some Israeli list. An IDF soldier told me it was, but I need to get some confirmation. A friend in Gaza told me it might be easier to enter Gaza from the north (Israel) through the Erez Checkpoint, rather than from Egypt. #GoingtoGaza

Day #78 – This week Israel refused to allow the UN commission investigating Israel’s Operation Protective Edge into Gaza. Israel also imposed a lifetime ban on a Norwegian doctor from entering Gaza because he’s a security threat.  Last week Israel closed ALL of the borders with Gaza (both commercial and pedestrian crossings). And Netanyahu’s government continues to say Israel doesn’t occupy Gaza. What weed is he smoking? #GoingtoGaza

Days #79 – #80   Very touched by all of the birthday greetings yesterday from family and friends (near and far). The big 61 feels much better than 60. Last year, the milestone was unsettling because I still had eye problems, and had no focus about the next chapter in my life.  This year, I have good eye sight, good health, and focused on returning to Gaza. There was a lot of work involved in getting to this point. In the past 2+ months, I’ve made repairs to the house, put my things into storage, and turned the house over to a property manager. Now I feel like that albatross is off my neck, and I’m freed up to focus on returning to Gaza. Alhamdullilah!  #GoingtoGaza

Day #81 – Observing from afar each side mourn their losses, praise their martyrs, and condemn the killers. The exact mirror image of each other . . . with one BIG difference that’s never mentioned in the news reports.  One side is the occupier (the oppressor) and the other side is the occupied (the oppressed) resisting the occupation. Until the occupation ends, there will be no peace & security for either side. #GoingtoGaza

Day #82 – Continuing to talk to a lot of people (both inside Gaza and outside) about how to get in. No easy answers. EVERYONE says it’s very arbitrary (both at the Erez Crossing and Rafah Crossing). The fact that everyone talks about getting “in” to Gaza, rather than going “to” Gaza, indicates that everyone I’ve been talking with considers Gaza an open air prison. Is there anywhere else in the world where people are trying to get “in” ?  I can’t think of it. #GoingtoGaza

Day #83 – Becoming a nomad requires thinking about many ordinary things that we take for granted in new ways. Snail mail. Think about all of the junk mail and solicitations, and other mail we get every day. As a nomad preparing to travel to Gaza, I can’t have tons and tons of mail waiting for me when I return. I’ve spent the last 3 months contacting every business and organization that sent me snail mail, and asked to be removed from their mailing list. It was quite an effort. I hope I was able to stop a lot of it. Nomad or not. We should all be cutting down on snail mail. #GoingtoGaza

Day #84 – An American friend advises me to learn more about what’s going on in the West Bank. She probably thinks my focus on Gaza has left me with a deficit. Another American friend suggests if travel to Gaza doesn’t appear feasible by mid-January, we plan to visit the West Bank instead. I AM GOING TO GAZA NO MATTER WHAT! Screw Netanyahu! Screw El-Sisi! (Or maybe they should just do us all a favor and screw each other.) #GoingtoGaza

Day #85 – The State of Israel has been a militarized country since its founding. I recall seeing many people in 2004 walking the streets of Jerusalem with large weapons hanging over their shoulders — not in uniform but I thought they might be security personnel. Restaurant doors were locked and patrons had to ring the doorbell to be admitted, and then purses were searched before we were shown to our table. From all accounts, Jerusalem is much more militarized today. And Israeli politicians have just passed a law allowing civilians to openly carry weapons. Live by the sword, die by the sword, in the Holy Land. Land of “Peace”. #GoingtoGaza

Day #86 – “We live in capitalism. Its power seems inescapable. So did the divine right of kings. Any human power can be resisted and changed by human beings.”– Ursula K. Le Guin  Israel’s military occupation seems inescapable but it’s only a human construct that can fall as rapidly as a pile of bricks. Palestinians must be ready to answer the question: “what happens after the occupation?” I’m worried that the next generation of leaders are not prepared to answer that question. I haven’t seen anything written about it. #GoingtoGaza

Day #87 – Feels like I’ve embarked on the next phase of my life as a nomad. Or maybe better yet — a revolutionist. Thanks to an ABQ friend for sharing this thought-provoking piece from Chris Hedges. I’m going to spend time digesting the links at the end of the article this afternoon.http://www.opednews.com/articles/Why-We-Need-Professional-R-by-Chris-Hedges-Movement_People_Political_Power-141124-676.html  #GoingtoGaza

Day #88 – Everywhere I go, I can’t help but think how different life is in the USA compared to life in Gaza. Today there were several examples.

1) Valet parking at the hospital.

2) Recycling gets picked up.

3) Electricity is on 24-7 which means the refrigerator works all day AND all night.

4) The new bike-share program was launched in Phoenix.

5) Public library has 30+ computers available for the public.

The only thing preventing Gaza from having these things is Israel’s illegal military occupation. #GoingtoGaza

Day #89 – Netanyahu may cry “terrorists” and “security” and the biggest hoax of all “Hamas” to justify his 7+ years blockading the Gaza Strip but I’m convinced that those are mere distractions from the truth. Netanyahu wants to tear families apart, he wants to destroy the fabric of Palestinian culture and he wants “those animals” to disappear. Unlike natural disasters (such as the earthquake in Haiti), Netanyahu is the architect of this man-made disaster in Gaza. He must take full responsibility. Well, maybe 95% responsibility. The U.S. and other Western governments that are subsidizing Israel’s military occupation must own up to their despicable part in this tragedy. #GoingtoGaza

Day #90 – A note to my friends in Gaza. Thank you for sharing so much with me when I was there in 2012-2013.  Thank you for opening your homes to me, and educating me about the impacts of the occupation on you, your families and neighbors. Thank you for demonstrating SAMUD and showing me the importance of community and helping each other. Thank you for always treating me so graciously, and not holding my government’s destructive policies against me. Thank you for your continuing friendship. #GoingtoGaza

Day #91 – Last night sitting in the Phoenix airport ready to depart to CA, and thinking I have a lot to learn about being a nomad. Like how to travel LIGHT. One suitcase and one backpack, that’s all I can reasonably carry around the world. Americans have so much STUFF. I have a lot of things to discard to resize my lifestyle. #GoingtoGaza

Day #92 – A quandary.  How do I reconcile my desire to travel to Gaza with my concerns about greenhouse gas emissions from airplanes?  #GoingtoGaza

Days #42-43 Aug. 17 & 18, 2014 — Sumud

I walked out of the courthouse in Albuquerque today feeling pissed and angry. The Judge ruled against me, but it shouldn’t have surprised me. I didn’t have the expert testimony and couldn’t prove my case.

My case was no larger than a tick on a flea on the back leg of a fly resting on a dog’s tail. It was nothing. But it represented 18 months of hassling and haggling and took my energy away from where it might have been better focused. I’m disappointed.

Many losses this past year.  Maybe they’re catching up with me.

A good friend succumbed to cancer in January —- a slow and painful end. And with that passing was also the death of a friendship.

Another good friend succumbed last December to many health maladies that she had been fighting for years. I said ‘goodbye’ to her a month earlier knowing it would be the last time I would see her.

An Uncle passed away in January — the last member in that generation of my family. Although I spoke with him a week earlier, I didn’t realize it would be our last conversation. I would have said “I love you” twice as hard as I did.

And now this itty bitty loss today in court has brought up all the tears.  Crazy!

The word “SUMUD” came to mind as I stepped onto the elevator at the courthouse. I learned about “Sumud” from the Palestinians in Gaza. They told me it means “steadfastness.”  It means so much more.

Sumud is standing your ground when Israel is throwing one of the world’s most modern arsenals at you.

Sumud is teaching your children to understand and appreciate their ancestors’ history and struggle.

Sumud is resisting the occupation by whatever means it takes to hold on to your land and your dignity.

The Palestinians in the West Bank, Jersusalem and Gaza teach the world about “Sumud” every today. Maybe today the lesson is meant for me. Even when I feel like a loser, when I feel the losses of people dear to me, when I get discouraged, when I lose hope about acheiving my dreams, I need to show “Sumud”.

I need to be a role model for the next generation. The generation that’s growing up in a more hostile environment than the one I grew up in the 1950s-1960s. The generation that has inherited a burdensome debt and an insecure future. I need to show them “Sumud” — steadfastness — and determination even in the face of loss.

This time last year, the Palestinians in Gaza were waiting to hear whether a negotiated truce might end Israel’s horrific assault. As reported on Democracy Now on August 18, 2014:

Israel and Hamas are continuing indirect talks in Cairo as a five-day ceasefire is set to expire. A Palestinian official says the two sides remain far apart on a long-term agreement. Hamas has made an end to the blockade of Gaza a central demand, while the Israeli government has reportedly hardened its stance in recent days. On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel is prepared to continue the assault.

Protestors worldwide were demanding an end of the assault. Thousands of Israelis demonstrated in Tel Aviv in support of negotiations with the Palestinians.

In the United States, protesters in Oakland have prevented an Israeli ship from docking in protest of the assault on Gaza. The Zim Piraeus had been due to unload its goods at the Port of Oakland on Saturday. But several thousand activists with the “Block the Boat for Gaza” campaign gathered at the port, forcing a delay. Clarence Thomas of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union took part in the action.

Haaretz reported these headlines:

PA urges Hamas: Continue Gaza truce talks, even without immediate guarantees
Palestinians: Egypt seeking extension of cease-fire for talks
UN: Gaza reconstruction 3 times more dire than after 2009 war
Netanyahu tried to hide Egyptian cease-fire proposal from cabinet
Israel, Palestinians agree on 24-hour extension of Gaza cease-fire as sides try to reach a deal

In the face of all of this, Palestinians in Gaza displayed Sumud last summer and every day.