End the Siege: A Report Back from Gaza

By: Michael Oleaga

Posted: 10/7/09

by Michael Oleaga
Featured Reporter

On Wed., Sept. 30th, a four-member delegation held a seminar in the Lienhard Lecture Hall to report on their visit to the Gaza Strip, the war-torn Palestinian territory between Israel and Northeast Egypt. Throughout the seminar the speaker's emphasized

The program, entitled "Report Back from Gaza," included lectures by Felice Gelman, Ceil Lavan, Daniel Strum, and Tom Suarez, all four of whom came to inform the Pace community about the conditions they observed with the objective of showing the details the mass media doesn't report.

"We're concerned about the Gaza Strip," said Levan. "If an F-16 rocket from the United States didn't hit their home, a bulldozer did," he added.

Levan called the endless attacks on the region "genocide."

"1,400 people were killed in three weeks (22 days) in January. Tanks patrol the border, with people getting shot every day. They risk their lives just to farm, but the Israeli military is preventing them from living. [There's] not enough food, energy, or medicine," said Levan.

In a setting described as smaller than the size of New York City with 1.5 million residents, the Gaza Strip was compared to a "modern day concentration camp." Gelman mentioned the number of people who are forced to be secluded and have to live with few provisions.

"90 percent of the time, farmers and fishermen are threatened if they go out too far to get some food. 65 percent are unemployed, 88 percent of businesses have been destroyed or closed by the Israeli attacks," said Gelman.

She continued by claiming how no one wants to be rock stars or sports players in the future, but would rather be doctors and architects. "People want to do things to rebuild their country," she said.

Gelman also said that Israel did not allow students to leave Gaza until 2008. A mere 70 were permitted to exit the borders only if they won scholarships from other nations. All had to first seek permission from the Israeli government, as well as the aid of foreign diplomats to assist them.

Aside from this, the speakers reported other hindrances to education.

Paper is banned in Gaza, according to Gelman, and no books are delivered unless they are smuggled in by a diplomat or visiting journalists. There were at least 100,000 books in the largest library for children, but most were usually gifts. Many books were destroyed by the military.

Suarez spoke about the indifferences with the Western media and how it will report events in Israel and Palestine.

"Western media will typically say Israel is defending themselves," Suarez said.

He mentioned that Israel attacked Gaza on Nov. 4, 2009, the same day President Barack Obama won the presidency. Suarez said he wouldn't be surprised if no one knew about the attack. Many of the attendees in the room, and when asked, agreed: they had no knowledge of it.

"[Americans] didn't know about this until Hamas fired back," said Suarez.

Suarez accused the Western media of being "too occupied" with Election Day to cover the attack by the Israeli army, which he says to be the fourth largest in the world.

Strum, the fourth speaker of the night, introduced the film Voices of Gaza to the audience, showing footage the people in Gaza and the hardships they face with warzone conditions. Video clips depicted graphic accounts and visuals of houses destroyed. One showed a little girl named Farah whose skin sustained white phosphorus burns from military weapons. Strum said that the girl would be transported to San Francisco next month for medical treatment, since doctors are not allowed to go into Gaza to treat the wounded -or even train people how to - because the Egyptians will not let them in. Once again, diplomatic pressure would be needed in order for anyone to leave Gaza.

A question and answer segment followed the presentation. A student from Dr. Julian's International Relations class asked the delegates if they felt disliked during their trip for being Americans. The four responded that the people in Gaza "know the difference between the United States government and the citizens."

"Children were polite to us, so excited. Adults and children tried to speak English saying 'Hi, hello,' and 'How are you doing,'" said Gelman.

"They don't want us to feel sorry for them," said Suarez.

"What if the roles were reversed," asked Suarez. Had Gaza been the one attacking Israel to the degree that Israel has been treating Gaza, "The Western military would arrive at the Gaza borders within hours," he said.

One thing the speakers wanted to make clear is that the conflict is not against people of the Christian, Jewish, or Muslim faith.

Rabbi Yisroel Dovid Weiss, an Orthodox rabbi from Rockland, Queens, informed the audience that not everyone of the Jewish faith are pro-Zionist - the political movement for the Jewish state. Weiss, a self-professed anti-Zionist, believes that the state of Israel is the result of nationalism and not religion.

"The problem isn't the people, it's the state," stated Weiss.

Remi Kanazi, a Palestinian spoken-word poet, and painter Suzan Hammad, then presented their works on behalf of the lives of the people in Gaza.

Kanazi's anthology, titled Poets for Palestine and is available on Amazon.com, and Hammad's artwork can be found on cafepress.com/lailatinar.

Gelman stated that she will be returning to Gaza later in the year to participate in a historic non-violent freedom march to end the illegal and inhumane Israeli blockade, stating that about 5,000 Palestinians and 500 Westerners will be participating. She does not expect a big miracle to take place automatically, but hopes the message can be clear.

Levan ended the seminar with a reflective statement for the audience: "Please be attentive, so we can help."

Michael Oleaga can be reached at mo76078n@pace.edu