Its walls collapsed and its minaret cut short, Gaza’s Omari mosque remains standing but vastly diminished. Around it, the historic old city is also in tatters. The 7th-century mosque, also known as the Great Mosque of Gaza, was Gaza’s most famous and its surroundings a focal point of the Palestinian enclave’s history and culture, but the damage done to its heritage over more than 100 days of Israeli bombardment spreads across the city.

For the few Palestinians who remain, and the far greater number displaced and hoping to return, the culture and history has been reduced to memories.

“The city is a ghost town, people walk around with pale faces and their spirits are tired after having gone through this war. If you walk to the old city of Gaza, you will only remember the memories and feel sickened and saddened by the amount of destruction of cultural and religious sites,” said Bader Alzaharna, who lives in Gaza City despite the intensity of Israel’s ground operation in the area.

“The old city of Gaza, which used to be full of cultural sites, is grey and overcast. Walking in Gaza feels like we are in a movie, in a fictional story, in a fantasy. The scene is apocalyptic.”

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  • Hyperreality@kbin.social
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    9 months ago

    these people are white and European

    More than half of Israelis have Middle Eastern or North African heritage.

    If you’re transposing relatively binary American notions of race (invariably based on skin colour) on a conflict half way around the world, you’re entirely out of your depth when it comes to Israeli politics and the current conflict.

    Eg. Netenyahu may be ‘white’ but Likud and right wing voters are overwhelmingly of middle-eastern or north african heritage. IRC Ben-Gvir, the far right minister of National security, is of Iraqi and Kurdish origin.

    Given your comment was upvoted significantly, that’s a damning indictment on how uneducated people are here too and how outdated their views on Israel are. Seriously people, go read about Israeli politics. Tiktok videos aren’t enough. Hell, here’s a website which has been previously accused of being pro-Hamas/Muslim brotherhood:

    https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/israel-why-right-wing-mizrahi-vote-misunderstood

    • NoneOfUrBusiness@kbin.social
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      9 months ago

      If you’re transposing relatively binary American notions of race (invariably based on skin colour) on a conflict half way around the world, you’re entirely out of your depth when it comes to Israeli politics and the current conflict.

      Uh… That’s not what they’re doing; they’re saying you can’t deny the race factor in why Israeli lives are viewed as more important than Palestinian lives in the West, and especially in America. Keyword in the West; we’re not talking about Israel itself here.

    • Linkerbaan@lemmy.world
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      9 months ago

      The entire israeli cabinet looks rather white though, or am I imagining things here?

      Most recent “birthright” (no birthright for Palestinians amiright xD) immigration also seems to have come from America, specifically New York.

      • Hyperreality@kbin.social
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        9 months ago

        Oh, it’s you again.

        am I imagining things here?

        Oh, no. I assume you’re just being ignorant (again) and think some of them just have a bit of a tan. If you actually google them, you’ll find plenty are also of middle-eastern or North African origin. Here’s a few of them, I’ve included a few ministers who were active till 2023:

        Uriel Menachem Buso is an Israeli politician who serves as Minister of Health … His mother Heftziba is the daughter of the Moroccan-born Mayor

        Amichai Chikli … serves as the Minister of Diaspora Affairs and the Minister for Social Equality. … Chikli was born in Jerusalem in 1981 to a Tunisian Jewish family.

        May Golan … is an Israeli politician and activist … In 2023, a group of former Israeli ambassadors said they were “shocked” by the appointment of Golan as Israel’s new women’s advancement minister, saying that “Golan’s appointment is outrageous as she is a racist and divisive figure … She is the child of a single Orthodox Jewish mother … from Iraq

        Shlomo Karhi … is currently a member of the Knesset for Likud and serving as the Minister of Communications in the thirty-seventh government … Karhi was born … to mother Mazal and father Rabbi David Karhi, an Israeli-born Sabra of Tunisian Jewish heritage from Djerba

        Makhlouf “Miki” Zohar … currently serves as the Minister of Culture and Sports in the thirty-seventh government. … His father Eli was an immigrant from Morocco and his mother Dina was from Tunisia.

        David “Dudi” Amsalem … previously held the posts of Minister of Communications … His parents, Avraham and Sultana Amsalem, were immigrants from Morocco

        Ofir Sofer … is currently the Minister of Aliyah and Integration … He is of Tunisian-Jewish descent.

        Galit Distel-Atbaryan … was formerly the Minister of Information. … Distel-Atbaryan was born in Jerusalem to Iranian Jewish immigrants

        Ya’akov Margi … currently serves as the Minister of Labor, Social Affairs and Social Services. … Margi was born in Rabat in Morocco and brought to Israel during Operation Yachin

        Itamar Ben-Gvir … is an Israeli lawyer and far-right extremist… who has served as the Minister of National Security since 2022 … His father was born in Jerusalem to Iraqi Jewish immigrants. He worked at a gasoline company and dabbled in writing. His mother was a Kurdish Jewish immigrant

        Yifat Shasha-Biton … was appointed Minister of Education in June 2021 … Yifat Shasha-Biton was born … to Rachel, a nurse born in Morocco and Moshe David … born in Iraq.

        Don’t bother responding.

        You’ve embarassed yourself enough.