Met by hummus, united by love.
This is Saad Elalami from Gaza, if you are looking for a talented writer, he is your guy. We met ‘On the Hummus Route’.
A couple of days ago, we texted him to check how he’s doing these days, worried about the situation in Gaza, which is already under blockade for 13 years now, with a suffocating healthcare system. Saad immediately replied that he’s well, and sent us photos from his house in downtown Gaza, showing us the deserted streets.
In our Gaza chapter, philosopher Anna-Marie Ravitzki wrote in her essay ‘Angels in Gaza’:
“… In Gaza, I experienced a dervish angel with eyes so blue that all of the world’s goodness melted into his eyeball, and the big blue sky. I know he noticed me. Today I freeze with shame whenever bad words are linked to this place… because both, you and I, have already eaten from the forbidden fruit and are now in dialogue where each of us grants the other this ethical claim for the right to exist, to equality, and to love.” We met by hummus, and are united by love. A new social order. No borders. Join us.
