Gaza English library opens window to world
gaza city — Mossab Abu Toha has never actually left Gaza, instead devouring books as an escape. Now he is struggling to open the first Englishlanguage library in the beleaguered Palestinian territory.
“Send us books in English, new or used,” says the 24-year-old reading enthusiast on his Facebook page.
Abu Toha, like so many Gazans effectively trapped in the Palestinian enclave by Israeli restrictions, dreams of travelling.
Israel has maintained a blockade on Gaza for a decade. In a territory where even the delivery of basic necessities is anything but simple, literature is also a victim of politics.
“There are few books in English,” Abu Toha said, and they “arrive well after their publication because of the blockade”.
Even the idea of falling back on electronic versions is problematic.
“The electricity cuts all the time,” said Shadi Salem, who is helping Abu Toha set up the project.
Gaza receives only a few hours of power per day due to chronic energy shortages.
Since the July launch of their “Library & Bookshop for Gaza” page, which has nearly 2,500 followers, the two friends say they have collected more than 200 books, including from American and European donors, as well as $2,000.
But delivery has again been an issue. For months in 2016, Israel blocked the arrival of parcels into the Gaza Strip because they alleged its rulers Hamas were using it to send equipment for weapons.
The transfer was restored in December. For the time being, the 200 books received and his personal library — about 400 — stand on shelves in the family home in Beit Lahia in northern Gaza.
The goal is a thousand more books. Of all his books he highlighted three from American philosopher Noam Chomsky, who sent them to him personally.
In 2014, the Israeli military launched its third assault on Gaza. Among the sites hit was the Islamic University, with its English bookshop badly damaged.
“I was shocked: The Israeli army, backed by the West, bombed books in English,” recalled the young man who sports a trim black beard. —