The appalling psychological damage done to young people in Gaza by Israel's war and on-going oppression has long been documented. Now there is new evidence in the shape of the rising uptake in martial arts classes as Gaza's youth increasingly look to ways of defending themselves and their families from the violence and indiscriminate terror of the 'most moral army in the world' - the misnamed Israel Defence Force:
A spokesman for Gaza’s kung fu and karate union says attendance at the classes has doubled since the Israeli offensive
SALIH AL-MASRI, a skinny nine-year-old in a red martial arts uniform, grits his teeth as he stands barefoot on shards of broken glass and recalls his family’s plight during the war in Gaza.“This sport makes me strong so I can defend myself, my family and my country from the Jews,” he says. “We ran away from our home during the war because we were afraid of the shelling,” he adds. “But after we returned I started coming here every day to train. Now I’m strong, and I’m not afraid of anyone.” Haunted by what they saw during the massive Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip at the turn of the year, growing numbers of children are flocking to martial arts classes across the devastated Palestinian coastal territory.
more at Pakistan's English language Daily Times
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