Wednesday in Gaza by Gerri Haynes

(For a few more days, I will be running a guest blog by Gerri Haynes, a former president of Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility. Gerri, a nurse from Kirkland, Wash., is in Gaza with 11 other people in an effort to help the people there and also to better understand the situation.)

As our activities of service and learning continue, we become more and more aware of the crippling effects of the brutal siege on Gaza. And we become more and more aware of the incredible fortitude of the people in this land. Children’s services are emphasized – services that will promote the cultural and spiritual development of the next generation.

This afternoon our delegation met with the Prime Minister of Gaza, Ismail Haniyeh. With great care, he spoke of the need for the people of Gaza to be free of occupation and the hope that the American administration will live up to the promises made by President Obama in his speeches in Egypt and Turkey. The Prime Minister spoke of peace and justice and love and offered direct communication with world leaders.

The social workers and psychologists in the class I taught today echoed his comments. Several wrote notes so that the people of the United States might read their words. One of the notes: “I’m a Palestinian human being. I don’t care about politics. I don’t care about Israel, Fatah or Hamas agendas. I’m not looking for money or authority. I just want to live in peace in my home and with my family, my society, my neighbors, my colleagues. All I want is to feel safe.” Six mental health workers signed this statement.

Cherie Eichholz, Executive Director of Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility wrote: “If you plant a cucumber (from seed), when the plant grows it does not yield tomatoes. Similarly, if you plant violence, you will not end up with peace (the quote comes from Reem, 38, director of the Children’s Cultural Centre in Gaza).

The human rights group met yesterday with Ahmed Somouni and after hearing this 9-year-old’s story of his family devastation, Reem’s phrase rings out in my mind. Ahmed’s family was massacred; dozens were killed. This boy began his story telling of how last winter his father was asked to come out of his house and as his whole family watched, was executed on the front sidewalk.

What exactly is being sown in Gaza today? So far I have seen rubble and sadness and bombed out buildings. Driving from north to south, almost border to border, there is little in between in terms of standing buildings and make no mistake, there once were buildings. I/we have talked to government leaders, educators, NGOs, and children. We have seen the tunnels. And we have seen many tears.

Oddly enough, the other amazing thing I have seen is an unquenchable spirit of hope. Life is stubborn. That is how one of our new friends put it. And that same sentiment has been expressed repeatedly. This family of 1.6 million people is invested and is simply trying to do the same things as people do all over the world and indeed, they are no different from you or me.

The question though is pesky; what is being sown? Are Palestinians today living lives nurturing their families, their culture and their future? Or are they running fearful to the next day, wondering when the next bomb will explode, the next tank roll in or the next relative be killed?

If peace is planted, peace will prevail.