In Gaza, a dream of sailboats meets land's limited horizons
Mahfouz Kabariti spent years trying to round up a fleet of sailboats for Gaza's children as a distraction from their violent life. The boats arrived, but remain beached in his yard.
Mahfouz Kabariti spent years trying to round up a fleet of sailboats for Gaza's children as a distraction from their violent life. The boats arrived, but remain beached in his yard.
This is the first post of a new weekday feature from the Monitor's Jerusalem bureau chief, Christa Case Bryant. Read the introductory post聽for more explanation.聽
When life gets tough in Gaza, Mahfouz Kabariti takes refuge in his garage.
It鈥檚 not that it鈥檚 all that safe in there; last fall when Israel pounded the coastal territory with airstrikes during an eight-day conflict with Hamas, a piece of shrapnel came flying through the garage鈥檚 one tiny window and shattered the back windshield of Mr. Kabariti鈥檚 old white Fiat.
Fortunately his 1938 British Standard 鈥� the oldest car in the Palestinian territories, he reckons 鈥� was unharmed.
But it鈥檚 here, in this dusty den of antique motor cars, that Kabariti tinkers away and leaves behind the pressures of living in perpetual conflict.
鈥淭he happiest place I spend time is here,鈥� says Kabariti, who repaired the Standard鈥檚 engine himself. 鈥淲hen you concentrate on something like this hobby, this makes you feel calm.鈥�
This closet collector is by no means a hermit. Outside the garage sit six sailboats 鈥� three Olympic standard and three kids鈥� boats 鈥� part of a 10-boat fleet for the new youth sailing center he opened last fall.
The average 13-year-old here was born against the backdrop of the second intifada against Israel and was just finishing first grade as Palestinian rival factions Hamas and Fatah factions clashed in vicious street battles that ultimately led to Fatah鈥檚 ouster. The next year, Israel retaliated against persistent rocket fire with a fierce three-week war on Gaza, in which more than 1,000 Palestinians were killed. Just as the youth became a teenager, Hamas and Israel entered another round of violence last fall.
Since Hamas assumed full control of Gaza in 2007, Israel has blockaded the territory, citing security concerns. It took Kabariti more than four years to get his sailboats to Gaza; much of the time they sat idle in Cyprus. In the end, he brought them into Egypt via the Mediterranean port city of Alexandria and sent them overland to Gaza.
He won鈥檛 say they came through the illegal tunnels along that border, which are used to smuggle everything from motorcycles to weapons. But there is no other way, since the sole legal crossing is open only to people, not goods.
Now the kiddie boats are nestled in the corner of his seaside compound, next to a 1971 VW bug with a gaping hole in the left front fender 鈥� another casualty of the November conflict. In all, he has half a dozen antique cars, but he doesn鈥檛 drive any of them because the Hamas-run Ministry of Transportation would tax him as if they were brand new. That means about $400 per year for his 1956 Oldsmobile, and another $300 for insurance. In a territory where the per capita income is聽less than $1,000 per year, that鈥檚 a lot.
But despite the flaws of the Hamas government and the pressures of living in a state at enmity with Israel, Kabariti says he鈥檒l never leave.
鈥淢aybe to travel, for leisure,鈥� says the businessman, enjoy coffee amid his flower beds. 鈥淏ut to stay forever and live, I don鈥檛 prefer any place [to] Gaza.鈥�