Opinion: 20 years on, the struggle for Gaza peace drains me of hope

(CNN) — At age of 52, it might be too late to re-visit your beliefs and principles in order to change them.

When you see the regression from where we were, to the situation now and realize the dream you have been working towards has moved almost entirely out-of-reach, you feel tired, hopeless, and less motivated to recharge yourself.

I was born in Gaza in 1962 to a refugee family who had been expelled from their village “Sawafir” in the then British –mandate of Palestine.
Five years later, in June 1967, Gaza was occupied by Israel, which meant that I grew up under the occupation. When you live under occupation, your national ambitions become clearer and stronger.

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http://edition.cnn.com/2014/07/25/opinion/mideast-peace-omar-shaban/