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Eva Bartlett is a very brave young Canadian woman who has spent much of the last six years in Palestine, volunteering for the International Solidarity Movement. In mid 2007 she arrived in the illegally occupied Palestinian territories in the West Bank where she stayed for 8 months. In late 2008, she sailed to the Gaza Strip with "Free Gaza", one of five successful sailings to Gaza. Every boat since has been stopped, often brutally, by the Israeli navy.
During most of her time in Gaza, Eva lived with a Palestinian family in a central Gaza village.
Eva is currently on a speaking tour in Canada explaining her experiences there. She intends to return, but is not sure when.
On 4 September 2013, Eva spoke at an event in Halifax,
In Gaza, Eva found life to be one of constant surveillance by Israeli soldiers.
Gaza is surrounded by a heavily re-inforced mesh and razor-wire fence. Within Gaza's boundaries, the Israeli authorities have unilaterally imposed a 300 metre “buffer zone” on the Palestinian side exclusively. Military surveillance towers line the entire border.
These towers are capable of viewing and firing on any and all who venture into this no go zone (or even those who get just several hundred metres or up to 2 km from its Gaza edge). In addition, Israeli soldiers are constantly patrolling this corridor.
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An Israeli Surveillance Tower (click on it for an enlarged image). |
One third of Gaza's farmland is within the surveillance corridor. It is the most fertile land. Gaza farmers try to farm the land on their side of it, but are constantly shot at, kidnapped and shelled by Israeli soldiers.
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Browse to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9f5nWWS0IU, |
Hitting a volunteer from another country would be very bad publicity for Israel, but Palestinian farmers appear to be fair game. |
The Israeli army often sets fire to the farmers' crops
just as they are about to be harvested.
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Field of burned wheat. | The grain was useless after it had been burned. |
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The use of chemical weapons has been much in the news since late August 2013, because of the sarin gas attack in Syria.
White phosphorus can also be used as a chemical weapon. This substance immediately starts to burn spontaneously in the presence of ordinary air, and keeps on burning until it is either completely consumed or it is deprived of oxygen. The combustion occurs at a very high temperature, so when it comes into contact with any combustible material - human skin or clothes, plastics, wood, many building materials - that material also immediately starts to burn. It was used by the US during the Iraqi war and has also been used by the Israelis against the Palestinians in Gaza.
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Once the shell explodes, it releases 122 sponges, each soaked with the white phosphorus chemical. These streak through the air in a wide shower until they hit something solid, which will then ignite if it is combustible. See Israel attacks UN school in Gaza |
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Many white phosphorus shells remained unexploded in Gaza after operation "Cast Lead" was over. Eva was an observer at a United Nations operation to safely detonate some of these. |
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A favourite target of the Israeli soldiers is anything related to medical assistance.
Palestinian ambulance damaged by Israeli artillery |
See Israel is targeting medics for full story.
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Palestinian medic shot by Israeli soldiers while trying to rescue another shooting victim. |
On the Mediterranean coast Gaza's Palestinians have traditionally
been fishermen. Their lives are subjected to similar lethal harassments to
those perpetrated on the farmers.
And Jesus said, come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. |
Video of Israeli navy boats harassing Palestinian
fishermen. Note: this video may need to be played at 240p instead of 360p. |
Altogether, Eva showed over two hundred photos showing the treatment
meted out to the Palestinians by the Israelis. It was heartrending.
And the ability of the Palestinians to survive this treatment is truly humbling.