Global Voices Online

Gazan blogger Lina says: “This is something I’ve been feeling so significantly the past week. It’s the feeling of being dehumanized or the feeling that life is not meant for us, the Palestinians.” She then lists all the things that have made her feel this way.

Eva Bartlett writes about Gaza's fishermen who are regularly abducted at sea, or shot at, by the Israeli navy: “The area is rich in fish. The Israelis know this and don’t want Palestinian fishermen benefiting from it. It’s part of the siege.”

Tikun Olam's Richard Silverstein, who is based in the US, writes about the capture of a ferry carrying 23 human rights activists who were attempting to break the siege on Gaza by the IDF. “Israel had no right to intercept this ship, nor to impound it or detain its passengers. It has no right to forcibly transfer them to Israeli territory,” he notes.

Lebanese activist Natalie Abou Shakra, who has been in the Gaza Strip for seven months, is now being prevented from entering Egypt by the Egyptian authorities. Witnessing the treatment of Palestinians at the border she says: “They have been taught to accept this treatment. But, as activists, it is our job to break through the silence & scream out the injustice…no matter what the price.”

Lebanese activist Natalie Abou Shakra, who reported from Gaza during Israel's attacks in January, is not being allowed to cross out of the Gaza Strip into Egypt.

In the West Bank, Samuel Nichols describes visiting a Palestinian family: “These people don't need to learn about modern economics, democracy, or the peace process. The opposite is true, we all need to learn from them. The graciousness, kindness, and love of their hospitality is something that could change the world, if we only listened.”

Laila El-Haddad is hoping she will see her parents soon, as the Rafah Crossing from Gaza into Egypt is temporarily opened: “Of the some 5000 Palestinians registered to cross, only 250 were allowed out of Gaza on the first day (a total of 5 buses), and only 4 buses scheduled to depart today. My parents - on bus # 16, are waiting along with thousands of others.”

Jesse Aizenstat is an American surfer who has been visiting Israel and Palestine - and he has carried his surfboard everywhere: “Walk from the Jerusalem bus station to the Muslim Quarter. This took about a half-hour; perhaps more because of inquisitive strangers questioning my sanity for bringing a surfboard to the holy city.”

Peace activist Richard Silverstein analyzes the New York Times' coverage of Israel and Palestine by reporter Ethan Bronner. Silverstein criticizes what he perceives to be Bronner's pattern of deprecating and minimizing the work of the Israeli peace movement.