Gaza war: When only the sea remains

This week I had some interesting meetings and conversations with several staff members of the Subang Jaya Medical Center, about emergency services, the inadequate automation system and cooperation between professionals. All very important. But also, about the war in Gaza! Very remarkable that opinions were divided (also depending on faith and religion of course) but I thought it was so great that we could talk about it very openly despite this terrible conflict. This gigantic 'open-air prison' is today the most dangerous place on earth.

Gaza rarely receives attention. The greatest tragedy is that Gaza only comes back into the public's picture due to the barbaric actions of Hamas against defenceless civilians. In the meantime, it is treated like a pebble in the shoe of the country of Israel, or rather a turd you are trying to get off your sole. The contrast becomes very clear in the documentary below about Gaza Surf Club. This documentary made me realize how terrible this war is, even though I follow the news worldwide every day.

In this documentary there is no geopolitical analysis or a historical overview of the festering conflict, but simply a camera aimed at young people who talk about how their daily development is made completely impossible: Which girl wants a relationship with a guy from Gaza? What is there to dream in an area that has all the characteristics of a nightmare? Where all roads to a better life are closed, only 'the sea' remains. This documentary follows a group of boys who dive into the waves with makeshift surfboards, and we see a father who gives his daughter the opportunity to swim. These people, these young citizens don't stand a chance now. How unfair is that!

Every day we see the news footage of the Israeli retaliation and I think of the characters from the documentary. Every day we see the pain of the helpless victims who are in the middle of this violence and have nowhere to go. When images of destruction reach humanity's retinas, they too will feel pain. The professionals there in the war zone face an impossible challenge and fight every day to help as many victims as possible at the risk of their own lives. As I sit on a chair here at the Subang Jaya Medical Center, undergoing my treatment, I can squeeze my hands and thank God for this. Nothing is self-explanatory! After all, Gaza is also the largest 'youth prison' (45% are minors). Our young people are not stupid. They have a nose for hypocrisy. They know that this conflict is not black and white. If 130 countries recognize Palestine as a state, and there are hardly any Western countries among them, then they also know that this is not a coincidence. There will be weeping and shouting at so much injustice.

We see the powerlessness and anger and radicalization with every Israeli flag that is raised. That does indeed happen when people have the idea that an important side of a story is underexposed and should not be expressed. Well, I think that flag can be raised (for the hostages and innocent victims), but that also applies to the Palestinian flag (for the young citizens who were born under such a cruel apartheid regime and are bombed away).

We must try to prevent that, just like after 9/11, only young people with bi-cultural backgrounds in our countries are examined for their sometimes-fierce views, which often conceal legitimate concerns about their position in society. So, I say: I, a white, highly educated man, consider the Gaza area created by the State of Israel to be a disgrace to our civilization, with the knowledge of our representatives. So, let's give each other some space to process this disaster (which was years in the making). And we don't judge each other as to whether we are waving the right flag.

Waving the right flag