British Prime Minister David Cameron, while speaking to officials in Turkey, referred to the Gaza Strip as a giant prison camp. Rather than be one of the many who called him an idiot for thinking this, I prefer to correct him using facts. Gaza is far from a prison, and any conditions that may appear to be prison-like are imposed by Hamas, not Israel.
For example, in a report by MEMRI, quoting an Egyptian journalist, Gaza is actually a very nice place to live. It is filled with ample living supplies, fair prices, and resorts easily accessible to the middle class. In this July 28th report, MEMRI quotes Ashraf Abu Al-Houl of Al-Ahram. He found the water parks and mall grand opening to be newsworthy, though you probably did not read about it in either the United Kingdom or North America.
Abu Al-Houl says that the resorts are expensive for many residents, charging an admission fee of about 20 shekels (about $5 USD) per day. However, it is attainable for many people.
“Several months ago, Gaza had only one luxury resort, Zahrat Al-Madain. Today, another one opens up every day, such as Crazy Water, Aqua Park, and Al-Bustan. Most of them are owned by members, or associates, of Hamas.”
Firas Press, a Palestinian news agency, goes on to discuss the opening of a new shopping mall in Gaza. This is the first mall to open in the territory. You wouldn’t guess Israel is keeping Gaza under siege as a giant prison if residents have the ability to open a new mall and new stores for the first time ever.
“This week, Gaza’s first mall opened. The inaugural ceremony was attended by Hamas ministers and officials, along with merchants and investors. Hamas Welfare Minister Ahmad Al-Kurd said, “The mall will participate in meeting the basic needs of the population, against the backdrop of the siege, with merchants bringing in [goods] via the border crossings and the tunnels.”
Even Hamas ministers acknowledge that the majority of commerce can be easily met by working Israel. So, Mr. Cameron, I urge you to fact check before you go off talking about how bad Israel treats the Palestinians. After all, you have only been Prime Minister for two months. I will call this PR blunder inexperience, but please don’t do it again. The blogosphere, and mainstream media, can be increasingly unforgiving.
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