GlocalNet

There are over 1200 tunnels from Gaza to the Egyptian side.  When Egypt opens the border people can flow in and out, but when they don’t there is only one way to get in fuel, food, and other supplies just for survival - the tunnels.  These are NOT tourist sites for sure, and there is a lot of danger involved in them.  I went down on a small platform 30 meters or more and began to walk through the tunnel.  At some point someone’s cell phone buzzed with a text message saying “You are now in Egypt, rates and services are . . . . ”  It was small and narrow and I had to bend over most of the way just to walk.  Parts of the walls were shored up with wood, and other parts weren’t.  It’s a source of income for many young men who have no other way to make a living.  When we came out, just a few yards up the road, there was a lot of emergency equipment.  A group of 6 young men were hauling back gasoline, and something sparked and they were burned and buried in a tunnel.  A guy in broken English standing beside said “Pray for that man” - it was a man on his knees catching his breath at the entrance of the tunnel where the guys were buried.  I asked why, he said, “He’s got to go in and get them - he’s a dead man.”  I heard the next day that 7 lives were lost - was it a miscount on the 6 the night before or did that guy not make it?  I’m not sure. 

There were some things that amazed me in Gaza that I didn’t expect - I’ve been in war zones before - this one was different.  I’ve been told there is a news black out from the West on Gaza due to inaccessibility and I should write what I saw - so here goes:

1.  They were open to dialogue and working with an evangelical Christian like me.  I was there to see about helping find some eye doctors.  I met with a key group of leaders and asked them, “How many of you have ever heard of an evangelical Christian?” They all raised their hands.  “How many of you have ever met one?”  Not a single one raised their hand.  I told them, “Contrary to what you may have heard from others, we are not all terrorist!”  They roared laughing. 

2.  Not everyone is a member of Hamas - I met key government leaders that worked in the government but weren’t a member of the party.  Hamas won the elections and if you work with the government it’s the party that won, but not everyone is in that party, just like the U.S.

3.  These are some of the most educated people on the face of the earth to be experiencing what they are.  In Hamas alone, there are 500 PhD’s and in Gaza a few thousand - most western educated.  When you talk to them, they are intelligent, poised, conversant, thoughtful in their responses, and not dummies.  I met MD’s, film producers, businessmen, as well as everyday hard working people - and they were just that - people.  People that under other circumstances you’d be friends with, go out and hang out with and enjoy spending time with. 

4.  They are incredibly calm.  The picture I had in my mind was they were desperate without thinking of their situation just trying to survive.  It was a wrong picture.  I visited with one man whose son was lost in war a few months ago - he was not bitter or full of hate.  He told me, “I want my sons and daughters to grow up free in their homeland just like you want your son and daughter to be free in your Texas.  If you had people coming and trying to drive you out of your homes and houses for centuries I doubt you would sit by and do nothing.” 

5.  They don’t like the way they are perceived and don’t want to be isolated.  They don’t consider themselves terrorist and feel like they’ve all been put in that box.  They asked me how they could change that.  I told them to stop the rockets, along with a few other things . . . . I asked them and one person in particular who is a leader, “Why the suicide bombers?”  His response to me was, “You have drones in Afghanistan that kill innocent people - we are fighting for our freedom and sadly civilian casualties happen.”  He gave me many other examples.  We sat in his small orchard at his house and talked - he didn’t yell or protest.  He was very engaging to talk with.  He had also lost sons in the conflict. 

6.  They were told they should become a part of the political process from the Americans before the elections a couple of years back, and if they would, they could get their voice out in a more civil way - so they did.  They don’t understand why America didn’t back them if they were moving into the civil political process.  A week later I was with some other diplomats from around the world discussing the whole issue and one told me, “We’re not saying we agree with Hamas, but when there was no good solution we made it possible.” 

7.  Hamas has brought order to the streets along with security, and services to the people.  Before they won the elections it was like the Wild West - people with warring factions and everyone with their guns on the street.  Now, you don’t see that except for soldiers posted throughout the city.  They have brought humanitarian help to their people, and they have brought order.

8.  Dialogue and action needs to be taking place - maybe it is and I just don’t know about it - but when you pen 1.5 million people up in a cage on top of one another you can’t expect everyone to act “reasonably” or “sanely” from “unreasonable” or “insane” conditions.  Nothing good can or will come from the current status that Gaza finds itself in - nothing good for them and nothing good for the Israeli’s.  As someone who admires and loves both Jews and Palestinians I’m grateful Obama has changed the rhetoric early in his administration.  Personally and selfishly, beyond my Christian responsibility of care, love, and compassion - I want it fixed.  I don’t want my son or daughter, or the children of my church to have to go fight in an unreasonable and unstoppable war (of course maybe they all are).  If you are going to address poverty - you go to Africa.  If you are going to deal with the key issues of peace and alleviate war - more than anywhere else - you have to address the crisis in Israel.  60 years of guns and violence has not solved it and will not.  It’s time for a different approach.