From Gaza, with Love

Friday, September 05, 2008

hello all iam alive and active , will never give up

Dear all
friends , sisters, brothers , comrades all over the world , all of you who have supported me while writing my blog , just a quick words to let you know:

I am fine , but the whole situation in Gaza is so frustrating and not easy to handle day after day. It is is not easy living under such circumstances , while the borders are closed, and 1.5 million live under collective punishment.

The success of the Free Gaza Movement gave us some hope for the future , it was a small act , but great and courageous too , a few determined , strong activists did the miracle. In an unprecented voyage, the first boats to arrive from international waters to Gaza shores in 41 years. A lot of work can be done to make the change , to ring the bell , to wake up the deaf , silent and blind international community goverments. What is happening in Gaza under the siege and the occupation is not only a human rights violation, it is a war crime.

I was with the Free Gaza movment and the re-constituted Gaza International Solidarity Movement at Erez crossing last Sunday (the northern border between Gaza and Israel ) to make pressure and let one of the patients out for treatment. We succeeded in the end (see the statement below ) but the hard question is, why should it take all these extravagant efforts to let one patient in great need for emergency surgery out of Gaza ?????????????

It is a fundemental basic need , it is the right of each individual to get health care !!!!!!!!!BUT IN PALESTINE UNDER OCCUPATION THE STORY IS DIFFERENT.

238 patients died last year while waiting to be issued a permit to leave Gaza for treatment ,via the borders . Hundreds are waiting, including many children.
We are not talking about Hamas or Fatah, or who is controlling Gaza , it is a basic humanitarian and human rights issue .

from Gaza with love
Mona

posted by Mona_Elfarra at 9:36 AM

10 Comments:

  • Dear Mona,

    I read your name here... thanks and compliments!


    Erez Crossing, by Donna Wallach:
    "I along with others from Free Gaza Movement decided not to return with
    the SS Free Gaza and SS Liberty to Cyprus and instead to remain in Gaza
    Strip for a while to continue the work of breaking the siege. Throughout
    the time I am staying here I will participate with the others in various
    actions in Rafah, Gaza City, and other areas throughout the Gaza Strip,
    including going out in fishing boats to challenge the Israeli Navy
    preventing the Palestinian fishermen from fishing more than 6 miles out.
    In addition, we are re-organizing ISM Rafah, to do Palestinian led
    solidarity work here.

    "This past Friday a 64 year-old Palestinian woman from Beit Hanoun, Gaza
    Strip arrived to the Erez crossing accompanied by all of the remaining
    members of the Free Gaza Movement. She has been suffering for seven
    months with a tumor on her spine. Without the necessary surgery granted
    her by St. Joseph Hospital in Jerusalem, she will become paralyzed and
    will live in constant pain, from what I understand. We, FGM members,
    walked in front of her as a protection for her to not be shot by the
    Israeli soldiers guarding their border. She was being pushed in a
    wheelchair. Slowly we approached the Israeli side, holding our arms in
    the air and many of us clutching our passports.

    "A Palestinian man was the liaison between Dr. Mona El-Farra and the
    Israeli "authorities". Dr. Mona El-Farra was the main organizer for this
    action of bringing this 64 year-old woman to cross the Erez checkpoint.
    The Palestinian man kept on telling us that we needed to stop because
    the Israelis told him they were going to shoot us. We decided it was
    more important to challenge the Crime Against Humanity of Israel not
    permitting this woman to receive the urgent medical treatment she
    needed, so we continued to walk towards the Israeli gate with our arms
    up in the air. We finally reached the Israeli gate without a shot being
    fired, not a bullet not a tear gas canister or a sound bomb. In the end
    though, the Israelis heartlessly told the woman she had to go back home,
    but could return an 8th time.

    "On Sunday 31st August, we from FGM arrived at about 9:00am from Rafah,
    the southernmost area in Gaza Strip, to Erez crossing, the northernmost
    area in Gaza Strip. We came to continue standing in solidarity with the
    woman from the village of Beit Hanoun. We arrived late and she and Dr.
    Mona El-Farra had already left for the border. We gathered inside the
    crude fenced in area where all Palestinians and others wait for
    permission to cross the dirt pathway to arrive to the Israeli gate. We
    waited hours, then we heard that the woman was turned back again, with
    ridiculous excuse that a member of her family must accompany her into
    Israel to the hospital. This woman came back, yet was not defeated.
    Almost all the members of her family have been wrongfully blacklisted
    by Israel, meaning that they cannot enter the Apartheid State of Israel.
    Finally the woman's 75 year-old husband was granted permission to enter
    Israel with her. After he arrived to Erez and the paper work for him was
    filled out, they went off to the Israeli side. We continued to wait in
    the heat to hear that she had crossed and was inside the Israeli
    ambulance that would take her to the hospital and to her surgery which
    was supposed to have started on Sunday. Dr. Mona El-Farra told us that
    she continued to tell the Israeli authorities that members of the Free
    Gaza Movement were waiting at Erez to ensure that the woman would enter
    this time and that we were willing to die, we would walk again to the
    border even if the soldiers would shoot and kill us, we would do what it
    takes so that the Israelis would allow her to enter, which they finally
    did. The 8th time was the charm for this very brave and courageous woman
    sitting in a wheelchair who defied the Israelis with all of their
    gunpower."

    31 August 2008
    Donna Wallach, Free Gaza Movement
    http://www.FreeGaza.org

    By Blogger Unknown, at 9/05/2008 1:54 PM  

  • Salaams Sister Mona, from the UK Just want you to know the people of gaza are not forgotten. Your constantly in our minds hearts and duas. Throughout time the people of palestine have proven that whatever comes they are unbreakable whatever the circumstances. All the best look foward to more Blogs soon.

    Salaams and all the best

    By Blogger AEB, at 9/05/2008 9:31 PM  

  • Dear Mona
    I just wanted to tell you how moved and inspired we all are by your heroism and determination to keep on fighting for the health and freedom of the people of Gaza. Our hearts were warmed by the sight of the tiny window of freedom when the free gaza people arrived in Gaza, the first in 41 years to be allowed freely into their own homelands. How touched we were to see you and your brother re-united for a brief moment. He is now home in UK again, and we are looking forward to all the news and ideas he has brought back with him from Gaza. Don't worry about him, we will look after him. We hope so much to see you too soon. You have yet again given us the inspriration to carry on campaigning for a free Palestine.
    One day we will all be able to visit each other in freedom and safety, and exchange our love and solidarity. Much love. Hilary

    By Blogger Hilary, at 9/11/2008 2:49 PM  

  • Dear Mona,

    I am glad to hear form you again, yet sad about the situation. I pray everyday for a peaceful and just world!

    Love,
    Jose

    By Blogger José Alvarez, at 9/12/2008 4:18 PM  

  • Dear Mona,

    I am a student in Texas. I was wondering if there is anyway to contact you by email to discuss any type of aid that could help you with your health care services. My email is sheeva@mail.utexas.edu

    in solidarity,
    sheeva

    By Blogger sheeva, at 11/16/2008 11:19 AM  

  • Marhaba Mona,

    I am sending you this from Montreal, canada. I hope you and your family and friends are doing well. I want to tell you how frustrated we are here about the situation in Gaza and we will do whatever we can to pressure the canadian government to remove the blockade on you.

    all the best,

    By Blogger Raminov, at 12/07/2008 4:46 PM  

  • dear Mona! thank you for your courage! keep writing!
    i'm a m.east reporter from russia, it was a bit hard to get inside gaza during last couple of weeks. so, inshaAlla, we'll try to get inside tomorrow. as israelis are still not too much cooperative with foreign press entering sector, bloggers are more and more important in newscoverage. if you dont mind i have an idea to make a report on the subject "gaza bloggers", so may be you will agree to be interviewed? if so, pls, let me know - mail or mobile:
    1tv.middle.east@gmail.com +972 54 7972340 or +7 495 7241719
    yours, evgeny 'sandro' primakov, channel one russia.

    By Blogger Unknown, at 12/09/2008 11:57 PM  

  • Feel great to see your posting.
    Feel free to visit mine:

    http://keyword-tool-external.blogspot.com/

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 12/17/2008 3:38 PM  

  • We are weeping in shame because we are not able to do anything to help our brothers and sisters in Gaza. Indian newspapers speak up against the war crimes committed against you. Our prayers are with the people of Gaza.

    By Blogger Thehseen, at 1/02/2009 2:41 PM  

  • dear citizen of humanity:
    I am very touched by your humanity, but we must draw the consequences if it falls into entropy.
    hello

    By Blogger ghassada, at 1/05/2009 3:07 PM  

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