Just One Reason

وَمَا خَلَقْتُ الْجِنَّ وَالإِنسَ إِلاَّ لِيَعْبُدُونِ [Qur'an, 51:56]

march

Where are the buses?!?! (GFM Update 12/30)

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Good morning all,

It is 5am here on Thursday morning and we are waiting to begin our march here in Cairo. A lot has happened in the last couple days but the fact still remains that the Egyptian government has still refused to let us into Gaza for the Gaza Freedom March.

Last night we got word that organizers from CodePink met with Mrs. Mubarak and negotiated a deal to allow 100 people and 2 buses leave for Gaza the next morning. We were given just one hour to make the very tough decision of choosing 2 people from each delegation (more or less, depending on proportion) to send on those buses. After submitting the names, the Canadian delegation met and decided that this deal was just one big slap in the face. 100 people on 2 buses is NOT the Gaza Freedom March! This back-door deal ultimately dilutes our message, divides our groups, and really affects our morale. Because of this, we decided that if all of us don’t go, then NONE OF US will go!

We, as Canadians, told other countries’ delegations and succeeded in getting many others on board including Sweden, Italy, France, and the New York groups. Later that night at a meeting, Wendy Goldsmith, leader of the London (Ontario) delegation, announced our decision to boycott the decision to allow just 100 people to enter Gaza. This sparked a whole debate and discussion in the meeting showing us that we had support from many more delegations than we’d expected. Scotland, South Africa, New York state, and others were among the supporters of our decision.

This did of course cause divisions and rifts within our group but we all believed that this was the right thing to do in order to keep our message and our purpose for this march focused and clear: we want to break the siege on Gaza, not simply provide a humanitarian aid convoy. The people of Gaza receive aid convoys all the time and while we fully support those convoys, the Gaza Freedom March was never a humanitarian effort; it has always been a political mission since the start. To accept the Egyptian government’s bread-crumbs offer would be a huge blow to our mission and an even larger victory to the corrupt regime that is the Egyptian government.

Basem (Bassem Omar) was quoted by the AFP as saying:

“This just gives the Egyptian government a photo-up and the chance to say we allowed people through,” said Bassem Omar, a Canadian protester.

Furthermore, the governments decision to allow 100 people into Gaza on two buses shows very clearly that all the excuses that they have been providing about why they cannot let us in (dangers and tensions on the border) are completely unfounded and absolutely ridiculous! If you can allow 100 people in through the Rafah border, then what’s to say you cannot also allow the rest of the 1,360-strong delegation? This was clearly a strategic move by the Foreign Ministry to trap us into accepting a token gesture based on lies and deceit. To illustrate just how deceitful it was, Ahmed Aboul Gheit held a press conference in which he said that the 100 people allowed to go on the buses were hand-picked by the Egyptian government as the 100 most peaceful delegates in Cairo, referring to the rest of us as members “from organizations that are only interested in subversion and acting against Egyptian interests, to sow havoc on the streets of Egypt” referring to the continuous protests and actions we have had over the past week.

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This morning at 7am the buses were to depart for Gaza carrying the 100 delegates as well as the aid and supplies that were brought in to Cairo with all 1,360 marchers. The 100 chosen people to go on the buses were at the bus stop as early as 6am. The rest of the delegates who were not going also showed up with their bags packed, ready to board the buses, but with one message in mind: “Where are the rest of the buses?” We came to show our support and solidarity for those going, but wanted to make it clear that this was in no way a victory for the Gaza Freedom March, nor was it something to celebrate!

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As delegates began boarding the buses, the rest of us begged and pleaded with the chosen ones to get off the bus, and ensure our entire group was united. We chanted slogans such as “Don’t go!” “Where are the buses?” “Please don’t go!” and “The people united, will never be defeated!” Eventually, some people began to get off the buses, and were welcomed by our shouts and screams of support for their decision to get off. Unfortunately, there was some back and forth yelling between those on the bus and those of us begging them to get off. Later on, Ehab Lotayef, international steering committee member, made a phone call to his counterpart in Gaza, put him on speaker phone for the bus to hear, and asked him if the 100-person convoy should still come despite the missing 1200 delegates; he said no! So basically, Gaza said no don’t send the 100 people because it just wouldn’t be the same march as that which was planned for the past several months.

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A couple hours later, we were barricaded off by some light-security riot police.

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We had signs and banners voicing our pleas and to the press, the 100 on board the buses, as well as the Egyptian locals and police. By the time the buses left, there were 60 people on-board (many of whom were replacements for those who decided not to go). Unfortunately, there were 2 Canadians on the bus, but they did not go as part of the Canadian delegation, nor did the 100-person convoy go as the “Gaza Freedom March.” So, as of this writing, the 60 people are on their way to Gaza with 2 bus-loads of aid and donations. Of those, about 15 people were of Palestinian descent and had family in the strip with whom they had hoped to be united. We support them on their independent, personal missions but cannot support them as the Gaza Freedom March or as part of any type of political effort.

 

SILENCE NO MORE

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By: Dave Bleakney

If governments don’t want peace in the Middle East Gaza Freedom Marchers Do

Later this morning the Gaza Freedom Marchers will attempt to walk to Gaza for peace and to stop the siege. They are organizing at a level of cooperation that represents the new world of people’s assemblies. People all over the world are losing faith in their governments to seek peace and dialogue. It is becoming clearer that governments and their hidden masters do not desire peace and dialogue in the Middle East but more of the same. There is an inhuman siege on Gaza that some would like the world forget while keeping the Palestinian people in their Middle Eastern jail surrounded on all sides.

Last night, in a most vibrant and grass roots process imaginable, the people, in the absence of any official support decided to walk to Gaza to break the siege. As the lifeline to Gaza and the tunnels that keep food, water, and medicine flowing are cut off with the help of the U.S. army corps of engineers, the Gaza Freedom Marchers have grown stronger daily and will march to open the border as the state refuses buses to carry them or to open the border.

The claim of the authorities is that the closure of tunnels must be done to cut off arms. The official border crossing is closed or occasionally opened to allow token passage. An open border would permit food, people, and necessities to enter and would allow screening for undesired weapons. But this is not in the interest of those that would maintain a military solution for Gaza. There is but one army in Palestine, and it is an Israeli one, proven to be capable of using widespread lethal force on civilian populations, including massacres from bombs and chemical weapons, and pure economic strangulation. Everyday Palestinians are harassed for living. Toxic waste is dumped on Palestinian land while the theft of water and other resources, and the destruction of livelihoods and lives continue.

But massacres of innocent people no longer occur in silence. A French astrophysicist said yesterday that a colleague had his home targeted and shot up when the Israelis unleashed their firestorm on innocent people last year resulting in the death of his son. Ibrahim, far from being a “terrorist”, was a boy of ten with a lifetime ahead of him. He reported that last year the Israeli forces deliberately attacked the homes of the educated class in order to cripple Palestinian society even further. These attacks were not random acts.

Later this morning in Cairo people will march to Gaza. Undercover police and state agents are everywhere but this protest has never been about the Egyptian state. The state has now created conditions that appear to be running interference on behalf of Israeli and U.S. government objectives and therefore have created their own public crisis.

What compels people to accept the role their governments will not? Olivia Zenor, representing Euro Palestina, and blockaded at her own embassy by riot police (three rows deep twenty four hours a day), said that as a result of the terror of the Second World War we now ridicule those that remained silent. They were complicit in crimes against humanity and are labeled cowards for their unwillingness to act before it was to late. Today, those trying to prevent clear and unacceptable murder of civilian populations are stropped from acting on those important lessons of history.

Sixty one years ago and Israeli state was created. How perverse that the Palestinians and the decedents of a people who have lived in the region thousands of years are not only prevented from having the same but punished for living.

They are not alone anymore. People will do what their governments won’t.

Dave Bleakney is a national union representative of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers currently in Cairo.

GAZA FREEDOM MARCHERS REJECT EGYPTIAN OFFER TO LET JUST 100 ENTER GAZA (VIDEO)

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After three days of vigils and demonstrations in downtown Cairo, Suzanne Mubarak’s offer to allow just 100 of 1,300 delegates to enter Gaza was rejected by the Gaza Freedom March Coordinating Committee as well as many of the larger contingents – including those from France, Scotland, Canada, South Africa, Sweden and New York State (U.S.).

The Canadian delegation voiced their decision the night the offer was made, at the Netanyahu protests being held on the steps of the Journalist Syndicate, to a crowd of 500 strong composed of Egyptian activists and Gaza Freedom Marchers. Here’s Basem Emara sharing the sentiments of the Canadian delegation:

[youtube eP0590Qm48A Journalist Syndicate]


“We flatly reject Egypt’s offer of a token gesture. We refuse to whitewash the siege of Gaza. Our group will continue working to get all 1362 marchers into Gaza as one step towards the ultimate goal for the complete end of the siege and the liberation of Palestine” said Ziyaad Lunat a member of the march Coordinating Committee.

The morning the buses were to leave with the 100 people, the rest of the delegates showed up to the bus stop with their backpacks to protest and boycott the decision and ask the question, “Where are the rest of the buses?” Basem Emara speaks to the crowd:

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The Gaza Freedom March was organized to focus attention on the one-year mark since Israel’s 22-day assault, which killed more than 1,400 Palestinians, injured more than 5,000. Although the invasion technically ended, the effects on the ground have only worsened in the past 12 months. No re-building materials have been allowed in and more than 80 percent of Gazans are now dependent on handouts for food.

The marchers had planned to enter Gaza through Egypt’s Rafah Crossing on Dec. 27, then to join with an estimated 50,000 Palestinian residents to march to Erez Crossing into Israel to peacefully demand an end to the siege. However, the government of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak announced just days before the hundreds of delegates began arriving in Cairo that the march would not be allowed to go forward. It cited ongoing tensions at the border. When marchers demonstrated against the decision, the government cracked down, often using heavily armed riot police to encircle and intimidate the nonviolent marchers. Egypt’s decision to allow 100 people into Gaza shows that the “security” argument is bogus.

Egypt May Open the Borders! (GFM Update 12/27)

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Great news! It seems like there might be an opening of the Rafah border after all and we will be re-adjusting our plans to try to leave Cairo on Monday morning, as previously planned!

Tonight, the Ma’am News Agency put out a release saying, “Despite earlier announcements that the crossing would be closed until January, Egyptian officials will open the Rafah crossing for four days next week, three for general traffic and a fourth for Egyptian citizens. Head of the Administration of crossings in the de facto government Ghazi Hamad announced Saturday that the crossings would be open starting Tuesday 29 December. On Friday Egyptian nationals only will be permitted to cross. Each day 10-12 buses loaded with 60-70 passengers each will leave Gaza”

The Foreign Ministry, however, has told us they knew nothing about this and that our situation, i.e. being denied entry, had not changed. For us, however, this represents a major change because it means there might be an opening since the government can no longer say that the border is too unsafe.

I was watching Al Jazeera at family’s house earlier today and we saw Col. Ann Wright on tv! We are all over the news here and the Egyptian people are well aware and supportive of our efforts 🙂

Saturday officially marks the one-year anniversary since the attacks on Gaza and it will be a very busy day of meetings, briefings, memorials, and commemorations. Just to give you an overview, some information is below:

  • 8:30am:     Briefing meeting for plans for the rest of the week
  • 11 am:        Gaza memorial at Kasr al Nil bridge
  • 4:30pm:    Felucca (Boat) memorial at Nile River corniche
  • 6 pm:          Gaza commemoration (Egyptian supporters of the march will have a rally to call for lifting the seige and have invited us to join them!)
  • 8 pm:          Orientation meeting

On Monday morning, we will still meet at the original meeting stop for the buses where we will board buses at 7:00 and head for Al-Arish. We have been warned by the organizers that the Egyptian authorities may very well prevent us from banning buses, but we believe it is well worth the try. We will be discussing this more tomorrow night, and I’ll update you when we get more info.

Wish us luck and thanks for all the comments and support. Keep them coming!

Egypt “bans” the Gaza Freedom March

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http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8425232.stm

As you may or may not have heard today, the Egyptian government, citing security concerns and escalating tensions, has decided not to let the Gaza Freedom March cross into Gaza.

The foreign ministry has said they would not allow the march to take place because of the “sensitive situation in Gaza.” When was the last time the situation in Gaza wasn’t sensitive? The strip has been under siege and blockade for years now, by not only the Israeli government but the Egyptian government as well. What’s really amusing is while all of this is happening, Egypt has just begun constructing (with US funds) a metal wall along it’s border with Gaza, which will measure 10km long and delve some 18 metres below ground; a desperate attempt to cut the only lifeline the people of Gaza have left – the infamous “smuggling” tunnels. Of course, this is only after they initially denied it. Could their decision to ban the march be an attempt at brushing over the issue of the wall and steering media attention in a new direction?


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It is interesting just how quickly this story made it to the headlines today. I got a call this morning from our Canadian coordinator for the march, in which she briefly mentioned an email that would come out later this morning informing us of this decision. By around noon today, the BBC story made it to my Facebook feed and from there it spread like wildfire to various alternative news sources. This is the first time since signing on to the march that I’ve seen a story this big about the Gaza Freedom March come out of a news source as well-known as the BBC. It’s as if the Egyptian government was waiting for just the right moment, with just the right statement, before feeding the press the perfect angle with which to cover this march.

Honestly, I may be the only one who feels like this, but I see this “ban” by the Egyptian government as a good thing. First, like the old adage goes: “any press is good press.” And that couldn’t be more true in this case. One of the core goals of this march (to me, atleast) has always been to amass as much media attention to the matter as possible. I wanted to see Al Jazeera, Press TV, Ramattan and others, at the march covering it with a live video feed streaming back to viewers all over the world! Ok, so the BBC article doesn’t necessarily match up 🙂 but it’s a start!

Second, it’s clear the Egyptian government simply just doesn’t care anymore; not about what they say, how they look to the world, or how they’ll be judged or accounted for their actions….kind of like their teacher and master, Israel. And like Israel, they too will be singled-out and targeted by massive campaigns of boycotts (tourism), formal complaints to consulates and embassies, and even just some good ol’ fashioned protests and demonstrations.

So even if we don’t get into the Gaza Strip on the 28th of December (or ever), I still can’t help but imagine what 1,400 internationals gathered at the Rafah border would look like from an aerial view…and that’s not even considering what may or may not happen with the Viva Palestina convoy! I can’t even begin to picture the visual impact that would make as it streams to all the television sets and computer monitors of the world.

Egyptian embassies and missions all over the world have already begun hearing by phone, fax and email from delegates and the supporters of the Gaza Freedom March with the clear message: “Let the international delegation enter Gaza and let the Gaza Freedom March proceed.”

We set out to break the siege of Gaza and that is EXACTLY what we will do!


If you want to help, please spread and share this information everywhere, through email, facebook, twitter, and blogs. Then, make sure you contact your Egyptian embassies and consulate offices to voice your support for the march and the delegates who are going.

You can find the contact information at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website here.

Below is a some sample text you can include in your correspondences:

Dear Sirs,

I am writing to express my full support for the December 31, 2009 Gaza Freedom March, and am in touch with my Member of the Canadian Parliament on this issue.

I respectfully urge the Egyptian government to allow the 1,360 international delegates to enter the Gaza Strip through Egypt.

The aim of the march is to call on Israel to lift the siege. It is also humanitarian: the delegates will also take in badly needed medical aid, as well as school supplies and winter jackets for the children of Gaza.

Please let this historic March proceed. Doing so will do much to endear Egypt to both the marchers and their many friends and supporters.

Thank you

Purpose of the March

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Israel’s blockade of Gaza is a flagrant violation of international law that has led to mass suffering. The U.S., the European Union, and the rest of the international community are complicit.

The law is clear. The conscience of humankind is shocked. Yet, the siege of Gaza continues. It is time for us to take action! On Dec. 31, we will end the year by marching alongside the Palestinian people of Gaza in a non-violent demonstration that breaches the illegal blockade.

Our purpose in this March is lifting the siege on Gaza. We demand that Israel end the blockade. We also call upon Egypt to open Gaza’s Rafah border. Palestinians must have freedom to travel for study, work, and much-needed medical treatment and to receive visitors from abroad.

As an international coalition we are not in a position to advocate a specific political solution to this conflict. Yet our faith in our common humanity leads us to call on all parties to respect and uphold international law and fundamental human rights to bring an end to the Israeli military occupation of Palestinian territories since 1967 and pursue a just and lasting peace.

The Palestinians of Gaza have exhorted the international community to move beyond words of condemnation. The march can only succeed if it arouses the conscience of humanity.