Living without electricity this week (the prior tenant at my apartment was disinclined to pay the electricity bill) has reminded me of what life must be like for the Palestinians living in Gaza. I have no ability to refrigerate or freeze products, I have no hot water, no television, no internet, no DVD's, no ability to charge my cellphone, and of course, no lights! My house is a mess as I just moved in; yet, as I work during the day, I can never clean it, since it is dark by the time I get home. Yet, my miseries are nothing compared to those Palestinians living in Gaza without any electricity, clean water, or even basic foodstuffs.
The lack of energy for Gaza (fuel and electricity could be used to manufacture rockets...) has left Palestinians jobless, as industry has collapsed under the weight of a crippling Israeli siege. The daily life of a Gazan is centered on the basics: waiting in line for bread, building a new home or outfitting the UNRWA supplied tent, taking care of the kids, and maybe working, if work can be found. There is no ability to cross the border one mile away and work in Israel. If blessed enough to own a field, it is often at serious risk that one farm it. Those same fields are under constant Israeli attention and farmers have consistently been subject to attack. But, back to life without electricity. During the January offensive, it was often noted in Western media that Israel was acting in a humane way--they alerted Palestinians with flyers and text messages to leave their homes. Not only was there no place to flee to (the gaza strip is the size of two D.C.'s), without electricity how does one charge a phone to receive a text message!??! Furthermore, there are the hospitals and the medical care- having power in a hospital less than 24hrs a days is unacceptable. It should be noted that Israel controls electricity for Gaza, as well as the fuel to run generators and electric plants based in Gaza. Limiting energy going to Gaza is collective punishment and under humanitarian law, an occupying power may not collectively punish the occupied for the resistance of a few. If one makes the argument that Gaza is not occupied, ask oneself: does controlling electricity, water, food, borders, airspace, radio waves, sewage, and coastal waters equal occupation? I believe the only answer is yes. End the siege on Gaza.
List other effects of life without electricity below...
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