In Greek mythology, the phoenix is a bird that can renew itself again and again. Legend has it that it goes up in flames about every thousand years and is reborn from the ashes. Many people compared Gaza to the phoenix when it persisted after the Israeli military offensive in 2008-09. With an apology to the phoenix, however, Gaza has taken the place of the legendary bird. She rises from the ashes every day to face whatever the crew throws at her: bombs, missiles, a blockade; Gaza continues. If the phoenix were there today, it would sit humbly at Gaza’s feet. The history of Gaza, where fact and fiction overlap, is difficult for a common mind to understand. A wild imagination is necessary to understand the reality of the enclave and its people. Many children were killed by Israeli bombs in the recent offensive against Gaza. News reports said about 70 lost their lives, but we can multiply that number by many thousands because families may have emerged from every child but will never see the light of day now. Many children were killed, but the bombs also stole their childhood with all the joy it should have brought. Pulled out of the rubble of their homes, their oath dresses were still beautiful due to the expectations they carried with them. READ: The Palestinians in Gaza are fed up with the cycle of destruction and reconstruction. Many children were killed and their toys were left behind. They were not sworn on oath, the joy of which was stolen by the occupying powers. How could the occupation authorities think of destroying so many innocent lives and so much joy? During Ramadan and Eid? Parents bought Eid clothes and toys for their children without knowing whether they would live long enough to wear and enjoy; not knowing whether a cold-blooded murderer from Europe, the USA or Ethiopia in Israeli uniform would amuse himself with robbing the children of their oath, their clothes and their gifts. From life itself, in fact. Heartbreaking 💔 Children in Gaza search for their oath clothing in the rubble of their bombed house. These are targets of Israel’s missiles. pic.twitter.com/ruudYSFScF – Muslim daily (@muslimdaily_) May 27, 2021 Gaza and the Palestinians love oath. His children, who lived another day, know that death is waiting. Those killed went to their graves and smiled at the stupidity of the murderers fighting a nation that doesn’t understand the meaning of surrender. Images of war still hang in our hearts. The smell of death still brings sadness and steadfastness. The martyrs remind us that they are not dead but are in a much, much better place and eternal life. The surviving children take on roles for which they are far too young. The eight or nine year old girl wears her oath clothes covered with dust and blood like her face and hair. Her left hand holds her younger sister and she wipes her head with her right while she sleeps on a hospital bed. A third sister sits at her feet. The eldest really isn’t old enough to comfort her little sister, and she shouldn’t have to wipe the blood and dust off her hair. However, like many Palestinians in Gaza before her, she is getting old before her time. Resistance takes many forms. The factions are using their weapons. Others defend themselves at the popular level through marches and demonstrations. Some use the media. Doctors use their skills and knowledge, with their white coats and aging equipment that was not upgraded due to the siege. Most of all, the people of Gaza are resisting the occupation by simply living. In 2011, the well-known Palestinian director Ashraf Al-Masharawi produced a documentary entitled Gaza Lives On, which summarizes the philosophy of life in the enclave. That is why we see mothers bathing their children in a bathtub that somehow survived the Israeli bombs. That she has water is in itself a miracle. A boy who returns to his bombed house to look for his toys. Tea is made and served in the remains of a kitchen that is now open to the elements. Such images infuriate the Israeli killers. So very life itself is a powerful act of resistance. READ: The “final” fall of Israel was foretold by Einstein. The sea provides different stories for Gaza. It offers food and enjoyment. The horizon overlooks the forbidden distance and attracts all who look at it. The sea in Gaza represents a lazy Thursday spent on the beach from afternoon until dawn on Friday; it’s the fishy smell and the smell of life. That is where the Palestinians in Gaza went on the first weekend after the bombing. The sword of life carried by ordinary people has joined the sword of Jerusalem in the face of death that came out of heaven. As much as the eid takbeer and recitations symbolize submission to the greatness of God on which we humans rely, they also symbolize the joy of life. Believers go to oath after a month of fasting, which is both tiresome and beautiful; they are drawn to the sounds of eid-takbeer. The joy is complete when the voices of those who are reciting the takbeer as they go to prayer intersect with the voices of those who are already seated waiting for the prayer to begin. This is where oath begins, and in large part it ends here too. The Palestinians in Gaza could not celebrate Oath during the bombing, but they left immediately after the armistice went into effect at 2 a.m. The Eid Takbeer they sang were not only an expression of their sense of victory, but also a compensation for the joy they had lost during the Eid days. The people of this country love joy; they resist their enemy with joy; and they deserve to be pleased. Gaza deserves to hear the voices of its people when it rises from the ashes. This article first appeared in Arabic in Arabi21 on June 7, 2021 and was edited for MEMO. The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policies of Middle East Monitor.
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