Thus, with the arrival of autumn and with it the relief from the summer heat, a thin stream of hikers begins to return and tour the reserve and also to discover the “lighthouse”. Last week, three cyclists and today a couple from Jerusalem (Ravid and Tal) and three ATV riders (Amit, Ofir and Eili). They were added and came to Shmulik, Nahshi, Hayuta Rami and I, who as usual on Fridays between one and four, circle ourselves into Gaza consciousness in the shade of the pine trees. Sometimes, Mark comes too, like today for example. Maharan, who was on his way to the “lighthouse”, got stuck with a malfunction in his vehicle.
Nahshi told the listeners about connections with people from Gaza from his childhood, for his youth, coming of age. Friendships were formed and when the space closed, most of them broke off. Years passed and he realized that the situation was not normal. People live close by, suffer, and do nothing about it. He felt that he too had a responsibility for what was happening there. The frame here, in “Lighthouse”, was very suitable for him as a way to keep in touch. They know about us, we talk to them and that means thinking about each other. This is also a statement, do not sink into oblivion. Believes that something will change in the future. Everyone needs to contribute their bit. Until then he will hold the light in the “lighthouse”.
Hayuta: Her inner motive to come, is the need to be human! Less comes from an ideology, which she attributes mainly to Shmulik Nahshi and me, and on the other hand, enjoys the sense of humor created by the three of us encounter with the ideology …
reads poems by the amazing Wislawa Szymborska.
Shmulik claims that as a communist he is committed to political existence and solidarity and therefore came here. It’s also a kind of “moral laundry” for him … he adds. Trying to contribute to the best of his ability (his words …) and hoping that the things said here, reach beyond the fence and inspire hope among our space partners. In general, it is better that the fence was not and did not cross the land.
Tal says that for him, Gaza is a “black hole”. The largest prison in the world. Something that is convenient to ignore its existence. It’s annoying somewhere. Maybe that’s what pushed him to come here to hear about Gaza.
Ravid thought of Gaza while traveling here. The burnt hills … Gaza is a type of wound that the more you move away from it the more painful … wrapped in a wall of ignorance. The 2014 war was an unbearable rift. Visited a tent of bereaved families. Everything in our society is related to the occupation directly or indirectly. Was active in social protest. In her opinion, there is now maturity to talk about the occupation. There are initiatives and are starting to talk about it. Out of desperation she began to act. Always believes it is possible. There is room for her, and also in society, to start doing!
Mark wanted to rest today and decided to rest in our company … While Ravid was speaking, he realized how important it was to mention Gaza and the Gazans. He does not have enough energy to deal with the occupation. it’s tiring. It is still difficult to decipher Israeli society. It seems strange to him to even try to understand it …
Eili: A native of the area, he has known the reality since he was born. Feels like we ‘got used to it’, it’s pretty natural for him already. The situation is unsolvable in his opinion.
Ophir is also a native of the area. Asks himself where else in the world does such a reality exist. Is it even possible to resolve the conflict? Imagining himself as daring and asking how he would have behaved. Life here shaped him in their image. Want to be optimistic but …
Amit lives in the area from the age of 10. When asked about Gaza, she says thease are her life. Her mother says life here, near the Gaza Strip, is 99 percent heaven and one percent hell. Her brothers literally grew into reality. She has a sister who is scared of a motorcycle passing by on the street and a nephew who plays in kindergarten in “running for shelter” … I wish we could hope, but we are already used to it and we are not excited about a balloon or an alarm … Hayuta asks her if she would like to raise children here. She repeats her mother’s answer, adding that she still asks and examines her surroundings and she don’t have an answer yet.
Ramy says the circle was formed when people joined it. Explains the idea behind the “lighthouse”. Every morning, as he begins the day, he tries to bring the intention into consciousness. Well, he says, there is a place you can come to and talk about Gaza. There is a house to talk about Gaza. This is our reality and that of Gaza and the “lighthouse” serves as its home. Gaza represents for him something that requires getting up in the morning and adjusting to it. The dialogue about Gaza is not off the agenda but it’s going nowere… Rami is building within it the recognition that this will change. It’s a matter of time, because there can be no other. Asks himself, does he “love” Gaza despite what comes from there? And replies to himself that the mind does not practice, yet he loves optimism and faith. We do not know much about Gaza. The “noise” that emanates from it merges with the noise that is heard towards it and ambiguity is created. Gaza is an important crossroads in history, it meets the peoples of the world. Gaza’s peace periods are much larger than those of the war. Gaza during his grandfather’s period is the second largest in the area. His grandfather traded between Cairo and Damascus and Beirut and moved to Gaza. Ramy’s father came here 75 years ago. On the way to Be’eri, he would pass through Gaza and load goods into the kibbutz. The road north passed through Gaza. Rami himself sleeps in hotels in Gaza as part of his tourism business. Grandfather, father, himself and even his son met and will meet Gazan people. The road from there can go in any direction. At the moment Gaza is an unresolved story and is paying the price of the “no solution”. The Nakba is the Palestinians’ narrative of the conflict. For Rami the Nakba, it is another point of view on the conflict. Abundant waters create life, and the peoples of the region are thirsty. When the water flows to everyone there will be nothing to fight about …
We were: Rami, Shmulik, Hayuta, Nahshi, Oded, Mark, Eili, Amit, Ofir, Tal, Ravid and almost came Maharan …
Wrote: Oded.