By Carol Burns, Leeds Pax Christi
The starvation of the people of Gaza didn’t just happen in the last two years; it has being going on for one hundred years.
This is the main theme of a new book by Leeds author E Mark Windle which was sent to the Justice and Peace Commission in June. This is not a book to read from cover to cover but a very useful reference book.
I was interested to learn more as it looks at the injustice the Palestinians have endured since the Nakba in 1947 through a new lens.
This is a very well researched book with every assertion evidenced and referenced (there are 16 pages of notes)
Each chapter begins with the historical context in Gaza, even going back to the Ottoman empire years. This useful background allows the food insecurity and malnutrition over the last 100 years to be recorded and explored.
The meticulous research highlights that some of the views expressed about the Palestinians by the Israeli government about in Gaza are not new.
Writing about the importance of the water supply in the Gaza strip Windle reports that after the 6 day war in 1967, water restrictions were put in place. The suspicion was that this was a deliberate move to expel the Arab population (page 36 Windle).
Now, declassified proceedings of the Israeli security cabinet reveal this to be true. The Israeli Prime Minister Levi Eshkol is quoted as saying:
‘We should deal with is issue quietly, calmly and covertly, and should be finding a way for them to emigrate to other countries…perhaps if we don’t give them enough water, they won’t have a choice, because the orchards will yellow and wither’ ( in Haretz news 2017)
Windle’s research highlights that even before October 7th, 2023, 60% of households in the Gaza strip were moderately or severely food insecure and malnutrition in vulnerable groups was rising. This is directly because of Israeli government policies towards Gaza, including blockades and restricting access to food supplies.
Almost half of the book is devoted to the situation in Gaza after 7th October and the aftermath with some excellent factual information.
What is clear is that recovery work in the Gaza strip will take decades. Whilst aiming to be factual, it is clear that Windle is on the side of justice for the Palestinian people. His is a thoughtful analysis but it doesn’t try to hide the fact that mostly Israeli governments have had no real commitment to justice for Palestinians or a Palestinian state.
Mark Windle is a dietitian by profession, having worked for the NHS for 25 years.
The author is partnering with World Central Kitchen to produce the book and for each book sold £2 will be donated to this charity. They have been on the ground in Gaza and their website says they have been able to resume some humanitarian work. (https://wck.org/news/gaza-6-21)
You can find more out about Mark and his work on his website
The Hundred Year Hunger: A Timeline of Food Insecurity and Malnutrition in Gaza - E. Mark Windle