Its never been true.
In November, 2008, the al-Aloul family left Gaza and moved to Vancouver, British Columbia.
Last fall, they moved back.
KPBS tells their story: Gaza to Canada And Back To Gaza: Why A Family Chose to Return
For those of you who still buy into the "Open air prison" meme- Ihab al-Aloul, his wife Somaya and their six children moved to Gaza to improve and upgrade their standard of living.
One benefit for the al-Alouls in Gaza is a private swimming pool. On a recent afternoon, workers installed a new lawn around the pool patio. The squares of grass were grown on a local sod farm. One drawback: the irrigation water is salty - much of the tap water in Gaza is brackish. Aloul says it's not the best for the grass but "it's not killing that much."
In Canada, the family's apartment had no yard, let alone a pool.
The pool is part of what is essentially a weekend home for Aloul. His father bought the land, and Aloul built the home and pool more than a decade ago.
Below the flat rooftop, the Mediterranean sparkles blue, just a few blocks away. Bright café umbrellas line the beach and a Ferris wheel rises high.
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| Photo by Emily Harris, NPR |
Beach homes. Private pools. Amusement park rides. This is a snapshot of Gaza you'll seldom see.
The real reason they moved is not because of the swimming pool. its to keep their kids away from Western influence. But I suspect you already know that.
ReplyDeleteThey are also right next to the Roots fine dining and country club http://www.rootsclub.ps/services.php
ReplyDeleteOr stayed just long enough to get Canadian citizenship, just in case they ever get in a bind and need an out.
ReplyDeleteCitizens of convenience, just like the Khadr terror family. Canada is letting itself get played by these Islamists.
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