Middle East: Kevin Neish human shield in Gaza

Imagine being a human shield. Former Camosun College instructor and longtime political activist Kevin Neish is currently in the midst of a five-week stay in Gaza, putting his life in incredible danger as he guards researchers while wearing a reflective vest and white hat.

According to Neish, who was trained as a marine engineer and taught heavy duty, marine diesel, and commercial transportation mechanics courses at Camosun, his job is to help protect researchers looking “to ascertain what kind of shape the land is in and find out what is needed to bring it back into food production.” He does this by standing close and watching for danger.

“They’ll know that it’s not dangerous and that we are not a threat to anybody,” says Neish, who spoke with Nexus shortly before leaving.

Gaza is a war-torn strip of land that shares a border with Israel, Egypt, and Jordan. Saying life is difficult for Gazans is an understatement, as there are blockades that have been erected by the Israeli authorities restricting resources both coming in and leaving this highly unstable area.

The area has almost no clean drinking water, food is scarce, and, because the Israeli blockades are heavily guarded, planting a crop or even venturing near the border can be deadly.

In such a volatile area of the world the risk is real. While there, Neish will be reporting what he observes. “I’ll be on Twitter; I’ll be on email immediately, telling people what I see.”

No stranger to putting his life on the line in the name of peace, Neish has risked his life on several occasions in the past with the interests of others in mind.

While sailing on the Mavi Marmara with many other civilians on a mission to bring supplies to Gazans, the boat Neish was on got boarded by Israeli authorities in the wee hours of the morning of May 31, 2010. Many shots were fired and, of the 580 passengers on the ship with over 34 nations represented, nine lost their lives, some of which were shot at close range in the back of the head.

“I saw two bodies with bullet holes in the backs of their heads. They were executed. The Israelis were executing unarmed people, civilians,” claims Neish.

The passengers of the Mavi Marmara who managed to keep their lives were then arrested and many were tortured, Neish being one of them. Neish was introduced to the “stress position,” a form of torture where the victim’s hands are tied behind their backs, in Neish’s case, with plastic handcuffs. The victim is then forced to kneel at gunpoint, sometimes for hours.

“I dare anyone to sit in one spot on their knees for that long, with their hands sucked up behind their back,” says Neish. “Everything goes numb. Hands, arms, shoulders go numb, your knees go numb; your legs don’t function.”

After three days in an Israeli prison, in which many forms of torture and intimidation were executed, according to Neish, such as limited food and water, sleep deprivation, and beatings, the Turkish government was able to pressure the Israelis to free their prisoners.

Neish was released along with many others to go back to their families. Neish recovered from the experience so he could return to Gaza, with the citizens in mind. Neish sees no other way to make peace.

“I don’t know what other way there is, what else can you do besides get in between the warring parties and make sure they don’t fight,” he says, “Maybe we can make it better. My little bit might just help it along further, and lots of other people add little bits, and we might have a peace in the area… everybody does a little bit, and good things happen.”

When asked where his activist passion stems from, Neish smiles and says, “It sounds a bit clichŽ here, but you can blame my mother.”

Neish goes on to describe a long family history of activism. “I don’t know if it’s in my genes, lots of people take these things on, but it was there in front of me.”

But having discussions of world politics around the dinner table isn’t the only thing that keeps Neish coming back for more. At this point he feels responsible to help.

“I can’t just go back to being a former Camosun College instructor, a former national defence employee with a nice pension, and a nice house to live in,” he says, “I can’t do that, I wouldn’t sleep at night. So, every so often, I’ve got to do something to try and help out.”

Larry Hannant, close friend of Neish and history instructor at Camosun, elaborates on the risks involved in Neish’s choice of work.

“It’s dangerous in its own right, in the sense that there could be unexploded ordinates and things like that, but Kevin’s job is to serve as a kind of target for the Israelis, so that the people working on the ground level are safer,” explains Hannant. “Not completely safe, but safer.”

Hannant says Neish’s willingness to put himself into such dangerous situations speaks to his character.

“It’s a highly hazardous location and position to put yourself in,” he says, “and it’s really a testament to Kevin’s courage that he is ready to do that.”

Many would find Neish’s actions a source of inspiration to contribute to the world, but may not know where to start. Daniel Reeve, political science instructor at Camosun College, applauds Neish’s remarkable efforts and explains where students can fit in.

“There is a place for activism that is not just somewhere else. There can be a place for activism here in Canada. In fact, lots of them,” says Reeve. “We sometimes tend to think of trouble and strife as somewhere else, and although it can be very comfortable in Victoria, there are plenty of opportunities in Canada for activism, whether it is the pipeline, whether it is Idle No More, there are many, many struggles that require not just teachers but everyone, students, to be involved in one way or another. And if this instructor can be an inspiration for them, that’s great.”

It’s not uncommon that humanitarian workers lose their lives in Gaza, often in horrific ways. Many leave behind their families to try and put an end to the oppression, never to return. This line of work is not for the faint of heart.

When asked why he would go back after nearly losing his life, Neish’s reply is simple.

“I’ve seen it, I can’t turn away now,” he says. “I can’t go back and pretend I didn’t see it.”