Overview

Beyond the headlines of destruction and despair, discover the untold story of Gaza's humanity-its joys, resilience, and vibrant community spirit, as captured by a native son. Israel's brutal assault on Gaza has plunged more than two million Palestinians into a ceaseless cycle of violence and deprivation. Despite the outrage that Israel's aggression has fanned, two opposing tropes about those who inhabit the Strip endure. For the minority backing Israel's actions, the Palestinians of Gaza are often seen as little more than terrorists. For many on the other side, they are perpetual victims, powerless and tragic. Each characterization dehumanizes Gaza's people. In this book, Mohammed Omer Almoghayer, born and raised in southern Gaza, presents a necessary corrective: What the news reports have rarely shown are the ways in which, prior to Israel's onslaught, the people of Gaza rose above their hardship to enjoy the simple pleasures of human existence. While in no way diminishing the horrors hurled at the Strip since October 7, or the prior suffering of those forced to live in what was effectively an open prison, Omer Almoghayer here tells that story. On the Pleasures of Living in Gaza takes the reader on a tour of a most misunderstood and hidden territory, allowing us to discover the community spirit, the enduring family ties, the festivals and pastimes, and the creativity and resourcefulness of people, who, in lives now tragically lost, refused to surrender to hopelessness, snatching moments of joy in the most difficult of circumstances. More than ever, it is vital that we recognize the humanity of people referred to by Israel's defense minister as ""animals,"" and by news organizations around the world by bald numbers of nameless dead. With the sensitivity and insight available to a native Gazan, Mohammed Omer's magnificent book parts the smoke and dust to show us the richness of a way of life Israel has now destroyed.

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9781682196175

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Reviews

""This bittersweet account, while swelling with optimism, preserves a record of many tragically lost people and places.""  —Publisher's Weekly ""This corrective offers memories and testimonials to … [Gaza’s] vitality before Israel’s bombing campaign reduced it to 'a garden of mass graves.'"" —New York Times Book Review ""Whenever I heard something had happened in Gaza, or I wanted to know the latest, I first turned to Mohammed Omer.” —Ali Abunimah “Mohammed Omer’s accounts are not only about the immense suffering of Gaza’s people but about their remarkable resilience and dignity.” —Sara Roy “To read Omer's captivating dispatches is to come as close as possible to the rubble-strewn ground in Gaza without passing through the fortified walls that encircle it."" —Max Blumenthal “This is not the Gaza you know. Instead, Almoghayer invites to stroll its vibrant streets, savor its seaside sunsets, and share in its unyielding spirit of humanity and defiance.” —Ahmed Shihab-Eldin, Journalist and Filmmaker “Mohammed Omer Almoghayer’s book gives us hope that Gazans will rise again from catastrophe to build a future with hope, dignity, and security.” —Helen Clark, Former Prime Minister of New Zealand

""Whenever I heard something had happened in Gaza, or I wanted to know the latest, I first turned to Mohammed Omer.” —Ali Abunimah “Mohammed Omer’s accounts are not only about the immense suffering of Gaza’s people but about their remarkable resilience and dignity.” —Sara Roy “To read Omer's captivating dispatches is to come as close as possible to the rubble-strewn ground in Gaza without passing through the fortified walls that encircle it."" —Max Blumenthal “This is not the Gaza you know. Instead, Almoghayer invites to stroll its vibrant streets, savor its seaside sunsets, and share in its unyielding spirit of humanity and defiance.” —Ahmed Shihab-Eldin, Journalist and Filmmaker “Mohammed Omer Almoghayer’s book gives us hope that Gazans will rise again from catastrophe to build a future with hope, dignity, and security.” —Helen Clark, Former Prime Minister of New Zealand

Author Information

Mohammed Omer Almoghayer. He is a recipient of the Martha Gellhorn Prize for Journalism, has a PhD in communication science, and has worked as a research fellow at Harvard University's Center for Middle East Studies.

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