Wind, drizzle of rain and cold of real winter.
Moshe, Mark, Shmulik and Nahshi get organized and ask how many lunatics will leave a warm house to talk about Gaza.
You will be amazed …
Doron from the north and Assaf who is an agronomist who worked in Gush Katif and today lives in the area, hikers and invited to coffee.
Tomer, who also moved to the area recently, heard that there is something interesting and strange here and came to check.
Roni arrives so we can start a round:
We introduced ourselves and told about the “Lighthouse” and Gaza.
Assaf remembers Gaza as a soldier before the first intifada, and brings stories about the development of the Katif region and the good relations with workers from Gaza.
Meanwhile, Mary and then Hanan arrive, and Maharan brings fresh sweets, Malki and Dina, and later, of course, the group of persistent young people Ofek, Yogev and Meitav, who also brought Moran and Omar for their first visit.
Everyone tells where he came from and what brought him here, to talk about Gaza.
Mark says that recently when he was in Jerusalem, police officers stopped his vehicle, questioned him and searched the vehicle on the pretext of intending to violate public order. It ended at the police station and on bail. It turns out that on both sides of the fence freedom of expression is not in a good period.
When Ofek introduced himself he said “We come here every week and we will keep coming!”.
Last came, for the first time, Eden (Mark’s son), and said he was happy to see that there were those who did not let Gaza and its people to be forgotten.
Then we had a conversation with our Gazan friend. This is the first time the young guests see him and hear from him about the youth committee and the insistence on seeing that on the other side there are people to talk to, despite all the difficulties. He does not forget to tell guests that he is a regular member of the “lighthouse” and that there is a vacant chair waiting just for him.
Finally, Nahshi talks about the “Bring Peace Back to Discourse” conference scheduled for Friday, January 7 in Sderot: there will be many people who will come to tell and hear about what they are doing and want to do to strengthen the dialogue between the people of the south, Bedouin society and Gaza. The “lighthouse” will also present itself there, of course, and we were asked to help physically with the technical things as well. In the coming week we will distribute a detailed plan and ask for help in what is needed.
We were: Moshe, Mark, Shmulik, Roni, Doron, Assaf, Tomer, Mary, Hanan, Maharan, Malki, Dina, Ofek, Yogev, Meitav, Moran, Omer, Eden, Nahshi.
Wrote: Nahshi.