Gaza’s Ark not only challenges the blockade physically, as previous flotillas have done, but also provides investment, training and employment in Gaza. The project simultaneously promotes Palestinian trade with the outside world through the only Mediterranean port closed to shipping.
The human costs of the blockade have been well documented, although seldom reported. Eighty per cent of the population of Gaza are now aid-dependent, while the virtual ban on exports has helped unemployment in Gaza soar to over 35 per cent, with exports only 5 per cent of what they were in 2007.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has pointed out that “the whole of Gaza’s civilian population is being punished for acts for which they bear no responsibility”. The ICRC asserts that the “closure therefore constitutes a collective punishment imposed in clear violation of Israel’s obligations under international humanitarian law”.
My time in Gaza strengthened my belief in the importance of Gaza’s Ark. The high rate of unemployment in Gaza is a direct effect of Israel’s illegal blockade and no amount of aid will change the despair of those currently unemployed. By attempting to establish a trade route between Gaza and the rest of the world, Gaza’s Ark is providing a ray of hope to the Palestinians of Gaza for an economy independent of the occupying power.
This is a vital step towards self-determination, a step the Oslo process of the 1990s – which was supposed to lead to a final peace in the region – has failed to deliver.
Gaza’s Ark, to me, and to many Palestinians in Gaza, is much more than a trade mission. It is an act of solidarity, which raises awareness of the situation the residents of Gaza currently face, summed up by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency in its recent comprehensive report on the Palestinian enclave, which concluded that: “Gaza will no longer be ‘liveable’ by 2020 unless urgent action is taken to improve water supply, power, health and schooling” .
With governments around the world ignoring Israel’s regular violations of international law, I feel it is important to show the Palestinian people – through direct actions – that our governments do not speak for us with regard to the human rights of Palestinians. History has shown that on issues of social justice, it is usually people who lead and governments that follow.
Gaza’s Ark will progress, but it needs your support. You can help fund the refurbishment process, or you can purchase Palestinian products that will be exported aboard the Ark. And let’s be honest, how often in this modern world do you get a chance to purchase a share in hope?
