Dear friends,
I just wanted to take the time to say a big thank you to all of you who have take the time to visit and read my blog. Today, Live from Occupied Palestine surpassed 150,000 hits (ie. views).
To be honest, when I started this blog six and half years ago, I never expected to have so many people from all over the world reading it. I expected that only a handful of people would check it out - mainly my friends, family and comrades.
Live from Occupied Palestine is actually my second attempt at a blog. I had previously started a blog called Palestine Eyewitness in 2004, chronicling my first visit to Palestine. At the time I was new to blogging and didn't really have much experience on how to run blogs and I don't think I fully understood the important role blogs could play in solidarity and social justice activism. I started Live from Occupied Palestine when I returned to Palestine in 2007. Unlike the first time around, I had a much better handle on the important role blogs could play in solidarity and social justice activism.
The purpose of both Palestine Eyewitness and Live from Occupied Palestine was originally to chronicle my time living and working on the ground in Occupied Palestine and to stand in solidarity with the people of Palestine and their struggle for freedom, justice and self-determination by providing news and analysis of what was happening on there. Unlike with Palestine Eyewitness, I decided to maintain this blog when I returned home. My intention was to maintain the blog all year round and to provided news, information, updates and analysis from other activists - Palestinian, Israel and international - who were on the ground in Palestine when I was not there.
From its inception, I had hoped that Live from Occupied Palestine, in some small way, would contribute to cutting across the all to frequent distortions and/or media black in the mainstrea corporate press about the Palestinian people's struggle. I was under no illusion that Live from Occupied Palestine could have the same outreach as the mainstream press, but I did hope that in some small way it would help challenge the all to frequent media black out on Palestine and that it would be a source of alternative information for those supportive of the Palestinian struggle or wanted to know more about what was really happening on the ground in Palestine.
But while I had no illusion in what could be achieved with this blog, I also I had not expected that it would attract as many readers as it has done, from all over the world, over the last few years. Nor did I expect that it would gain a small but steady following. I am still surprised everyday that so many people are visit and read this blog and are interested enough to check out what I write.
I think what this really reflects is the changing attitude towards Palestine and the Palestinian struggle. Over the last decade, we have started to see a real shift in people's attitudes towards the Palestinian people and their struggle. In Australia, a number of surveys have found that more and more people are supportive of the Palestinian people and their struggle for freedom (see here and here)
People are hungry for news and information that they are not getting in the mainstream press and are looking to blogs and social media for the information the corporate press is not reporting. It reflects the growing support for the Palestinian struggle and the Palestinian BDS campaign.
So thank you to all of you have supported this blog over the years and who continue to visit it. I hope that one day, in the not distant future, that there won't be a need for this blog and that the people of Palestine will have won the freedom and justice they have struggled so long for and that a Free Palestine will be a reality.
But until then Live from Occupied Palestine will continue to support the Palestinian people and their struggle for freedom, justice and self-determination, both on the ground in Palestine and internationally. As part of this, Live from Occupied Palestine will continue to be strong supporter of the Palestinian initiated Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign and hope you will also be an active supportive of the BDS campaign (for more information on the campaign, click here). Thank you again! For a Free Palestine and an end to occupation and apartheid!
In solidarity, Kim
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