During the attack on Gaza, there were at least 162 Palestinian deaths and over 1000 injuries in the period 14 to 21 November 2012;[i] while on the other hand, the Israelis suffered 6 deaths and 222 injuries[ii]. Judging by the media coverage in Taiwan over the past weeks, the conflict seemed to be an equal one. According to this coverage from the media of Taiwan, the two belligerents (Israel and Hamas) are made out to have the same military capacity, attempting to destroy one another. Further, Israel seems to have been the sole actor during the confrontation, and the indication is that the strong defensive ‘Iron Dome’ intercepted the ‘powerful’ rockets from Gaza; and that desperate Israeli citizens, accepting their fate, desperately ran to the shelters under frequent air raid siren. But this coverage misses the point. The reality is that Gaza has been under attack from indiscriminate Israeli air-strikes and the blockade since 2007, and this important background has escaped the Taiwanes
利用假日期間，聽了一場人道援助的演講。講者相當年輕，短短幾年在多個國家從事人道援助，那種歷練在台灣確實不多見。講者很有自信地講述為何台灣社會要關注難民問題。 對於年輕聽眾來說，應該是一場激勵人心的演講。人道援助並不是我的專業，稍微google台灣方面的資料，發現相關中文學術資料並不多。 但只要從事中東研究的人來說，從事人道援助並不是一件容易的事情，背後又有結構性的問題存在，如當地國的政策侷限、援助是否真的為當地人帶來成效，還是適得其反？從事人道援助的NGOs，是否可以真正了解當地國的根本性問題，還是在沒有選擇的情況下，配合援助國的政策，或是順應新自由主義架構下從事「人道援助」，間接成為加害難民的幫凶？ 以上屬於實務層面。還有個人層面考量，若真的以人道援助作為終身志業，是否家人或親朋好友願意接受？另外還有更實際的經濟考量，從事人道援助並不會賺大錢，相反的在戰亂或政治不穩定的地區，經常會面臨龐大精神壓力及許多不確定的因素。若上述條件都可以接受，願意清貧過一生，這種從事人道援助者真的相當令人感佩...