ID :
206164
Fri, 09/09/2011 - 06:37
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/206164
The shortlink copeid
PALESTINIANS DIVIDED OVER TIME
GAZA STRIP, Sept 9 (Bernama) -- Long split by political and economic
differences, the Palestinian people of the Gaza strip, controlled by Hamas, and
those of the West Bank, run by the Palestinian Authority (PA), are now also
separated by time.
Once Ramadan ended, the PA decided to revert to summer time (GMT+3 hours),
following the Eastern European Time (EET) that is adopted in the occupied
Palestinian territories.
Meanwhile, the Hamas government insisted on changing to winter time, due to
go into effect as usual on the last Sunday of October.
The discrepancy is most noticeable in the Gaza Strip, which has been under
Israeli blockade since 2006.
Schools and ministries in the narrow enclave follow the time system of the
Gaza government, yet banks and some universities do not.
The two main banks in the coastal territory -- Palestinian Islamic Bank and
Palestine Bank -- set their clocks for summer time to match the Monetary
Authority in the West Bank, unlike the system followed in Gaza.
"People are still confused about the working hours in our bank," bank
employee Khaled Yassin told Bernama.
The clocks at Al-Azhar University and the Islamic University of Gaza, two
neighbouring institutions here, are also incompatible.
According to an official at Al-Azhar, the university had to follow the
regulations of the West Bank Ministry of Education and Higher Education.
"This is very ridiculous,” said Abed Al-Hameed Abu Nasser, a student at the
Islamic University of Gaza.
“Nothing separates me and my colleagues at Al-Azhar University except a
wall. How come we have two different times, as if each university were located
in a different country?"
Ordinary people express similar dissatisfaction with the time difference
between the two remaining parts of their occupied land.
Some see the reconciliation pact signed by the two rival factions in Egypt
last May as a key step to end all such negative consequences of the rift.
"What happens is the total degradation of our people in Gaza Strip and West
Bank. It is very funny that we have division over time.
"Instead of wasting our time, let’s set our clocks the same for implementing
the reconciliation," said Abu Jihad, an elderly man.
differences, the Palestinian people of the Gaza strip, controlled by Hamas, and
those of the West Bank, run by the Palestinian Authority (PA), are now also
separated by time.
Once Ramadan ended, the PA decided to revert to summer time (GMT+3 hours),
following the Eastern European Time (EET) that is adopted in the occupied
Palestinian territories.
Meanwhile, the Hamas government insisted on changing to winter time, due to
go into effect as usual on the last Sunday of October.
The discrepancy is most noticeable in the Gaza Strip, which has been under
Israeli blockade since 2006.
Schools and ministries in the narrow enclave follow the time system of the
Gaza government, yet banks and some universities do not.
The two main banks in the coastal territory -- Palestinian Islamic Bank and
Palestine Bank -- set their clocks for summer time to match the Monetary
Authority in the West Bank, unlike the system followed in Gaza.
"People are still confused about the working hours in our bank," bank
employee Khaled Yassin told Bernama.
The clocks at Al-Azhar University and the Islamic University of Gaza, two
neighbouring institutions here, are also incompatible.
According to an official at Al-Azhar, the university had to follow the
regulations of the West Bank Ministry of Education and Higher Education.
"This is very ridiculous,” said Abed Al-Hameed Abu Nasser, a student at the
Islamic University of Gaza.
“Nothing separates me and my colleagues at Al-Azhar University except a
wall. How come we have two different times, as if each university were located
in a different country?"
Ordinary people express similar dissatisfaction with the time difference
between the two remaining parts of their occupied land.
Some see the reconciliation pact signed by the two rival factions in Egypt
last May as a key step to end all such negative consequences of the rift.
"What happens is the total degradation of our people in Gaza Strip and West
Bank. It is very funny that we have division over time.
"Instead of wasting our time, let’s set our clocks the same for implementing
the reconciliation," said Abu Jihad, an elderly man.
