Eva Bartlett In Gaza

Misplaced sorrow ignores facts on the ground of Syrian refugee crisis

Eva Bartlett In Gaza — Wed, 09 Sep 2015 18:31:53 +0000

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The photo of Alan Kurdi has been a centre of social-media attention, with well-intentioned people sharing the tragedy he, his family and countless other Syrians (who were fleeing the violence of NATO's death squads) suffered. A photo of an innocent dead child always hits the heart more than reading about the thousands of dead children martyred by the same NATO/Saudi/Zionist death squads' within Syria.

Two northwest Syrian villages under siege and assault by NATO-backed 'moderates'

Eva Bartlett In Gaza — Tue, 18 Aug 2015 18:26:29 +0000

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Aleppo photographer brings Syria's suffering to the United Nations

Eva Bartlett In Gaza — Fri, 23 Jan 2015 17:48:09 +0000

Twenty-six distinct photos in black and white. Scenes of a ravaged city and the human beings within struggling to exist, let alone to find hope for the future. Gravestones of rubble. Homes looted, trashed. Civilians defending their country. Children aged beyond their years by the horrors they've lived.

Hagop Vanesian, a 44-year-old Syrian-Armenian photographer from Syria's largest city, Aleppo (Halab), was meticulous in his choice of photographs for the exhibition, "My Homeland," which opened at the United Nations Headquarters on January 8 and closed January 16.

Syria's public relations war: An interview with Syrian Ambassador to the UN

Eva Bartlett In Gaza — Mon, 19 Jan 2015 19:09:40 +0000

On January 8, in his sparsely furnished New York City office, the Syrian Arab Republic Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Dr. Bashar al-Ja'afari, sat down with Eva Bartlett for an interview. The veteran diplomat, who has held his position at the UN since 2006, and lives restricted to a 25-mile radius of New York City, has much more to say than the half hour allowed. Defiant as always, he discussed the challenges he faces at the UN, explained why he thinks the organization has lost its way, and censured Western states and media for their hostility toward the Syrian government.

'Oh, my Syria!'

Eva Bartlett In Gaza — Fri, 14 Nov 2014 17:31:32 +0000

In a different area of Lebanon, I meet another Syrian, this time from the Aleppo outskirts. He is wiry, with grey hair though not yet 50, and a bright face, his presence emanating peace and calm...in spite of what he has gone through and lost.

He and his wife and children have been here about a year, leaving behind their home and his work as a tailor. Here, he cleans the simple lodging where I'm staying.

He is a Kurd, from the Syrian village of Ifreen, and while he says he says he would like to have Kurdish taught in schools, he insists that his area was never supportive of the insurgents, nor with the west's manufactured "revolution". (An interesting aside, but Armenians in Syria have founded public institutions to teach their language.)

The non-useful atrocities of Syria, ISIS and the Middle East

Eva Bartlett In Gaza — Tue, 28 Oct 2014 17:09:14 +0000

Who outside of Syria knows the names Yara Abbas, Maya Naser, Mohamed al-Saeed? The corporate media has inundated us with news of the two American journalists allegedly beheaded, the first of whose execution video has been deemed faked. But what of the non-Western journalists and civilians beheaded and murdered by ISIS, al-Nusra, and associated terrorists in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, as well as the ruthless Zionists in Palestine?

Between mortar blasts, Syria's Zenobians stand to win international rugby tournament

Eva Bartlett In Gaza — Mon, 06 Oct 2014 18:02:48 +0000

While I don't follow organized sports, when I got the opportunity to meet the only rugby team in Syria and see them practice, I jumped on it. I found the fact that these men still meet, train and compete -- in spite of the many obstacles which should prevent them from doing so -- fascinating. What follows are observations and conversations from a morning with Syria's Zenobians:

The terrorism we support in Syria

Eva Bartlett In Gaza — Fri, 12 Sep 2014 18:42:22 +0000

Note: since submitting this article for publication, terrorist-mortars have rained down on Damascus, with a reported 30 mortars on Wednesday-killing 8 and injuring at least nine -- and another at least seven mortars on Thursday -- killing two and injuring at least 20 people, according to the Damascus-based monitoring group, "A Mortar's Diary" (see their Facebook page).

Solidarity with Gaza, in the community

Eva Bartlett In Gaza — Mon, 11 Aug 2014 18:44:38 +0000

I live in a very small community, two neighbouring towns with a combined population under 30,000, many of whose families have lived here for generations. Not very diverse, and many are not very politically aware.

This morning a friend of mine, a teacher in my town, and I went to a park in the neighbouring town where every Saturday there is a farmer's market.

We brought my Palestinian flag, a couple of enlarged photos I'd prepared, and engaged with passersby on Gaza and Syria.

'Largest ever' Toronto Al-Quds rally calls for a free Palestine

Eva Bartlett In Gaza — Mon, 28 Jul 2014 18:10:12 +0000

25,000 were reported at Toronto's Al-Quds rally Saturday, "the largest in our history…and they were calling for a Free Gaza, Free Palestine. One hundred per cent free...no pathetic smoke-and-mirrors, Swiss-cheese "Two State solution."

The global Al-Quds Day demonstrations occur annually. According to organizers, in Toronto's history this was the largest, and the most pluralistic, including not only the usual Canadian Peace Alliance, Palestine House, Independent Jewish Voices, and other core affiliations, as well as numerous faiths, but new faces. Many of them, and many from all walks of life and ages, so-said a Cuban solidarity activist who has been standing for justice for over a decade, if not more.

Now-liberated Syrian 'capital of the revolution' wants return to peace

Eva Bartlett In Gaza — Tue, 08 Jul 2014 17:54:52 +0000

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Al-Waer, Homs's most populated area and the city's last insurgent holdout, might soon achieve the truce that Hom's Old City saw in May this year when, in an exchange deal, the insurgents left their strongholds.

The liberation of Kassab comes after three months of terror

Eva Bartlett In Gaza — Wed, 02 Jul 2014 18:31:18 +0000

"We were sleeping and at 4 a.m. they started striking us, from Turkey. At 6 a.m., men from our area came and took us to a village called Nab'ain, beyond the reach of the armed groups," Suzy Mentazi, taking refuge in Latakia's Armenian Orthodox Church, said in April, 2014.

'They want to start a religious war. We want to extinguish it.': Toward a homegrown resolution in Syria

Eva Bartlett In Gaza — Tue, 03 Jun 2014 17:34:23 +0000

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Most news accounts of Syria paint a desolate, sectarian country where people in areas secured by the Syrian army are miserable and where people, above all, want to see Bashar al-Assad gone. In all regards I found the opposite. In particular, I found wide-spread, and usually ardent, support for the President.

Ex-pat Syrians flock to vote in Lebanon -- while the West forbids them

Eva Bartlett In Gaza — Fri, 30 May 2014 18:09:59 +0000

Roughly three kilometres north of Beirut's Syrian embassy in Baabda, Syrians crammed in one of an endless stream of buses, exited and continued on foot. The masses opted to walk the remaining few kilometres rather than sit in a traffic jam generated by the tens of thousands flocking to vote.

Clogging the main street leading to the embassy, vehicles of all sorts -- many decked out with posters of President Bashar al-Assad and Syrian flags -- sat waiting to inch forward. Those on foot moved faster than the halted traffic, and the many long-haul truck drivers gave up, rigs pulled off to the side, resigned to wait until the crowds thinned out, a wait that lasted well into the night.

In Syria, life goes on despite everything

Eva Bartlett In Gaza — Tue, 13 May 2014 16:33:41 +0000

On a weekday afternoon, the Old City of Damascus heaves with people, cars, motorcycles, bikes. Markets are full, buyers barter with merchants for the heaps of spices, Jasmine and other flowery perfumes, clothing, and most things one needs, abundant in the Hamidiyeh market.

At the end of the historic Roman Via Recta (Straight Street), boys play football amidst new and ancient columns. Vendors outside the old city call out their wares to busy streets.

Syria, in its fourth year of a devastating foreign-backed and armed attempt to overthrow the government, is somehow still pulsing with life and hope.

'We left because of the violence': Inside a Syrian refugee camp

Eva Bartlett In Gaza — Wed, 09 Apr 2014 18:02:28 +0000

In Zahle, a region in the Bekaa Valley, eastern Lebanon, the day before crossing into Syria, we visit one of the many areas where refugee tent-homes have sprung up over the past few years. Many of the displaced Syrians in the Fayda camp are from Aleppo, Homs, Idlib, Raqqa...

Reflections on Gaza, Syria and the bigger picture

Eva Bartlett In Gaza — Tue, 08 Apr 2014 17:03:40 +0000

I started this blog in July 2008, when I had never yet been to Gaza nor knew if I would actually arrive. I was, at the time, in Egypt, hoping one of two miracles would occur: the Egyptian authorities would stop their complicity in imposing the lock-down of Gaza; Palestinians would again blow down the wall between Gaza and Egypt.

Neither happened.

But an inspirational group of everyday people from around the world presented a third option: sailing to Gaza.

Flooded sewers exacerbate silent suffering of Gaza

Eva Bartlett In Gaza — Tue, 19 Nov 2013 19:28:28 +0000

The Palestinians of Gaza continue to suffer silently. Not only:

- 12-18 hour power outages (depending on where in the Strip they live)

Suffering, tragedy, joy and hope: Observations from occupied Palestine, part 1

Eva Bartlett In Gaza — Tue, 05 Nov 2013 16:45:36 +0000

Over the years since May 2007, I have lived in different areas of occupied Palestine, witnessing the crimes of the Zionist entity and sharing in the daily tragedies, injustices and realities of Palestinians' lives.

In the occupied West Bank in 2007, I volunteered with the International Solidarity Movement for eight months, during which time I was detained at a protest against a Jewish-only highway in the West Bank, arrested at a road-block removal action, and was finally deported and banned from occupied Palestine.

Under siege, life in Gaza can't get better

Eva Bartlett In Gaza — Tue, 08 Oct 2013 21:06:24 +0000

It is important to recall, with the current lack of coverage, that the siege on Gaza continues full steam ahead, leaving Palestinians in Gaza (and analysts, human rights organizations, and the casual observer) to say that it is now as bad as it was in 2007. As much potential, culture, and knowledge as Palestinians have, they are forever being forced backwards, grateful for whatever stop-gap for whatever crisis is at the time inflicted upon them. In these times of rolling power outages, fuel and cooking gas crises, medicines and equipment shortages ("zero stock"), inventions and innovations to get around the lack of fuel or deal with no electricity are prized.

Gaza: Worse than 2007

Eva Bartlett In Gaza — Mon, 09 Sep 2013 04:01:47 +0000

When I spoke with Saber today, his voice again sounded much weaker than I've ever heard it. Saber usually lives up to his name, Sabr, resilience and patience.

But today, he, like Emad a week ago, spoke of how Gaza was as bad, was worse than, it had been in 2007.

"No fuel, no milk, soon no bread. Long line-ups for gas--people wait for hours for a container of gas. Do you remember how morning usually were in Gaza, with taxis filling the street, taking students to school and university and people to work? There're virtually no taxis now. People are sad, very sad. People want to breath.

Electricity...we have it for just 4 hours a day now, 6 maximum."

It's still miserable to be a Palestinian in Gaza

Eva Bartlett In Gaza — Wed, 21 Aug 2013 17:49:17 +0000

The misery inflicted on Palestinians, for years, for decades, gets continually worse.

Aside from being essentially locked-down by the occupying Zionist regime since at least 2006 (closures began way back in the 90s), leaving the vast majority of Gaza's Palestinians unable to freely travel from their tiny, overpopulated, suffocating Strip (not all is bad about the lovely Gaza Strip, but it is extremely difficult and impossible for the majority of the 1.7 million living there), every facet of life in Gaza is either in ruins or devolving towards ruin.

Gaza Ramadan a bust under tunnel destruction and futile 'peace' talks

Eva Bartlett In Gaza — Wed, 24 Jul 2013 16:47:12 +0000

So, it's Ramadan, the most adored and revered time of year for Muslims, and Muslims throughout Palestine are suffering, as are Christians and Palestinian Jews (who call themselves such, as they were living in Palestine long before the Zionists came). Many fasting Muslims trying to access the holy Al-Aqsa Mosque are denied -- and life is a little bit more difficult for Muslims in particular right now.

Since I'm most recently familiar with the layers of misery imposed upon the 1.7 million Palestinians of Gaza, still locked-down under an Israeli-imposed, worldwide-endorsed siege (endorsed by world leaders, of course, not the people), it is Gaza I am constantly thinking about.

Don't forget Gaza while Egypt roils

Eva Bartlett In Gaza — Fri, 05 Jul 2013 17:50:21 +0000

In the midst of Egypt's struggles, Gaza is again forgotten.

The events in Egypt led first to speculation that the Rafah crossing might be closed, which became a certainty today.

Ma'an News reports that the border (the only crossing not directly controlled by the Zionists, indirectly, yes) was closed due to "security unrest" in the Sinai peninsula.

Press TV reports that "Some 800 Palestinian people normally leave for Egypt and beyond through the Rafah crossing, the only passageway leading to the rest of the world for most Gazans."

Israeli siege on Gaza causes waste crisis

Eva Bartlett In Gaza — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 13:54:38 +0000

"For the past five years we've collected garbage by traditional means: donkey and cart," says Abdel Rahem Abulkumboz, director of health and environment at the Municipality of Gaza. The municipality of Gaza alone produces 700 tons of waste daily, Kumboz says. More than half of this waste is collected daily by 250 donkey carts.

"It's a means of doing the job, but not an optimal one," says Kumboz.

Among the growing problems facing waste management throughout the Gaza Strip, even this simple solution nearly came to an end this month.

"The funding allotted to garbage collectors finished at the end of February," says Kumboz, noting that it is not slated to resume until June at the earliest.

Gaza's Ark: Trade, not aid

Eva Bartlett In Gaza — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 13:41:49 +0000

"An ark is literally a large floating vessel designed to keep its passengers and cargo safe," say the group preparing 'Gaza's Ark'. But their ark, they say, is "a vessel that embodies hope that the Palestinians of the Gaza Strip can soon live in peace without the threat of the Israeli blockade."

An initiative by Palestinians in Gaza and international solidarity activists, Gaza's Ark entails "purchasing a run-down boat from a local fishing family," says Michael Coleman, a member of Free Gaza Australia and on the Gaza's Ark steering committee.

Days in Gaza

Eva Bartlett In Gaza — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 13:37:08 +0000

At around 5 a.m., long after the Azzan (call to prayer) has sounded from various surrounding mosques for the early morning prayer, but still before sunrise, my brother-in-law's family in the apartment below turn on Quranic recitations -- technically not considered music but soothingly melodic nonetheless -- as they get their kids ready for school, which they go to in two shifts, starting very early, because all of Gaza's schools are massively over-crowded.

In the random times when I get up during these quiet hours, I revel in the sounds almost devoid of human noise… no honking taxis, children playing soccer in the streets, street sellers circulating goods… (there's about a 2-hour window of reverie before these all begin anew).

Excerpts from life in Gaza

Eva Bartlett In Gaza — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 13:21:13 +0000

Driving to Gaza one morning, the shared taxi enters a traffic jam outside the UN school. The street is jammed with children, cars trying to butt ahead, a motorcycle sitting in the middle of the mess, clogging everything.

"The police are there when you don't need them, not there when you need them," grumbles the driver.

Roadside vegetable vendors: spinach, cauliflower, romaine lettuce, oranges imported from Egypt because the vast majority of Gaza's trees have long since been bulldozed by the Zionists.

Under siege, Palestinian women call for human rights on International Women's Day

Eva Bartlett In Gaza — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 15:33:58 +0000

"In Gaza we don't lead normal lives, we just cope, and adapt to our abnormal lives under siege and occupation," says Dr. Mona El-Farra, a physician and a long-time human rights and women's rights activist in the Gaza Strip. On International Women's Day, when many of the world's women are fighting for workplace equality and an end to domestic violence, Farra and the majority of Gaza's women fight for the most basic of rights.

"It is difficult to live in this small piece of land, where basic needs like clean water, regular electricity, proper sanitation and means of recreation are not met. Women in Gaza are particularly traumatised by the continuous Israeli military attacks," says Farra.

Ceasefire means 'nothing' to Gaza fishers

Eva Bartlett In Gaza — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 19:25:20 +0000

GAZA CITY, Dec 17 2012 (IPS) - Shortly after Israel and Hamas signed a ceasefire agreement on Nov. 21, the Israeli navy abducted 30 Palestinian fishers from Gaza's waters, destroyed and sank a Palestinian fishing vessel, and confiscated nine fishing boats in the space of four days.

The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) reported that 14 fishers from a single family, stationed just three nautical miles from the coast of the Gaza Strip, were all arrested on Dec. 1.