In Memoriam

By Adel – PeaceMaker

December 27, 2009

Life in Gaza is a constant gauntlet of Israeli sniper fire, military rockets and army bulldozers. No one is safe.

The feeling in Gaza is that the West accepts this type of action; it doesn’t matter how much so called ‘collateral damage’ it causes. Those who try and stop the violence can end up paying with their lives.

Rachel Corrie brought the Palestinians’ plight to the world’s attention when she died in Rafah near the border with Egypt, crushed by an Israeli bulldozer operated by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) on March 16, 2003 (age 23). “The driver could clearly see she was there,” states her friend. “But instead of stopping, he continued forward.”

"I feel like I'm witnessing the systematic destruction of a people's ability to survive... Sometimes I sit down to dinner with people and I realize there is a massive military machine surrounding us, trying to kill the people I'm having dinner with.” ~ Rachel Corrie

Cameraman James Miller was killed by a single shot fired by an Israeli soldier on May 2, 2003 (age 34) while filming a documentary in Rafah, Gaza Strip. “James died because we trusted them to behave like a civilized army. We knew they could see that we weren’t armed and that we were carrying a white flag. We trusted them not to kill us under those circumstances and they shot James anyway,” states his colleague Saira Shah.

On April 11, 2003, a British photographer Tom Hurndall, was shot in the head by an Israeli sniper while trying to help two Palestinian children flee Israeli fire in Rafah refugee camp, Gaza Strip. Hundrill was left in a coma and died nine months later on January 13, 2004 (age 22).

“What do I want from this life? What makes you happy is not enough. All the things that satisfy our instincts only satisfy the animal in us. I want to be proud of myself. I want more. I want to look up to myself and when I die, I want to smile because of the things I have done, not cry for the things I haven't done.” ~ Tom Hurndall