Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, April 2008, pages 10-11

Gaza on the Ground

Getting Around in Gaza: A Testament to The Mother of Invention

By Mohammed Omer

	Two brothers and their sister share a bicycle to get to school (Photo M. Omer).

AS VICTOR HUGO quipped in 1852, “Necessity is the mother of invention.” More than a century and a half later, Palestinians, especially those caged in Gaza, struggle to cope with inhumane and impossible realities. Obstacles designed to break the will, force acquiescence and, ultimately, defeat, historically and inevitably fuel resistance in those meant to surrender. Despair turns into determination, manifesting itself in acts of ingenious invention.

In an act of desperation this past January, Gazans blew massive holes in Israel’s monstrous 25-foot-high wall separating Gaza from Egypt, thus allowing hundreds of thousands of families, including the sick and injured, to obtain the basic necessities of life—food, medicine, fuel and more—denied them by the occupying power. Most returned with enough supplies to last for a few weeks. Several families purchased livestock, cows and goats, providing food to eat and renewable products to market. With immediate survival needs taken care of for the moment, Gazans looked for more long-term solutions to such chronic problems as transportation, made difficult due to the lack of fuel.

The Livestock Option

Badwan Al Arja, 40, had a problem. The father of 18 children by his two wives, he was spending a small fortune getting his family from place to place.

“From the first day [the wall opened],” Al Arja explained, “I thought: a donkey is what I need.” Once the wall was breached, he and several family members took turns transporting a donkey, purchased in Egypt for approximately $300, through the rubble back to their home.

“Taxis are very expensive,” he explained. “With the donkey, I save more than 30 NIS [about $8.40] per day taking my wives to clinics, my children to schools and paying for visits to relatives.”

Al Arja’s children range from 2 to 22 years old. Six are students. Fortunately, Al Arja himself is physically healthy.

His children represent his greatest pride and accomplishment in life, as evidenced by his wide smile and effusive words when he speaks of them. He would like two more children, he said, “but only if my situation allows.”

Politically neutral and affiliated with neither Hamas nor Fatah, this loving father understands, given the daily carnage inflicted on Gaza by the occupying forces, young people’s attraction to the resistance fighters. His home is situated adjacent to the Rafah cemetery, where nearly every day—including during this interview—funeral processions pass by his home. Today’s was for a young man killed in a motorcycle accident—a new danger in Gaza.

On Steel Horses We Ride

In contrast to Al Arja, 39-year-old Adel Abu Siam from Rafah rejects the donkey cart as a mode of transportation. “This doesn’t suit me,” he said with a bemused air, explaining that it’s “not prestigious.”

A motorcycle, however, provides a decent compromise. Living just yards from the border, and hence one of the first to cross into Egypt, Abu Siam knew exactly what he needed. He refers to his new motorcycle outfitted with a hitch and trailer as his “truck.” With his family’s entire income based on the output of their 10 cows, he needed something that would allow him to transport the milk, cheese and yogurt his family makes and which he now sells directly from his new truck.

Normally motorcycles purchased in Egypt cost between $800 and $2,000, depending upon the size and brand. Several Gazans expressed suspicion that when the wall came down, the prices went up. Abu Siam bought his “truck” for $2,000, which he had to borrow because as a result of the siege, Gaza’s banks no longer have American dollars, only Israeli shekels—which are not widely appreciated in Egypt.

During the temporary opening of Gaza’s border, Chinese-made motorcycles and bicycles streamed into the Strip through Egypt. Previously, this popular mode of transportation was rarely seen in Gaza—but the vehicle’s fuel efficiency and flexibility, along with home-grown ingenuity, changed Gaza into a motorcycle haven overnight.

Families used what little saving they had left, borrowing and selling assets, to purchase motorbikes, thus assuring them access to transportation. In Egypt and Gaza alike, many of the new motorbikes were creatively altered, transforming them into new versions of pick-up trucks, family “cars” and other unique vehicles.

Reining in Riders

According to official Palestinian estimates, some 15,000 motorcycles were brought into Gaza during the breach, providing transportation for tens of thousands of people. Not only were many of the bikes modified in ways that wouldn’t pass inspection elsewhere, however, but some of the newly minted bikers had little or no motorcyle experience. The fact that standard safety clothing and equipment such as goggles, gloves, chaps and helmets have yet to make their way into Gaza makes operating the new vehicles even more dangerous. Three people have died in accidents and six others are in intensive care, clinging to life. Another 50 have been injured, 17 of whom are recuperating from various broken bones and internal injuries.

Observed Dr. Mawia Hasaneen, head of reception and ambulance services at Shifa hospital: “It seems to me our people are looking for local recreation through this crisis.”

Addressing the nascent motorcycle movement’s chaotic learning curve coupled with its Wild West tendencies and the threat to the general population of motorized, unskilled steel horse jockeys, the Ministry of Interior in Gaza has called for owners to register their motorcycles and has begun to offer training and special licenses in order to minimize the numbers of casualties to riders, as well as to those sharing the streets and roads with them.

Rush Hour, Gaza-Style

Once the domain of cars and trucks, donkey carts, motorcycles and bicycles now vie for space on Gaza’s streets. The implications of mixing motorized, animal-driven and human-propelled vehicles together remains to be seen.

Undeterred, however, life in Gaza continues. For three brief days, Gazans defied the occupation and siege, taking matters into their own hands. Given the brevity of their freedom, Gazans’ top priority was attending to the systemic obstacles confronting them on a daily basis. Motorcycles, bikes and donkeys emerged as the best solutions.

“Opening the border didn’t end the siege,” acknowledged Abu Siam, “but it did allow us to breathe.”

While agreeing that the blasting down of the wall and opening of the border “has helped a bit,” he prays the world community will place enough pressure on Israel to force it to lift the punitive siege on Gaza. His face reflecting his melancholy as he spoke of the scarcity and poverty imposed by the siege, he admitted, “Sometimes, I can’t afford an apple, even when my child cries for one.”

Abu Siam believes the world is purposely ignoring the Palestinians. “We are being slaughtered, and no one feels for us!” he exclaimed.

Abu Siam has no problem living and working with Israelis, Jewish or otherwise. “I worked in Israel for seven years,” he explained. At the moment, however, his tolerance toward Israel’s oppression has evaporated. According to numerous polls over the past few years, the majority of Israelis (52 percent to 72 percent, depending on the poll) continue to express the outlook of past segregated colonial societies—preferring transfer, containment or ethnic cleansing of their Palestinian neighbors to cohabitation, equal rights and working together. The result is life as usual in Israel and tough choices in Gaza.

“I have to choose between feeding the cows that provide our living,” Abu Siam admitted solemnly. “Choose between feeding the cows,” he repeated, “OR feeding my children.”

Mohammed Omer, winner of New America Media’s Best Youth Voice award, reports from the Gaza Strip, where he maintains the Web site <www.rafahtoday.org>. He can be reached at <gazanews@yahoo.com>.