Global Voices: Special Coverage from Gaza

Since December 26, Global Voices Online has been providing special coverage of the Gaza Strip bombings, including on-the-ground coverage from Gaza, and reactions from the region and around the world.

On January 2, Ayesha Saldanha brought us the voices of two bloggers, one from Sderot and one from Gaza City, with a shared message. From "Gaza and Sderot: 'The day after the war we need a new beginning'":

Gaza City and the Israeli city of Sderot are separated by just a few kilometres. A year ago, even while the people of Gaza were living in severe conditions under Israeli blockade, and Sderot was an ongoing target for rocket attacks coming out of the Gaza Strip, a blog was started by two men, one in each place. Since then they have been documenting their experiences and giving us their perspective on events, including those of the last week.

Life must go in Gaza and Sderot is joint blog written by “Peace Man” in Gaza and “Hope Man” in Sderot. The two men were introducedby Danny Gal, who works for an NGO dedicated to addressing the effects of the Middle East conflict, and they have been blogging since January 2008. CONTINUED

Marwa Rakha has been providing the Egyptian blogosphere's take on the conflict. Today, in "Egypt: Bloggers on the Fence," she looks at bloggers who have tried to remain unbiased:

Sitting on the fence requires objectivity, tolerance, and integrity. Mona Eltahawy chose to sit on the fence and Amr Gharbeia asks people to choose a solution.

In her post: “On Fence Toughtest Stance in Mideast“, Mona Eltahawy stated that:

it’s too easy to take sides in the Middle East conflict. Few other parts of the world inspire such passion or leave such little room for doubt. For many, choosing sides is just an afterthought to their birthright: If you’re an Arab, go join the Free Palestine demonstrations; and if you’re Jewish, go join the Save Israel marches.

Don’t forget, you can always throw God into the mix. Lay claim to your holy sites and you’ll have religiously sanctioned wrath to fuel your rage.

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Read Global Voices Online's full coverage of the Gaza Strip Bombings here.

Global Voices has become a source for people around the world and mainstream media during moments such as these. Visit their Special Coverage page for extensive coverage of major news events.