Rimaalrakhawi’s Blog

google images

Hundreds of Gazans’ families are seeking immigration as a result of their desperate struggle to live a normal life. A huge number of Gazan’s refugees who have always dreamed to return to their original homeland are fighting to get outside instead, those people who feel that they live under a conflict that will never end have chose escaping from this battle, and seek a better life outside, no matter where, what really matters for them is having the feeling of safety and security. Life in Gaza became unbearable; people are hopeless and frustrated, especially for the thousands of university graduates who cannot find jobs due to the increasing unemployment rate. Since Hamas has took over the control of Gaza on January 2006, people their haven’t seen an opened gate for a better life; they have been living over three years in a continuous blocked, and lack of all the daily basic needs as a collective punishment, Gazans have been forbidden from moving in or outside the Gaza Strip, students lost their chances to study abroad for higher degrees, and haven’t got a chance to better their education inside. Not only people who couldn’t move, but also goods.

 The Gaza Strip has six border crossing, five of which are directly controlled by Israel and the sixth crossing is Rafah crossing on the Egyptian side, which has been almost continually closed since June 2006, this illegal closure was a reason of massive restrictions on the trading movement which caused a collapse in the Gazan’s economy, where more than 80 percent of live under the poverty line; most of those Palestinians who have been affected due to the siege imposed up on the government and the ordinary Palestinian people as a form of collective punishment live in the Gaza Strip. Though this horrible situation wasn’t everything; People in Gaza have still punished in a three-week onslaught where up to 1200 people got killed, hundreds were injured and millions of dollars of property were destroyed.

 A long with Israeli collective punishment, The continuous fighting between the two main fraction, Hamas and Fatah ,and the blood shower which is not finished yet lead to a depression and pessimism in the Palestinian community. Though, the distress of seeing one’s homeland decimated, as is the case in Gaza, still pales in comparison to what the average Palestinian in Gaza says is the real problem: factional bickering, seemingly the least cause of concern when residents are living in tents in the year 2009. People in Gaza are not any more able to handle such a tough life, and has nearly lost their hopes for a better life, thus they became questioning their life in Gaza. Ahmed Yaseen , 24 year-old said: “I have no life here, I have graduated two years ago with as an engineer, but I still haven’t got a job and I don’t think I will in such a situation. Why should I stay?’’. Gaza’s youth are seeking emigration in record numbers, as travel agencies in Gaza say they are filling up with registered, would-be émigrés.

google images

But just Norway, Australia and Sweden have agreed to accept Gazan refugees, though as a part of the EU,there are alot of obstacles to get a Chingen visa for those young Palestinian who seek immigration. Rola Abu Samra, 27 years old, who has her parents and little brother immigrated to Norway and left alone along with her younger sister Rana because they both need a separate procedures due to their age are trying hardly to get out of Gaza, though as every Gazan they are facing difficulties in obtaining a Chingen visa to access Europe. Rola said: ‘’My father has left to Norway a year ago, he could take my mum and my little brother with a hope that we will follow him, but I’m still filling up immigration applications and applying for visa hoping that I will get approved, it’s so hard being left here and never be sure that you would be able to join your family again.’’ On the other hand, Some Palestinians have considered staying in Gaza just for their pay checks, while few others have got jobs in Gaza, and believe that it’s a big risk leaving their life and start all over again, but that still doesn’t mean that they are enjoying their life in Gaza, its only cause they have just got no choice. Dr.Nehad,40 year-old said: “Both of me and my wife have jobs here, and we have two kids that we are responsible for, I just can’t take such a big risk, though if I were by myself I would definitely go for one, because life here became unbearable, specially for youth.”

google images

google images

It might be the question that hasn’t got an answer yet for many of the 1948 Arabs

Those Palestinians who weren’t transferred out when Israel established its states in 1948, and were left in such a complicated situation, challenging the hard life and questioning their Identity.

They have been trying so hard to get their rights as citizens but they have been always treated as second-class citizens, I can actually compare their case with the African Americans case before the civil rights movements.

Both of those 1948 Arabs and African Americans were the original residents, and after their lands were stolen, they became second—class citizens who fight for minority rights.

The case of the Israel’s Arab citizen who are counted for 20% of the whole population face difficulties to enjoy their rights the same as Jewish people, though they hold the Israeli ID, but they still don’t get equal funding for their schools and healthcare, they face impediments to their ability to buy property and limitation in where they can live, they suffer daily challenges to live a normal life, and over all the face the hardest problem, Questioning their IDENTITY!!! .

The participation of the Mira Awad in the Eurovision is the right example for this challenge.

google images

 Mira Awad who was born in Remeh village in Galilee, Israel to an Arab Palestinian father and Bulgarian mother, studied at Rimon School of Jazz and Contemporary Music in Ramat Hashorn and currently lives in Tel Aviv was selected to sing an Israeli song along with an Israeli singer in order to represent Israel in the  Eurovision International competition which will be held on the 16^th of May, 2009.

Regarding Mira’s behaviour, a number of Intellectuals and artists of the 1948 Arabs have dedicated an appeal to the Mira Awad, a Palestinian singer holding an Israeli ID asking her not to participate with the Israeli singer Ashinoam Nini to represent Israel in the Eurovision competition in Moscow.

flickr

On the other hand a number of 1948 and Palestinians gathered in big opened group on Face book calling themselves (We don’t want Mira Awad representing Israel in Eurovision) in order to express their anger and frustrations towards her participation.

Those people even if they were 1948 Arabs but they still consider the participation of Mira Awad in such an international competition especially in the current situation serves the Israeli Propaganda and better the Israeli image in the foreign world.

In those peoples’ eyes, Mira is Palestinian even if she holds the Israeli ID, but she is ARABIC and PALESTINIAN.

google images

Regardless the result of the last war in the Gaza Strip, the damage and the great number of victims, I think that Hamas most likely appeared victorious out of this war.

I believe that Israel itself is aware of that, even if they talk about their success of killing two of Hamas Leaders, Said Syam and Jamal Rayan, but they still know very well that such an action is not enough to end up Hamas movement. I guess Israel is aware of its failure to eradicate Hamas from the Gaza Strip, because it’s not only about Hamas itself, but it’s a long story of resistance which was created since the Palestinian-Israeli conflict was born by many other parties and also by every single Palestinian who was forbidden from his right to live a normal life.

Resistance in the Palestinians’ point of view is linked to the occupation; they are two things that can’t be separated. Its either they get their rights back or they fight to the end for this homeland.

Politically speaking, Hamas is now gaining more popularity, not only amongst Palestinians but across the Arab and Muslim world. They are seen as the only party that can face Israel.

Israel attacked Gaza Strip aiming to clean up the area from Hamas and achieve a quiet occupation like the one in the West Bank.

People in the West bank are being killed, detained and got their home demolished but there are no rockets launched against Israel.

Israel want to serve all its interests confiscate people’s homes and expand its boarder but they don’t want any reaction from the Palestinian side, and that’s why they are trying to kill the resistance which I believe will never happen.

I also believe that the War in Gaza was a war of Image, the Israeli Army wanted to restore its image after it was amazingly destroyed in summer 2006 in Lebanon by Hezbollah.

But at the end of the day, I don’t see Israel was victorious in any way, unless they consider killing kids and civilians is victory!                                                     

google images

google images

google images

The United States sent a massive new shipment of arms to Israel despite the last evidence where US weapons were misused against civilians in the Gaza attacks.
According to Maan News, the US sent to Israeli about 14.000 tons worth of arms and munitions, which have reached Israel port of Ashdod on 22 March.
The human rights organisation Amnesty called on US president Obama to stop future arms shipments to Israel until there is no longer substantial risk on Human rights.
However ,most of the human rights organisations have issued documented evidence that white phosphorus and other weapons supplied by the US were used to carry out crimes against people in Gaza ,America is still supplying the Army in Israel and increase the possibility for more crimes. It’s like giving them the green light.
The US government talk about human rights and at the same time they are the reason of most of the crimes in the world under the name of ‘war against terrorism’. The united states have seen so many evidence from the Gaza attacks indicating that arms were sending to Israel have been misused to kill and injure civilians and destroy millions of dollars of property and instead of taking serious procedures to punish them for such an attack, they facilitate their intend to attempt more crimes.

The united states was the largest supplier of weapons to Israel between 2004 and 2008 ,unfortunately the massacre which happened in Gaza was not enough to change the facts on the ground ,President Obama according to published reports is not planning to cut the billions of dollars in military aid promised to Israel under a new 10-year contract agreed in 2007 by the Bush admistration and this new contract is a 25 percent increased compared to the last contract agreed by the previous US administration

I was reading the news and in my mind I had a flash back of the last attack on Gaza, and I’m wondering what kind of punishment is that? What should happen more to wake up the world?
Since the beginning of the American elections, so many people wished that the American foreign policy towards the Middle East especially regarding the Palestinian-Israeli conflict will change at some point if Obama wins the election, and now Obama is there, and situation is even worse. And I’m not surprised, because it’s not about an individual; it’s about a whole American policy which is dominated by an extreme Jewish lobby who will always support Israel’s interests.

google images

Since I moved to live abroad in the Western world, I’ve been hearing the terminology Terrorism in the News, sessions, conferences, speeches. It seems to me that it became a must to attach this word whenever they talk about the Middle East or about the Islamic world.

I was always questinioning the real definition of this world, though I haven’t got a specific answer but I reached to an analysis that explains the hard reality we’re living in.

Terrorism is actually attached always to the weak side of any war that happens in any spot in the world, if the weak side wants to defend itself then its TERRORISM, where any attack by the powerful side is a SELF DEFENCE.

And that’s always the case in Palestine. Israeli military again bombed the starving imprisoned population of 1.5 in Gaza, while the whole world was not only watching in silence but they also justified the ongoing massacre.

Even some Arabs outlets unfortunately criticized the Palestinian resistance and asked to put an end for it as if it was the reason behind the Israeli attack on the Palestinian nation.

google images

And my question is: How can the whole world equate the Palestinian homemade rockets with the might of the Israeli military machine?

Is that blindness or misunderstanding to justice?

But I guess it’s only because Terrorism became a normative term which is used to describe what the ‘other ‘does , not what we do, or it became a terminology that powerful countries like America and Israeli hide behind as an excuse to justify their attacks.

It’s worth mentioning to say that Terrorism was always existed and justified such as the attack on the Native Americans 150 years ago, the Jews in Nazi Germany, attacks on Afghanistan, Iraq and the Palestinians.

But because such terrorism serves the interests of the powerful countries and maintain their occupation and colonialism plans, it’s always justified by using so many terminologies such as, self-defence, end up the terrorism, save the world and others ,But for weak sides to resist becomes illegal by definition.

In my point of view, the only difference between an Israeli soldier killing a child and a Palestinian civilian killing Israelis is the uniform. Maybe the other difference is that the Palestinian has even more courage, he sacrificed his life for the sake of his country, but the soldier hides behind his tank and shoot the small children.

google images

I’m not justifying the killing of civilians in any of the sides, but I’m trying to understand the meaning of TERRORISM, but I’m afraid I won’t understand it as long as there is not justice in the world.

Just wanted to share this nice song about Gaza.

I wonder what would happen if a house representative spoke like this in Palestine ?Or what if one of the people in leadership stood and talked honestly about this truth?.

I guess I have no words to add, as this video left me speechless, thus I really want to share this good video for the Jewish MP in the UK.

Every day in the morning I open my laptop to check the news in Gaza hoping that I will read one single good piece of news that can show that blocked over Gaza strip was stopped, or anything can give me a safe thought about my family there, or even give me a hope that I will be able to see them in the summer.

Though it’s March 6^th, I was reading in http://english.ramattan.net/ that over than 77,000 Palestinian employees haven’t got paid because Israel refuses to switch cash into the Gaza strip banks.

Even though it’s not the first time, as Israeli has been imposing tightened restrictions on delivering cash to Gazans since Hamas took over the power in Gaza three years ago.

Why do Palestinians have to be punished because they went through real honest elections? Do they have to be punished that hard for choosing? Aren’t they allowed to choose?

After the last Israeli attack on Gaza which lasted for 3 weeks and ended up killing more than 1200 Palestinian and left hundreds injured ,I believed that a relief gate will be opened to those people after  the hardship  they have been passing  through since ages ,I thought  they might have the chance to live normally or close to.

I was listening to officials and leaders  all over  the world talking about support to people there while Palestinian were being  killed every day , Although I was never a believer in officials speeches  specially when it comes to Palestine but  I did believe that  there was a hope in every Palestinian’s heart ,though reality on the ground  doesn’t show the same ,but those people still have the determination to live cause they have learnt that what doesn’t kill you ,only makes you stronger.

War has finished  before  two months ,nothing have been changed ,there are still  homeless families, poverty , disease ,blockade and death ,and above all that ,there is still a strong nation that will always fight for their freedom .You know why ? Because they have got the RIGHT.

Maan News

I couldn’t help sharing a story that I have read in http://www.maannews.net/en/ about a Palestinian couple getting married outside their tent.

February 26, 2009, a Palestinian couple decided to get married and live in a tent, after they have lost their homes as a result of the Israeli attack on Gaza.
The young couple have got married outside their tent, where they live, with a hope that Israel will open the crossings and allows building materials so they can build up their home and move to live in their own house. The groom said “Despite the destruction of our home – the foundation for our dreams for a better life – we still have a strong will and insist on life and joy, and we will be reborn,”
Though its traditional in the Palestinian culture that the people get engaged then wait to have wedding ceremony until their home gets ready ,while their house is considered as their investment which gives them the feeling of security and stability ,but since the Israeli side refuses to allow construction materials into Gaza strip without the release of the Israeli soldier Gilad Shait , people believed that life must be continued and happiness must be there even of everything they pass through.
The wedding was funded by unknown Kuwaiti donor, the bride was sitting in a puffy white gown surrounded by people dancing and singing with happiness that could be heard from all the corners.

The groom added “Everybody should get married in a beautiful home, but Gaza is an exception to this rule,” he remembers his wife saying. “That our homes have been destroyed does not mean our lives come to an end, so I will live with you in a tent until God changes the situation.”

“We will light a candle,” Bride said, “amidst darkness and know that that candle will light up our lives.”
The strong love and faith these people have is what really inspires me to write about their suffer, no matter how simple their stories would be, but they still have the deepest meanings of love, faith and honesty , those people have a story that’s worth telling.