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The recent actions of people
from around the world in support of the Palestinian people in Gaza have
arguably represented the closest manifestation of international solidarity
since the International Brigades against fascism during the Spanish
Civil War. A bold assertion?
The recent actions of people
from around the world in support of the Palestinian people in Gaza have
arguably represented the closest manifestation of international solidarity
since the International Brigades against fascism during the Spanish
Civil War. A bold assertion?
Admittedly, I may not be as
in tune with reality as I should be. Born and raised in a Gaza refugee
camp where most refugees felt that no one cared about their plight,
it was easy to believe that nothing could possibly break away from the
ever tenuous and redundant stances by Arab and other countries -
whose acts of solidarity went no further than hollow words of condemnation.
The recent noble stances by activists from all over the world therefore
seem like an unprecedented act of solidarity which, dare I believe,
indicates the direct mass involvement of civil society as a real party
in the ongoing Palestinian struggle for political and human rights.
During the Spanish Civil War
(1936-39), when various European powers were turning blind eye to the
atrocities committed in Spain, almost 40,000 men and women, representing
52 countries, made the decision to fight fascism. The global consciousness
culminating in such a direct, unprecedented action was absolutely baffling
considering the lack of powerful communication technology available
at the time.
"How pertinent these words
are, as one reads with anxiousness, pride and exhilaration the notes
and messages that have come in from Cairo, El Arish and Gaza "The
2,800 American volunteers included a black man - Canute Frankson
- who was a member of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade. He wrote to a friend
from Madrid in 1937: "Why am I, a Negro who have fought through these
years for the rights of my people, here in Spain today? Because we are
no longer an isolated minority group fighting hopelessly against an
immense giant. Because ... we have joined with, and become an active
part of, a great progressive force, on whose shoulders rest the responsibility
of saving human civilization from the planned destruction of a small
group of degenerates ... Because if we crush fascism here we'll save
our people in America, and in other parts of the world from the vicious
persecution, wholesale imprisonment, and slaughter which the Jewish
people suffered and are suffering under Hitler's fascist heels."
How pertinent these words are,
as one reads with anxiousness, pride and exhilaration the notes and
messages that have come in from Cairo, El Arish and Gaza. They convey
the support of countless people, who have demonstrated with blood and
tears their commitment to humanity in Palestine, and indeed everywhere.
The Gaza Freedom March, a coalition
of several groups, consisted of 1,362 activists from more than 40 countries
who were on a mission to cross to Gaza and, along with Israeli, Palestinian
and international peace activists, to march simultaneously to the Israeli
Erez checkpoint. That border point, along with a few others, has completely
cut off Palestinians in Gaza from the outside world, leaving 1.5 million
people in a frightening state of siege. Gaza has been embroiled in the
world's worst humanitarian catastrophe for years due to the Palestinian
people's exercise of their democratic rights. The people of Gaza have
endured one-sided wars, and have been left to exist in a state of near
starvation.
The valiant peace warriors
of Viva Palestina have truly set new standards for how far a peace and
justice activist is willing to go to back up his/her words with actions.
Many millions around the world watched - despite the mainstream media's
shameless disregard of the unfolding drama - as nearly 500 activists
and their 200 vehicles, laden with badly needed medical supplies for
besieged Gaza, took off on a historic odyssey to break the siege. Just
as they neared Gaza, they were forced by the Egyptian government to
backtrack due to a technicality, and then began an arduous journey across
the desert and sea and several countries. And as they approached Gaza
again, in the Egyptian port of El Arish, they were blocked and dozens
were left injured.
The Gaza Freedom March was
similarly met with intimidation, assaults and violence.
These are not Palestinians,
but internationals. From Malaysia to South Africa, from the UK to the
U.S., men, women, Christian, Jewish, Muslim, people of different cultural
and political backgrounds showed themselves as unified in their belief
in justice and human rights. While Palestine has always enjoyed universal
solidarity, with many fearless activists - who can forget Rachel
Corrie? - a collective action of this magnitude and of this level
of commitment is a new addition to a conflict that has been reduced
over time to that of beleaguered Palestinians and a militarily powerful
Israel.
The Gaza Freedom March, Viva
Palestina, the Free Gaza Movement, and others are redefining the conventional
discourse pertaining to the Middle East's most intricate and protracted
conflict. Civil society is not a group of NGOs to be strategically funded
and manipulated by Western governments, but encompasses powerful, self-assured
and truly representative communities from all over the world; people
can be united beyond religion and ideology, and collectively cross continents,
seas and deserts to put their beliefs into action.
The activists' ability
to overcome the shameful silence of the mainstream media also highlights
the importance of alternative media as the single most important tool
in achieving camaraderie. "Throughout the Gaza Freedom March presence
in Cairo, our brothers and sisters from the South African delegation
dynamically articulated the connections between injuries that indigenous
Africans suffered under the white supremacist regime in Pretoria and
the inequalities that Palestinians now face at the hands of the Israeli
government," wrote Joshua Brollier, a co-coordinator for Voices
For Creative Non-Violence, in the Palestine Chronicle.
Many heroes and heroines emerged
from the activists' action-packed journey to Gaza. Hedy Epstein,
an 85-year-old Holocaust survivor whose parents both perished in Auschwitz,
deserves a special mention. She went on a hunger strike when she, along
with many others were blocked from entering Gaza. Epstein didn't stand
in solidarity with the Palestinians despite the Holocaust, but because
of the Holocaust. Similarly many activists drew their solidarity from
their specific experiences and have fought for democracy and justice
back at home.
Maybe I am in tune with reality
after all. Maybe the words and actions of our African America hero Canute
Frankson weren't in vain. Maybe the quest for justice can in fact
cross all physical and psychological boundaries. One thing is for sure,
though. Gaza is not alone; in fact, it never was.
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The recent actions of people
from around the world in support of the Palestinian people in Gaza have
arguably represented the closest manifestation of international solidarity
since the International Brigades against fascism during the Spanish
Civil War. A bold assertion?
Admittedly, I may not be as
in tune with reality as I should be. Born and raised in a Gaza refugee
camp where most refugees felt that no one cared about their plight,
it was easy to believe that nothing could possibly break away from the
ever tenuous and redundant stances by Arab and other countries -
whose acts of solidarity went no further than hollow words of condemnation.
The recent noble stances by activists from all over the world therefore
seem like an unprecedented act of solidarity which, dare I believe,
indicates the direct mass involvement of civil society as a real party
in the ongoing Palestinian struggle for political and human rights.
During the Spanish Civil War
(1936-39), when various European powers were turning blind eye to the
atrocities committed in Spain, almost 40,000 men and women, representing
52 countries, made the decision to fight fascism. The global consciousness
culminating in such a direct, unprecedented action was absolutely baffling
considering the lack of powerful communication technology available
at the time.
"How pertinent these words
are, as one reads with anxiousness, pride and exhilaration the notes
and messages that have come in from Cairo, El Arish and Gaza "The
2,800 American volunteers included a black man - Canute Frankson
- who was a member of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade. He wrote to a friend
from Madrid in 1937: "Why am I, a Negro who have fought through these
years for the rights of my people, here in Spain today? Because we are
no longer an isolated minority group fighting hopelessly against an
immense giant. Because ... we have joined with, and become an active
part of, a great progressive force, on whose shoulders rest the responsibility
of saving human civilization from the planned destruction of a small
group of degenerates ... Because if we crush fascism here we'll save
our people in America, and in other parts of the world from the vicious
persecution, wholesale imprisonment, and slaughter which the Jewish
people suffered and are suffering under Hitler's fascist heels."
How pertinent these words are,
as one reads with anxiousness, pride and exhilaration the notes and
messages that have come in from Cairo, El Arish and Gaza. They convey
the support of countless people, who have demonstrated with blood and
tears their commitment to humanity in Palestine, and indeed everywhere.
The Gaza Freedom March, a coalition
of several groups, consisted of 1,362 activists from more than 40 countries
who were on a mission to cross to Gaza and, along with Israeli, Palestinian
and international peace activists, to march simultaneously to the Israeli
Erez checkpoint. That border point, along with a few others, has completely
cut off Palestinians in Gaza from the outside world, leaving 1.5 million
people in a frightening state of siege. Gaza has been embroiled in the
world's worst humanitarian catastrophe for years due to the Palestinian
people's exercise of their democratic rights. The people of Gaza have
endured one-sided wars, and have been left to exist in a state of near
starvation.
The valiant peace warriors
of Viva Palestina have truly set new standards for how far a peace and
justice activist is willing to go to back up his/her words with actions.
Many millions around the world watched - despite the mainstream media's
shameless disregard of the unfolding drama - as nearly 500 activists
and their 200 vehicles, laden with badly needed medical supplies for
besieged Gaza, took off on a historic odyssey to break the siege. Just
as they neared Gaza, they were forced by the Egyptian government to
backtrack due to a technicality, and then began an arduous journey across
the desert and sea and several countries. And as they approached Gaza
again, in the Egyptian port of El Arish, they were blocked and dozens
were left injured.
The Gaza Freedom March was
similarly met with intimidation, assaults and violence.
These are not Palestinians,
but internationals. From Malaysia to South Africa, from the UK to the
U.S., men, women, Christian, Jewish, Muslim, people of different cultural
and political backgrounds showed themselves as unified in their belief
in justice and human rights. While Palestine has always enjoyed universal
solidarity, with many fearless activists - who can forget Rachel
Corrie? - a collective action of this magnitude and of this level
of commitment is a new addition to a conflict that has been reduced
over time to that of beleaguered Palestinians and a militarily powerful
Israel.
The Gaza Freedom March, Viva
Palestina, the Free Gaza Movement, and others are redefining the conventional
discourse pertaining to the Middle East's most intricate and protracted
conflict. Civil society is not a group of NGOs to be strategically funded
and manipulated by Western governments, but encompasses powerful, self-assured
and truly representative communities from all over the world; people
can be united beyond religion and ideology, and collectively cross continents,
seas and deserts to put their beliefs into action.
The activists' ability
to overcome the shameful silence of the mainstream media also highlights
the importance of alternative media as the single most important tool
in achieving camaraderie. "Throughout the Gaza Freedom March presence
in Cairo, our brothers and sisters from the South African delegation
dynamically articulated the connections between injuries that indigenous
Africans suffered under the white supremacist regime in Pretoria and
the inequalities that Palestinians now face at the hands of the Israeli
government," wrote Joshua Brollier, a co-coordinator for Voices
For Creative Non-Violence, in the Palestine Chronicle.
Many heroes and heroines emerged
from the activists' action-packed journey to Gaza. Hedy Epstein,
an 85-year-old Holocaust survivor whose parents both perished in Auschwitz,
deserves a special mention. She went on a hunger strike when she, along
with many others were blocked from entering Gaza. Epstein didn't stand
in solidarity with the Palestinians despite the Holocaust, but because
of the Holocaust. Similarly many activists drew their solidarity from
their specific experiences and have fought for democracy and justice
back at home.
Maybe I am in tune with reality
after all. Maybe the words and actions of our African America hero Canute
Frankson weren't in vain. Maybe the quest for justice can in fact
cross all physical and psychological boundaries. One thing is for sure,
though. Gaza is not alone; in fact, it never was.
The recent actions of people
from around the world in support of the Palestinian people in Gaza have
arguably represented the closest manifestation of international solidarity
since the International Brigades against fascism during the Spanish
Civil War. A bold assertion?
Admittedly, I may not be as
in tune with reality as I should be. Born and raised in a Gaza refugee
camp where most refugees felt that no one cared about their plight,
it was easy to believe that nothing could possibly break away from the
ever tenuous and redundant stances by Arab and other countries -
whose acts of solidarity went no further than hollow words of condemnation.
The recent noble stances by activists from all over the world therefore
seem like an unprecedented act of solidarity which, dare I believe,
indicates the direct mass involvement of civil society as a real party
in the ongoing Palestinian struggle for political and human rights.
During the Spanish Civil War
(1936-39), when various European powers were turning blind eye to the
atrocities committed in Spain, almost 40,000 men and women, representing
52 countries, made the decision to fight fascism. The global consciousness
culminating in such a direct, unprecedented action was absolutely baffling
considering the lack of powerful communication technology available
at the time.
"How pertinent these words
are, as one reads with anxiousness, pride and exhilaration the notes
and messages that have come in from Cairo, El Arish and Gaza "The
2,800 American volunteers included a black man - Canute Frankson
- who was a member of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade. He wrote to a friend
from Madrid in 1937: "Why am I, a Negro who have fought through these
years for the rights of my people, here in Spain today? Because we are
no longer an isolated minority group fighting hopelessly against an
immense giant. Because ... we have joined with, and become an active
part of, a great progressive force, on whose shoulders rest the responsibility
of saving human civilization from the planned destruction of a small
group of degenerates ... Because if we crush fascism here we'll save
our people in America, and in other parts of the world from the vicious
persecution, wholesale imprisonment, and slaughter which the Jewish
people suffered and are suffering under Hitler's fascist heels."
How pertinent these words are,
as one reads with anxiousness, pride and exhilaration the notes and
messages that have come in from Cairo, El Arish and Gaza. They convey
the support of countless people, who have demonstrated with blood and
tears their commitment to humanity in Palestine, and indeed everywhere.
The Gaza Freedom March, a coalition
of several groups, consisted of 1,362 activists from more than 40 countries
who were on a mission to cross to Gaza and, along with Israeli, Palestinian
and international peace activists, to march simultaneously to the Israeli
Erez checkpoint. That border point, along with a few others, has completely
cut off Palestinians in Gaza from the outside world, leaving 1.5 million
people in a frightening state of siege. Gaza has been embroiled in the
world's worst humanitarian catastrophe for years due to the Palestinian
people's exercise of their democratic rights. The people of Gaza have
endured one-sided wars, and have been left to exist in a state of near
starvation.
The valiant peace warriors
of Viva Palestina have truly set new standards for how far a peace and
justice activist is willing to go to back up his/her words with actions.
Many millions around the world watched - despite the mainstream media's
shameless disregard of the unfolding drama - as nearly 500 activists
and their 200 vehicles, laden with badly needed medical supplies for
besieged Gaza, took off on a historic odyssey to break the siege. Just
as they neared Gaza, they were forced by the Egyptian government to
backtrack due to a technicality, and then began an arduous journey across
the desert and sea and several countries. And as they approached Gaza
again, in the Egyptian port of El Arish, they were blocked and dozens
were left injured.
The Gaza Freedom March was
similarly met with intimidation, assaults and violence.
These are not Palestinians,
but internationals. From Malaysia to South Africa, from the UK to the
U.S., men, women, Christian, Jewish, Muslim, people of different cultural
and political backgrounds showed themselves as unified in their belief
in justice and human rights. While Palestine has always enjoyed universal
solidarity, with many fearless activists - who can forget Rachel
Corrie? - a collective action of this magnitude and of this level
of commitment is a new addition to a conflict that has been reduced
over time to that of beleaguered Palestinians and a militarily powerful
Israel.
The Gaza Freedom March, Viva
Palestina, the Free Gaza Movement, and others are redefining the conventional
discourse pertaining to the Middle East's most intricate and protracted
conflict. Civil society is not a group of NGOs to be strategically funded
and manipulated by Western governments, but encompasses powerful, self-assured
and truly representative communities from all over the world; people
can be united beyond religion and ideology, and collectively cross continents,
seas and deserts to put their beliefs into action.
The activists' ability
to overcome the shameful silence of the mainstream media also highlights
the importance of alternative media as the single most important tool
in achieving camaraderie. "Throughout the Gaza Freedom March presence
in Cairo, our brothers and sisters from the South African delegation
dynamically articulated the connections between injuries that indigenous
Africans suffered under the white supremacist regime in Pretoria and
the inequalities that Palestinians now face at the hands of the Israeli
government," wrote Joshua Brollier, a co-coordinator for Voices
For Creative Non-Violence, in the Palestine Chronicle.
Many heroes and heroines emerged
from the activists' action-packed journey to Gaza. Hedy Epstein,
an 85-year-old Holocaust survivor whose parents both perished in Auschwitz,
deserves a special mention. She went on a hunger strike when she, along
with many others were blocked from entering Gaza. Epstein didn't stand
in solidarity with the Palestinians despite the Holocaust, but because
of the Holocaust. Similarly many activists drew their solidarity from
their specific experiences and have fought for democracy and justice
back at home.
Maybe I am in tune with reality
after all. Maybe the words and actions of our African America hero Canute
Frankson weren't in vain. Maybe the quest for justice can in fact
cross all physical and psychological boundaries. One thing is for sure,
though. Gaza is not alone; in fact, it never was.