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Posts from the ‘Editorial’ category

Palestine (Israel, Feb. 1948)

THE REFUGEE SHIP

Time to play detective. If you are unable to positively identify a photo regarding time and place at least you should try to determine what it is not. That is how we have always proceeded. This photo caught our eye. Was it a troop ship or a refugee ship? Close examination of the passengers ruled out the former as these are clearly not soldiers or sailors. So, refugees. We eliminated “boat people’ from Vietnam as the passengers appear to be Caucasian. Mariel boat lift from Cuba? Ship is way too large. Albanians fleeing to Italy? Wrong kind of ship.

Could these be survivors of the Titanic aboard the Carpathia? The hull does not match that of the Carpathia. Wish that is what it was, but the final answer is also significant. These are, in fact, Jewish refugees who were survivors of the Holocaust emigrating to Palestine (Israel) in 1948. Documentation that accompanied the photo set the date as 1948. The  ship’s hull does not match the Exodus nor the Theodore Herzl. Possible match is the S.S. Patria, but we give a higher rating to the S.S. Providence which sailed from Marseilles. Again, we cannot be completely certain as to the name of this ship but its passengers and destination are beyond question.

 

“Jewish Refugee Ship“; Palestine (Israel, Feb. 1948).

Tupelo, Mississippi (1923)

KLAN

If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck and quacks like a duck it is probably a duck. We assess that the men in white shirts and ties are high ranking members of the Ku Klux Klan, and along with other members are marching down Main street at the Crossroads in Tupelo, Mississippi (1923). This was during the second coming of the Klan. A sale on fedoras perhaps? Unlikely.

 

“Klan“; Tupelo, Mississippi (1923)

Mt. Suribachi: Iwo Jima

MT. SURIBACHI: IWO JIMA

I believe that most of us are familiar with the statue memorializing the flag raising atop Mt.Suribachi on Iwo Jima that stands in Washington D. C. It has been photographed countless times, and we have several images of it on our website. What we show in this blog is the original monument to the flag raising atop Mt. Suribachi as it appeared in 1945 while still under construction. I understand that the completed monument has been moved off Suribachi and is now located near the landing beaches. It was also explained to me that there was a cemetery for our fallen soldiers on Suribachi in 1945 which has also been relocated near the monument where it now stands. Photos of the completed monument can be seen on the internet, but none at the original location as we present here. It is like looking at Mt. Rushmore while only partially completed, and by the way we have that too on DPI. So honor the 5th Marines and Joe Rosenthal for capturing what Henri Cartier-Bresson called the “decisive moment”.

 

“Mt. Suribachi: Iwo Jima“

GAZA: THANKS TO EGYPT AND CANDLE LIGHTING CEREMONY (MAY 24, 2021)

Today was a day of thanks and remembrance in Gaza City. The people turned out during the day to celebrate the brokered ceasefire accomplished by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi between Hamas and Israel. In the evening, children of Gaza City held a candle lighting ceremony on rubble in Gaza City. Photos by Mohamed el-Saife/DPI.

PALESTINIAN HAMAS MILITANTS – GAZA CITY (MAY 22, 2021)

As the situation in Gaza City continues to unfold, Hamas militants conduct an anti-Israel rally. Photos by Mohamed el-Saife/DPI.

PALESTINIANS CELEBRATE THE ARMISTICE

What is victory? Maybe all victory is fleeting. What does victory mean for the Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip? Does it mean that they are happy to have survived the bombing? Does it mean that they are edging closer to having their own state? Do they believe that their enemy is defeated? Is there a long game here that they are playing? War is horrific no matter when or where or who is involved, and the innocents always suffer and will continue to do so as long as a lasting peace remains elusive. The history of mankind does not support the argument that war will be no more. It just goes on and on and on. New faces to be sure. Maybe it is something ingrained in humankind that has become part of our collective DNA. This brings us to an armistice between two warring parties in this blog, Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip under the Hamas government and the State of Israel. DPI’s war correspondent in Gaza City, Mohamed el-Saife, has contributed this collection of photos showing Palestinians in Gaza celebrating the announcement of the armistice.

 

Resistance Missile Over Gaza

MISSILES OVER GAZA

It has been said that one man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter. And so it goes on and on and on. To what end? Last night it came to Gaza once again. Mohamed el-Saife is DPI’s correspondent in Gaza City, or should we now say war correspondent. To photojournalism access is everything, and we just pray for his safety. To Palestinians this is a photo of a “Resistance Missile Over Gaza” after launch on the night of May 10, 2021. To others it is seen as a rocket attack from Hamas. The only thing that is sure is that innocent civilians including children will continue to die.

FEEDING THE PALESTINIAN CHILDREN

We present this issue from a humanitarian viewpoint not a political one. There are people living in similar or even much worse conditions in other parts of the world. We have been most fortunate to be able to show these images taken by Mohamed el-Saife who is a resident and talented photojournalist living in Gaza. If anything, DPI’s guiding principle remains toleration. It is through images such as these whether they be in Syria, Bangladesh, Dafur, Somalia, in this case the Gaza Strip or any area where conflict prevents the supply of basic necessities of life that you will observe scenes like these.