Swim With Gaza

Acts of solidarity usually take the form of vigils, pickets or demonstrations. But on 26 August we want as many people as possible to leap into the sea as an act of solidarity. If you can’t swim or don’t want to swim, just come along for a paddle. Laurie Holden writes.

Since 2007 the people of Gaza have been imprisoned under siege. They have no parks, no mountains, no valleys. But they have the sea. So that’s why we’re joining them for a solidarity swim.

This will be a truly international day with events planned in Cape Town, Johannesburg, Kuala Lumpur, Ireland (four locations so far), Florida, Maine, Mexico, Spain, Jerusalem/Al Quds, Jenin, Carcavelos and Melides Beach in Portugal, London (Hampstead Heath), Bethlehem, Salt Lake City, Acre/Akka, Rio de Janeiro and Greece. And along the south coast we will be joined by Brighton and Worthing. More locations are being announced all the time.

The annual Gaza Swimming Festival will be held earlier than usual on 26th August to coincide with our international swim. The Festival is run by Amjed Tantish whose Tantish Swimming Academy has taught thousands of children in Gaza to swim. Amjed started his academy over 20 years ago with five students. This was at a time when he saw that drownings amongst local children were common. He started in Gaza City’s port. But when the Israeli military bombed the sewage pipes in 2004, the water in the port became contaminated and he had to abandon it.

So then Amjed found an area inland where he dug a hole and lined it with plastic so he could continue lessons. But the Israeli military destroyed this in 2006 when it launched ‘Operation Summer Rains.’ So he then built a pool at the farm his family owns in Beit Lahia, also inland. But in 2008 came ‘Operation Cast Lead’ when Amjed’s house was hit. Two of his nephews, 11-year-old Hamza and 17-year-old Mahmoud were killed; to be exact, they were blown to bits with just body parts left.

So Amjed built another pool and started again, giving lessons to children suffering from anxiety and other symptoms of trauma brought about by Israeli bombing. But this operation became increasingly more difficult. Because Israel blew up Gaza’s only power plant, electricity became both intermittent and more expensive; so it became more difficult to use a pump to filter the water. The economy in Gaza was hit hard by Israel’s siege, which meant that fewer parents could afford swimming lessons. So the money ran out and Amjed had to close down.

But in 2014 when five children from Amjed’s town drowned in the sea, he started up again, this time at a pool near the harbour. In just five weeks Amjed taught 110 children to swim. But then came ‘Protective Edge’, where the Israeli military killed 2,202 Palestinians including 526 children. Amjed’s pool was damaged and had become contaminated by the bombing.

But Amjed is a man who won’t give up. He then went about building the biggest and best pool of the lot. Using rubble from destroyed houses brought about by Israeli bombing, he made a pool that filtered out the polluted water from the destroyed sewage mains which Israel had again destroyed. This became the ‘Tantish Pool,’ one of whose walls still bears the words “Abu Saleem Playground,” a hangover from its former function.

Amjed’s swimming academy has now taught more than 5,000 children to swim, employing 40 instructors, both men and women. Amjed is particularly proud of the number of girls who have become strong and talented swimmers.

On 26 August, Gaza will be at the centre of the international event, with Amjed planning to have 1,000 children swimming as the conclusion of this year’s annual Gaza Swimming Festival. This takes place in northern Gaza. We’re hoping that our friends in the south in Al-Mawasi will get involved. There is currently a campaign to twin Hastings with the town of Al-Mawasi.

Amjed is just one of the 2.2 million Gazans living in an area smaller than the Isle of Wight. They have suffered almost 17 years of siege. It is often described as ‘the world’s largest open-air prison.’ Even ex-Prime Minister Cameron described Gaza as a ‘prison camp.’ It has the highest unemployment rate in the world (45%, 61% among 15-29 year olds). 97% of the water is undrinkable.

Alongside the land blockade is the naval blockade which has made fishing a dangerous profession. There are regular reports of the Israeli military shooting at fishing boats, seizing fishermen’s boats and equipment, and arresting fishermen. 184 shooting incidents against fishermen have been recorded so far in 2023.

In 2015 the United Nations stated that Gaza will be ‘uninhabitable by 2020.’ Yes, that’s 2020!

Free swimming lessons

So 26 August is a chance for us to show solidarity with the people of Gaza, to say to them: we haven’t forgotten you, we’re on your side. If you don’t want to swim or paddle, just come along for a picnic. Or even just chuck some money in one of our buckets – to raise funds for free swimming lessons for disadvantaged children in Gaza.

A fund has been set up to give free lessons for 100 children whose families cannot afford the lessons. The children to be offered the lessons are either those known to Amjed’s team, or referred by humanitarian organisations, which include children of political prisoners, orphaned children or those whose homes have been destroyed. We will be collecting on the day, but donations can be sent online to: https://www.gofundme.com/f/free-swimming-lessons-in-gaza

Our mayor has been invited to set the event in motion. We will have a drone camera so that we can publicise the event far and wide. Can we replicate last year’s Gaza Swimming Festival?

And of course we’re hoping that Southern Water will keep a lid on its sea pollution for a few days.

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