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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.
About the author
Mohammed Omer Almoghayer is a Palestinian author and journalist, born and raised in Rafah, south Gaza Strip. He has reported for various media outlets, including the
New York Times,
Al Jazeera,
the New Statesman, the Nation and
Democracy Now. Omer Almoghayer is the author of
Shell-Shocked and co-author of
The Oslo Accords 1993–2013: A Critical Assessment. 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.
Summary
Israel’s relentless response to the October 7th murders on its southern border has turned Gaza yet again into a bloodbath, bringing unimaginable suffering to its inhabitants. There have always been two opposing tropes about those who inhabit the Strip: On the one hand, they are crazed terrorists. On the other, they are perpetual victims. Each characterization feeds a dehumanization of Gaza’s Palestinians.
While in no way diminishing the horrors that have been visited on the Strip in recent weeks, or the prior suffering of those forced to live in what was effectively an open prison, Mohammed Omer, born and raised in southern Gaza, here presents a necessary corrective: What the news reports have never shown are the ways in which, prior to Israel’s onslaught, the people of Gaza were able to rise above their hardship, to experience the simple joys of human existence despite the bombs and barbed-wire fences.
In these pages Omer takes the reader on a tour of this most misunderstood and hidden territory, allowing us to discover the community spirit, the enduring family ties, the festivals and recreations, and the creativity and resourcefulness of people, who, in lives now tragically lost, refused to surrender to the deprivations visited on them.
Now, more than ever, we need to recognize the humanity of people referred to by Israel’s defense minister as “animals”, and by news organizations around the world by numbers of nameless dead. With the sensitivity and compassion available to someone who comes from inside the community, Mohammed Omer’s magnificent book parts the smoke and dust to show us the extraordinary resilience of people whose lives war is now destroying.
Foreword
- Leverage the author’s connections as a journalist to pitch reviews, interviews, and op-eds across a wide range of mainstream and left-media. As this book follows on the author’s 2015 book Shell Shocked, which was covered by The New York Times, Vijay Prashad, Huffington Post, Counterfire, Mondoweiss, Electronic Intifada, Middle East Monitor, TruthOut, The Independent, Socialist Worker, RT, and Democracy Now!, we can capitalise on previous media attention and connections as well as continuing interest in this topic.
- Additionally, we will pitch op-eds, reviews, interviews and excerpts to The Los Angeles Times, The Los Angeles Review of Books, The Guardian, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, The Nation, Al Jazeera, Jacobin, The Washington Post, The Intercept, Bookforum, Middle East Eye, Tribune, Morning Star, Monthly Review, Red Pepper, The Canary, Novara Media, OpenDemocracy, Double Down News, and more. Pitch television, radio, and podcast interviews with Democracy Now!, Al Jazeera, The Mehdi Hasan Show, BBC News, Intercepted, The Dig, Breaking Points, Rising, Useful Idiots, Bad Faith, Citations Needed, On the Media, Novara Media, A World to Win, The Chris Hedges Report, The Jimmy Dore Show, The Empire Files, The Palestine Pod, and more.
- Conduct dynamic social media campaign, running giveaways, offering discounts, and coordinating with key influencers.
