Friday, January 02, 2009

My father's "story"

Gaza is full of stories. My relative's neighbors- 3 young children- were all killed today while playing marbles outside their home. Another distant relative was killed in his home. All in the name of making Israel more safe and secure.

My father has been doing his part by sharing his individual story with the world.

Yesterday, he spoke with NPR's NC station, WUNC. He appeared on the Story with Dick Gordon. You can listen him share his gripping experience here, one not unlike my friend Laila Al-Arian's grandfather's own story, published today in the Nation.

Moussa El-Haddad lives in Gaza with his wife. The bombs have fallen as close as 100 meters from his home. Two nights he was sitting at his desk and the reverberations from a nearby bomb knocked him right out of his chair. He tells Dick Gordon about what life is like for him now that his city is under siege, and about the hope that a new U.S. administration might mean new policies in this troubled region.

LINK TO THE FULL BROADCAST , including images my father took of a bombed out mosque near his house and a bread line winding out from a bakery.



Note: after my father's interview, the host felt obliged to interview someone living in Sderot- because after all the "story" would not be complete without the other view. He ending up interview an American-Israeli woman who was a settler in Gush Qatif, and now lives in Sderot. She reminisces about her wonderful days in Gaza (in illegal, fortified paramilitary complexes) and is nostalgic about living once again next to her "Arab neighbors" there (???). She then goes on to complain about how they have little protection and its not really safe anywhere (try telling that to the Jabaliya residents, Anita). What really bothered me about this was that not once is she pressed about Israel's assault on Gaza, as well as the obvious moral and political equivalencies being implied. But I digress.

10 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

I do not understand why Isreal is doing this. I am an American women and mother of 4 grown children. I cannot imagine what the people of Gaza are going through. You are all in my prayers. Watching this on CNN with lots of tears and feeling very helpless. God Bless the innocent victims of Gaza

3:05 AM  
Blogger mpodolle said...

Interested to find out what the Israelis should do with the terror of rockets landing in the south part of Israel?
Can the Palestinians become leaders and kick Hamas out? How can they do this?
And should they? Do the Palestinians feel strong enough to control their own government instead of having their own destiny controlled by a terrorist organization?

6:08 AM  
Blogger Unknown said...

I just want to say that my heart cries for the people in Gaza and for all the palestinians in the world..when will this stop...? I have no solution but I just hope that one day palestinians will be able to live in peace in their own nation once and for all..I shall keep praying for that solution..complex but..such a fair solution.
I am with you and all palestinians. I will; be participating at a demonstration tomorrow on Parliament Hill in Ottawa.Canada.where our own government is staying silent right now...but our PM is following the Bush's way...Shame on him!!

Danielle Letourneau
Quebec, Canada

6:23 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

You are articulating yourself well on CNN right now. This is tragic in the first days of January. Interesting take on this-- reinstating Abbas over Gaza and rebuilding using approved contractors. Very insightful. Thanks for the perspective. I'll include your website in my overall search for news on this subject. All the best.

6:39 AM  
Blogger KidsAgainstEPAWoodsmoke said...

Hello from Montreal,
The world realizes the multidimensional issues that plague the issue. Nothing however can justify the heartless vile and medieval jungle souls that have participated in this attack.
Our hearts are heavy with our eyes witnessing this atrocity.
What saddens us also is the US veto of children massacred in the name of power politics and misguided evil leadership still inflicting Iraq like malice, and sufferring, injustice wheeled through Israel and USA we will only hope to see change...still there in the darkness the world remains passive watching rages of lost national leadership. weak and without courage to halt the controlling of Israel and US ..hungry possoms , attacking women and children like in Darfour, causing sufferring and sorrow desert night hogs,,,from Washington..
Sofia in Montreal, Canada

6:48 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hi!
I'm a Euroepan woman leaving in US for job reason. I'm supporting since ever Palestinian people and i'm disgusted since ever about the "non-position" of the US and EU.
People thought that Obama could bring change. I've never thought so. He can change something for the internal politics situation but not for the international. US is under Jew-Israel control and they'll never take a position against Israel.
I dont agree with what Hamass did but the answer of Israel has not meaning and it is affecting only simple and poor people. In my country (italy) there are often commemoration about the Olocaust...but it seems that it didnt teach anything to the Jews people!!!! They are doing the same to the Palestinian and the politicians are watching. Only the common poeple, like te one in Gaza, are protesting all over the world.
I'm really wonderign what's wrong with the israelina , US and EU politicians!!!!!

My heart is broken and all you people from Gaza are in my thoughts!!!

9:14 AM  
Blogger bcgal said...

I saw all three interviews on CNN last night and the Israeli woman's remarks left me cold.
I am a sixty year old daughter of a Canadian who fought for the freedom of the Jewish people and while that was the right thing to do what the Israeli government is doing to Gaza is not much different than the horrors of the 2nd world war. Have they forgotten so quickly or are they still so angry at the world that causing suffering means nothing to them.
Israel has had it's own way for too long and must be made to live by the standards that they expect of other countries .
Creating the state of Israel was one of the biggest mistakes in history and I dare say if Canada was asked to give up a province for another race or religion we too would fight back. Too bad our Prime Minister of the day has not had the decency to comment on this situation in Gaza especially since demonstratons are being held across the country.
I have nothing against any race or religion but I do not support either Hamas or Israel and the desperate situation they have created for the innnocent people of Gaza.

3:11 AM  
Blogger Bryan Katz said...

bcgal - so be objective. You and most of the well meaning people on this site can't seem to grasp a concept as simple as cause and effect. If Hamas hadn't spent the last 8 years launching rockets at Israel, then Israel would never have taken the war to Gaza. There would be no justification for it. In all honesty, what did you expect israel to do after getting hit with 4,000+ rockets? Erect a large banner at the Gaza border saying, "Thanks Hamas, We love You!"?
If the Palestinians learn anything from the mess they're in (it's a stretch but I'm an optimist) it's this: when you let a bunch of terrorists take the reins of power, that choice will lead to terrible consequences sooner or later. And later is now.

7:28 AM  
Blogger theluckyprincess said...

I have to agree with Bryan. I think the killing of civilians is wrong any way you cut it. Gaza launching bombs is wrong and Israel bombing civilians is wrong. However, I am completely baffled by the reaction in Gaza - can someone honestly explain to me what WAS expected when you vote in a bunch of terrorists?? I don't understand how people are so shocked at whats happening now. If Israel had been sending 4,000 bombs into Gaza for all this time they would have wanted it to stop as well - can't you see that?

4:20 PM  
Blogger JAM said...

Salaam from South Africa.

As a South African that was subjected to Apartheid, I supported the banned ANC party.
It was known as a terrorist organization just because it wanted freedom & equality for all.
Freedom was won through the arm struggle and sanctions.
You have the HAMAS party that must keep on fighting for yours freedom.

As I watched the helpless people of Palestine been MURDERED and Massacred, my blood boils with ever so more hatred for the israeli
(They do not deserve to have a capital "I", A capital "C" for cowards would be better).

I hate been so helpless in not been able to do something more to stop this holocaust that just duas.

We are calling for a boycott on all isreali products and their supporters like Coke, Nestle,...
We are trying to even throw out the isreali embassy.

May ALLAH grant the people of Palestine victory soon.

Brother Junaid.

8:01 PM  

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