Tag: Bianca Zammit

Response to the Israeli Cabinet’s Decision to Ease the Siege on Gaza

Bianca Zammit | ISM Gaza

28 June 2010

On June 17th 2010, the Israeli Cabinet decided to take steps to ease the Israeli-imposed siege on Gaza by allowing more items to enter. These items include mayonnaise, ketchup, chocolate, sweets and children’s toys, all of which have been prohibted from entering Gaza for the last 3 years. Some other items which will be allowed to enter will be going to civilian projects under the auspices of international NGOs.

While welcoming this Israeli initiative, the fact remains that many people in Gaza are living below the poverty line and cannot afford to buy these items. 80% of the population in Gaza is dependent on the UNRWA for food staples and basic living amenities. Now in its fourth year, the siege has created a miserable and unsustainable reality for all. The majority of the population albeit educated and skilled is unemployed and is forced to rely on foreign aid in order to get by. Factory workers can no longer operate since the siege halted raw materials from entering Gaza. In addition, Israel has impeded factories from exporting their goods to the outside world. Since the start of the siege 90% of Gaza’s factories are defunct. During Operation Cast Lead, factories were a major target and have remained so to date. In March 2010, Israeli warplanes struck a cheese factory in a deliberate attack, destroying equipment and machinery. Items which enter Gaza are screened for their possible usage in factories. A tahina factory in Gaza requested the entry of plastic containers. In response, Israel declared that it would not allow containers in but instead it would allow tahina made in Israel to enter. To allow Gaza to export products and import raw materials is a critical step in ending the humanitarian crisis brought about by the siege.

The siege has forced 60% of Gaza’ population into unemployment. Besides targeting factory workers, the siege has also direct implications for the traditional farming and fishing industries. Israel has tightened its grip on both sea and land and imposed new policies which fall short of international law and agreements. Live ammunition is used, with deadly consequences, against farmers and fisherpersons working in internationally-recognized Gazan sea and land. The potentially lethal risk faced by these workers has forced many into unemployment. Further injuring the industries, Israel has banned all equipment related to farming and fishing.

The siege has caused more than half of the population into unemployment and dependency on foreign aid. The siege also puts a complete halt to freedom of movement. Every border crossing in Gaza is closed, including the sea and air on which Israel exerts full control. The only Gazans allowed to exit are people requiring treatment in a foreign hospital, students and pilgrims. Even for these people, exit is never guaranteed and often requires days of sleeping at the border and humiliating security checks. The wait can be so long that many people die before they can visit a specialist hospital outside of Gaza. Families spread between Gaza and the West Bank or other counties outside the Occupied Palestinian Territories are not permitted to meet. A new policy enacted in April 2010 seeks to deport to Gaza all Gaza-born Palestinians living in the West Bank. This policy creates further suffering, causing families to become separated. This policy has direct implications for Gazan students studying at West Bank universities, as they can be arrested and brought to Gaza at any time, preventing them from completing their studies.. For the last three years, families who have a member in an Israeli jail have also been denied prison visit permits.

Over time, Israeli will perhaps take further measures to ease the assault on daily life Gaza. However, until Israel permits exports out of Gaza, raw materials to enter, and freedom of movement, no amount of chocolate and mayonnaise can ease the misery the siege is causing.

Bianca Zammit is a Maltese activist with the International Solidarity Movement in Gaza.

Demonstrations, live fire continue in Gaza Buffer Zone

International Solidarity Movement

29 April 2010

Less than 24 hours after the fatal shooting of Ahmad Sliman Salem Dib, over 100 demonstrators gathered in Rafah, Gaza to protest the Buffer Zone. Marching within 100 meters of the border, the non-violent and unarmed demonstrators were faced with live fire from the beginning of the demonstration. As the march progressed, fire was aimed progressively closer and bullets were shot through a banner held by participants. One man was lightly injured in the foot.

Today’s Buffer Zone demonstration was the fourth since Friday. Live ammunition was used as a form of crowd dispersal in all four, killing Ahmad Dib yesterday. Dib, 19, was shot in the leg near Nahal Oz border crossing and died after emergency surgery from blood loss.

More than twenty rounds were fired at Monday’s demonstration in Al Faraheen, east of Khan Younis. On Friday, Palestinians Hind Al Akra (22) and Nidal Al Naji (18), and ISM activist Bianca Zammitt were shot with live ammunition in Maghazi.

Gaza Buffer Zone Background

Regular popular demonstrations are being are held in protest of the arbitrary decision by Israel to instate a 300 metre buffer zone as no-go area for Palestinians where “shoot to kill” policy is implemented. People have been shot regularly as far as 2 kilometres away from the border. Between January 20th 2009 (end of Israel’s war of aggression) and December 31st 2009, 166 Israeli attacks killed 37 persons and injured 69.

The buffer zone effects over 30% of Gaza’s farmland, and also restricts Palestinian fishermen to 3 nautical miles offshore. These restrictions severely impact the Gazan economy, with more than 675,000 (45%) now below the official poverty line and 325,000 (21%) unable to meet basic food needs.

Israeli forces shoot unarmed demonstrators in Gazan ‘buffer zone’

ISM Gaza

24 April 2010

UPDATE: Video has been added to this post. Please see below

El Maghazi, Deir Al Balah, Gaza, Occupied Palestinian Territories, 24th April 2010, 12PM – At a peaceful nonviolent demonstration against the forceful cessation of farming within what Israel defines as a “buffer zone,” which was attended by 150 people, two Palestinians demonstrators and one International activist were shot. Israeli soldiers opened fire on the demonstrators from the border fence. Nidal Al Naji (18) was shot in the right thigh. Hind Al Akra (22) was shot in the stomach and is undergoing emergency surgery. Bianca Zammit (28) from Malta was filming the demonstration when she was shot in her left thigh. The wounded are currently being treated in Al Aqsa Hospital.

Shortly after 11 a.m., women and men, including 6 ISM activists, marched from Al Maghazi towards the Israeli fence closing off the Gaza strip. After being met with live ammunition upon cresting a ridge, some demonstrators continued walking forward. This group included six women, two ISM activists and 20 men. The 20 male demonstrators reached the border fence. Zammit was shot while filming the demonstration between the ridge and the fence, at a distance of roughly 80-100 meters. Hind Al Akra, also standing between the ridge and the fence, was shot in the stomach, and Niadal al Naji was shot in the leg near the fence. Demonstrators carried the wounded back across rough terrain to taxis for transport to Al-Aqsa Hospital.

The demonstrations are held in protest against the arbitrary decision by Israel to instate a 300 metre buffer zone as no-go area for Palestinians where “shoot to kill” policy is implemented. People have been shot regularly as far as 2 kilometres away from the border. Popular Campaign for the Security in the Buffer Zone, an umbrella organization that includes organizations representing farmers and Gaza residents living near the border, and also a number of political parties are present at many of these demonstrations.

Those venturing to the border regions to gather rubble and steel do so as a result of the siege on Gaza which, along with Israel’s 23 day winter war on Gaza, has decimated Gaza’s economy, including 95 percent of Gaza’s factories and businesses, according to the United Nations. Additionally, these recycled construction materials are vital in Gaza where the Israeli-led siege bans all but under 40 items from entering.

The siege prevents vitally needed construction materials from entering Gaza, where over 6,400 houses were destroyed or severely damaged in the Israeli war on Gaza, and nearly 53,000 sustained lesser damages. Hospitals and medical centres, schools, kindergartens and mosques are among the other buildings destroyed and damaged during the Israeli war on Gaza.

Palestinian film forum breaking the cultural siege on Gaza

Bianca Zammit & Rada Daniell | ISM Gaza

17 January 2010

The Palestinian Film Forum (the Forum) was established in 2004 as a branch of the Pal estinian Artists Union covering both Gaza and the West Bank. In the last couple of months it has intensified its activities aiming to achieve an ambitious list of tasks and ensure development of Palestinian cinematography and its networking with the other world cinematographies.

The Forum recently organised the first film festival in Gaza in many years. The International Al Quds Film Festival took place between 21 and 23 December ’09 and film makers from 11 Arab countries showed 52 documentary and feature films, two of which were made in cooperation with Spanish and Dutch filming associations. All films focused on Al Quds or Palestine and explored issues of life under siege and occupation and five of them were awarded Gold Olive prices.

Eager to find out more about their work and plans for the future, on 14 January 2010 we met up with the Forum’s founding members, Enas Altawil, Spokeswoman and PR Manager, Zahir Al Kashef, Film and Video Manager and Suad Mhanna, Forum’s President.

They told us that Gaza did not have a cinema and that Gazans were deprived of the art of film and opportunities to escape the grim reality of the life under the siege. When we asked if that was because Gazans were not interested in films, PFF founders told us that nothing could be further from the truth.

Gazans love of film has a long history and that there used to be many cinemas in the Gaza strip. One was located in the Beach (Shati’) Refugee Camp, two in Rafah, four in Gaza City and one in Khan Younis and one of those cinemas was opened 24 hours a day’, said Enas.

The number of cinemas gradually reduced from 1967 onwards and the last one closed in 1987 with the start of the First Intifada.

‘Our dream is to have a cinema in Gaza again. We want to either ‘revamp’ an existing closed one or to build a new one and for this we need to fundraise’, said Enas, ‘ Money is in short supply in Gaza and there are many competing funding priorities for the Gazan Government’.

Gazans’ love of film is illustrated by the enormous excitement surrounding a forthcoming showing of the British blockbuster ‘Slum Dog Millionaire’ which was arranged by the British Council. Enas said that Forum would love to establish a live satellite link with the Director Danny Boyle and to have the opportunity to have a discussion about the film.

‘The absence of cinema has an impact on the mentality of Gazans’, said Forum’s President Saud. He believes that cinema would play an important role in the development of the culture of dialoque. It would help explore many community issues which Gazans, and young people in particular, are grappling with.

Also, the war and siege have minimised opportunities for creative expression for many existing and potential film makers, professional and amateur. This includes Forum founders Suad Mhanna, who is a well known Palestinian film director, Zahir also a film director and Enas who previously worked for 15 years as a presenter in the Palestinian Broadcasting Corporation. And there are many others like them. There are also many budding film makers and media enthusiasts born out of the long siege and the destructive attacks by Israel a year ago, when the wold media were kept away by Israelis and when many Gazan’s became film makers, journalists and photographers in order to tell the wold what was happening to them.

One of the Forum’s main objectives are to bring together all Palestinian film and media personnel wherever they currently work and give them an opportunity to contribute to the development of Palestinian cinematography.

The Forum also wants to link creative energies of Palestinian film and media artists with those of their colleagues around the world and create opportunities sharing experiences and developing skills . This would include organising joint training and learning programs, collaborative film making and other media projects and bringing world cinema into Gaza.

Preservation of Palestinian heritage is another of the Forum’ important objective. This would be addressed by establishing a film archive and ensuring that Palestinian films, old and new, are made available to film lovers around the world.

The Forum is facing an enormous task of having to address the devastating impact of the siege and occupation and their strangling grip on Palestinian society, including film and media aspects of its culture. This includes: physical isolation, very limited freedom of movement of people and goods and a chronic lack of funding.

The Forum will shortly start to enroll members which shall be open for all those who want to work for the benefit of Palestinian cinematography.

‘The occupation and siege have prevented development of Palestinian film and media inspite of the enormous talent and strong motivation and commitment present. Lots of catching up needs to be done’, said Enas. Zahir added that on the technical side they were starting from zero. ‘We are currently showing films by DVD and we need literally everything including HD cameras, projection, editing, lighting, sound, transmission equipment etc.’, said Zahir adding that they are not after cash but would gratefully receive any of these mentioned essential items.

Enas told us that in the long term they would like to have a building where all resources needed for film making and training would be provided under one roof.

All Forum members stress that it is not only their desire but a duty to their country to ensure that Palestinians have cinematography and to share it with the world. They are well aware of the obstacles they face. ‘Nothing is easy in Gaza’ they all agree and gave us examples of the recent problems they have had to face. Gaza’s borders are almost hermetically sealed and when Forum wanted to invite an innovative Egyptian film director to do a presentation, yet inspite of their best efforts he could not get a travel permit . Also, all film making equipment is banned by Israeli Authorities from reaching Gaza even if there was money to purchase it.

Against all odds, the Forum continues to deliver as best as it could. The Forum has recently held an event called ‘Cinema and War’ where is showed three locally produced films; Beautiful by Hikmet Al Maswi, Little Pieces of Destruction by Abdel Rahman Al Humra and Shadows in the Darkness by Jihad Sharkawi.

Even though “nothing is easy in Gaza’ many Gazans seem to be able to achieve the impossible on a daily basis.

All those who want to be a part of this project to give film back to Gazans and Palestinian film to the world, please email Enas Atawwil on enastawil@hotmail.com

Rada Daniell and Bianca Zammit are human rights activists with the International Solidarity Movement in Gaza.

ISM Gaza: Education under attack

Bianca Zammit | ISM Gaza

14 January 2010

On December 28th 2008 mid-term examinations had been scheduled to take place at the University College of Applied Sciences (UCAS) in Gaza. When the day arrived, however, the University College’s rooms, which usually cater for 8000 students, were void of any life. This was the second day of operation Cast Lead. The University remained closed and examinations were postponed. Concentration, patience and motivation; the three pillars to learning were the main targets of operation Cast Lead as it sought to instill a sense of danger in every spot in Gaza. Operation Cast Lead wholly demolished or rendered unusable several educational facilities across the Strip. Amongst these facilities were 280 kindergarten, primary and secondary schools, the American International School, the library of the Al Aqsa University and the laboratory of the Islamic University. Many other educational facilities were shot at causing facades to become tarnished with indelible war stains and windows to shatter in a deliberate attempt to undermine education.

When Operation Cast Lead ended, The University College of Applied Sciences announced the new dates for the mid-term examinations. The time after Cast Lead has been the most testing for all students in Gaza as they struggle to put memories aside and focus on mastering their academic abilities.

For Sawsan Tamboura, a student in Secretarial English at UCAS, memories of Cast Lead are still vivid and too powerful to override. She has had a very difficult time concentrating on her studies ever since. When Cast Lead started she left her home in Beit Lahiya and went with her family to the closest UNRWA school. The school was bombed with white Phosphorous bombs killing her two cousins, who were at the same UNRWA school. The same attack caused her aunt to lose both hands, her skin was burnt and it also caused her hair to fall. Her exams were postponed to February. Tamboura studied very hard but had problems concentrating. Against all odds, she insists on pursuing the road of education and supports her friends to continue in theirs. “Education is the only tool we as students have, it is everything for us”.

For other students the damage caused by Cast Lead was physical as well as personal obliging them to rethink their educational prospects. 5,300 people were injured by Cast Lead.

Yousef Abdul Jabbar Al-Mughrabi is an outstanding 21 year old students with an above 90 average. During Cast Lead a drone bomb exploded in the vicinity of his home causing him to become blind and paralyzing the right side of his body. Before Cast Lead he was following a degree in Civil Engineering at the Islamic University. Now he has been forced to change his course and start from scratch. He chose Islamic Studies at the Islamic University. In order for him to study, he relies wholly upon his wife. She reads from his textbooks and he repeats after her and memorizes. For him to come to University he depends on his brother who accompanies him every day. Al-Mughrabi is following new advances in research technology aiming at enhancing sight and hopes that he will find help in order to improve his sight. His spirit is still energetic and lively. “I wish that my sacrifice will not be for nothing but will help the Palestinian plight for justice”.

Cast Lead affected everybody, students, parents and teachers. Aya El Mashharawi is an English teacher at the University College of Applied Sciences. During Cast Lead her 12 year old brother and 17 year old cousin lost their life by a drone plane attack as they played on the roof. When this attack took place Mashharawi herself was only minutes away from the site. This episode torments her. “Life will continue if you like it or not. I want to work hard to make a lasting contribution to Palestine”. The lasting contribution she is trying to make is that of motivating her students to face their fears and improve their English. “Media around the world is controlled by Zionism. It depicts us Palestinians in a negative light. Yet, we have pens to explain and speak our minds and we have to do this in English, the international language. We want to live, travel and lead a normal life like people anywhere”. She encourages her students to use the internet as a tool to improve their English and to talk about the plight they face on a daily basis.
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For Mahmoud Jalambo, teacher of English at the University College of Applied Sciences it is important to put things into perspective. Cast lead was the last in a series of attacks on Gaza seeking to disable its infrastructure and included with this academia. Notwithstanding the damage caused, Palestinians have remained steadfast in their determination to lead as much as possible a normal life. “We as Palestinians have achieved all things alone. We rebuild our spirits again and again”. It is with this spirit Jalambo mentions that Palestinian students and teachers continue in their path for education. To Mahmoud Shakfa, also teacher of English at the University College of Applied Sciences, education is the only path that can result in any tangible results both for students in their personal life and for the Palestinian struggle as a whole. For this reason, no matter the hardships involved, education will be the road most traveled.