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UNRWA USA GAZA5k California for the children of GAZA
Nick Locke, 19-year-old, from University California San Diego, and member of Students for Global health, first place, at the moment to enter the finishing line at the Gaza5k Orange County/LA walk/run, at Mile Square Park on October 24, 2015 donation drive for Mental Health Programs in Gaza, Palestine, sponsored by UNRAWA USA, with the participation of the Community of Palestinian at Fountain Valley, Calif photo/Marivel Guzman
Laith N Hassan one of the youngest sponsors at the Gaza5k Orange County/LA Race, at Mile Square Park on October 24, 2015, donation drive for Mental Health Programs in Gaza, Palestine, sponsored by UNRAWA USA, with the participation of the Community of Palestinian supporters at Fountain Valley, Calif photo/Marivel Guzman
Today the community of Orange, San Diego, Riverside and Los Angeles counties areas came together once again to show solidarity with Palestine specially the children of the besieged Gaza Strip. Palestinian supporters and runners enthusiasts gathered today at Mile Square Park in Fountain Valley, Calif to participate and raise funds in the annual GAZA5K event sponsored by United National Relief Works Agency USA to raise funds for the children of Gaza.
The Gaza5K is an annual walk/run hosted by United National Relief Works Agency USA. This event raises funds for UNRWA’s Community Mental Health Program (CMHP) to support thousands of refugee children in Gaza affected by Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and other psychological trauma.
According to Save the Children in one area, al-Shoka, nearly half the children interviewed wet the bed every night. Up to 89% of parents reported that their children suffer consistent feelings of fear, while more than 70% of children said they worried about another war. On average seven out of 10 children interviewed suffer regular nightmares.
“Save the Children CEO Justin Forsyth said in a statement that, ‘Many children in Gaza have now lived through three wars in the past seven years, the last one notable for its brutality. They are emotionally and, in some cases, physically shattered.” Save the Children
During last year’s 51-day war, 551 children in Gaza were killed and 3,436 were injured, while an estimated 1,500 lost their parents. Many more were made homeless and saw their schools damaged or destroyed. In Israel, one child was also killed by rocket fire and 270 were injured.
UNRWA USA is an independent nonprofit organization that supports the humanitarian and human development work of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) through fundraising, advocacy, and outreach. UNRWA USA aims to educate the general American public about the situation of Palestine refugees and generate support for UNRWA’s work in Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan.
Approximately 500 people between participants, volunteers and Palestinian supporters showed up to the event. According to Laila Mokhiber coordinator of UNRWA USA the $ 75,000 goal was meet. Business sponsors and Team sponsors collected most of the money. T-shirts bearing the logo of sponsors were distributed between participants of the race and supporters.
The event was well advertised in Facebook and other social media platforms expecting to attract some media to cover the event, but as always they stay silence, except for Don Kim, a photojournalist from Korea News Agency that came to cover the race.
Don Kim, photojournalist from Korean News Agency and Rima Nashashibi Advisory Board for UNRWA USA at the Gaza5k Orange County/LA walk/run, at Mile Square Park on October 24, 2015 donation drive for Mental Health Programs in Gaza, Palestine, sponsored by UNRAWA USA, with the participation of the Community of Palestinian supporters, at Fountain Valley, Calif photo/Marivel Guzman
Don Kim, photojournalist for Korean News Agency said that he picked the event at his agency website. Kim said that he has been covering Palestine for some time now, and has visited Gaza, Jerusalem and West Ban. He supports Palestine.
The following teams were present: Kinder USA, Students for Justice for Palestine from University California, Riverside, Students for Global Health, Palestine Youth Movement, OC Halal Food Fest, Alliso Viejo Moms for Gaza Team, Laith N Hasan Sponsor Team, Loay Elbasyouni sponsor team, Palestinian American of Women Association (PAWA).
Amir Hammad portrays a Palestinian flag on his face.
Amir Hammad-Guzman-Torres,3-year-old Palestinian, at the Gaza5k Orange County/LA Race, at Mile Square Park on October 24, 2015, donation drive for Mental Health Programs in Gaza, Palestine, sponsored by UNRAWA USA, with the participation of the Community of Palestinian supporters at Fountain Valley, Calif photo/Marivel Guzman
The Musa Family came specially from Florida to attend the event
Musa Family came from Florida to support Gaza’s children at the Gaza5k Orange County/LA Race, at Mile Square Park on October 24, 2015, donation drive for Mental Health Programs in Gaza, Palestine, sponsored by UNRAWA USA, with the participation of the Community of Palestinian supporters at Fountain Valley, Calif photo/Marivel Guzman
Business sponsors:
GAZA5K California sponsors at the Gaza5k Orange County/LA walk/run, at Mile Square Park on October 24, 2015, donation drive for Mental Health Programs in Gaza, Palestine, sponsored by UNRAWA USA, with the participation of Palestinian supporters community, at at Fountain Valley, Calif photo/Marivel Guzman
California communities send their condolences to the families in Palestine that have lost dear ones during the the recent events.
The Jewish settlers and Israel as a matter of policy condoning-violence-policy is to be blamed
Ethnically Cleansed Palestinian Refugees on their way to Lebanon, October, 1948. photo/Palestine remembered
Well he goes to blame the current situation to the leaders of Palestine for the anger that is uncontrollable and has been displaced by the Palestinian youth mostly in recent incidents. Worth mentioning that only part of the stabbings did really happened as published by Palestinian news and other outlets, the rest of the Palestinians killed have been staged by the settlers filled with their common hate for any Arab; Christian or Muslim. And even there is an incident that a settler confused the darker skin of an individual for Palestinian and it was a Jew. Last Thursday, The New York Post said that 31 Palestinians were killed recently from which only, 14 were recognized as attackers, according to mathematics the other 17 were indeed executed
Palestinians have been living in Palestine for centuries as history records.
If you like recorded history and want to learn more about Palestine, I invite you to visit Palestine Remembered where you can watch videos of interviews from Palestinians and Jews before the creation of the political entity Israel, photos of villages all gone now, stories of battles and more.”The CORE issues of the Palestinian-Israeli are the collective dispossession and ethnic cleansing (compulsory population transfer to achieve political objectives) of the Palestinian people for the past six decades. In our opinion, the conflict would have been at the same level of intensity even if both parties had been Jewish, Muslims, or Christians. ” PalestineRemembered.com
Golberg repeats the same mantra that is being distributed by the Streaming Media: “Netayahu has said that the State of Israel is not trying to change the Status Quo.”
But what is the “Status Quo”?
Are check points the Status Quo?
“Each checkpoint looks like a military zone, consisting of a guard tower, a pedestrian waiting area, and two car lanes: one with a long wait for Palestinian cars and a special open car lane for Israeli cars. ” Electronic Intifada 2004
Palestinian Muslim males over 45 not allow to enter Jerusalem.
The South Africa pass laws implemented in Israel are kicking and running. Palestinians need to secure a permit to move around the occupied territories. If Israel feels like it, it won’t grant a permit.
Palestinians are not allowed to freely move in Palestine at all. Shuhada Street in Hebron is one of the best examples of living under a military dictatorship occupation. Shuhada Street is close for Palestinians but Jews can freely walk and harass the Palestinians residents that live on Shuhada street but need to leave their homes thru a hole on the roof.
Jerusalem is only open on Friday and males 55+, women 45+ after IOF clearance.
People living in Gaza are not allow to enter West Bank at all, actually the refugee camp of Gaza is a deportation camp. Families are completely separated.
Palestinian protesters and IDF soldiers at the beginning of the weekly protest near Bil’in. The apartment houses of Modi’in Ilit can be seen in the distance. March 30 2013 (photo: Noam Sheizaf)
And also do not forget that the violence is not only in Jerusalem but in all the occupied territories including the modern concentration camp of Gaza which has been blocked from the rest of the world for almost 10 years.
So, people do not swallow the pill that this is a religious war, is not.Goldberg makes an excellent surgical extraction of the truth to portray the Israel’s side of the story.
For people that only follows the main stream media news, Goldberg’s piece is an excellent source to stay uninformed, misinformed and with this stripping Palestinian of all their humanity and right to fight for their existence in the only way they know; throwing rocks and now using kitchen knives.
Remember Israel has tanks, F16s, Apache Helicopters, Drones, War ships to attack Gaza, in other words Israel has all the defense gadgets and Palestinians has none but stones and knives. The fact that Palestine has been invaded many times in history does not mean it did not exist before United Nations decided to partition the land in 1947. It does not means either that the violence started on 1947. It only means that Palestinians have been peaceful people that never wonder outside of their land, they have been farmers and shepherds, not conquerors.Further reading Survey of Palestine by British Mandate 1200 pages report includes 1917-1945
Gaza Is a Big Cage Again!!
Gaza Is a Big Cage Again!!
by By Mohammad Arafat…
06 September 2013, 09:48:51
Gaza, Palestine -I don’t know what to say and to whom!! I don’t know what to write and to whom! Yes I have no rights to speak in this world, but I have the rights to write everything…. I have the rights to express what`s going on in my mind… My pen refused to write and began to cry and moan firstly, but I wiped his tears and persuaded him to write….. He told me that he cannot write because the people refuse to read what`s written about Gaza those days… But I told him ‘’ yes you are right, but there are many great people in this imperious world can support us and can read what we write’’… I told him that we can just get the victory by those people who support and stand by us…. finally the innocent pen obeyed me and began to compose his words to show the world the truth of what`s happening in Gaza.
Gaza passed and is passing and I think will pass many dangerous wars and problems from 1967 until the near future. The occupation has invaded it until 2005, so in that period the people suffered and sacrificed a lot and a lot. After the Israel army had withdrawn its troops from Gaza, many people outside and inside thought that the seizure has finished, but the situation showed the vice-verse. Yes they took the settles out of Gaza and the army and its outpost from inside the strip, but they are still controlling and governing it from outside. They closed the borders and the crossing points between Gaza and the West Bank and even between Gaza and Egypt. They began the assassinations policy and killing the innocent children and women, although there were ratified agreements, Israel does not stick to its words.
The siege on Gaza began and the poverty reached the maximum dangerous line. No one looked at the poor people except Allah (God) and some respectful convoys and supporter delegations from the UK, US and some Arab countries. Those bad dangerous situations forced the people of Gaza to invent something useful for them to get at least their main goods. Finally they made long underground passages between Gaza and Egypt called tunnels.
After inventing the tunnels, many people thought that Gaza became a not besieged city. Yes I can accept their opinions in that time because Gaza became free just for less than four years. But the tragic dangerous unbelievable thing is that when the Egyptians made their second revolution on 31st of June, we thought that the situations will get improved and improved. Gazawans thought that there will be a new land port for passing stuffs, and the Rafah crossing point will get opened, but alas, many people shocked of what they saw and felt. They shocked of the dangerous things that happened and are happening those days in this stricken strip. The Egyptians military destroyed about 90% of the tunnels which were the nerves of the life according to Gazans. They closed Rafah crossing point temporarily and they are planning to create a buffer zone between Gaza and Egypt…
If you my reader try to visit Gaza, you will find out the truth clearly. You will find no main food for even the little babies and the poor families. You will find neither cement nor gravels for building. There are about 60000 building workers are now without salaries and those workers have big families, so let’s say that every worker has about five organs in his family, so the average will be 300000 persons have no sources in this city. You will find many buildings which were about to be reconstructed after the war are now empty of workers. If you visit Gaza, you will find no diesel for the transportation. If I want to speak about myself, I cannot get to my university those days because there are no traffics, and even if I find a car or a bus to ride, I must pay a lot, and you can apply that on other university students.
That`s the new life in Gaza. What a harsh new life we live here in Gaza, ahhh!!…. Gaza says to herself because she does not have any friend right now to speak with, ‘’ I understand what is going on in our Egyptians neighbors and I respect what they are doing. They are my families and Egypt is my mother. They cannot be my enemies like what others say, but they must stand by me…They must stand by my nation. My people are suffering of everything. My poor people are dying. They have innocent babies who need food and milk. They have children and women cannot live without eating and drinking ‘’. And then asks herself,’’ why they do that with me? Why will they create a buffer zone? That zone just for enemies… Am I an enemy? Am I a terrorist? Am I a killer? Am I an arrogant? Am I imperious? I`m just an innocent mother wants to let her children to live in safe and sound with no problems in this holy land…
Beautiful Gaza before the siege
Done By Mohammad Arafat…
06 September 2013, 09:48:51
The Gaza Ceasefire: An Early Assessment
Posted on November 24, 2012 by Akashma Online News
by Richard Falk
The Gaza Ceasefire, unlike a similar ceasefire achieved after Operation Cast Lead four years ago, is an event that has a likely significance far beyond ending the violence after eight days of murderous attacks. It is just possible that it will be looked back upon as a turning point in the long struggle between Israel and Palestine. Many have talked about ‘the fog of war,’ but it pales besides the ‘the fog of truce making,’ and in our media-infected air, the outcomes along with conjectures about the future are already being spun in all possible directions. Supporters of every position give their own spin, and then proclaim ‘victory.’ But as with the violent phases of the conflict, it is clarifying to distinguish the more persuasive contentions and interpretations from those that are less persuasive. What follows is one such attempt at such clarification.
It remains too soon to tell whether the ceasefire will hold for very long, and if it does, whether its central provisions will be implemented in good faith. At this early moment, the prospects are not promising. Israel has already used excessive violence to disperse Palestinian civilians who gathered on the Gaza side of the border, with a few straying across into Israel, to celebrate what they thought was their new freedom now to venture close to the border. This so-called ‘no-go-area’ was decreed by Israel after its 2005 ‘disengagement’ has been a killing field where 213, including 17 children and 154 uninvolved, had lost their lives according to Israeli human rights organizations. Israeli security forces, after firing warning shots, killed one Palestinian civilian and wounded another 20 others with live ammunition. The Israeli explanation was that it had given warnings, and since there had been no agreement on new ground rules implementing the ceasefire, the old regime of control was still in place. It is notable that Hamas protested, but at this point has made no moves to cancel the ceasefire or to retaliate violently, but the situation remains tense, fragile, and subject to change.
Putting aside the precariousness of the current situation and the accompanying uncertainties, it remains useful to look at the process by which the ceasefire was brought about, how this sheds light on the changing dynamics of the conflict itself, as well as discloses some underlying shifts in the regional and global balances of forces.
First of all, the role and outlook of the Arab governments was far more pro-active than in past interludes of intensified Israel/Palestine violence. During attacks several leading foreign ministers from the region visited Gaza and were received by the Hamas governing authorities, thus undermining the Israeli policy of isolating Hamas and excluding it from participation in diplomacy affecting the Palestinian people. Egypt played the critical role in brokering the agreement, and despite the Muslim Brotherhood affiliation of its leaders. Mohammed Morsi, the Egyptian President, emerged as the key diplomatic figure in the process and widely praised by the West for his ‘pragmatism.’ This can be understood as recognition of Morsi’s capability as a statesman to address the concerns of both sides without intruding his own pro-Palestinian outlook. Indeed, the auspices of this brokered agreement inverted what Americans have brought to the table in past negotiations, a pretension of balance, a reality of partisanship. Read more…
Israel Administrative Detention Ilegal Practive
Posted On May 15, 2012 by Marivel Guzman
All the rights reserved for Addammer, article published only for information purpose, not intended for commercial use.
Administrative Detention
Administrative detention is a procedure that allows the Israeli military to hold prisoners indefinitely on secret information without charging them or allowing them to stand trial. Although administrative detention is used almost exclusively to detain Palestinians from the occupied Palestinian territory (OPT), which includes the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip, Israeli citizens and foreign nationals can also be held as administrative detainees by Israel (over the years, only 9 Israeli settlers have been held in administrative detention). Israel uses three separate laws to hold individuals without trial:
- Article 285 of Military Order 1651, which is part of the military legislation applying in the West Bank;
- Internment of Unlawful Combatants Law (Unlawful Combatants Law), which has been used against residents of the Gaza Strip since 2005;
- Emergency Powers (Detentions) Law, which applies to Israeli citizens.
Palestinians have been subjected to administrative detention since the beginning of the Israeli Occupation in 1967 and before that time, under the British Mandate. The frequency of the use of administrative detention has fluctuated throughout Israel’s occupation, and has been steadily rising since the outbreak of the second intifada in September 2000.
On the eve of the second intifada, Israel held 12 Palestinians in administrative detention. Only two years later, in late 2002-early 2003, there were over one thousand Palestinians in administrative detention. Between 2005 and 2007, the average monthly number of Palestinian administrative detainees held by Israel remained stable at approximately 765. Since then, as the situation on the ground stabilized and violence tapered off, the number of administrative detaines has generally decreased every year. As of 1 April 2012, there were at least 322 Palestinians from the West Bank and East Jerusalem being detained in administrative detention, of which 24 were members of the Palestinian Legislative Council.
Although international human rights law permits some limited use of administrative detention in emergency situations, the authorities are required to follow basic rules for detention, including a fair hearing at which the detainee can challenge the reasons for his or her detention. Moreover, to use such detention, there must be a public emergency that threatens the life of the nation, and detention can only be ordered on an individual, case-by-case basis without discrimination of any kind. (International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Article 9).
Administrative detention is the most extreme measure that international humanitarian law allows an occupying power to use against residents of occupied territory. As such, states are not allowed to use it in a sweeping manner. To the contrary, administrative detention may be used against protected persons in occupied territory only for “imperative reasons of security” (Fourth Geneva Convention, Art.78).
In practice, Israel routinely uses administrative detention in violation of the strict parameters established by international law. Tellingly, Israel has claimed to be under a continuous state of emergency sufficient to justify the use of administrative detention since its inception in 1948. In addition, administrative detention is frequently used – in direct contravention to international law – for collective and criminal punishment rather than for the prevention of future threat. For example, administrative detention orders are regularly issued against individuals suspected of committing an offense after an unsuccessful criminal investigation or a failure to obtain a confession in interrogation.
In practice, Israel’s administrative detention regime violates numerous other international standards as well. For example, administrative detainees from the West Bank are deported from the occupied territory and interned inside Israel, in direct violation of Fourth Geneva Convention prohibitions (Articles 49 and 76). Further, administrative detainees are often denied regular family visits in accordance with international law standards, and Israel regularly fails to separate administrative detainees from the regular prison population as required by law. Moreover, in the case of child detainees, Israel regularly fails to take into account the best interests of the child as required under international law.
In the occupied Palestinian West Bank, the Israeli army is authorized to issue administrative detention orders against Palestinian civilians on the basis of article 285 of Military Order 1651. This article empowers military commanders to detain an individual for up to six-month renewable periods if they have “reasonable grounds to presume that the security of the area or public security require the detention”. No definition of “security of the area” or “public security” is given. On or just before the expiry date, the detention order is frequently renewed; there is no explicit limit to the maximum amount of time an individual may be administratively detained, leaving room for indefinite legal detention.
Administrative detention orders are issued either at the time of arrest or at some later date and are often based on “secret information” collected by the Israeli Security Agency (formerly known as the General Security Service). In the vast majority of administrative detention cases, neither the detainee nor his lawyer is ever informed of the reasons for the detention or given access to the “secret information”.
In practice, the Unlawful Combatants Law contains fewer protections for detainees than even the few that are granted under administrative detention orders in the West Bank. For example, judicial review is conducted less often; the legality of the detention does not require the existence of a state of emergency; and, the detention “is carried out pursuant to an order issued by the chief of staff or by an officer holding the rank of major general”. In addition, the law establishes two troubling presumptions that shift the burden of proof to the detainee: first, the release of an individual identified as an “unlawful combatant” will harm national security unless proven otherwise; second, the organization to which the detainee belongs carries out hostilities, if the Israeli Minister of Defense has made such a determination, unless proven otherwise. This practice patently violates the accused’s right to a presumption of innocence in any criminal proceeding, and results in a system of indefinite detention justified by mere speculation and stacked heavily against the detainee.
- The government of Israel should release all administrative detainees;
- In the meantime, administrative detainees must be granted their rights in accordance with international law;
- The government of Israel should immediately cease using the Incarceration of Unlawful Combatants Law and take action to repeal it;
- EU member states should raise cases of administrative detainees with the Israeli government under the EU-Israel political dialogue.
More On Administrative Detention
Association’s (Addameer) legal activities. Addameer has also sought to expose the ways in which Israel’s use of administrative detention, as a
means of collective punishment and of exacting revenge on Palestinians in retaliation for exercising their political and civil rights, contravenes the permitted uses of administrative detention in international law. In March 2009, Addameer notably launched an international advocacy and lobbying campaign to stop administrative detention and highlight Israel’s illegal practices in this regard. Administrative Detention in The Occupied Palestine
Administrative Detainees
Administrative detention is a procedure that allows the Israeli military to hold prisoners indefinitely on secret information without charging them or allowing them to stand trial.
Palestinians have been subjected to administrative detention since the beginning of the Israeli Occupation in 1967 and before that time, under the British Mandate. The frequency of the use of administrative detention has fluctuated throughout Israel’s occupation, and has been steadily rising since the outbreak of the second intifada in September 2000. Palestinians Administrative Detainees
Palestinians from the OPT are currently held in a total of 4 interrogation centers, 4 military detention centers, and approximately 17 prisons. While the 4 military interrogation centers are located inside the OPT, all the interrogation centers and prisons—except for one prison, Ofer—are located within the 1948 borders of Israel, in violation of international humanitarian law. The location of prisons within Israel and the transfer of detainees to locations within the occupying power’s territory are illegal under international law and constitute a war crime. The Fourth Geneva Convention explicitly states that “Protected persons accused of offences shall be detained in the occupied country, and if convicted they shall serve their sentences therein” (Article 76). Prison and Detention Center
| Relevant Addameer publications |
Where to Go, I’m Palestinian!
Posted on March 17, 2012 by Marivel Guzman in collaboration with Omar Karem
A Place Called Home
The story is similar to thousands of young people in Palestine, every one with minor variations. “I heard this before” somebody told me when I was inquiring about Omar Karem, the Palestinian journalist from Gaza. It’s not that he heard Omar Karem’s name before, but he heard the same story before.
The harassment of journalists in Gaza is known by the activist community, no one want to be named, or be in the story because a lot of my activists friends dreaming with going to Gaza, and no one want to have trouble with Hamas before they even try to get inside Gaza.
It is not easy to enter Gaza, you might say why? if they need the exposure of the situation, why do Hamas makes it difficult for peace activists to enter Gaza?
There are many stories, really Not official stories, but people that live in Gaza and know the procedures and the politics of Gaza, know that you have to know somebody in the Government, be part of a convoy, or have terrific credentials. If you do not meet the requirements then you need an invitation from an organization from Gaza, specifying your purpose to visit Gaza, then you need to summit that invitation to the Egyptian embassy who at the end is the ultimate and sole authority for your transfer thru Egyptian Land to transit to Gaza, then even after you might have attained authorization or transit visa from the Egyptian Government, you still have to convince Hamas that you are not spy of US or Israel.
Recently I read an article published by a journalist who try to enter to Gaza and was denied because he did not have a “fixer” authorized by Hamas.
I have a dear friend in Gaza, his name Omar Karem by now you know this name, because we have published few articles on him, related to his multiple arrest by Hamas, his crime taking pictures to share with the world, his photography experience, and his journalistic and photographic work.
He keeps repeating the same answer to the security forces, “my word is my weapon to help Palestine, my camera is my only tool to snap photos, to share to the world, to tell the world the atrocities that Israel commit in Gaza”.
Omar has been detained in numerous occasions by the security forces of Hamas, the first time when he was deported from Egypt on May 2009, after spending 7 months in an Egyptian prison, his crime!, being Palestinian. At his arrival in Gaza in May 2009 , he was kept in jail for one week, after numerous calls to family members, and government official he was finally released.
He is tired of the situation in Gaza, his future is uncertain, Gaza future is uncertain, Omar tried everything to stay sane in a a country, where everyday is surviving day. he has done what many young Palestinians have tried, going to school is a good way to stay sane, to keep the faith in the future, to learn new skills, to be prepare for..’when the Occupation ends’., and working to survive.
It is not easy to get hire in Gaza, there are no jobs in Gaza, the well paid jobs are by UN or other International Organizations but they do not hire Palestinians, and the other jobs that he can take are fill very fast, the opportunities are almost non existent. He become peace activist, journalist and photographer, but Hamas has kept a continual eye on him, why? he does not understand.
He was almost integral part of the Italian Convoy last year, he spend 9 days with them, serving as a guide, translator and companion, seems that this brought some attention from Hamas, he was harassed many times by the security forces, detained, interrogated, his laptop and phone confiscated few times, beat, threaten and there is no reason, he is being investigated in numerous occasions and nothing is found against him, and even after he was released, he still being harassed.
Last year after the last detention, he tried to leave Gaza, he got the authorization from Hamas and he got all his belongings and say good bye to family and friend, only to be returned from Egypt side with the explanation, after two arduous day, that he can not enter Egypt, “For Security Reasons”.
Every time that he has an encounter with Hamas, he has come out clean, well Omar said; “I do not belong to any political Party, I m peace activist, I write for blogs spreading Israel crimes, I want to liberate Palestine, I use my camera, I m not criminal, I m not spy, why do Hamas always attack me”.. Did Hamas become too Extreme?
There are other activists in Gaza that have been under the scrutinizer eye of Hamas security forces, like Mohamed Mazzer author of GBO Manifesto, who has been arrested more than 20 times, his crime telling the truth.
We wonder what are the arguments to detain journalists and photographers whose only purpose is to give us to the world the events in Gaza, for Omar be treated as enemy is hurtful, he, that knows the treatment from Israelis, while living in West Bank, and being detained for more than a year in Israel Prison for being Palestinian, for not carrying a permit, a piece of paper that should say that he is Palestinian, what ironic for Palestinians being punish for not having identification card, as if being born in Palestine is not enough.
After the March 15 March on 2011, the situation turned more gray for him, he was arrested 3 more times, and again his camera, his phone taken away, last December while photographing the tunnels in Rafah he was arrested reason, No reason, Hamas will say “non of your business”
“Please come with no banners, no flags, no colors, security forces please do not give bad image to the world. Do not copy the practices of Israel, we are tired of repression and oppression. Support us, in the new Palestine Nation that we all try to build. Tomorrow is a new day, to rectify the errors, to take lessons of the past. Inshallah” Omar Karem, Gaza, March 15 2011 Palestine One Nation
“I’m Omar Karem, I’m Palestinian. I live in Gaza, Palestine, I want to denounce to the Minster of Interior office of Gaza, the actions of some of their security officers, abusing their power, they are harassing the citizens of Gaza with out authorization from the Minister office .
On March18, 2011,They stopped me and took my laptop, phone, passport and personal that I was carrying with me that day, they took me to some rooms around the Unknown Soldier Plaza- and they hit, kick me, and threat me…and say bad words and called me Zionist, they said that I work for American agenda.
Unknown Soldier square, in the room of the jendi mahur. I was going in my way to to sign for the internet, some security officers stopped me.they kick me, 10 or 15 men asking me questions, before calling to the police station. They took, my passport, id card, my laptop,. They took the file for my cv, my cell phone, all his certificates from journalism.”
He is organizer of the Rachel Corrie memorial, and active member of touristic department in Gaza, helping restaurants and hotels to organize events, but none of that matters, he is treated as if he is enemy of Gaza, to the point that he feels unwanted and unwelcome in his own Land.
Last March 2, 2012, again security forces went to his home, forcefully enter his home, destroyed most of his family pictures, important documents, they took his lap top, his passport, and went to invade his personal files, he was blind folded and taken to a police station for investigation and release next day, without his passport or ID card, he was advice to report every week with them, they told him if they don’t find anything on him, they will return his passport, well they did not find anything and his passport was returned.
After few weeks of relative calm, he return to his “normal” life, going back to his journalist hobby and photography passion, on March 10, under Israel assault, suffering the fear of being the last day under the bombs, he decided to visit the cemetery to have a moment of quite and could not resist the temptation to shoot few pictures, Gaza Cemetery is a beautiful and peaceful place, and as a bad movie again Hamas security show out of nowhere telling him, that he can not be there, that it was security area, as if the cemetery is less safe than any other place in Gaza, they demanded the ID, to what Omar told them, that he has the right to be there, that he was Palestinian, that he was just relaxing, they got mad and took his camera and phone and ask him to go next day to the police station to retrieve his items.
How sad, Gaza is being besieged by Israel, for the last two years they have been suffering the worse crisis in the last decade, for the last two months they barely have few hours of electricity, and to top all that Israel has been shelling Gaza for the last two weeks, and Hamas adding more sorrow to their lives, how cruel and insensitive of them.
I can understand that the Government want to be careful with persons, that they do not trust anybody, could be that Palestinians that have contact con internationals give the idea to Hamas to be working for a ‘foreign country’.
“I came to this site to take photos of the trees and flowers, two security guards with out any reason came to me and took my camera and my phone, and told me that I shouldn’t be here, that this is security area, and that I put my self in danger and people of Gaza. They know the area of war, Gaza cemetery its very nice, with orange and lemon trees, grapefruit and flowers, This is the Gaza Strip’s eastern cemetery.They told me you have to go at 10 clock, we will be waiting for you, to come to the station of special forces of (alamn aldakhly )
Why Hamas do this to me?, do they want to kill my will to fight against Israeli?, why they always always say, you cant be here, you cant take pics, some others have told me, that I may not stand to good because I live here, because I try to protect the people, I want the world to watch how Israel kills the civilian population.It’s not fair Hamas, You are wrong.”
After many times going to the station, they finally returned my phone, they call many of my friends and family, they did not gave me my camera, I have to go to talk to Interior Minister Ahmed Bahar, why I put me thru all these struggles, they are pushing me out of my land. They are making my life impossible to live.
I prepared myself to leave Gaza, and planing to go to Egypt, yesterday I was granted permission from Hamas to go to Egypt, and new surprise
Egyptian authorities tell me that I m in the black list and barred to visit Egypt, because I fought the Mubarack Regine, because I participated in many protests to open the Rafah border, now I feel more trapped than ever, the other place that I could go, has denied my right to dream, they have told me that I can not ever go to Egypt, what I suppose to do now?.
How to fight?, If my weapons are my words, How to fly? if my wings are clipped, How to leave?, when all the doors are closed,
Where to go?, when I don’t have a place to call home. I m Palestinian, This is my home, My Land. I born Palestinian, let me BE.
Dear Susan Life is Not Fair
Dear Susan life is not fair, and has not been less unfair for Palestinians since the Zionist Movement started at the beginning of the century.
The situation in Gaza is deplorable worse than in the West Bank, and we know that everything that we people of the world wanted to happen for the good of Peace in the world, will only going to be possible if WE THE PEOPLE take the initiative and the lead in our world affairs.
The time has come when we must move the strings of power by the only way that is possible, Economic boycott of the diverse industries that finance Israel development and growth.
Hollywood Movie Industry, Christian Non Profit Organizations, and every product that it is in the BDS list.
The most important is keeping the pressure to our leaders to stop the economic help to Israel.
Raising awareness in our children about the prospects for peace in the world, educating them about the evil enterprise that is the War Complex Machine and they multi-billion dollars money deals they make with Israel.
The only way we will make our governments stop acting with impunity is showing them that we are united, that we are a uni-voice, a strong force growing every day.
That we can not stay silence with their crimes, that we are awake and aware of the situation in Palestine. That Israel is an entity that needs to disappear from the face of the Earth, because is causing great threat to World Peace.
We have sons and daughters, they are our future educated them.
The only way we will make our governments stop acting with impunity is showing them that we are united, that we are a uni-voice, a strong force growing every day.
That we can not stay silence any more nor be indifferent with their crimes.
That we are awake and aware of the situation in Palestine. That Israel is an entity that needs to disappear from the face of the Earth, because is causing great threat to World Peace.
We have sons and daughters, they are our future educated them on the issue of Peace.
Facebook is just one outlet to spread the truth, they are hundreds of this socials networks that we can use to change our world.
We can not just complain that nothing is happening, because is happening.
We are a force growing. Do not let us be just few raising our voices.
Be one peace activist also, reading is good because you are getting informed, then do your part, share the post to other walls, export them to others blogs, others channels, other spaces.
Myspace, youtube,meta cafe,tweeter,digg this,blogerspot,wordpress.com. I can search the net and find maybe thousands of this social networks.
Soon the change will become our reality. Do not be discouraged by the tragic events, we all take lessons and must move on, to our advantage for our behalf, in the name of a brighter future, that for some parts of the world is just Future. They live in the situation of “Be Or Not To Be” where the fight for their life is an everyday affairs.
We ALL are thinkers and able to share our concerns and give ideas of how to do better. How to participate in our political process and our world affairs. Do not let no one dictate you what is good for you, if what you are witnessing is just injustice and struggle.
We can not move on as a society if we permit this type of tragic events pass in front of our News, and Television Set and think and pretend that will never happen to us.
Take your future in your hands. If you do not do, others will do for you. Then you will have no face to complain or time to ACT.
ACT NOW for your future and for change for betterment of society.
Is Gaza being strangled by the Egyptian Revolution?
Posted by Marivel Guzman
On February 1, 2011
Jasmine Revolution, Tunisia Road to Freedom
The situation might be blurry and confused for the foreigners, the spectators of this chain of events that started on December 27, 2010 with a person in the main square of the Tunisian town of Sidi Bouzid, where Mohammed Bouazizi set himself on fire and sparked a revolution, The Jasmine Revolution that ousted another Dictator.
Tunisia has asked Interpol to help arrest ousted president Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali, his wife Leila Trabelsi and other members of the family who fled the country during an uprising, the justice minister said Wednesday.
Lazhar Karoui Chebbi told a news conference that Tunisia wanted to try Ben Ali and his clan for “possessing of (expropriated) property and transferring foreign currency abroad,” Reuters reported.
The spark the set Egyptians in an unexpected uprising that culminated with the Revolution that wants Hosni Mubarak out of the Chair, have kept The Western, Israel and Gaza Government afraid of any moves that can spark more unrest in the Palestinians Territories. With the Egyptian Revolution getting momentum in the Streets of Egypt and else where in the world, the uncertainly of the outcome have forced the Egyptian Military to seal the border of Rafah the only official open border to Gaza, Palestine, and The Authorities in Gaza afraid of the influx of Egyptian Refugees that try to cross to Gaza in the last days, have forced them to seal also the Tunnels, the lifeline of Gaza for the last 3 years after Israel imposed the Siege.
Sources in Gaza confirmed that the Erez Crossing that connect Israel with Gaza is being completely sealed since yesterday, the excuses always come handy for Israel to block the entrance of goods to Gaza.
People are required to put all their luggage on a metal detector, which funnels the baggage to unseen security guards for possible hand checks. Travelers then are buzzed through a glass door and enter the crossing’s most sophisticated security check: an advanced body screener created by a California company.
– Scanning equipment built by L-3 Communications Inc.
– Cost more than $35 million to construct
The crossing is largely unused as Israel prohibits the vast majority of Gazans from coming out, and almost no one from Israel goes in. These days, many simply call the high-tech crossing point the “terminal to nowhere”
People are required to put all their luggage on a metal detector, which funnels the baggage to unseen security guards for possible hand checks.
Travelers then are buzzed through a glass door and enter the crossing’s most sophisticated security check: an advanced body screener created by a California company.
The scanner is so sensitive, officials say, that it creates a complete holographic image of the traveler and allows the screener to see even a tissue or penny stuck in a pocket.
Travelers step into the scanner through a plastic portal and raise their hands above their heads. The translucent plastic doors close and a scanner whizzes around them in a complete circle.
The scanner’s manufacturer, L-3 Communications Inc.
With the unrest in the region Israel seal the Erez crossing, making with this the situation in Gaza unbearable. For the last 3 years the booming of the tunnels have relieved the population of Gaza, as most of the food and products were imported by the tunnels operators that control both sides of the border.
The Gaza Tunnels have served as a life line for the besieged population of Gaza
The situation in Gaza is deplorable in all the senses, politically, economically and if the situation does not change for the better the Revolution of Egypt can be easily imported to Gaza, and for that they do not need the tunnels.
The people is tired of waiting from the West to do anything to make Israel to lift the blockade, they are tired to wait from their own government to implement an emergency measures to alleviate their lack of food, the absent of jobs and the insecurity in the Strip.
Something has to be done in the next few days. Gazans are impatient also and they might want to unite their voices to the general struggles and protests that have swept the world in the last 4 weeks.
Let’s hope for the good of the people that Mubarak sees his time over and move out of the way so the change can start taking place and Gaza siege be lifted once and for all.
The people have spoken “When people speak, despots, dictators, tyrants should shut up, or pack up and leave” Hamza El Alami said in one of his comments posted in facebook, the social network that have served as a meeting forum for social and peace activist of the world.
Hamza El Alami said “the US has not called on Mubarak to resign, and if they can control events in the M.E. as it used to, they will not hesitate to act and defend the SOB Mubarak. The people in Egypt has spoken, and so the rest of the oppressed people …in the Arab world; one by one they will rise against tyranny. American policy makers are not for democracy; the US rejected the Palestinian election’s results, and decided along with Israel and Mubarak to starve and strangulate 1.5 million people in Gaza. The US is for Israel and its racist policy, dictators, corrupt rulers and not democracy, at least not for Arabs. America has to face a new reality and reassess its policy that must be based on justice and not the support of ruthless dictators.”
Mubarak falling in pieces, as the days pass and Egypt unrest grows, no words from Obama or Old Crazy Joe Biden can stop the will of the people from shaking the dictator from their country
In the past people in the US has revolved against policies, Domestic and Foreign, but never before since the civil war, the government has seen something like what is happening in Egypt, or what just developed in Tunisia, they are analyzing and tasting the intelligent and resolve of the people of the US.
They know that we are not silence any more, they can not risk to enrage 10 millions or 20 or 30 million people, not even imagine 100 millions of Americans in the streets of the US protesting, injustice in the courts, discrimination in the Tax System, Wages under the living standards of decency, Under Funded Education, Draconian Laws enacted by Bush and Company, Contaminated Food, Health Care unacceptable, really the government of the US is not ready to confront 100 million people claiming for equality and justice.
The white house is worry of the wave of dissent around the world is rolling down as an avalanche, a ball of protests growing every moment and they refused to speak the right words, “Mubarak Reign of Terror has to Stop, once and for all”.
I THINK WE ARE SEEING THE FALL OF THE EMPIRE, The emperor is Naked and refuse to recognized it.
When the people finally speak the leaders shut up and Lead, that will be the lessons that every leader have to learn if they want to hold to the Chair a little longer.
It is a cheaper solution for the government to sacrifice a few dictators and one Terrorist State and live comfortable for another 10 or 20 years, enough time for the people of the world to completely wake up and smell the coffee.
Gaza, Palestine
While all the unrest is growing in the world, Gaza is waiting for the world to speak for them, to help them to Tear the Walls down.
Revolution is at their Gates and is tempting, the blood is already boiling, the rage is in every mind, the RESISTANCE is standing stronger every day, there short time to lose. Every Citizen of the world STAND for Peace, Demand your leaders to fight for Peace and Justice for all.
Free the World, Stand for your Rights, Raise your Voice. We own it to us, if you want to stay free, you have to fight for it.
Akashma Online News 