Mississippians Reflect on Conflict in Gaza

The conflict in the Gaza Strip is affecting people all over the world with connections to the area. MPB’s Stephen Koranda spoke with Mississippians on both sides of the issue.

Palestinian-American Emad Al Turk lives in Ridgeland, but his family originally hails from the Gaza area. He still has relatives living there, and the fighting has him concerned.

“It is very difficult to actually communicate with anybody on the ground. A lot of times they can’t have phone service. I have not been able to get in touch with most of them,” says Al Turk “I’m really worried about not only the people I know, but the other one-and-a half million Gazans who are imprisoned in their homes.”

He says he’d like more Mississippians to know the history of the area, what he feels has been more than 40 years of oppression and displacement of Palestinians by Israel. Al Turk recently returned from a trip to the Middle East, he says there the news coverage is different.

“Basically over here it’s a one sided story, and they simplify the problem to say the reason for the war is Hamas was launching missiles against Israel,” he says.

There’s a simple outcome Al Turk would like to see in Gaza.

“That human rights are respected, and the rights of all people, regardless of their religious background or ethnic background, are protected,” says Al Turk.

A desire for peace is something shared by people on both sides of the issue. Mark Fijman chairs the Board of Trustees of the Jewish Beth Israel Congregation in Jackson.

“It’s unfortunate,” says Fijman. “Our faith is such that we obviously promote peace, and it’s a shame that so many opportunities for peace have been lost in that region.”

Fijman also believes the news coverage of the Middle East conflict in America isn’t fair.

“Hamas has been shooting missiles into Israel for years,” he says. “There’s no real media attention to that, but the second Israel responds all of a sudden it becomes a humanitarian crisis.”

A Rabbi from Fijman’s congregation is in Israel right now, and youth groups from the area often travel to Israel. Fijman hopes more Mississippians would be able to see the issue from the perspective of Israelis living through it.

“What I would want the average Mississippian to know is that the people in Israel who are having missiles sent into their civilian areas every day are the same type of people they are,” says Fijman. “They want a peaceful life and they want a life free from violence.”

With Israeli military forces now pushing into Gaza, people like theses two Mississippians will have to continue waiting for the peace they want to see in the area.