topic by
John Calvin
12/20/2001 (20:25)

Locked up in Gaza
The Gaza Strip is suffering greatly in the Israel-Palestine conflict. Its estimated population of 1.2 million people continue to live under strict siege by the Israeli military and the current F-16 and missile attacks have left its people terrorized. The rate of unemployment stands at 60 per cent, with 81 per cent of the people living below the poverty line.
Constantine Dabbagh, who lives in Gaza, is executive secretary of the Middle East Council of Churches Committee for Refugee Work, and a member of the Greek Orthodox community. The committee, a long-standing partner of Christian Aid, runs mother and child health centres, a mobile dental clinic, a loan scheme for small businesses and several vocational training centres for young people.

Simon Jenkins spoke to Constantine on a recent visit to Christian Aid's offices in London about the reality of life in Gaza. The interview took place before the recent suicide bombings in Jerusalem and Haifa.

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Simon: How do children and young people feel about the conflict – how does it affect them?
Constantine: They are traumatized. The bombing, the shelling, the funerals every day on the TV – these are things which make adults feel traumatized. And you can imagine how children feel about it. They have difficulties at school, they are not sleeping, they wet the bed, they are nervous and their behaviour in the family is difficult.

Many of the young people are ready to sacrifice themselves. Whenever they hear there is a clash between the Israeli army and any groups, they go there on their own. Some people have criticized the families, saying that they send their children to fight the Israelis. This is wrong. No mother would send her child to be killed. None at all. Even a cat takes care of her kittens.

How do you feel about the suicide bombings that take place in Jerusalem and elsewhere?

It is not liked. People are not happy to see it. We always feel sorry for the people who are being killed. Most of them are innocent and have nothing to do with the conflict – it just happens that they are there.

But you have to consider how can we stop this? How can we stop young people who go and commit such acts? They are people who have not been shown any sign of hope in a solution to their problem – the problem of Palestine. We are continually being humiliated, oppressed and under occupation – we have been under occupation for 34 years. If they felt they had any future at all, I'm sure they would not resort to such acts. The suicide bomber is like someone with cancer. He wants to die because he has no hope in life.

One of the things that has been said to me since I came back from Israel/Palestine, is that Hamas puts pressure on Christian communities. How do the more extreme groups infiltrate communities – or don't they? What's the truth of that?

As Christians, we have no problems at all. None. Hamas and the other factions do not interfere in our lives. Christians are not foreigners – we are part and parcel of this society and we are well respected. Our development programmes are also respected by the extreme left and right.

So it's not true to say that Hamas is putting pressure on ordinary civilians?

Sure. Hamas easily draws and attracts the young people who go and commit suicide. Easily! They don't force them. The young people are ready. The continuing occupation and blockade creates an atmosphere which easily draws people who have no hope.

Tell me about the closures. Are people able to travel between Gaza and the West Bank?

No, not at all.

So if you have relatives in the West Bank?

You touch on my heart, because I have two daughters in the West Bank. One is in Beit Sahour and one is in the University of Bethlehem. We have not seen them for a year and a half now. That is something that makes us sick. My youngest daughter is in the university and she has had to spend all her holidays – Christmas, Easter, summer – in Bethlehem itself, while we are only 90km away. Sometimes I say, if we had clear water and the Tower of London in Gaza, I could see her on the other side. But she is denied to come over, because once she is back, she cannot return to her studies – she will not be given the permit.

Why?

This is the policy of Israel, to restrict the movement of the people, especially to university. They don't give us a chance. We have some people who have been away for four or five years and have not been back to Gaza, because once they are back they cannot get out, and of course they give priority to their studies. I hope we won't have to wait four years not to see my daughters.

Many Christians in the West see Israel as the people of the Old Testament, and therefore have a theological and spiritual affinity with them. How do you think of that?

We don't mind if Christians continue to support Israel – we are not against that at all. But we want them to have open minds so they can see that Israel is doing wrong to other people and that these wrongs should not be supported. Whatever interpretation people have of the Bible is up to them, but no one should interpret the Bible in a way that encourages Israel to do wrong. If you support Israel, you will make Israel strong – OK. But don't make Israel strong in order to continue to occupy others – that can only end up by being destructive to Israel.

These are very dark days. Do you have any hope at the moment?

I have no hope except that the international community will stand up for justice. If it is left to Israel, we lose hope. We don't see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Is this what most people feel – that there is no hope?

The hope we need should be generated by a good, firm stand from the international community towards the end of the Israeli occupation. Then we could start to feel that there is hope. From our side, we work to give hope to young people through the work we are doing – through the clinics and community centres.

What's the best thing western Christians can do at the moment to help support the work of peace?

To pray and to act. God will receive the prayers, but he would also like to see action. We need action that will put an end to the wrong things which are being done in the occupied territories – and action that will make Israel comply with international law. In this way we hope that peace will come to Israel and Palestine, the country of the Lord of peace, Jesus Christ.

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© Ship of Fools 2001

reply by
Barb
12/20/2001 (24:44)

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Sorry, I must take issue with the comment, 'the suicide bomber is like a cancer patient.' No, cancer patients don't take OTHER people with them when they decide to end their lives.

reply by
Noor
12/21/2001 (15:40)

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Constantine should have said AIDS because every palestinian is affected by occupation, not just the freedom fighter. And to Barb, I don't think there are civilians in Israel because the country is based on militarism, that means anyone can be in the Israeli army at any time.

reply by
Barb
12/21/2001 (24:14)

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It's such a shame that the Israelis AND Palestinians can't both open up their minds and accept one another regardless of ethnicity. We are all people.