Christians Under Attack

GAZA - On Sheikh Ajlin Beach, dozens of Palestinian children are shouting and playing and splashing each other, like children anywhere. They are at summer camp. The lifeguard moves in between them, blowing his whistle and ordering them to stay within the marked-off swimming area. There are always a few who stray, deliberately or not. When that happens the teenaged girls who lead the various activities wade into the water in their long dresses and head coverings to make sure that the future generation of Islamic Jihad does not drown in the ocean. The organization runs the camp for disadvantaged children

All the Palestinian factions have been talking about social welfare in the past several weeks, including Islamic Jihad. Hisham, one of the camp directors, volunteers to discuss the children's schedule. He prefaces his remarks with the opening chapter of the Koran, Al-Fatiha.

"Gaza suffers from shellings, terrible economic straits and threats to the life of each one of these children day and night," Hisham explains. "So we try to detach them from the bad feelings and the horrors they are exposed to. They come in the morning and have lessons in sports such as soccer or volleyball. Afterward they go to the beach, where they swim and run around, followed by lunch. We don't forget our martyrs, and we teach them about making sacrifices on behalf of the Palestinian people and tell them the truth about Islam."

When asked about this "truth," Hisham launches into a monologue on history from his perspective: "We teach the children the truth. How the Jews persecuted the prophets and tortured them. We stress that the Jews killed and slaughtered Arabs and Palestinians every chance they got. Most important, the children understand that the conflict with the Jews is not over land, but rather over religion. As long as Jews remain here, between the [Jordan] river and the sea, they will be our enemy and we will continue to pursue and kill them. When they leave we won't hurt them."

Token fee

The children continue to play in the waves. A few drag two donkeys reluctantly into the water, apparently less than pleased with their involuntary swim. One of the donkeys was wearing a lifesaver around his neck. Everyone on the beach seemed to enjoy the sight.

Hisham explains that the children pay only a token fee for the camp, which is underwritten by "businessmen from Gaza and abroad who contribute so we can host the children of martyrs and prisoners. Their mothers also enjoy themselves on the beach and are given lunch."

Leaving Gaza

Hisham points to one boy. "Talk to him, he's from the U.S. and he'll explain the difference between Palestinian and American children." Fadl, 11, lives near the beach. His mother is American, his father Palestinian. They lived in Virginia until a few years ago when they came to visit his father's family and so that Fadl could learn Arabic.

Fadl seems embarrassed by the attention he is drawing on the beach and prefers to speak to me in English. "My mother stayed in Gaza and my father went to Canada to be with his second wife. Most of the American children are good, but some of them don't behave well. With the Palestinian children, there are good ones and bad ones," Fadl explains.

Regarding Jewish-Arab relations, Fadl is quite decisive: "I think that what they are teaching us here about Islam and the Jews is correct. There will never be peace with them."

Fadl's brother Anas, 22, stands nearby. His long beard betrays his political associations. Anas smiles when asked why he is in Gaza when he has an American passport. "I missed my brothers, I wanted to get married. Everyone asked how they can get a visa to leave, my family is the only one that wants to stay."