Palestinian expatriates living in the UAE face a deep sense of loss every summer as they watch their friends go on vacation to their respective home countries. Many Palestinians are unable to visit their homeland due to border restrictions and political complexities that have created insurmountable barriers. These obstacles make it challenging for them to reconnect with their families and loved ones back in Gaza. Despite the difficulties, many expatriates strive to stay connected with their roots by using technology to communicate with their families.
Rehab, a business owner, shared her heartbreak at not being able to go back to Gaza, where her family resides. She relies on text messages to communicate with them because she cannot bear to see the misery they are living in. Similarly, Nihal, a stay-at-home mother, last visited Gaza in 2005 and longs for the days when she could reunite with her relatives in Egypt. The ongoing military offensives and political turmoil in Gaza have made it increasingly challenging for expatriates to visit their homeland.
Many Palestinian women expressed their longing for the simplicity of life and communal traditions in Gaza. Rehab misses the slow-paced and simple life in Gaza, where she could be with her sisters and cousins. Nihal reminisces about the communal cooking traditions in Gaza, where cooking not only involves family but also neighbors. Heba misses the close-knit community and gatherings in Gaza, where people would visit each other daily, creating a sense of togetherness that she deeply misses.
Despite the challenges and longing for their homeland, Palestinian expatriates in the UAE continue to hold on to their roots and strive to stay connected with their families back in Gaza. The inability to visit their families due to border restrictions and political complexities only strengthens their resolve to maintain their connection with their homeland. Through text messages, phone calls, and memories of simpler times in Gaza, expatriates find solace in the knowledge that their roots will always remain a part of them, no matter how far they are physically from their homeland.
