From Palastine Correspondent Falastine M El-Ghezawi….
I was born into occupation. I was born in Palestine. My father was a member the P.L.O. (Palestinian Liberation Organization) and my mother always supported him. I was very lucky to have such rebellious father and patient mother.
When I think back to my childhood I always count myself as blessed to have had an opportunity to stay in Germany with some other children in 1990, three years after the onset of the First Intifada. The Palestinian children who went to Germany grew up under Israeli Tyranny and some of them suffered much more than I, having lost their parents, not to mention having been injured during warfare, losing their site or their arms or legs in explosions. The trip to Germany was a great chance for us to open our eyes to the world around us and escape the Ghetto that is Gaza.
In Berlin, everything was different; the language, the food, the people, even the weather. I was always so amazed how people got to simply live their life normally. They walked and talked, sang and danced, came and went wherever they wanted freely. They enjoyed their time and for them it was normal. When I thought back to my life in Palestine, it was as though we lived in hell. Living under the dictatorship of curfews, blockades, and checkpoints, our schools being shut down, being treated like prisoners in our own home. We used to throw stones at Israeli soldiers or burn tires when I was a kid, as it was all we could do to show our occupiers that we would never just accept their oppression.
I was also astonished at the fact that the world knew almost nothing about the Israeli crimes against our people. Throughout my time in Germany I often shared stories of my life in Palestine and many were very touched and appalled by the savage nature of the occupation we endured. After we returned home, we all had so much to say to say about our experience in Berlin and will always remember the German people as peaceful and calm.
Years later, when I was 15 years old, I got married. It was very tough experience for me to suddenly find myself responsible for a family, especially when I had my first son at 16. I made a huge effort to adapt myself to this new situation and things went well. I am now the mother of four wonderful children and couldn’t be happier.
Despite being a young wife and mother, I never give up on my dream of obtaining an education. I eventually went back to school and later on to college. In terms of my studies, my choice wasn’t an easy one. I always dreamed of being a journalist, but I had a stronger urge to study law because of my natural tendency to search for justice. And here I am, soon to be a lawyer.
It wasn’t easy, but my strongest source of motivation for my long and arduous journey was that my father always wanted me to become a lawyer. Sadly, he died before he had a chance to see our dream become a reality. He also witnessed my eldest brother arrested by Israelis and sentenced for 7 years in prison. My brother and I have always shard the deepest bond, always unconditional and unlimited in his support. I came to depend on him all the time and hope he will be released soon and that everything will be all right.
Deep in my heart, I believe the happiest moments of my life have yet to come and I spend my days an extremely optimistic person. I also believe the hardest moments of my life still lay ahead of me and preparing for the great challenges of my existence is an ongoing task. This may seem to be a contradiction, but such is my life; such is the way things have always been for me.
My country is my home, my country is my prison. I was born into occupation. I was born in Palestine.
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An inspiring story! Thanks for sharing!
Once it was the Arab world who understood, but stories like yours are now making the whole world understand the plight of the Palestinian. We are with you and don’t give up the fight.
I enjoy reading what you might be thinking about next, for the reason you’re writing with passion.
Wonderful article,thanks for putting this together! “This is obviously one great post. Thanks for the valuable information and insights you have so provided here. Keep it up!”
The world may have known almost nothing about Israel’s actions back in 1990, but as stated above, people know now and most see Israel as a bully, who will stop at nothing to push Palestinians out. Settlements alone are no more than a told to ethnically cleanse an entire race of people from their homeland. But how to stop them? That is they question.
What university is there in Gaza? Is it difficult to get funded? I can’t imagine going to school in the middle of all that has happened, not to mention having 4 kids!
Falastine, your survival and accomplishments are testament that to be Palestinian is to be forever with hope that there will be an end to the current tyranny of occupation.
On a personal level, I applaud you for your srength,resilience and perservernce. You are by your life a role model to all woman worldwide.
Peace and justice please come soon to every Palestinan..
And for your interest Jagger of course there is a University in Gaza. Do some research to help develop your insight and compassion.
Ummmm… Tucker. Maybe you should relax, jagger only asked what the university was in Gaza, ask if it was difficult to get money to o to school and commended her. OK OK we get it, you’re a liberal and you have a heart! Stop trying so hard to ride high on the horse, its just makes you look silly. The fact that the writer herself took no offense speaks volumes. And yo didn’t even mention the name of the university. Do you even know?
Thanx alot my dear friends Karla Tucker &Kim ,
Serverten ,you shouldnt talk to karla in this way its very unpleasant way to talk to poeple , we have 10 Univirsties here in gaza by the way “we are the most educated poeple in the area” ,I studied in ALAZHAR UNIVIRSITY , I followed fuclty of law and rights ,and i got 78.5% .
Serverten i didnt reply because I thought I shouldnt reply THAT JAGGER who thinks that we dont have schools , I thought its worthless to reply .
HE SHOULD TRY TO RESEARCH HIMSELF IF WE HAVE SCHOOLS OR NOT .
thanks/shukran to Falastine… what you’ve observed from Severten is bu the “tip of the Iceberg” ….here in the usa…..I can honestly say : never have so many known so little about so much but been so proud of their ignorance! Unfortunately there is very little published about Palestine in US msm (unless it is negative or characterizes Palestinians as terrorists). It’s almost a ‘shock’ when listening to “news” programs should Palestine name ever get mentioned!! no exaggeration. Reports and maps of the region seem to just make Palestine INVISIBLE! SOMOUD of Palestinians is stunning..humbling….steadfastness in light of all the challenges.is inspiring.
Still so many Americans have no idea how brutal and lengthy this “occupation”…and espec when talking about Gaza many still say: “but the Unilaterally left”…..DUH. Embargo..? invasions? spying? drones? They make the Old Soviet KGB and German Stasi look down right “friendly” comparatively speaking.
THank you for sharing your experience/insight…please keep on writing and sharing…allowing those who have never had the privilege of “meeting” a Palestinian..many blessings…/miriam