A voice from inside Gaza By Adonis Salameen, Palestine

I don’t like talking about politics. I also don’t like politicians because they are simply professional liars to me. Last week I went to Jordan for a vacation.  All I know is that a “ceasefire” was going on. The two conflicted sides were in Cairo doing “their best” to reach an agreement for the deteriorated status quo. I wasn’t interested in what I just mentioned, nor in the two sides’ lies and I didn’t want to talk about it. But after I crossed the border back and reached Jericho, I had to change my mind.

It was about 11 pm and I was with 6 other people in a car taking us to Hebron. The car moved towards its destination. The driver switched the radio channel on.  Patriotic songs were playing. I knew that something was bad again in Gaza. Unfortunately the war had started again. Again! I imagined how the people in Gaza must feel after “a quiet week” (even that was bad!) I imagined those poor people… they probably slept peacefully during the week and now they would be aggressed and intimidated again!? I’m sorry to the people in Gaza , I do apologize for describing your week as being peaceful. It was not peaceful; sleeping outside your house, in a crowded place, among strangers, and in such bad conditions.

So the radio was broadcasting. They were receiving phone calls from all over Palestine. All callers who phoned the radio were saying the same thing: “we support Gaza!  don’t give up! We support all resistance factions in Gaza!” So far all callers had supported firing rockets at Israel and not giving up as is the position of many people in Palestine. But, that wasn’t what grasped my attention. The following phone call did.

A woman from Khan Yunus, a city in Gaza Strip, phoned the radio saying with a clear and soft voice, “I greet all Palestinians all over Palestine , I greet the resistance factions in Gaza, I respect all the callers, I greet all of our supporters inside and outside.  But I want to tell something and please I ask you all not to misunderstand me!“

All of six passengers in the car including me, began to listen carefully.

She proceeded, “God bless our martyrs’ souls and may they rest in peace . May God bless our injured and help them get well soon,” she paused with a little sigh as if she has all the burden falling upon her shoulders. Then she proceeded, “I live in Gaza not far away from bombing. I lost my house. I lost my kids. And I tell everyone who calls and says “yes for the war! We want war,”  especially to the people who live in the West Bank , I tell them please, STOP it! I have no idea what life I’m living with my family right now. You haven’t been through the tragedies that I live with my family. And which also applies to most of the people in Gaza.  The way we live is called hell! We can’t bear it anymore. We want to live in peace, dignity and calmness.  We want to feel that we are human again. It is tragic to hear that the war started again. I don’t care about who violated the ceasefire. All I want to say is that he who is being hit by a rod is not as the same as the one who watches the victim being hit. We are being hit by that rod, and people all over the world are watching and clapping;  all saying war, war again!”

She burst into tears and hung up the phone. But what was worse than hearing her crying was when one of the other passengers said, “OH you lady ! Resistance is showering Israel with rockets and you don’t support it!?”

Three of the passengers joined him criticizing her and honestly that provoked me. I asked, “Where have you been and when?” and the passenger responded, “I was in Jordan visiting my relatives.“

I asked another the same question and he said: “I was in Jordan to visit a doctor!”

One of the passengers said after I asked him the same question: “I was in turkey for business and vacation!”

I told them: “ This woman on the phone, Doesn’t she have the right to go to Jordan, to Turkey or to any other damned place like you did!? Doesn’t she have the right to get medical care wherever she wants?!”

They didn’t like my speech and I figured they didn’t like me. So, I connected my headphones listening to music.

Wake up people! I’m not going to start a debate about who started the war, who is a victim, who loses, who wins, who lives in fear and who’s not! I’m not here to talk about our unstoppable conflict which has been held onto for so many years. I’m not a supporter for any conflict. I’m simply a human seeking humanity for everyone on this planet.

Long live humanity, Amen.

Adonis, 

YaLa Young Leaders