Palestine-Israel Peace Forum

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Comment by Joanna Zilsel on March 20, 2009 at 8:36am

Hello dear friends,

I am back home again, after spending 4 incredible days in Gaza. It will take me a very long time to process the terrible devastation that we witnessed all up and down the Gaza strip, and to fully comprehend the stories of suffering and loss that we heard from every person we spoke to. We saw hospitals bombed (Al Quds Hospital was hit with white phosphorous, burning one section completely. I walked through it in a daze, it was so horrible); schools completely demolished, mosques blown apart, and whole communities of houses and apartments flattened as if a huge earthquake had occurred. Large families are living in the rubble, or in small tents supplied by the UN. And the stories that ordinary people told us--of being shot at while they were trying to flee with their children, of people bleeding to death because the IDF soldiers refused to allow Red Crescent ambulances to reach the victims. We heard this from so many different people--ordinary people with young children. I saw the hole in the wall of the apartment where I stayed the whole time I was in Gaza. Their apartment is in 'the safest part of Gaza', absolutely no rockets launched from there or any other 'terrorist' activities. Yet an IDF missile went right through the bedroom wall, luckily no one was there so no one was hurt.
We saw huge orange groves that had been completely crushed by bulldozers. The same for olive groves. The list of cruel and unnecessary damage goes on and on. Despite this, the people of Gaza are extraordinarily generous, kind, welcoming and hopeful. I made so many friends! Everyone--from the UNWRA translators, the Red Crescent volunteers, taxi drivers, school teachers, grandmothers, young men, street sweepers . . . . everyone asked us to please tell the world about the destruction we witnessed, and to say that they desperately want peace. These are wonderful, ordinary people, who long to lead 'normal' lives. They value education very highly (in my home stay family, the oldest daughter is in 2nd year dental school, the next daughter will start studying medicine next year, the next daughter wants to study mathematics, the mother teaches math in the public schools, the father is a physics professor at the university) . Beautiful, kind, generous people. And Majed was fantastic! He actually found me! Actually, he knew where the CODEPINK delegation met when we first arrived, and he came to welcome me!. He is one of the truly amazing, wonderful, energetic, generous and hardworking people of Gaza !
Many of the delegates are now writing newspaper articles, doing interviews on TV and radio and talking to their politicians, urging everyone to demand that Israel lift the siege on Gaza (it's been on for ~20 months now, so there is no free movement across the borders, whether of people or desperately needed supplies). Please, add your voice to many thousands of others and ask your politicians to demand that Israel lift the siege on Gaza!

Also, bombs fell every single day that we were there. . . so there is no cease fire. The day before I left, while riding to my homestay in a taxi, we saw a very large group of men walking. I asked the driver what was going on, and he explained that a man had just been killed on the beach by an IDF missile. I can't imagine how people in Gaza maintain their sanity under such circumstances.

Sorry for the rambling . . . I will try to post something more coherent later.

Thank you all for your wonderful support--I felt it all the time I was there. And Clu, it was FANTASTIC to hear your voice on Majed's phone!

We hope to send a large delegation to Israel in the future, and try and get the borders open in to Gaza from there. Inshallah!

peace, salaam, shalom,
Joanna

Comment by Grete Soleng on March 20, 2009 at 12:13am

I never think Israel will stop,especially after Lieberman was elected....I think he`s scary........

Comment by Mahmood Sairally on March 20, 2009 at 12:03am

Dear Grete,

I am so glad to hear from you. Hurrah the convoy crossed the border. When will the Israeli army stop terrorising the people of Gaza.
God Bessings always be with you. Have a nice evening. Kindest regards.

Mahmood

Comment by Grete Soleng on March 19, 2009 at 9:29pm

I have also been wondering where everybody are?Are they kidnaped by some aliens or????

Comment by Grete Soleng on March 19, 2009 at 5:16pm

Do you think I write too much?

Comment by Grete Soleng on March 10, 2009 at 1:37pm

Clu,thanks for the great video you added. It really makes you think what we are leaving to our children........

Comment by Grete Soleng on March 9, 2009 at 7:40pm

I watched Press tv when the convoy crossed the border. A wonderful moment. George Galloway made a gourdious speech and I cried-as usual-because his speeches are so strong and powerful. This is a happy day. I have also talked to people in Gaza who are very happy now.I have got messangers from the convoy every day and been able to follow every step and this is really a day of joy.
Palestina in my heart

Comment by clu on March 9, 2009 at 7:24pm

HAPPY-HAPPY!!! i'm so happy that already get contact with Majed Abusalama

and Joana Zielsel by messenger and by phone !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy to know that the Pink Code could rich Gaza and get into it and send our

peace messages afetr all they were passing through!!!!!!!!!!

I know Joana is being witness of so hught reallity and all her group,but this

things are the right thing ! Happy for Majed that his is happy-busy receiving also

the Italian group of Luisella!!!

I hope once i can meet also Majed and all my Gazan's friends...i hope once we

can finally break the wall that separate us from PEACE!!!!!!!

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Comment by Grete Soleng on March 9, 2009 at 1:46am

Gaza-bound aid convoy Viva Palestina were attacked in Egypt on its way to break a long imposed Israeli blockade on the Gaza Strip.Several activists were injured and the attackers claimed to be members of the Palestinien Fatah faction. They also vandelized some cars in the convoy.George Galloway says that Egypt did not protect the convoy despite their promises.

Comment by Grete Soleng on March 8, 2009 at 7:35pm

The English convoy are now close to Gaza. The Egyptian government have stated that the Libya convoy have to to cross the Israeli border,not Rafah. The convoy refuse to go on until both convoys can go through Rafah. The last rumour down there say that maybe both must cross the Israelian border,so whatever will happen they don`t think they will be able to do anything until tomorrow.But they are determined to come to Gaza all together.

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