Wednesday, July 4, 2007

ALAN JOHNSTON IS FREE

After 114 days of Alan's captivity, this is wonderful news from Gaza.

Last night I was visiting my friend Abu Joudat and his family, who live right next to the Doughmosh clan, some of their members were the ones holding Alan. I got to Abu Joudat’s house after 10pm and the street was full of checkpoints, and masked gunmen in some areas. These scenes are not new in Gaza and yet in the past three weeks there has been very little of this. There was much talk that Hamas had taken the spokesman of the Islamic Army hostage along with other clan members while the Islamic Army had taken some Hamas members and negotiations were under way.

Abu Joudat predicted to me he expected this to be the night Alan would be freed. At 6:30am he called and confirmed his prediction. Alan was amazingly calm in a press conference. After a nice homos breakfast with all the Hamas leadership he is now off to Jerusalem.

Here, a timeline of his time in captivity.

Alan's freeing is incredible proof of Hamas’ ability to ascertain law and order, Fatah and no one else was ever able to do the same. Sadly I doubt this will change international leaders relations with Hamas, who are calling for both negotiations with Fatah’s new emergency government as well as with Israel. Neither is replying. I am pleased that Hamas have made Gaza a much safer place to live in again. Radio stations in Gaza aired many callers who were relieved and overjoyed at Alan’s release. Today Gaza loses a true friend, who lived in Gaza for three years as the only international journalist to be stationed here full-time, telling of the plight of the Palestinians.

The fact that beaches have been packed over the past weeks is proof of Hamas’ ability to bring security. For many in Gaza the beach is really the only distraction, the only escape from the unemployment and poverty. While conflict continued between Fatah and Hamas in the past many months, beaches remained rather empty, few people had the nerve to seek such enjoyment under those circumstances. By 8pm most nights the streets were almost completely empty.

Now all that has changed. Yesterday, a regular workday, the beaches were full. Even by 9pm in the Northern Gaza Strip, just kilometers from Israel’s border and the very site where an entire family was
murdered when Israeli tanks shelled a beach one year ago families were still out enjoying the summer and the new found safety in the Gaza Strip.

Let us hope that this summer will bring some quiet for the people of Gaza.



4 comments:

Anonymous said...

People in Europe have been moved and sometimes surprised to observe how relieved ordinary Palestinian felt at the release of Alan Johnston.
The fact that Palestinian-especially from Gaza- strongly condemned his abduction; the easy-going behavior of the BBC reporter with PM Haniyah at the news conference might do a lot for an ideology-free understanding of the situation.
Now, your article on the beaches being full illustrates more than anything else the reality of civic order and respect for non Islamist choices by the Hamas authorities.
Alan Johnston, by his soft, warm et quiet attitude at his release showed his affection for Gaza was sincere.
I would say he used this opportunity to bring a message of understanding amongst people.
Once again.

Anonymous said...

Three cheers for Hamas for restoring law in Gaza. The US and Israel must have hated the fact that Johnston is free -- they would rather he be captive and give Hamas a bad name...

Anonymous said...

i am honestly relieved and thrilled that Alan has been released.

now perhaps we can focus on freeing the millions of Palestinians from the Israeli Occuppation and apartheid. $0 years is 40 too late.

Anonymous said...

what a propaganda

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