The Thorn and the Carnation Anthology by Yahya Al-Sinwar

Author:Yahya Al-Sinwar [Al-Sinwar, Yahya]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nineteen

I noticed Ibrahim reading a Hebrew newspaper. I didn't know Ibrahim was well-versed in Hebrew, though he knew a bit of it. It was a "Yedioth Ahronoth" newspaper. I asked him, "What is this newspaper? And what's in it?" He said, "This is a Hebrew newspaper ('Yedioth Ahronoth'), and there's an article about the Gaza Strip." He gently pulled out the newspaper along with a translation of the article and handed it to me.

It was a lengthy article describing the situation in Gaza, summarizing that the Gaza Strip has turned into a quagmire of agents and spies dealing with the Israeli intelligence service, Shin Bet. Gaza, which was a hotbed of troubles and a headache for Israelis at the beginning of the occupation, could no longer stand up, nor could it ever return to that corner. Most of the article was attributed to intelligence sources and officials in the Shin Bet.

I read that with great concern, and Ibrahim, noticing my worry, smiled and said, "Worrisome, isn't it?" I said, "Definitely." He said, "All this is nonsense. Didn't you see how Gaza turned into a volcano when they surrounded the university and we mobilized people from the mosques?" I said, "True, but..." He cut me off, saying, "No doubt they have struck the resistance hard and infiltrated our society in a terrifying way. But this land is blessed; God has blessed it and its people. When the hour comes, the genie will be unleashed again, and these people will know which way to turn." I said, "Again, I see you're being romantic and imaginative. I don't think your theory is based on accurate information and statistics, but merely dreams and wishes." He smiled confidently and said, "You'll see, Ahmad, you'll see."

Three young men in their early twenties gathered in one of the houses in Rafah refugee camp, a few dozen meters from the border fence with Egypt, whispering on a mat made of old fabrics.

Abdel Hamid: "We must do something. We can't just wait like this without taking any action."

Khalil asked, "And what can we do?"

Fareed answered, "We can arrange for some old weapons and start working with them."

Khalil objected, saying, "No... we cannot use weapons bought from the black market. You know most of it is defective, involved in crimes, or leads to immediate arrest since those trading in it do so with the knowledge of the intelligence services to arrest those who think of acting against the occupation."

Frustrated, Abdel Hamid asked, "So what do we do? We must start working."

Khalil smiled, saying, "I have a good idea. We must try it."

On Saturday at eleven in the morning, numerous buses stop at Palestine Square in Gaza City, disgorging hundreds of Jews, both men and women. They begin to stroll around the city and its markets in groups, swaying, laughing, buying whatever they fancy, eating, and drinking. Omar al-Mukhtar Street in the bustling commercial area, stretching from Palestine Square to al-Shuja'iyya Square, is crowded with them speaking Hebrew and sometimes uttering a few words in broken Arabic, causing the vendors and themselves to laugh.

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