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In the Gaza Strip, there are a vast number of inspiring individuals prepared to put their personal reputation (and even their own physical well-being) on the line for matters of conviction. Dr. Eyad Sarraj is one of the more prominent of these figures and I was fortunate enough to speak with him on several occasions during my time in the Gaza Strip.

Dr. Sarraj, a Harvard-trained psychiatrist, is the founder of the Gaza Community Mental Health Programme—a groundbreaking NGO in Gaza catering to the masses of Palestinians suffering from emotional trauma, especially victims of torture. Sarraj is well known for his outspoken criticism of the Israeli occupation and of corruption in the Palestinian Authority.

In the excerpts that follow, I discuss the state of Palestinian democracy with Dr. Sarraj. (more…)

The Palestine Chronicle published an essay I wrote upon arrival in Gaza. It was syndicated by the International Middle East Media Center here.
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Khalil laughs and shakes head as we dine along the seaside terrace of Gaza’s luxurious al-Deira Hotel.

“This is not Gaza,” he says, dismissively gesturing towards the hotel’s maroon exterior and the tables of dining European journalists. “The real Gaza is just down the street, where 1,000 people are living on a single street block.” He chuckles ironically and slaps me on the back.

“And here, we can’t even drink a whiskey to drown our sorrows!”

I had only been in Gaza for two days, yet I immediately appreciated the locals’ uniquely fatalistic humor. Perhaps it’s almost a reflection on Gaza’s manifest resilience and remarkable ability to shrug off the tragedy of an environment in perpetual crisis. (more…)

I wrote this last month and submitted it to the New York Times, LA Times and San Francisco Chronicle among others—all without a positive reply.

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Easing into his new position as Special Envoy to the Middle-East, Tony Blair has wasted no time in pursuing a break in the ever-moribund peace process. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has assured Blair that Israel will provide “all necessary assistance” to facilitate his mission and Blair himself is already busily at work—holding daily meetings with various community leaders in hopes of establishing a foundation for dialog. There is only one problem: Israel is consciously blocking Mr. Blair’s efforts by preventing a senior human rights lawyer in the Gaza Strip from traveling to Jerusalem.

Raji Sourani, the director of the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR), a well-respected independent NGO based in Gaza City, was blocked from attending a meeting with Mr. Blair last week. Why? Well no specific reason was actually provided. Such restrictions have become a matter of routine in Gaza, but the political undertones in this case are especially reprehensible. (more…)