Asarah B'Tevet: Remembering the Siege

Today of all days seems an appropriate one to recall a brutal siege that took place in the Land of Israel.

And that continues to take place as I write. This siege began more than two years ago, and has utterly devastated the people of the Gaza Strip.

A few facts about the effects of Israel's siege on Gaza, as Jews fast to remember another siege, some two-and-a-half thousand years ago:

- 10,000 people in Gaza have no running water; 40,000 people are cut off from electricity, and power outages for eight hours, four times per week are common in most homes.

- Unemployment in the third quarter of 2009 in Gaza was 42.3%

- School supplies are permitted to enter Gaza only if they are designated for UNRWA (and even then, they have been delayed for months). The other two-thirds of Gazan schools, responsible for the education of nearly a quarter of a million children, must do without.

- Industrial diesel for electricity production is permitted to enter Gaza only up to the 'minimum threshold' declared by the Israeli High Court--this was enough, in the month of November, to cover 39.1% of the population's needs.

- 97% of Gaza factories have been idle for the last two years

- Since last year's 'war,' only 19 trucks have been permitted to enter Gaza with construction materials. This despite the fact that, during the war, 3,500 houses were destroyed and 56,000 damaged.

- Only foods that have been designated as not constituting 'luxury items' are permitted to enter Gaza. But no list is available, nor has any explanation been provided as to the seemingly arbitrary prohibitions and permissions. Honey and canned fruits are forbidden, as was tea, until it was suddenly permitted. Pasta has been permitted since February. Small packets of margarine are permitted, whilst large ones are forbidden.

For more information and data, see the Gisha website.

And perhaps we should ask ourselves, while commemorating a fast for a siege that took place millenia ago: Will this siege be easily forgotten by its victims?