tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22683267440009984502024-03-05T04:52:24.173-08:00GAZA DELEGATIONInaya Khalilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03708278226749333066noreply@blogger.comBlogger27125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2268326744000998450.post-1315484354234523752009-10-27T17:05:00.000-07:002009-10-27T17:15:59.452-07:00Working for Congressional Action<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; border-collapse: collapse; ">US participants of the International Movement to Open the Rafah<br />Borders and Code Pink are seeking congressional hearings on the health<br />crisis in Palestine and the closure of Gaza. We have been in contact with congressional<br />representatives in two states.<br /><br />Congressman Dennis <span class="il" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; -webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 204); background-position: initial initial; ">Kucinich</span> (D-OH) has agreed to conduct a "briefing"<br />to Congress on the health crisis in Palestine and the humanitarian<br />crisis due to the closed Gaza border. This may happen in the coming<br />weeks. We have forwarded your names and contact emails to the <span class="il" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; -webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 204); background-position: initial initial; ">Kucinich</span><br />office along with organizations we recommended for testimony.<br /><br />[To potential witnesses] As we have discussed, your particular experience at the Gaza border is<br />relevant to this issue. We hope you will be able to attend the<br />congressional briefing/hearing on an issue that has been too easily<br />dismissed by Congress.<br /><br />This is an important time to speak out about the humanitarian crisis<br />in Palestine. With the Goldstone reports and illegal Israeli<br />settlements in the news, and open wounds of Gaza still in global view,<br />the US Congress must hear the testimony, and see the pictures of the<br />crimes and devastation. This humanitarian atrocity is a direct result<br />of US Congressional support for the Israeli military.<br /><br />We will forward the dates as soon as they are firm.<br /><br />We ask that you provide your transportation to and from Washington<br />D.C. Some accommodations may be provided on a first come, first serve<br />basis.<br /><br />Please respond to say if this is possible for you to come to<br />Washington DC in the coming weeks/months.<br /><br />Thank you,<br />Paki Wieland<br />Don Bryant<br /><br />WITNESS RECOMMENDATION LIST:<br /><br />Gisha, Legal Center for Freedom of Movement <a href="http://www.gisha.org/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(42, 93, 176); ">http://www.gisha.org/</a><br /><br />AMERA (Africa and Middle East Refugee Assistance) <a href="http://www.amera-uk.org/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(42, 93, 176); ">http://www.amera-uk.org/</a><br /><br />Palestine Medical Relief Society <a href="http://www.pmrs.ps/last/index.php" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(42, 93, 176); ">http://www.pmrs.ps/last/index.<wbr>php</a><br />(Omar Barghouti)<br /><br />Palestine Children's Relief Fund <a href="http://www.pcrf.org/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(42, 93, 176); ">www.pcrf.org</a> Steve Sosabee<br /><br />If Americans Knew, Alison Weir <a href="http://www.ifamericansknew.org/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(42, 93, 176); ">www.ifamericansknew.org</a><br /><br />Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish<br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/18/world/middleeast/18doctor.html" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(42, 93, 176); ">www.nytimes.com/2009/01/18/<wbr>world/middleeast/18doctor.html</a><br /></span>Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01493185892907531231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2268326744000998450.post-85630806159180433112009-08-12T12:08:00.000-07:002009-08-12T12:35:14.722-07:00Rafah Resistance Camp Closed Today (8/12)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk56MbF85xR401hUP3ZbtndXpRnHsvDCcCjXqpXzB3KhovH7o4ELiLQrc24b9J5DS7SsamNxFTREqP5mI0MCGGAY6GQL0673AyQZxK5wHSg3Z8n8PYTVbOSO1z0yiRZKfgUY6jAoD9tUJq/s1600-h/100_2010.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk56MbF85xR401hUP3ZbtndXpRnHsvDCcCjXqpXzB3KhovH7o4ELiLQrc24b9J5DS7SsamNxFTREqP5mI0MCGGAY6GQL0673AyQZxK5wHSg3Z8n8PYTVbOSO1z0yiRZKfgUY6jAoD9tUJq/s200/100_2010.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369162975988276306" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqlsgA_Gn688siCUsms6yLobvebhDJEACN-vptj8l_4IAPIr7yQ_UPHdisnMon0LUXql8T3LezA4Qn_W9WnBjWs2dE4-63wjkluhAhmLLRdZCns93KOUewc07sZ2Ai4SiR4Y_7HNdZQYnb/s1600-h/100_1058.JPG"><br /></a><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family:arial;"><div class="nH"><div class="h7 " style="padding-bottom: 0px; "><div class="Bk" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin-bottom: 10px; float: left; width: 100%; "><div class="G3" style="overflow-x: visible; overflow-y: visible; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-left-width: 1px; border-left-style: solid; border-left-color: rgb(239, 239, 239); border-right-width: 1px; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: rgb(239, 239, 239); position: relative; "><div class="G2" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-left-width: 1px; border-left-style: solid; border-left-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-right-width: 1px; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); "><div class="nH"><div id=":a4"><div class="HprMsc"><div class="gs"><div id=":a3" class="ii gt" style=" margin-top: 5px; margin-right: 15px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 15px; padding-bottom: 20px; font-size:80%;"><p><strong><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-weight: normal; ">YES, we are sad to inform you that we had to close TEMPORARY our camp at the Rafah border, because no more internationals came or tell us they were coming and Chris had to leave and to go back home. It is clear that without internationals, Egyptian activists who would come at risk to be arrested and put in jail.</span></strong></p><p><strong><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-weight: normal; "> </span></strong></p><p><span lang="EN-GB">But our action is not over.</span></p><p><span lang="EN-GB">We will set a new camp at the border as soon as new internationals will come, because we know how useful it is for all the Palestinians who try to enter and we know the pressure we made on the Zionists authorities of Egypt!</span></p><p><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></p><p><span lang="EN-GB">We will continue our efforts to Lift the Gaza Siege and to OPEN THE RAFAH BORDER by making pressure on our politicians, our governments and embassies of Egypt all over the world!</span></p><p><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></p><p><span lang="EN-GB">And we will come back SOON !</span></p><p><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></p><p><span lang="EN-GB">In this sad day, we would just want to share with you some of the feelings of our members.</span></p><p><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></p><p><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></p><p><strong><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></strong><span lang="EN-GB"></span></p><p><strong><span lang="EN-GB">It is OVER, we waited and waited for people to come and help us. We've been there for a long time waiting for somebody to take over and help, but as there was NO internationals or Egyptians coming, Chris and myself talked to Nada and with the help of the other 4 participants in the camp collected everything and went home.</span></strong><span lang="EN-GB"></span></p><p><strong><span lang="EN-GB">Thanks for NOT being there to help.</span></strong><span lang="EN-GB"></span></p><p><strong> </strong></p><p><strong><span lang="EN-GB">Iman </span></strong><span lang="EN-GB"></span></p><p><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></p><p><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></p><p><span lang="EN-GB">Dear sisters and brothers,</span></p><p><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></p><p><span lang="EN-GB">I am so moved by each of you, your commitment to justice for the Palestinians, your willingness to sacrifice time, money, your personal lives, to be a part of the movement to open the Rafah border.</span></p><p><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></p><p><span lang="EN-GB">Whether you were there in person or in spirit, we made a difference! And it is important to remember that. The idea to have a protest at the border came from different experiences, but it became a reality in early June when Egyptians and internationals arrived at the border and AGAINST ALL ODDS<span> </span>began a sit-in (which lasted 2 months!) to open the border.</span></p><p><span lang="EN-GB">Without fame, and without fanfare, we persisted in flying the Palestinian flags, hanging banners, holding signs of protest against the injustice towards the people of Gaza. And we defied the powers! Again and again!</span></p><p><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></p><p><span lang="EN-GB">We witnessed, shared tea; we gave comfort to the suffering people. We stood against the ridicule and humiliation they suffered at the hand of the border police and "intelligence."</span></p><p><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></p><p><span lang="EN-GB">What is amazing is not that we closed down after 2 months but that we survived, we flourished at the border through circumstances that were abusive and difficult. We stood up to the powers, and we kept standing. Even the decision to leave, was made by those at the camp, not in reaction to the police "asking" us to leave.</span></p><p><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></p><p><span lang="EN-GB">I do not believe we were on the same power footing at the Government of Egypt, the U.S. or Israel. We have a different power!!! And whether we are at the border, demonstrating at home, calling the embassies, or talking with friends, we have the power, the freedom to stand for justice and we do! I used to remark when I was at the border that we, the people sitting-in, we were the freest people at the border! And we continue to be. So, we are gone from the border, others will stand there and there will be other opportunities for us to be there or wherever we find ourselves. Failure is impossible!!!</span></p><p><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></p><p><span lang="EN-GB">I salute all the strong people with whom I lived and worked at the border, each of you is in my heart until it is no longer beating. Creativity is the solution and the antidote to war, to violence, and we have more creative power to unleash!</span></p><p><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></p><p><span lang="EN-GB">My heart and mind wish we had succeeded in opening the border for good, for everyone. I wanted to move mountains (of Egyptian "Intelligence") for the Palestinians. But the Palestinians, taught me the important lessons of patience and perseverance. I will not forget this gift, as I deepen it in practice, it does not come naturally for me.</span></p><p><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></p><p><span lang="EN-GB">Let us celebrate our contribution to justice, acknowledge our imperfections, and realize that we need each other to keep on keeping on. The closing of our encampment may be a setback, but FAILURE IS IMPOSSIBLE!</span></p><p><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></p><p><span lang="EN-GB">I am filled with love and gratitude for each of you in my life, and I hope that we will continue to work together for justice, for that other world we know is possible,</span></p><p><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></p><p><span lang="EN-GB">Paki</span></p><br />-- <br />In Solidarity <br />from all <br />International Movement to Open Rafah Border<br /><br /><a href="http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=9986479902" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(42, 93, 176); ">http://www.facebook.com/group.<wbr>php?gid=9986479902</a><br /><br /><br />"Only a united world against oppression will help unite and free all of Palestine." <br /><br />(1) Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each state.<br />(2) Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country<br /></div><div class="hq gt" style="font-size: 80%; margin-top: 5px; margin-right: 15px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 15px; clear: both; "></div><div class="hi" style="width: auto; background-image: none; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; -webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; background-color: rgb(247, 247, 247); padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; background-position: initial initial; "></div><div class="gA gt" style="font-size: 80%; width: auto; background-image: none; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; -webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; background-color: rgb(247, 247, 247); padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; background-position: initial initial; "><div class="gB" style="background-image: none; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; -webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; background-color: initial; background-position: initial initial; "><table cellpadding="0" class="cf gz" style="border-collapse: collapse; margin-bottom: -1px; width: 100%; "><tbody></tbody></table></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="nH"><div class="h7 " style="padding-bottom: 0px; "><div class="Bk" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin-bottom: 10px; float: left; width: 100%; "><div class="G3" style="overflow-x: visible; overflow-y: visible; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-left-width: 1px; border-left-style: solid; border-left-color: rgb(239, 239, 239); border-right-width: 1px; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: rgb(239, 239, 239); position: relative; "><div class="G2" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-left-width: 1px; border-left-style: solid; border-left-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-right-width: 1px; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); "><div class="G0" style="float: right; margin-top: -4px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; display: inline; "><div class="goog-inline-block" style="position: relative; display: inline-block; "><div id="" class="goog-imageless-button goog-inline-block goog-imageless-button-collapse-right GZ ipG21e" act="undefined" tabindex="0" style="position: relative; display: inline-block; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; text-decoration: none; list-style-type: none; list-style-position: initial; list-style-image: initial; vertical-align: middle; cursor: default; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; font: normal normal normal 70%/normal arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: 0; 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border-left-style: solid; border-top-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-bottom-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-left-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: -1px; cursor: pointer; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 1px; background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; -webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; background-color: rgb(227, 227, 227); line-height: normal; border-right-color: rgb(187, 187, 187) !important; margin-right: 0px !important; background-position: initial initial; "><div class="goog-imageless-button-pos" style="position: relative; height: 100%; "><div class="goog-imageless-button-top-shadow" style="position: absolute; left: 0px; right: 0px; top: 0px; height: 0.9em; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; -webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; background-color: rgb(249, 249, 249); border-bottom-width: 0.2em; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); background-position: initial initial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px; white-space: nowrap; "><img class="hB" src="http://mail.google.com/mail/images/cleardot.gif" alt="" style="height: 13px; width: 14px; background-image: url(http://mail.google.com/mail/?ui=2&view=dim&iv=15x2l78yypds5&it=ic); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-attachment: initial; -webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; background-color: initial; vertical-align: middle; background-position: 0px -40px; " /><span class="hE" style="padding-right: 4px; padding-left: 4px; white-space: nowrap; color: rgb(42, 93, 176); text-align: center; ">Reply</span></span></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="goog-inline-block" style="position: relative; display: inline-block; "><div id=":9f" class="goog-imageless-button goog-inline-block G1 goog-imageless-button-collapse-left GZ ipG21e" act="undefined" tabindex="0" style="position: relative; display: inline-block; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; text-decoration: none; list-style-type: none; list-style-position: initial; list-style-image: initial; vertical-align: middle; cursor: default; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; font: normal normal normal 70%/normal arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: 0; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 2px; margin-left: 2px; "><div class="goog-inline-block goog-imageless-button-outer-box" style="position: relative; display: inline-block; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; border-right-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-bottom-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-left-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 0px; line-height: 0; margin-left: 0px !important; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: initial; border-top-color: initial; padding-top: 1px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; "><div class="goog-inline-block goog-imageless-button-inner-box" style="position: relative; display: inline-block; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-top-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-right-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-bottom-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); margin-top: 0px; margin-right: -1px; margin-bottom: 0px; cursor: pointer; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 0px; background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; -webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; background-color: rgb(227, 227, 227); line-height: normal; border-left-width: 1px; border-left-style: solid; border-left-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin-left: 0px !important; background-position: initial initial; "><div class="goog-imageless-button-pos" style="position: relative; height: 100%; "><div class="goog-imageless-button-top-shadow" style="position: absolute; left: 0px; right: 0px; top: 0px; height: 0.9em; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; -webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; background-color: rgb(249, 249, 249); border-bottom-width: 0.2em; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); background-position: initial initial; "> </div><div class="goog-imageless-button-content" style="position: relative; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 8px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 8px; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; line-height: 1.8em; white-space: nowrap; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); "><img class="hA" src="http://mail.google.com/mail/images/cleardot.gif" alt="" style="height: 7px; width: 7px; background-image: url(http://mail.google.com/mail/?ui=2&view=dim&iv=15x2l78yypds5&it=ic); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-attachment: initial; -webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; background-color: initial; background-position: -120px 0px; " /><span style="visibility: hidden; "></span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="nH"><div id=":9r"><div class="HprMsc"><div class="gs"><div class="gE iv gt" style=" padding-left: 4px; padding-bottom: 3px; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 0px; font-size:80%;"><table cellpadding="0" class="cf gJ" style="border-collapse: collapse; margin-top: 0px; width: auto; "><tbody><tr><td class="gF gK" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; text-align: left; white-space: nowrap; padding-right: 8px; vertical-align: top; width: 100%; padding-top: 0px; font-family:arial, sans-serif;"><table cellpadding="0" class="cf ix" style="border-collapse: collapse; table-layout: fixed; width: 100%; "><tbody><tr><td style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-family:arial, sans-serif;"><div class="iw" style="overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; white-space: nowrap; "><span class="lHQn1d"><img class=" f g8 " src="http://mail.google.com/mail/images/cleardot.gif" alt="" style="vertical-align: top; height: 15px; width: 15px; background-image: url(http://mail.google.com/mail/?ui=2&view=dim&iv=15x2l78yypds5&it=ic); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-attachment: initial; -webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; background-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; cursor: pointer !important; background-position: 0px -20px; " /></span><span class="ik" style="vertical-align: top; position: relative; top: -1px; "><img width="16px" height="16px" class="" id="upi" name="upi" jid="email.donbryant@gmail.com" src="http://mail.google.com/mail/images/cleardot.gif" /></span></div></td></tr></tbody></table></td><td class="gH" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; text-align: right; white-space: nowrap; vertical-align: top; font-family:arial, sans-serif;"><div class="gK" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 4px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(42, 93, 176); text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span><span></span></div></td><td class="gH" face="arial, sans-serif" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; text-align: right; white-space: nowrap; vertical-align: top; "></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div class="iF" style="height: 0px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; clear: both; "></div><div class="utdU2e"></div><div class="QqXVeb"></div><div id=":9q" class="ii gt" style="font-size: 80%; margin-top: 5px; margin-right: 15px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 15px; padding-bottom: 20px; "><div><div><br /></div></div></div><div class="hq gt" style="font-size: 80%; margin-top: 5px; margin-right: 15px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 15px; clear: both; "></div><div class="hi" style="width: auto; background-image: none; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; -webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; background-color: rgb(247, 247, 247); padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; background-position: initial initial; "></div><div class="gA gt" style="font-size: 80%; width: auto; background-image: none; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; -webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; background-color: rgb(247, 247, 247); padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; background-position: initial initial; "><div class="gB" style="background-image: none; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; -webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; background-color: initial; background-position: initial initial; "><table cellpadding="0" class="cf gz" style="border-collapse: collapse; margin-bottom: -1px; width: 100%; "><tbody></tbody></table></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="NzAss Aqhktf"><b class="ZSR3j TtxOef Bg" style="height: 1px; display: block; border-left-width: 1px; border-left-style: solid; border-left-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-right-width: 1px; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><b class="QX35rd TDcT7b Dw8zIb" style="height: 1px; display: block; font-size: 0px; line-height: 0; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; border-left-width: 1px; border-left-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-right-style: solid; position: relative; z-index: 1; border-top-color: rgb(239, 239, 239); border-right-color: rgb(239, 239, 239); border-bottom-color: rgb(239, 239, 239); border-left-color: rgb(239, 239, 239); "><b class="c1" style="height: 1px; display: block; font-size: 0px; line-height: 0; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; border-left-width: 1px; border-left-style: solid; border-left-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-right-width: 1px; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); position: relative; z-index: 1; background-color: rgb(247, 247, 247); "></b></b></b><b class="ZSR3j TtxOef Bh" style="height: 1px; display: block; border-left-width: 1px; border-left-style: solid; border-left-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-right-width: 1px; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><b class="QX35rd TDcT7b KT7Xq" style="height: 1px; display: block; font-size: 0px; line-height: 0; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; border-left-width: 1px; border-left-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-right-style: solid; position: relative; z-index: 1; border-top-color: rgb(239, 239, 239); border-right-color: rgb(239, 239, 239); border-bottom-color: rgb(239, 239, 239); border-left-color: rgb(239, 239, 239); "><b class="c1" style="height: 1px; display: block; font-size: 0px; line-height: 0; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; border-left-style: solid; border-left-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); position: relative; z-index: 1; border-top-width: 2px; border-right-width: 2px; border-bottom-width: 2px; border-left-width: 2px; background-color: rgb(247, 247, 247); "></b></b></b></div><b class="ZSR3j TtxOef Bi" style="height: 1px; display: block; border-left-width: 2px; border-left-style: solid; border-left-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-right-width: 2px; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><b class="QX35rd TDcT7b aa9pCd" style="height: 1px; display: block; font-size: 0px; line-height: 0; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; border-left-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; position: relative; z-index: 1; background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; -webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; background-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-top-color: rgb(239, 239, 239); border-right-color: rgb(239, 239, 239); border-bottom-color: rgb(239, 239, 239); border-left-color: rgb(239, 239, 239); border-top-width: 2px; border-right-width: 2px; border-bottom-width: 2px; border-left-width: 2px; background-position: initial initial; "></b></b><b class="ZSR3j TtxOef Bj" style="height: 1px; display: block; border-left-width: 4px; border-left-style: solid; border-left-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-right-width: 4px; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><b class="QX35rd TDcT7b iBJoZc" style="height: 1px; display: block; font-size: 0px; line-height: 0; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; border-left-width: 1px; border-left-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-right-style: solid; position: relative; z-index: 1; background-color: rgb(226, 226, 226); border-top-color: rgb(226, 226, 226); border-right-color: rgb(226, 226, 226); border-bottom-color: rgb(226, 226, 226); border-left-color: rgb(226, 226, 226); "></b></b></div><div class="ssxrrb" style="height: 0px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; clear: both; "></div></div></div><div class="nH"><div class="h7 ie" style="padding-bottom: 0px; "><div class="Bk" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin-bottom: 10px; float: left; width: 100%; "><b class="ZSR3j Bn" style="height: 1px; display: block; border-left-width: 5px; border-left-style: solid; border-left-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-right-width: 5px; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><b class="QX35rd eIvpib FFvUUb" style="height: 1px; display: block; font-size: 0px; line-height: 0; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; border-left-width: 1px; border-left-style: solid; border-left-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-right-width: 1px; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); position: relative; z-index: 1; background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; -webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; background-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); background-position: initial initial; "></b></b><b class="ZSR3j Bm" style="height: 1px; display: block; border-left-width: 3px; border-left-style: solid; border-left-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-right-width: 3px; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><b class="QX35rd eIvpib ql571d" style="height: 1px; display: block; font-size: 0px; line-height: 0; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; border-left-style: solid; border-left-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); position: relative; z-index: 1; border-top-width: 2px; border-right-width: 2px; border-bottom-width: 2px; border-left-width: 2px; "></b></b><b class="ZSR3j Bl" style="display: block; border-left-width: 2px; border-left-style: solid; border-left-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-right-width: 2px; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); height: 2px; "><b class="QX35rd eIvpib g8MByf" style="display: block; font-size: 0px; line-height: 0; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; border-left-width: 1px; border-left-style: solid; border-left-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-right-width: 1px; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); position: relative; z-index: 1; height: 2px; "></b></b><div class="G3" style="overflow-x: visible; overflow-y: visible; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-left-width: 1px; border-left-style: solid; border-left-color: rgb(239, 239, 239); border-right-width: 1px; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: rgb(239, 239, 239); position: relative; "><div class="G2" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-left-width: 1px; border-left-style: solid; border-left-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-right-width: 1px; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); "><div class="G0" style="float: right; margin-top: -4px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; display: inline; "><div class="goog-inline-block" style="position: relative; display: inline-block; "><div id="" class="goog-imageless-button goog-inline-block goog-imageless-button-collapse-right GZ ipG21e" act="undefined" tabindex="0" style="position: relative; display: inline-block; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; text-decoration: none; list-style-type: none; list-style-position: initial; list-style-image: initial; vertical-align: middle; cursor: default; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; font: normal normal normal 70%/normal arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: 0; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 2px; margin-left: 2px; "><div class="goog-inline-block goog-imageless-button-outer-box" style="position: relative; display: inline-block; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; border-top-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-right-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-bottom-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-left-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 0px; line-height: 0; margin-right: 0px !important; "><div class="goog-inline-block goog-imageless-button-inner-box" style="position: relative; display: inline-block; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; border-top-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-bottom-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-left-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: -1px; cursor: pointer; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 1px; background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; -webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; background-color: rgb(227, 227, 227); line-height: normal; border-right-color: rgb(187, 187, 187) !important; margin-right: 0px !important; background-position: initial initial; "><div class="goog-imageless-button-pos" style="position: relative; height: 100%; "><div class="goog-imageless-button-top-shadow" style="position: absolute; left: 0px; right: 0px; top: 0px; height: 0.9em; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; -webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; background-color: rgb(249, 249, 249); border-bottom-width: 0.2em; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); background-position: initial initial; "> </div><div class="goog-imageless-button-content" style="position: relative; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 8px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 8px; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; line-height: 1.8em; white-space: nowrap; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); "><img class="hB" src="http://mail.google.com/mail/images/cleardot.gif" alt="" style="height: 13px; width: 14px; background-image: url(http://mail.google.com/mail/?ui=2&view=dim&iv=15x2l78yypds5&it=ic); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-attachment: initial; -webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; background-color: initial; vertical-align: middle; background-position: 0px -40px; " /><span class="hE" style="padding-right: 4px; padding-left: 4px; white-space: nowrap; color: rgb(42, 93, 176); text-align: center; ">Reply</span></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="goog-inline-block" style="position: relative; display: inline-block; "><div id=":92" class="goog-imageless-button goog-inline-block G1 goog-imageless-button-collapse-left GZ ipG21e" act="undefined" tabindex="0" style="position: relative; display: inline-block; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; text-decoration: none; list-style-type: none; list-style-position: initial; list-style-image: initial; vertical-align: middle; cursor: default; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; font: normal normal normal 70%/normal arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: 0; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 2px; margin-left: 2px; "><div class="goog-inline-block goog-imageless-button-outer-box" style="position: relative; display: inline-block; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; border-right-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-bottom-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-left-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 0px; line-height: 0; margin-left: 0px !important; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: initial; border-top-color: initial; padding-top: 1px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; "><div class="goog-inline-block goog-imageless-button-inner-box" style="position: relative; display: inline-block; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-top-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-right-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-bottom-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); margin-top: 0px; margin-right: -1px; margin-bottom: 0px; cursor: pointer; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 0px; background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; -webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; background-color: rgb(227, 227, 227); line-height: normal; border-left-width: 1px; border-left-style: solid; border-left-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin-left: 0px !important; background-position: initial initial; "><div class="goog-imageless-button-pos" style="position: relative; height: 100%; "><div class="goog-imageless-button-top-shadow" style="position: absolute; left: 0px; right: 0px; top: 0px; height: 0.9em; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; -webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; background-color: rgb(249, 249, 249); border-bottom-width: 0.2em; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); background-position: initial initial; "> </div><div class="goog-imageless-button-content" style="position: relative; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 8px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 8px; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; line-height: 1.8em; white-space: nowrap; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); "><img class="hA" src="http://mail.google.com/mail/images/cleardot.gif" alt="" style="height: 7px; width: 7px; background-image: url(http://mail.google.com/mail/?ui=2&view=dim&iv=15x2l78yypds5&it=ic); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-attachment: initial; -webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; background-color: initial; background-position: -120px 0px; " /><span style="visibility: hidden; "></span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="nH"><div id=":9e"><div class="HprMsc"><div class="gs"><div class="gE iv gt" style="font-size: 80%; padding-left: 4px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-right: 0px; cursor: auto; "><table cellpadding="0" class="cf gJ" style="border-collapse: collapse; margin-top: 0px; width: auto; "><tbody><tr><td class="gF gK" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; text-align: left; white-space: nowrap; padding-right: 8px; vertical-align: top; width: 100%; padding-top: 0px; "><br /></td><td class="gH" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; text-align: right; white-space: nowrap; vertical-align: top; "><div class="gK" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 4px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(42, 93, 176); text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span><span></span></div></td><td class="gH" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; text-align: right; white-space: nowrap; vertical-align: top; "></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div class="iF" style="height: 0px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; clear: both; "></div><div class="utdU2e"></div><div class="QqXVeb"></div><div id=":9d" class="ii gt" style="font-size: 80%; margin-top: 5px; margin-right: 15px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 15px; padding-bottom: 20px; ">Paki, Eman and IMORB,<div><br /></div><div>You have said it all - I sit here, in Ohio, feeling the tears of disappointment and empowerment of the people, it truly is a miracle that we all came together, from many lands, and held the camp against the odds. (I am thinking that the border police may be thankful, initially that we are all gone, but in their heart of hearts, that they really will miss us, and will never forget the Rafah Camp.) (The tears are coming stronger now) longing to be with you all at the Rafah Border once again. I love you all.</div><div>Don</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></span>Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01493185892907531231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2268326744000998450.post-35519220813659929392009-08-01T08:18:00.001-07:002009-08-01T08:21:23.154-07:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXwhnWsFjXp-_p5dnjI5kULHsjeYxtCp5aSc-VOtEVaPit4tBzOJgByftcjSoiv6Cl0h-T2T2vGDlkqvIqbML3qY40RGhEgt4xQm-BCaQ9qyk84_qTRSgZOmgG8hDcDi1c0Z0utVphfXUu/s1600-h/100_1498.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXwhnWsFjXp-_p5dnjI5kULHsjeYxtCp5aSc-VOtEVaPit4tBzOJgByftcjSoiv6Cl0h-T2T2vGDlkqvIqbML3qY40RGhEgt4xQm-BCaQ9qyk84_qTRSgZOmgG8hDcDi1c0Z0utVphfXUu/s200/100_1498.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365015686295246098" /></a><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;font-size:13px;"><p><b><span lang="EN-US" style=" ;font-family:Arial;font-size:11pt;color:black;">UN and International Agencies Fear Gaza Educational System Unprepared for new school year <span> </span></span></b></p><p><b><span lang="EN-US" style=" ;font-family:Arial;font-size:11pt;color:black;"> </span></b></p><p><b><span lang="EN-US" style=" ;font-family:Arial;font-size:11pt;color:black;">Call for immediate opening of Gaza’s borders</span></b></p><p><b><span lang="EN-US" style=" ;font-family:Arial;font-size:11pt;color:black;"> </span></b></p><p><b><span lang="EN-US" style=" ;font-family:Arial;font-size:11pt;color:black;">28 July 2009</span></b></p><p><span lang="EN-US" style=" ;font-family:Arial;font-size:11pt;color:black;"> </span></p><p style="text-align: justify; "><span lang="EN-US" style=" ;font-family:Arial;font-size:11pt;color:black;">The UN Humanitarian Coordinator, representing UN aid agencies in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt), and the Association of International Development Agencies (AIDA), represented by at least 25 NGOs, today demand full and unfettered access into and out of Gaza in particular to restore the Gazan educational system.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify; "><span lang="EN-US" style=" ;font-family:Arial;font-size:11pt;color:black;"> </span></p><p style="text-align: justify; "><span lang="EN-US" style=" ;font-family:Arial;font-size:11pt;">During the 23 days of Israel’s operation “Cast Lead” in Gaza, 18 schools were completely destroyed and at least 280 were damaged. Today, one month before the start of the new school year, more than six months after the ceasefires, none of these schools have been properly rebuilt or rehabilitated due to lack of construction materials. Since the imposition of the blockade, students have faced chronic shortages of educational supplies including textbooks, paper and uniforms, though we acknowledge the recent moves to allow textbooks, uniforms, and stationary into Gaza. These are welcome first steps.<span> </span>However, the quantities, kinds and predictability of goods being permitted into Gaza are still far below what is required for normal life.<span> </span>Even prior to “Cast Lead” the education system was already under severe duress due to the two year blockade that has caused a crisis of “human dignity” in Gaza.<span> </span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify; "><span lang="EN-US" style=" ;font-family:Arial;font-size:11pt;color:black;"> </span></p><p style="text-align: justify; "><span lang="EN-US" style=" ;font-family:Arial;font-size:11pt;color:black;">The right to learn and be educated is a fundamental child right that is uniquely central to every child’s ability to realize his or her potential - and by extension, that of their communities and countries. In the context of protracted conflict and occupation, safe schools also offer an unparalleled means of restoring a sense of normalcy and hope for children and their families. Despite the extraordinary odds stacked against them, going to school and becoming educated remains the single most cherished priority among Palestinian children. The continuing blockade on Gaza jeopardizes this fundamental child right, along with the remarkable progress in education that has been achieved thus far.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify; "><span lang="EN-US" style=" ;font-family:Arial;font-size:11pt;color:black;"> </span></p><p style="text-align: justify; "><span lang="EN-US" style=" ;font-family:Arial;font-size:11pt;color:black;">“The blockade has caused untold suffering to children in Gaza, who face another academic year in terrible conditions”, said Philippe Lazzarini, acting Humanitarian Coordinator of oPt.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify; "><span lang="EN-US" style=" ;font-family:Arial;font-size:11pt;"> </span></p><p style="text-align: justify; "><span lang="EN-US" style=" ;font-family:Arial;font-size:11pt;">Together with the communities we serve, the United Nations and non-governmental humanitarian organizations working in oPt collectively call for immediate steps to end the blockade, as is required by international humanitarian and human rights law. We call on the Government of Israel to urgently facilitate entry of <span style=" ;color:black;">construction materials and supplies for schools in the coming weeks, and to ensure that students, teachers and trainers can freely exit and enter Gaza to continue learning.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify; "><span lang="EN-US" style=" ;font-family:Arial;font-size:11pt;color:black;"> </span></p><p style="text-align: justify; "><span lang="EN-US" style=" ;font-family:Arial;font-size:11pt;">Ensuring access to education is an obligation of all governments, its primacy proclaimed by agreements ranging from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to the Convention on the Rights of the Child<span style=" ;color:black;">. </span>Education is also the heart of all development and the essential prerequisite for equality, dignity, and lasting peace. T<span style=" ;color:black;">he future belongs to this generation of children and adolescents, and that future is inextricably rooted in the quality of education that they receive today.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify; "><span lang="EN-US" style=" ;font-family:Arial;font-size:11pt;color:black;"> </span></p><p style="text-align: justify; "><span lang="EN-US" style=" ;font-family:Arial;font-size:11pt;color:black;"> </span></p><p style="text-align: justify; "><span lang="EN-US" style=" ;font-family:Arial;font-size:11pt;color:black;"> </span></p><p style="text-align: justify; "><span lang="EN-US" style=" ;font-family:Arial;font-size:11pt;color:black;">For further information, please contact:</span></p><p><span lang="EN-US" style=" ;font-family:Arial;font-size:11pt;">Ms. Marixie Mercado, Chief Communications, UNICEF-occupied Palestinian territory.<span> </span>Mobile: +972-0-54 778 7604, e-mail:<a href="http://mail.google.com/mail/h/1jp5o4hdte1ae/?v=b&cs=wh&to=mmercado@unicef.org" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 204); ">mmercado@unicef.org</a></span></p><p><span lang="EN-US" style=" ;font-family:Arial;font-size:11pt;">Mr. Chris Gunness,<b> </b><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); ">Spokesperson, UNRWA.<span> </span>Telephone: +972-2-5890267, Mobile:+972-054-240-2659, e-mail:<a href="http://mail.google.com/mail/h/1jp5o4hdte1ae/?v=b&cs=wh&to=cgunness@unrwa.org" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 204); ">cgunness@unrwa.org</a></span></span></p><p><span lang="EN-US" style=" ;font-family:Arial;font-size:11pt;">Ms. Allegra Pacheco, Head of Advocacy Unit, OCHA.<span> </span>Mobile: +-972-054 3311 806, e-mail: <a href="http://mail.google.com/mail/h/1jp5o4hdte1ae/?v=b&cs=wh&to=pacheco6@un.org" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 204); ">pacheco6@un.org</a></span></p><p><span lang="EN-US" style=" ;font-family:Arial;font-size:11pt;">Mr. Jerry<span> </span>Farrell, Country Director, Save the Children Alliance, mobile:+-972-0-54 313 4280, e-</span><span lang="EN-US"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style=" ;font-family:Arial;font-size:11pt;">mail: <a href="http://mail.google.com/mail/h/1jp5o4hdte1ae/?v=b&cs=wh&to=farrell.jerry@gmail.com" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 204); ">farrell.jerry@gmail.com</a></span></p><p><span lang="EN-US" style=" ;font-family:Arial;font-size:11pt;">Mr. Osama Damo, Documentation and Communication Officer, Save the Children Alliance, <span> </span>mobile: +972-0-598-705-883, e-mail: <a href="http://mail.google.com/mail/h/1jp5o4hdte1ae/?v=b&cs=wh&to=odamo@scuk.org.ps" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 204); ">odamo@scuk.org.ps</a></span></p><p style="text-align: justify; "><span lang="EN-US" style=" ;font-family:Arial;font-size:11pt;color:black;"> </span></p><br /><p align="center" style="text-align: center; "><b><span lang="EN-US" style=" ;font-family:Verdana;font-size:10pt;color:black;"></span></b></p><p align="center" style="text-align: center; line-height: 12pt; "><span lang="EN-US"><span> <wbr> <wbr> </span></span></p><p align="center" style="text-align: center; text-indent: 36pt; line-height: 12pt; "><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p><p align="center" style="text-align: center; text-indent: 36pt; line-height: 12pt; "><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p><p dir="rtl" style="text-align: right; direction: rtl; "><b><span lang="AR-SA" style=" ;font-family:'Simplified Arabic';font-size:22pt;color:black;">بيان صحفي</span></b></p><p dir="rtl" style="text-align: right; direction: rtl; "><b><span lang="AR-SA" style=" ;font-family:'Simplified Arabic';font-size:16pt;color:black;">وكالات الأمم المتحدة والهيئات الدولية تخشى أن يكون جهاز التعليم في غزة غير جاهز لاستقبال السنة الدراسية الجديدة</span></b><span dir="ltr" lang="EN-US" style=" ;font-family:Verdana;font-size:16pt;color:black;"><br /></span><b><span lang="AR-SA" style=" ;font-family:'Simplified Arabic';font-size:16pt;color:black;">نداء من أجل فتح حدود غزة على الفور</span></b></p><p dir="rtl" style="margin-top: 12pt; text-align: right; direction: rtl; "><b><span lang="AR-SA" style=" ;font-family:'Simplified Arabic';color:black;">28 تموز/يوليو 2009</span></b></p><p dir="rtl" style="text-align: justify; direction: rtl; "><b><span dir="ltr" lang="EN-US" style=" ;font-family:Verdana;font-size:14pt;color:black;"><br /></span></b><span lang="AR-SA" style=" ;font-family:'Simplified Arabic';font-size:14pt;color:black;">طالب اليوم </span><span lang="AR-SA" style=" ;font-family:'Simplified Arabic';font-size:14pt;">منسق الأمم المتحدة للشؤون الإنسانية، بالنيابة عن وكالات الأمم المتحدة للعون في الأرض الفلسطينية المحتلة، واتحاد هيئات التنمية الدولية، ممثلة <span> </span>على الأقل في </span><span dir="ltr"></span><span dir="ltr" lang="EN-US" style=" ;font-size:14pt;"><span dir="ltr"></span>25</span><span dir="rtl"></span><span lang="AR-SA" style=" ;font-family:'Simplified Arabic';font-size:14pt;"><span dir="rtl"></span> مؤسسة غير حكومية، بإتاحة الإمكانية الكاملة وغير المقيدة للدخول إلى غزة والخروج منها، وذلك لإحياء نظام التعليم في غزة بشكل خاص.</span></p><p dir="rtl" style="margin-top: 12pt; text-align: justify; direction: rtl; "><span lang="AR-SA" style=" ;font-family:'Simplified Arabic';font-size:14pt;color:black;">تعرضت 18 مدرسة لتدمير كامل وأصيب ما لا يقل عن 280 مدرسة بأضرار أثناء العملية العسكرية الإسرائيلية في غزة "الرصاص المصبوب" على مدى 23 يوماً. واليوم، قبل شهر من بدء السنة الدراسية الجديدة، وبعد أكثر من ستة أشهر على وقف إطلاق النار، لم تتم إعادة تعمير أية من هذه المدارس أو إعادة تأهيلها على النحو المناسب بسبب نقص مواد البناء. ومنذ أن فرض الحصار والطلبة يواجهون نقصاً مزمناً في اللوازم التعليمية، بما في ذلك نقص الكتب المدرسية والورق والزي المدرسي، مع أننا نقر بالتحركات الأخيرة للسماح بدخول الكتب المدرسية والزي المدرسي والقرطاسية إلى غزة. إن هذه الخطوات مرحب بها كخطوات أولى، ولكن كميات البضائع التي يتم السماح بإدخالها إلى غزة وكذلك أنواعها وإمكانية التنبؤ بخصوصها، كل ذلك لا يزال أقل بكثير عما هو مطلوب لاستمرار الحياة بشكل طبيعي. وحتى قبل عملية "الرصاص المصبوب"، كان نظام التعليم يعيش أصلاً في ضائقة شديدة بسبب عامين من الحصار الذي أوجد أزمة "كرامة إنسانية" في غزة.</span></p><p dir="rtl" style="margin-top: 12pt; text-align: justify; direction: rtl; "><span lang="AR-SA" style=" ;font-family:'Simplified Arabic';font-size:14pt;color:black;">إن الحق في التعلم والحصول على التعليم حق أساسي من حقوق الطفل وهو يشغل موضعاً مركزياً فريداً بالنسبة لقدرة كل الأطفال على تحقيق طاقاتهم الكامنة، وبالتالي تحقيق طاقات مجتمعاتهم وبلدانهم. وفي ظروف النزاع والاحتلال المطول، توفر المدارس الآمنة أيضاً وسيلة لا تضاهى لاستعادة الحس بطبيعة الأمور والأمل للأطفال وعائلاتهم. وعلى الرغم من المصاعب الاستثنائية التي تتراكم في وجه الأطفال الفلسطينيين، يظل الذهاب إلى المدرسة والحصول على التعليم، <span> </span>يمثل الأولوية الوحيدة والأكثر أهمية بالنسبة لهم. إن استمرار فرض الحصار على غزة يهدد هذا الحق الأساسي من حقوق الطفل، كما يهدد بالقضاء على التقدم المبهر الذي تم تحقيقه في حقل التعليم حتى الآن.</span></p><p dir="rtl" style="margin-top: 12pt; text-align: justify; direction: rtl; "><span lang="AR-SA" style=" ;font-family:'Simplified Arabic';font-size:14pt;color:black;">وقد صرح فيليب لازاريني، القائم بأعمال منسق الشؤون الإنسانية في الأرض الفلسطينية المحتلة، قائلاً: "يسبّب الحصار معاناة لا توصف للأطفال في غزة، والذين يستقبلون عاماً مدرسياً آخر في أوضاع فظيعة".</span></p><p dir="rtl" style="margin-top: 12pt; text-align: justify; direction: rtl; "><span lang="AR-SA" style=" ;font-family:'Simplified Arabic';font-size:14pt;color:black;">إن وكالات الأمم المتحدة والمنظمات الإنسانية غير الحكومية العاملة في الأرض الفلسطينية المحتلة، مع المجتمعات التي تخدمها، تنادي بصوت واحد من أجل اتخاذ خطوات فورية لإنهاء الحصار حسب ما يقتضيه القانون الدولي الإنساني وقانون حقوق الإنسان. نحن ندعو حكومة إسرائيل لأن تعمل بشكل عاجل على تيسير دخول مواد البناء واللوازم للمدارس في الأسابيع القادمة، وضمان أن يتمكن الطلبة والمعلمون والمدربون من مغادرة غزة والدخول إليها بحرية من أجل استمرار التعليم.</span></p><p dir="rtl" style="margin-top: 12pt; text-align: justify; direction: rtl; "><span lang="AR-SA" style=" ;font-family:'Simplified Arabic';font-size:14pt;color:black;">إن ضمان الوصول إلى التعليم يعد واجباً على كافة الحكومات، وقد أعلنت أولوية هذا الواجب في الاتفاقيات المختلفة بدءاً من الإعلان العالمي لحقوق الإنسان وإلى اتفاقية حقوق الطفل. كما أن التعليم يقع في صميم التنمية ويعد شرطاً لا بد منه لتحقيق المساواة والكرامة والسلام الدائم. إن المستقبل ملك لهذا الجيل من الأطفال والفتيان والفتيات، وهذا المستقبل تضرب جذوره بشكل راسخ في جودة التعليم الذي يحصلون عليه الآن.</span></p><p dir="rtl" style="margin-top: 12pt; text-align: justify; direction: rtl; "><span dir="ltr" lang="EN-US" style=" ;font-family:Verdana;font-size:13pt;color:black;"> </span></p><p dir="rtl" style="margin-top: 12pt; text-align: justify; direction: rtl; "><span dir="ltr" lang="EN-US" style=" ;font-family:Verdana;font-size:13pt;color:black;"> </span></p><p dir="rtl" style="margin-top: 12pt; text-align: justify; direction: rtl; "><b><span lang="AR-SA" style=" ;font-size:13pt;color:black;">للمزيد من المعلومات، يرجى الاتصال مع</span></b><span lang="AR-SA" style=" ;font-size:13pt;color:black;">:</span><b><span lang="AR-SA" style=" ;font-size:13pt;color:black;"></span></b></p><p dir="rtl" style="margin-top: 12pt; text-align: justify; direction: rtl; "><span lang="AR-SA" style=" ;font-family:'Simplified Arabic';color:black;">مونيكا عوض، أخصائية الاتصال، اليونيسف – الأرض الفلسطينية المحتلة، هاتف نقال: </span><span dir="ltr"></span><span dir="ltr" lang="EN-US" style=" ;font-family:Arial;"><span dir="ltr"></span>054 778 7605</span><span dir="rtl"></span><span lang="AR-SA" style=" ;font-family:'Simplified Arabic';color:black;"><span dir="rtl"></span>، جوال: </span><span dir="ltr"></span><span dir="ltr" lang="EN-US" style=" ;font-family:Arial;font-size:11pt;color:black;"><span dir="ltr"></span>0599 118 848</span><span dir="rtl"></span><span lang="AR-SA" style=" ;font-family:'Simplified Arabic';color:black;"><span dir="rtl"></span> بريد إلكتروني: </span><span lang="EN-US" style=" ;font-family:Arial;"><a href="http://mail.google.com/mail/h/1jp5o4hdte1ae/?v=b&cs=wh&to=mawad@unicef.org" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 204); "><span dir="ltr">mawad@unicef.org</span></a></span><span lang="AR-SA" style=" ;font-family:'Simplified Arabic';color:black;"></span></p><p dir="rtl" style="text-align: justify; direction: rtl; "><span lang="AR-SA" style=" ;font-family:'Simplified Arabic';color:black;">ساجي المغني، مسؤول الاتصال، اليونيسف – الأرض الفلسطينية المحتلة، هاتف نقال: </span><span dir="ltr"></span><span dir="ltr" lang="EN-US" style=" ;font-family:Arial;"><span dir="ltr"></span>059 892 1836</span><span dir="rtl"></span><span lang="AR-SA" style=" ;font-family:'Simplified Arabic';"><span dir="rtl"></span>،</span><span lang="AR-SA" style=" ;font-family:'Simplified Arabic';color:black;"> بريد إلكتروني: </span><span lang="EN-US" style=" ;font-family:Verdana;color:black;"><a href="http://mail.google.com/mail/h/1jp5o4hdte1ae/?v=b&cs=wh&to=selmughanni@unicef.org" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 204); "><span dir="ltr">selmughanni@unicef.org</span></a></span><span dir="rtl"></span><span lang="EN-US" style=" ;font-family:'Simplified Arabic';"><span dir="rtl"></span></span><span dir="ltr" lang="EN-US" style=" ;font-family:Arial;"></span></p><p dir="rtl" style="text-align: justify; direction: rtl; "><span lang="AR-SA" style=" ;font-family:'Simplified Arabic';color:black;">كريس</span><span lang="AR-SA" style=" ;font-family:'Simplified Arabic';color:black;"> جانيس، الناطق الرسمي، الأونروا، هاتف: </span><span dir="ltr"></span><span dir="ltr" lang="EN-US" style=" color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family:Arial;"><span dir="ltr"></span>-02-5890267</span><span dir="rtl"></span><span lang="AR-SA" style=" ;font-family:'Simplified Arabic';color:black;"><span dir="rtl"></span>، هاتف نقال: </span><span dir="ltr"></span><span dir="ltr" lang="EN-US" style=" color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family:Arial;"><span dir="ltr"></span>.054-240-2659</span><span dir="rtl"></span><span lang="AR-SA" style=" ;font-family:'Simplified Arabic';color:black;"><span dir="rtl"></span>، بريد إلكتروني: </span><span lang="EN-US" style=" color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family:Arial;"><a href="http://mail.google.com/mail/h/1jp5o4hdte1ae/?v=b&cs=wh&to=cgunness@unrwa.org" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 204); "><span dir="ltr">cgunness@unrwa.org</span></a></span><span lang="AR-SA" style=" ;font-family:'Simplified Arabic';color:black;"></span></p><p dir="rtl" style="text-align: justify; direction: rtl; "><span lang="AR-SA" style=" ;font-family:'Simplified Arabic';color:black;">أليجرا باتشيكو، مديرة وحدة المناصرة، مكتب تنسيق الشؤون الإنسانية، هاتف نقال: </span><span dir="ltr"></span><span dir="ltr" lang="EN-US" style=" ;font-family:Arial;"><span dir="ltr"></span>054 3311 806</span><span dir="rtl"></span><span lang="AR-SA" style=" ;font-family:'Simplified Arabic';color:black;"><span dir="rtl"></span>، بريد إلكتروني: </span><span lang="EN-US" style=" ;font-family:Arial;"><a href="http://mail.google.com/mail/h/1jp5o4hdte1ae/?v=b&cs=wh&to=pacheco6@un.org" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 204); "><span dir="ltr">pacheco6@un.org</span></a></span><span lang="AR-SA" style=" ;font-family:'Simplified Arabic';color:black;"></span></p><p dir="rtl" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 12pt; direction: rtl; "><span lang="AR-SA" style=" ;font-family:'Simplified Arabic';color:black;">أسامة دامو، مسؤول التوثيق والاتصال، تحالف إنقاذ الطفل، هاتف نقال: </span><span dir="ltr"></span><span dir="ltr" lang="EN-US" style=" ;font-family:Arial;"><span dir="ltr"></span>0598-705-883</span><span dir="rtl"></span><span lang="AR-SA" style=" ;font-family:'Simplified Arabic';color:black;"><span dir="rtl"></span>، بريد إلكتروني: </span><span lang="EN-US"><a href="http://mail.google.com/mail/h/1jp5o4hdte1ae/?v=b&cs=wh&to=odamo@scuk.org.ps" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 204); "><span dir="ltr" style=" ;font-family:Arial;">odamo@scuk.org.ps</span></a></span><span lang="AR-SA" style=" ;font-family:'Simplified Arabic';color:black;"></span></p><br />-- <br />In Solidarity <br />from all <br />International Movement to Open Rafah Border<br /><br /><a href="http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=9986479902" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 204); ">http://www.facebook.com/group.<wbr>php?gid=9986479902</a><br /><br /><br />"Only a united world against oppression will help unite and free all of Palestine." <br /><br />(1) Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each state.<br />(2) Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country<br /></span>Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01493185892907531231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2268326744000998450.post-37019405906561144982009-07-19T20:14:00.000-07:002009-07-19T20:19:56.289-07:00Rafah Resistance Camp; 36 Days<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYG8MNh9O7gkzLyfx16uzzpa652XUUXcYskhu_X8NqoEOEfynnxYlCNi9wIqKecp3msxpAtgyY_HxSuigxrMCFUfTcFFMNPs_i0A-cuSpbuwUqyjB41menOCH0BBeooo9iN68F3e5Pt8AA/s1600-h/100_2068.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYG8MNh9O7gkzLyfx16uzzpa652XUUXcYskhu_X8NqoEOEfynnxYlCNi9wIqKecp3msxpAtgyY_HxSuigxrMCFUfTcFFMNPs_i0A-cuSpbuwUqyjB41menOCH0BBeooo9iN68F3e5Pt8AA/s200/100_2068.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360376828359681170" /></a><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family:arial;font-size:13px;"><span style=" ;font-family:Times;"><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Arial;">Dear all,</span><br /></div><div><span style=" ;font-family:Helvetica;"><div style="word-wrap: break-word; "><p><span style=" ;font-family:Arial;"> Here comes a short report on my stay at the Rafah border. I found it very difficult to put in words my feelings as I am shocked by what is going on there... Indeed, how is the situation in Gaza? seems that every thing is OK, israelis stopped their bombing, right? a worldwide conference promised a huge amount of money to reconstruct, right? No... every day, we receive news that do not appear in the well guarded media. Who knows that patients are still dying due to the siege? (death toll reaches 349 on June 9th, said the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza). Most of the aid (food, medical aid, construction material, etc) is roting at Port Said, El Arish, and near Rafah border. A well organised and profitable traffic of goods is going on through the famous tunnels, etc.</span></p><p><span style=" ;font-family:Arial;"> </span></p><p><span style=" ;font-family:Arial;">On June 13th 2009, an international camp set up at the Rafah border, to claim for the end of this criminal siege. The 9th of July, Chris, my husband, and myself joined this small group of wonderful people, to support their action. We decided at the last moment to travel, leaving in the lurch all what we had to do... Chris had been there at the very beginning of the camp and had told me how they managed to impose its existence at the Rafah gate, how life in the camp was a daily challenge, how the Palestinians trying to get in were grateful to these witnesses of their misfortune. We are also deeply convinced that we all should ask for a political solution for Palestine, urgently and firmly demanding the end of the siege of Gaza. Humanitarian aid is for sure not a solution.</span></p><p><span style=" ;font-family:Arial;">Here is a short summary of what happened during the few days of our stay at the Rafah border.</span></p><p><span style=" ;font-family:Arial;">We arrived on the 10th. It was not easy to reach the camp. First, on the Suez Canal Bridge (also known as the Mubarak Peace Bridge ;) ), all passengers of the bus were asked to present their ID. Both of us, because we were foreigners, were asked to go out of the bus, and had to answer a series of questions (where are you going? why? etc)... When we arrived at El Arich, we took a collective taxi which was stopped at one of the numerous check-points on the way to Rafah. There we had to leave the taxi, and the officer wanted us go back. He explained that we should have an authorisation from our embassy to go to Rafah! We tried to negociate during more than one hour, without any success. He just told us that we were right but that he could not act against the orders he received. We went back to El Arish, and took another taxi which agreed, on payment of a much higher price, to take us to the border by the small roads where there are no or few check points. We finally reached the border, at night. I relate this travel because we realised that the Sinai, and particularly the region around Rafah is under military occupation, with a huge number of check-points.</span></p><p><span style=" ;font-family:Arial;">It is difficult to relate the joy of all at the camp when we arrived, and the astonishment of the policemen to see Chris again!! I will not detail the life in the camp. Enough to say that it is a extraordinary experience to share this common willing for justice with people who can be so different and to realize that these differences make our strength, they are the beauty of humanity. I just want to relate few stories on these palestinian families trying to reach their relatives or their own home in Gaza.</span></p><p><span style=" ;font-family:Arial;"> </span></p><p><span style=" ;font-family:Arial;">On the 10th of July, a very sick Palestinian woman was lying on the ground in front of Rafah gate. She has serious diabetes problem and needs a kidney transplant urgently. As such intervention could not be done in Egypt nor she could be allowed to travel abroad from Egypt, this woman needed to return to Gaza to try to be treated in Israel or to travel to another country. She was accompanied by her older son, wife and little child, and by her nephew. They presented a series of certificates from the egyptian hospital, describing the terrible health state of this woman. When we protested and argued that this woman might die here, the officers answered "let her die". Finally, she was transported to an hospital in El Arish and could enter Gaza few days later, after a lot of negociations... We received the visit of a Palestinian living in Norway, who came to check the possibilities to get in with his wife and three children (who were waiting in an hotel in El Arish). He told us that the egyptians confirmed that the border was closed, and that he hoped to be able to get in with the famous convoy of US citizens organised by a british deputy, G. Galloway. Few days later, a family with five girls, an older woman and two men arrived from Saudi Arabia, wanting to get in. The women were crying, telling us that they made all this travel to meet their relatives in Gaza, they were denied to enter. As we offered them some water and fruits, the police came and shouted that they should not talk with us. These are few stories of the Rafah gate... When the convoy arrived (in fact a small part of it, as the Egyptian authorities made all kind of difficulties to let them reach Rafah), a number of Palestinian families tried to take the chance to cross the border. But they were brutally retained by the egyptian soldiers, and the US activists went in without protesting against this injustice. All these families are waiting in El Arish, for days, weeks, months, coming from all around the world, to try to get into Gaza, to reach their home, their relatives... We know a German woman, with her six children, who is trying to join her Palestinian husband in Gaza. She has been waiting there for over a month... Is it more important for foreigners to enter Gaza and deliver few humanitarian aid than to demand the end of the siege of Gaza and the freedom of movement for Palestinians?</span></p><p><span style=" ;font-family:Arial;">In solidarity</span></p><p><span style=" ;font-family:Arial;">Claudine</span></p><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Arial;"><br /></span></div></div></span></div></span><div><span style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; font-family:Helvetica;font-size:12px;"><div style="word-wrap: break-word; "></div></span></div></span>Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01493185892907531231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2268326744000998450.post-58116193876348691322009-07-09T20:59:00.000-07:002009-07-09T21:10:09.030-07:00Rafah Sit-In Camp Video<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzOOzuHOeg5ZfDiNJPjhuzYDTZAGnv24N0Q8vuTojqYh6G-zFs2VuR1BkTdeCj6IbhZAUZFWLdsZnYBuuKDC9C2a8mAaGgkuB-moSWvYcmt8m73DLTlD2ajCn55dxxMPVDO7Loy4m9w517/s1600-h/100_2052.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzOOzuHOeg5ZfDiNJPjhuzYDTZAGnv24N0Q8vuTojqYh6G-zFs2VuR1BkTdeCj6IbhZAUZFWLdsZnYBuuKDC9C2a8mAaGgkuB-moSWvYcmt8m73DLTlD2ajCn55dxxMPVDO7Loy4m9w517/s200/100_2052.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356677032279315426" /></a><br /><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial">Urgent Call for help from the Border....</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial; min-height: 15.0px"><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial">Please consider joining the Rafah Sit-In Camp - or supporting them.</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial">To contact the US Egyptian Embassy regarding the mistreatment and</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial">restrictions placed on the humanitarian volunteers with the</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial">International Movement to Open the Rafah Border (IMORB) use the FAX</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial">numbers. The email addresses on the embassy web site are all faulty.</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial">The phone numbers at the DC embassy are a maze. You can try regional</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial">office phone numbers - you at least get to leave a voice message.</p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial">Wash. DC EMBSSY FAX - 202.244.4319, NEW YORK FAX 212.308.7643</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial; min-height: 15.0px"><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial">Iman, one of two Egyptian journalists sustaining the sit-in camp at</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial">Rafah crossing has asked for support and urgently invites you to go to</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial">Rafah now.</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial; min-height: 15.0px"><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial; min-height: 15.0px"><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial; min-height: 15.0px"><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial">Hello,</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial; min-height: 15.0px"><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial">I came back from Rafah yesterday, but when I'll go back in few days I'll go</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial">to the gate ask to meet an official there and ask him about our colleagues</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial">Jenny and Natalie. I'll give him a piece of my mind as I always do and</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial">translate everything you wrote here and add the demand to let them go home</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial">to our list of sit-in demands.</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial; min-height: 15.0px"><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial">Meanwhile, the Egyptian government closed the bathrooms, no water, no</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial">electricity to charge our phones and they even closed the mosque and warned</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial">everyone in the area from helping us. They want to get rid of us before</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial">Galloway comes. We're there and will be there and need you to come join us.</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial; min-height: 15.0px"><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial">Please, think of new ideas we can use and do to put more pressure on the</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial">authorities to listen to our demands. They think we're a small number and</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial">can do nothing, we want to change this idea.</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial; min-height: 15.0px"><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial; min-height: 15.0px"><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial">Please, watch how they steel the aids for Gaza from Al Arish.</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial; color:#395eab;"><span style="text-decoration: underline"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/l/;http://www.factjo.com/fullnews.aspx?id=9429">http://www.facebook.com/l/;http://www.factjo.com/fullnews.aspx?id=9429</a></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial; min-height: 15.0px"><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial">Also watch more photos and videos from Rafah during the last opening of the</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial">border.</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial; color:#395eab;"><span style="text-decoration: underline"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/l/;http://lesa-3aish.blogspot.com/2009/06/blog-post_29.html">http://www.facebook.com/l/;http://lesa-3aish.blogspot.com/2009/06/blog-post_29.html</a></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial; min-height: 15.0px"><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial">I'll send more photos.</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial">Later,</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial">In solidarity,</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial">Iman</p><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;"> </span></div>Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01493185892907531231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2268326744000998450.post-363459797810951052009-07-09T20:55:00.000-07:002009-07-09T20:58:55.473-07:00Be a "Ghost" at the Rafah Border<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD1XUEW3OYsOaNtwMeMPtFGJjY7wEAdnTIoIlzs6n69Cj9ViMcQrJ2vGviXWrRmzgj71ZY3haDwfwjFKuOTYck7wD7SEll3AeW5eyvI9JWkYst9AHRUHHZ-ufyeEDPKYuuI5o2mfeuQbF-/s1600-h/100_1990.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD1XUEW3OYsOaNtwMeMPtFGJjY7wEAdnTIoIlzs6n69Cj9ViMcQrJ2vGviXWrRmzgj71ZY3haDwfwjFKuOTYck7wD7SEll3AeW5eyvI9JWkYst9AHRUHHZ-ufyeEDPKYuuI5o2mfeuQbF-/s200/100_1990.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356675979483110402" /></a><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family:arial;font-size:13px;"><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><span lang="EN-GB">Come join us and be a "Ghost" for the Egyptian police :))</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><span lang="EN-GB"> français à suivre<br /></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><span lang="EN-GB">Hello,</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><span lang="EN-GB"><span> </span></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><span lang="EN-GB">I'm sending this message so I can draw a smile on your faces. Today Christian and his wife reached Rafah camp again after many maneuvers. The police usually stops everyone who looks like a foreigner.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><span lang="EN-GB">Remember Ellen, Don, Micheline and the others how they used to stop you and return you back. Here we're playing Tom and Jerry with the police at check points.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><span lang="EN-GB">Yes, they stopped Christian and his wife and returned them back to Al-Arish. We had an emergency and were on the phones all the time till we managed to get Chris and his wife to Rafah Gate with the others.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><span lang="EN-GB">Guys, Paki Chris and myself were laughing out loud when we talked about the look on the police faces when Chris and his wife appeared in Rafah, this is a look that you shouldn't miss! Have you ever seen the look on someones' face when he sees a ghost? I guess not, but this is a description of the situation :))</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><span lang="EN-GB">Paki told me that she and Martha climbed over the iron gate of the closed bathroom to get there.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><span lang="EN-GB">Come join us and be a "Ghost" for the Egyptian police :))</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><span lang="EN-GB"><span> </span></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Love and solidarity,</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Iman</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "> </p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "> </p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Venez nous rejoindre et devenez les « fantômes » de la police égyptienne</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "> </p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "> </p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><span lang="EN-GB">Salut,</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><span lang="EN-GB"><span> </span></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Je vous envoie ce message car je sais je vais vous faire sourire.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "> </p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Aujourd'hui, Christian et son épouse, sont revenus dans le camp de Rafah, après de nombreuses ruses. Généralement, la police arrête tous ceux qui ressemblent à des étrangers. <br /><br />Rappelez-vous Ellen, Don, Micheline et les autres comment ils avaient l'habitude de vous arrêter et de vous faire rebrousser chemin. Ici, nous jouons au chat et à la souris avec les checkpoints de la police.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><br />Oui, ils ont stoppé Christian et son épouse et les ont renvoyés à Al-Arish. Ce fût une situation d'urgence et nous étions toujours au téléphone jusqu'à ce que nous réussissions à faire venir Chris et sa femme à la porte de Rafah avec les autres.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "> </p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Les copains, Paki, Chris et moi avons éclaté de rire quand nous avons parlé de la tête qu’ont faite les policiers lorsqu’ils ont vu apparaître Chris et sa femme à Rafah. C’était vraiment à ne pas rater!</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "> </p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Avez-vous déjà vu la tête de quelqu'un quand il voit un fantôme? Je suppose que non, mais c’est une description de la situation:)) <br /><br />Paki m'a dit qu'elle et Martha avaient escaladé la grille de la salle de bain fermée à clé pour y arriver. <br /><br />Venez nous rejoindre pour devenir le "fantôme" de la police égyptienne:))</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><span lang="EN-GB">En solidarité</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "> </p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Iman</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "> </p><br />-- <br />In Solidarity <br />from all <br />International Movement to Open Rafah Border<br /><br /><a href="http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=9986479902" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(42, 93, 176); ">http://www.facebook.com/group.<wbr>php?gid=9986479902</a><br /><br /><br />"Only a united world against oppression will help unite and free all of Palestine." <br /><br />(1) Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each state.<br />(2) Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country</span>Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01493185892907531231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2268326744000998450.post-64048071735234554482009-06-25T03:24:00.000-07:002009-06-25T03:25:09.271-07:00IMORB REPORTS DISCRIMINATION AT RAFAH BORDERThe International Movement to Open the Rafah Border<br />IMORB Reports Rafah Border Policy Discriminatory To Palestinians<br />Rafah Crossing<br />Rafah, Egypt<br /><br />CONTACT:<br />Paki Wieland (002) 018 735 8621 <br />Nada Kassass (002) 012 250 4611 <br />A group of ten UNRWA employees with family members has been denied entry to their homes and UNRWA offices in Gaza, PalestineAfter two attempts on June 23 and 24, they are still waiting, although the employees all carry international passports and letters for readmission from Bon Ki-Moon, the Secretary-General of the United Nations. "We are all Palestinians; this why we are being stalled," explained ome of the employees.<br />The International Movement to Open the Rafah Border (IMORB), now in it's 13th day of a sit-in camp at the Rafah gate to protest the Siege of Gaza.<br />IMORB participants have made this statement:<br />We are pleased that on June 24, some sick and injured Palestinians entered Gaza expeditiously. However, throughout the thirteen days that we havemonitored the border situation, we have witnessed hundreds of Palestinians being denied entrance to Gaza, even with proper visas. The Rafah border policy is arbitrary and discriminates against Palestinians.They are often treated with callous disrespect by border authorities and personnel. IMORB sees this as an abuse of power and without regard for family structural needs. Palestinian families and individuals are usually delayed for days to weeks to months, experiencing hardship and forced to stay in hotels in nearby Rafah or El Arish, 35 km from the border. Even Palestinianswith US passports are stalled, and must return to the US without ever visiting their families in Gaza. There is no accountability for the abuses and discrimination towards Palestinians by Egyptian Intelligience or border authorities.<br />IMORB calls on Special Mideast Envoy, George Mitchell to immediately investigate the discriminatory and arbitrary practices and policies executed<br />at the Rafah Border Crossing. IMORB further is urging the US Congress and President Obama to end the Siege OF Gaza unconditionally, as a humanitarian crisis continues in the Gaza Strip that totally restricts reconstruction of Gaza since the Israeli invasion of 2008-9. Medical equipment and suppliesand medicine is severely limited, water is chemically polluted with high levels of nitrates and chlorides. Children experience chronic malnutrition asfood supplies are limited.Hundreds of Gazans have perished from the siege, since the winter Israeli invasion that killed nearly 1400 Gazans. <br />IMORB has learned that the border is expected to be open the weekend of June 27, 28 and 29. IMORB will closely monitor and report on the situation at this time.<br /> الجميع في الجانب المصري، بمن فيهم السلطات والإعلام والإشاعات، يؤكدون أن المعبر سيتم فتحه بشكل تام، أيام 27 و28 و29 يونيو الجاري.لذا، نوجه نداء إلى كل الذين يرغبون في الدخول إلى قطاع غزة وكذلك إلى الذين يرغبون في توفير الدعم للحملة الدولية لفتح معبر رفح ورفع الحصار عن غزة، للحضور إلى المعبر، خلال هذه الأيام المعنية، للتأكد من فتحه، أو، في حالة العكس، التواجد بكثافة في المعتصم الدولي أمامه، للضغط على السلطات المصرية للوفاء بالتزامها بفتحه.Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01493185892907531231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2268326744000998450.post-4896915029837190722009-06-21T05:59:00.000-07:002009-06-21T06:05:00.835-07:00Rafah Sit-In Camp - 9 Days!June 19, 2009<br />International Movement to Open the Rafah Gate - 7 Days Sit-In!<br />Rafah Gate, Rafah, Egypt<br />Come to Rafah Camp - Besiege the Siege at the Rafah Gate<br />The International Movement to Open the Rafah Border (IMORB) has maintained a sit-in at the Rafah Crossing Gate for 9 days." We sleep in tents and and<br />under the stars," explained Don Bryant from the US, on the fourth day of a fast to protest the suffering of the 1.5 million Gazans under Israeli siege which<br />blocks humanitarian aid and restricts the free-flow of goods and people. "Hundreds of children have been killed from the recent Israeli massacre on Gaza,<br />and due to the siege!" Bryant exclaimed.<br />"Our numbers at the camp surged to 26 in the middle of this week," said Ellen Graves, a Raging Grannie from western Massachusetts, US, also fasting.<br />"Now we are less than 10 holding the camp, under constant surveillance by Egyptian police, but with seeming tolerance."<br />The IMORB sit-in camp is a "huge step in opposing the siege," said Nada Kassass, an Egyptian journalist who has joined the demonstration. "No one has<br />ever done this for one week straight," she continued.<br />The IMORB now sees their camp as a crucial part of ending the siege of Gaza. Half of the sit-in campers will be departing at the end of next week. The<br />international activists are inviting others to join them the week of June 22 for orientation and to help sustain the sit-in, indefinitely. The group also takes part<br />in meditation, teach-ins, negotiating with border police, and providing support for Palestinians and others trying to reunite with families in Gaza.<br />To join the sit-in camp or speak with the campers at the border contact:<br />Nada Kassass (0020) 0122504611 Arabic<br />Christian Chantegrel, christian French<br />Paki Wieland (0020) 0187358621 English<br />Don Bryant (0020) 177543411 English gazadelegation@gmail.com<br />Iman Badawi (0020) 0197910753 maryam_maryam24@yahoo.comDonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01493185892907531231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2268326744000998450.post-7078112079282117732009-06-07T08:42:00.000-07:002009-06-08T04:48:49.276-07:00CAIRO: Obama Greeted by International Community Activists<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT7LekIbN8H0TjrRfYxTgvtRrHzAfuvyrJmBIcB8YS-0BI0j-v4mPhnFs0iXaVgKEprkXNt0MlZFsclpaykPElljl5C8wIL8LPsth9M96p2J3P4eluV7c1BXnZU7FxKfUpNxcpwLun_wYE/s1600-h/P1030014.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT7LekIbN8H0TjrRfYxTgvtRrHzAfuvyrJmBIcB8YS-0BI0j-v4mPhnFs0iXaVgKEprkXNt0MlZFsclpaykPElljl5C8wIL8LPsth9M96p2J3P4eluV7c1BXnZU7FxKfUpNxcpwLun_wYE/s200/P1030014.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344921468407897970" /></a><br />Dear Friends:<br />I have joined a delegation of international community activists. We are in El-Arish (6/7/09), 1/2 hour from the Rafah, Egypt/Gaza border. I have been heavily monitored since I left Cleveland. I was searchedas I boarded the plane to JFK, NY. Two others were searched, as well:a random man, and a Muslim women in hijab, maybe 60-some years old. Itwas disturbing to me, as you can imagine. Palestinians go through thison a daily basis in Occupied Palestine. Since we arrived in El-Arish,our every move is being moitored by Egyptian security.<br />Don Bryant in El-Arish, Egypt<br /><br />On June 4, 2009President Obama Greeted in Cairo by International Community ActivistsIn response to US President Barrack Obama's visit to Cairo, Egypt onJune 4, seven "international community activists" from theInternational Movement to Open the Rafah Border, and US anti-wargroups Code Pink and Raging Grannies began a day-long protest to endthe Siege of Gaza. The group began their protest at 9 am at the USembassy in Cairo. They unfurled a banner in front of the embassy withthe message, "End the Siege of Gaza." Code Pink co-founder, MedeaBenjamin carried a letter from the Palestinian government, Hamas, todeliver to the embassy and to President Obama. The letter had beenissued to Medea the day before coming from Gaza. The correspondencefrom Hamas stated their desire to negotiate with israel and the USwith no preconditions. "It was a very dignified letter," said Frenchdemonstrator, Christian. The group was also asking President Obama tovisit Gaza, Palestine on his Middle East tour. "If the president couldsee Gaza for himself, he would see the result of US tax dollars, thatsupport the Israeli war crimes in Gaza ," shouted the demonstrators."Obama, go to Gaza!" they continued.The international community activists (ICA) were diverted fromdelivering their message to the embassy, being directed from oneentrance to another. They were also told that cameras would beconfiscated if any pictures were taken. The group was joined bymembers of two student delegations that had been to Gaza. The studentshad scribed a letter to the president, protesting the Israeli siegeand war crimes in Gaza. Tigue from Code Pink had a contact within theembassy, whom he called to find out who was in control at the embassythat day. He was told that embassy security had the final say. Embassysecurity tried to contain the ICA in a barricade, which they crawledunder, and escaped.The demonstration was pure improvisation. After leaving the embassythe ICA had planned to display their banners from various bridges orbuildings. Instead they decided to see how close they could get to theCairo University, where the president would deliver his Middle Eastaddress.Being separated from the students, the seven travelled in two taxis,arriving 1 km from the university. The police stopped all trafficincluding their taxis. Exiting from the taxis, the demonstrators beganwalking freely, through the heavily secured area. Christian said itwas like the American movie, "Little Big Man," when Dustin Hoffmanescorted the blind native chief through a raging massacre. Thedemonstrators walked for one minute towards a monument thirty metersfrom the university and the security checkpoint. The plaza was crowdedwith spectators, security officers, and police dogs.In front of the monument the demonstrators unfurled the bright pinkbanners in English and Arabic. All the spectators had to pass by thedemonstrators on their way to the presidential address. While some ofthe ICA remained with one banner in front of the monument, the otherswandered among the crowd addressing the spectators by microphone,openly displaying the letter from Hamas. People took interest and tookpictures of the letter and the demonstration.The demonstrators saw about 1000 security officers; Egyptian officersin white and black, and many plain-clothes police from the US andEgypt. Security officers noticed the protestors and communicated onwalkie-talkies apparently trying to figure out how to handle thedemonstrators. The demonstration went on for nearly 1/2 hour beforesecurity finally approached them. Actually there were 30,000 securityofficers on duty, as was later revealed. Security told the ICA toleave but they said, "we are Americans. We are protesting. This is ourright of free speech." The only Egyptian protestor was told to leave,but others joined the demonstration, which now included, one Chineseand three American students, two Frenchmen, and four others from theUS....the Italian who tried to join them was searched and sent awaybecause security discovered a video camera in his back pack.Three of the ICA took a banner to another gate where the president wassupposed to pass by. They were told to leave this area. As they wentto rejoin the larger group, security tried to drive them with somephysical force, to no avail. Medea told them, "President Obamawouldn't like you do that."Finally, a full line of security officers faced the demonstrators. TheICA knew something was about to happen. Suddenly sirens blarred. TheObama motorcade was approaching. President Obama passed, as fast aspossible, by the demonstration in full view of the banners' messages"End the Gaza Siege," "Stop Funding Israeli War Crimes."When Obama had entered the university, the situation was calmer andEgyptian security warmed up to the protestors, serving them juice andcookies.When the president's speech was over, suddenly a huge crowd ofdiplomats, journalists, and Egyptian VIPS all left at the same time.In the hot sun an intensity resurged. The ICA met the masses withincreased vigor. and they were actually greeted by some of the crowd.Some of the demonstrators were engaged in interviews by thejournalists.The group decided it was a good time to exit when they noticed thatmost of the public had dissipated and that other security forces wereslowly enclosing the area around the monument. The InternationalCommunity Activists quickly packed their banners and slipped throughan opening in the security barrier, even while the police werefollowing and trying to grab them.The banners were later hung from a hotel on Independence Plaza.Upon later reflection of the intense deployment of security, RagingGrannie Paki, said, "what kind of a world is this that we have to havethis much security?"Christian answered, " it is an occupied world."Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01493185892907531231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2268326744000998450.post-88091091052947726522009-05-10T23:31:00.000-07:002009-05-10T23:45:02.797-07:00Testimony from Al Arish/Rafah<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 12.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial">Apparently, the Egyptian government, in collusion with the US and the Israelis, is trying to avert any anti-siege demonstrators from nearing the border of Gaza (see testimony below.) Our June Break the Siege Delegation to Rafah will go forward, regardless. Wherever they move the boundary line - that's where we will be - to increase pressure on the triumvirate (Egypt, US, Israeli govts.) to end the criminal blockade of the Gaza Strip!</p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 12.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial">************************************</p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 12.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial">Testimony from Al Arish/Rafah</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 12.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial"> </p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 12.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial">Laila and her 3 friends went to Al Arish/Rafah. This is their testimony.</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 12.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial"> </p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 12.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial">Everything is fine. In Cairo, we both met 2 other friends, a French man and a Brazilian girl.</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 12.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial"> </p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 12.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial">Before leaving, we visited the wounded Palestinians in Cairo hospitals with R.</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 12.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial"> </p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 12.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial">Two days ago, our quarter went to Al Arish.</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 12.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial"> </p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 12.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial">Yesterday morning, we went to the bus station in order to take a service to do to Rafah. Upon our arrival, the driver said that he has to inform Egyptian authorities. Then, we have been drove to the police station where we have detained and questioned during 2 hours</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 12.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial"> </p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 12.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial">The policemen told us that we are forbidden to go to Rafah and we should go to Sharm el Cheikh or Louxor.</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 12.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial">It seems that Israelis, who, as everybody knows have a lot of problems to determine their frontiers, have expanded its south border till Al Arish, so 40 km far away in Sinai.</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 12.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial"> </p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 12.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial">We could ask ourselves who is ruling this country.</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 12.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial"> </p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 12.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial">This morning, We took a taxi to go to Rafah terminal. There, there was nobody but a lot of policemen who, of course, welcomed us with their bans: Don’t take pictures and go back home immediately.</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 12.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial"> </p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 12.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial">There were no internationals</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 12.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial"> </p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 12.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial">So, we left and went back to Cairo in order to find some reinforcements. As we were only 4 people, it was too difficult to organize any action.</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 12.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial"> </p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 12.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial">We will send you rapidly pictures.</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 12.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial"> </p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 12.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial">Keep in touch</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 12.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial"> </p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 12.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial">NOTE :</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 12.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial">We learnt the Hope convoy will arrive in Alexandria on May 14th and will head to Rafah on 15th,, so a big group will manage to do something.</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 12.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial"> </p> <p dir="rtl" style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: right; font: 17.0px Geeza Pro"><b>شهادة</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>من</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>العريش</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> \ </b></span><b>رفح</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> ..</b></span></p> <p dir="rtl" style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: right; font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></p> <p dir="rtl" style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: right; font: 17.0px Geeza Pro"><b>في</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>القاهرة</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>كل</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>شيء</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>يسيؤ</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>على</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>ما</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>يرام</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> , </b></span><b>نحن</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>الاثنان</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>قابلنا</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>صديقين</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>آخرين</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> , </b></span><b>رجل</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>فرنسي</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>وفتاة</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>برازيلية</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> .</b></span></p> <p dir="rtl" style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: right; font: 17.0px Geeza Pro"><b>قبل</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>مغادرتنا</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> , </b></span><b>قمنا</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>بزيارة</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>الجرحى</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>الفلسطينيين</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>في</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>مستشفيات</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>القاهرة</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> .</b></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 12.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial"> </p> <p dir="rtl" style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: right; font: 17.0px Geeza Pro"><b>قبل</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>يومين</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>توجهت</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>مجموعتنا</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>للعريش</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> .</b></span></p> <p dir="rtl" style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: right; font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></p> <p dir="rtl" style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: right; font: 17.0px Geeza Pro"><b>صباح</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>الأمس</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> , </b></span><b>ذهبنا</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>لمحطة</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>الحافلات</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>لنقوم</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>بإنهاء</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>الإجراءات</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>والتوجه</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>لرفح</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> , </b></span><b>ولدى</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>وصولنا</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> , </b></span><b>اخبرنا</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>سائق</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>الحافلة</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>أنه</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>يجب</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>عليه</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>الحصول</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>على</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>إذن</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>السلطات</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>المصرية</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> , </b></span><b>بعدها</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> , </b></span><b>ساقونا</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>بعدها</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>لقسم</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>الشرطة</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> , </b></span><b>حيث</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>تم</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>حجزنا</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>واستجوابنا</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>لمدة</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>ساعتين</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> .</b></span></p> <p dir="rtl" style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: right; font: 17.0px Geeza Pro"><b>أخبرنا</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>رجال</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>الشرطة</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>المصريون</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>أننا</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>ممنوعون</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>من</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>الذهاب</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>لرفح</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> , </b></span><b>ويتعين</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>علينا</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>التوجه</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>لشرم</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>الشيخ</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>أو</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>الأقصر</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> .</b></span></p> <p dir="rtl" style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: right; font: 17.0px Geeza Pro"><b>هذا</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>ويبدو</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>أن</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>الإسرائيليين</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>وكما</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>يعلم</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>الجميع</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b>, </b></span><b>لديها</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>العديد</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>من</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>المشاكل</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>لتحديد</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>حدودها</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b>, </b></span><b>فقد</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>وسعت</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>حدودها</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>الجنوبية</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>حتى</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>العريش</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> , </b></span><b>على</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>بعد</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> 40 </b></span><b>كم</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>من</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>سيناء</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> .</b></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 12.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial"> </p> <p dir="rtl" style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: right; font: 17.0px Geeza Pro"><b>يمكننا</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>أن</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>نسأل</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>أنفسنا</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>من</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>يحكم</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>هذه</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>البلد؟</b><span style="font: 17.0px Helvetica"><b>!!!</b></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 19.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: right; font: 19.0px Geeza Pro"><b>هذا</b><span style="font: 19.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>الصباح</b><span style="font: 19.0px Helvetica"><b> , </b></span><b>أخذنا</b><span style="font: 19.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>سيارة</b><span style="font: 19.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>أجرة</b><span style="font: 19.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>للذهاب</b><span style="font: 19.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>لمعبر</b><span style="font: 19.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>رفح</b><span style="font: 19.0px Helvetica"><b> , </b></span><b>لم</b><span style="font: 19.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>يكن</b><span style="font: 19.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>هناك</b><span style="font: 19.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>أحد</b><span style="font: 19.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>سوى</b><span style="font: 19.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>الكثير</b><span style="font: 19.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>من</b><span style="font: 19.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>رجال</b><span style="font: 19.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>الشرطة</b><span style="font: 19.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>الذين</b><span style="font: 19.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>رحبوا</b><span style="font: 19.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>بنا</b><span style="font: 19.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>بالتحذير</b><span style="font: 19.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>من</b><span style="font: 19.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>أخذنا</b><span style="font: 19.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>صور</b><span style="font: 19.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>والطلب</b><span style="font: 19.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>منا</b><span style="font: 19.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>العودة</b><span style="font: 19.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>فورا</b><span style="font: 19.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>لمنازلنا</b><span style="font: 19.0px Helvetica"><b> .</b></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: right; font: 19.0px Geeza Pro"><b>لم</b><span style="font: 19.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>يكن</b><span style="font: 19.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>هناك</b><span style="font: 19.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>دوليين</b><span style="font: 19.0px Helvetica"><b> .</b></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: right; font: 19.0px Geeza Pro"><b>لذا</b><span style="font: 19.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>عدنا</b><span style="font: 19.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>للقاهرة</b><span style="font: 19.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>لنتمكن</b><span style="font: 19.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>من</b><span style="font: 19.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>الحصول</b><span style="font: 19.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>على</b><span style="font: 19.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>بعض</b><span style="font: 19.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>التعزيزات</b><span style="font: 19.0px Helvetica"><b> , </b></span><b>لأننا</b><span style="font: 19.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>كأربع</b><span style="font: 19.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>أشخاص</b><span style="font: 19.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>فقط</b><span style="font: 19.0px Helvetica"><b> , </b></span><b>من</b><span style="font: 19.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>الصعب</b><span style="font: 19.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>علينا</b><span style="font: 19.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>أن</b><span style="font: 19.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>نقوم</b><span style="font: 19.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>بأي</b><span style="font: 19.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>فعل</b><span style="font: 19.0px Helvetica"><b> , </b></span><b>لذا</b><span style="font: 19.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>نأمل</b><span style="font: 19.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>بأن</b><span style="font: 19.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>يأتي</b><span style="font: 19.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>دوليين</b><span style="font: 19.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>آخرين</b><span style="font: 19.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>في</b><span style="font: 19.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>القريب</b><span style="font: 19.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>العاجل</b><span style="font: 19.0px Helvetica"><b> .</b></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: right; font: 19.0px Geeza Pro"><b>سنرسل</b><span style="font: 19.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>لك</b><span style="font: 19.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>صور</b><span style="font: 19.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>بالسرعة</b><span style="font: 19.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>الممكنة</b><span style="font: 19.0px Helvetica"><b> .</b></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: right; font: 19.0px Geeza Pro"><b>ابقي</b><span style="font: 19.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>على</b><span style="font: 19.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>تواصل</b></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: right; font: 19.0px Geeza Pro"><b>ليلى</b></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: right; font: 19.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: right; font: 19.0px Geeza Pro"><b>ملاحظة</b><span style="font: 19.0px Helvetica"><b> :</b></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 12.0px 0.0px; font: 19.0px Geeza Pro"><b>علمنا</b><span style="font: 19.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>أن</b><span style="font: 19.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>قافلة</b><span style="font: 19.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>الأمل</b><span style="font: 19.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>ستصل</b><span style="font: 19.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>للإسكندرية</b><span style="font: 19.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>في</b><span style="font: 19.0px Helvetica"><b> 14- </b></span><b>مايو</b><span style="font: 19.0px Helvetica"><b> , </b></span><b>وستتوجه</b><span style="font: 19.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>لرفح</b><span style="font: 19.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>في</b><span style="font: 19.0px Helvetica"><b> 15 </b></span><b>مايو</b><span style="font: 19.0px Helvetica"><b> , </b></span><b>لذا</b><span style="font: 19.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>مجموعة</b><span style="font: 19.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>كبيرة</b><span style="font: 19.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>ستقوم</b><span style="font: 19.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>بعمل</b><span style="font: 19.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>شيء</b><span style="font: 19.0px Helvetica"><b> </b></span><b>ما</b><span style="font: 19.0px Helvetica"><b> .</b></span></p>Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01493185892907531231noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2268326744000998450.post-82426578676857766082009-04-29T09:19:00.000-07:002009-04-29T09:25:10.297-07:00June Actions in Rafah to Break the Siege of Gaza<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicgBTLlVyZTj4UnNbNlCF87nvTlQPumzPspZ_vNmmcWmOPRSjctUG_KYvPQ6GUbTl1fO6qbBB-r1WJyesz6Y0MQNoNpgzTeEzDfOcKm3QBjkyWvHrLWzQEIoN6dg1cb93aIoH_Fo87WLAn/s1600-h/IMG_2299.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicgBTLlVyZTj4UnNbNlCF87nvTlQPumzPspZ_vNmmcWmOPRSjctUG_KYvPQ6GUbTl1fO6qbBB-r1WJyesz6Y0MQNoNpgzTeEzDfOcKm3QBjkyWvHrLWzQEIoN6dg1cb93aIoH_Fo87WLAn/s200/IMG_2299.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330149797720155922" /></a><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;font-size:12px;">(Arabic text below) <br /><p>WE NEED YOU! HELP US BREAK THE SIEGE OF GAZA! OHIOANS AND OTHERS, <br />INCLUDING RAGING GRANNIES, CODE PINK DELEGATES AND INTERNATIONALS ARE <br />PLANNING NONVIOLENT DIRECT ACTION AT THE RAFAH, EGYPT CROSSING IN JUNE <br />'09 AND BEYOND. <br /></p><p>GOALS: <br />1. DRAW US AND WORLD ATTENTION TO THE FACT THAT GAZA, PALESTINE HAS <br />BEEN UNDER SIEGE FOR 2 YEARS. LITTLE FOOD AND MEDICAL SUPPLIES ARE <br />GETTING IN AND EXPORTS ARE NONEXISTENT. GAZA CANNOT REBUILD AFTER THE <br />DEC-JAN ISRAELI ATTACKS THAT DECIMATED THE 360 SQ KM AREA, WHERE 1.5 <br />MILLION ARE TRYING TO LIVE. <br /></p><p>2. PRESSURE THE US, ISRAELI AND EGYPTIAN GOVTS. TO LIFT THE BLOCKADE <br />PERMANENTLY. <br /></p><p>********************* <br /></p><p>Let go to Rafah NOW! <br /></p><p>Dear friends, <br /></p><p>Till now, more 300 organizations and individuals from 26 countries <br />have endorsed the call “International Movement to Open the Rafah <br />Border” and we thank you <br /></p><p>As you may know, there are always people from all over the world who <br />are trying to get into Gaza in order to bring aid to the Palestinian <br />people who are living under a desperate situation. <br /></p><p>Thousands of tons of food, medical and emergency shelter aid including <br />blankets and mattresses, donated by countries including the United <br />States and aid organisations, are denied entry through crossings by <br />the Israeli government but also by the egyptian government. <br /></p><p>The United Nations has stated that 900,000 Gazans are now dependent on <br />food aid following Israel‘s 22-day assault on the tiny coastal <br />territory. <br />Only 100 aid trucks are being allowed into Gaza each day - 30 less <br />than were being brought in last year and substantially less than <br />before Israel’s operation ‘Cast Lead’: an attack that has left over <br />1,300 Palestinians dead, the vast majority of them civilians massacred <br />in their streets and homes. With over 5,000 injured and 100,000 <br />homeless, admittance of aid is crucial at this time. <br /></p><p>This is a fraction of the estimated 500-600 trucks deemed necessary to <br />sustain the population of Gaza according to the United Nations. <br />According to UNRWA, food trucks are delivering enough food to feed <br />just 30,000 people per day. <br /></p><p>Hundreds of medical patients, the injured from this war and Israel’s <br />previous invasions, are being prohibited from leaving Gaza for <br />indispensable medical treatment. Over 300 people have died of <br />preventable and treatable conditions, due to the ongoing siege staged <br />since 4 years ago. <br /></p><p>In Charm El Cheik, the world leaders promised billions of aid to Gaza, <br />but why if the borders remain closed and if aid trucks cannot enter <br />into Gaza. <br /></p><p>So we must establish a permanent sit-in at the Rafah border till the <br />siege, which is a war crime, will be lift. <br /></p><p>Our main goal is not one people or a group enters into Gaza but our <br />goal is to lift the siege and also to help the Palestinians to move <br />freely through the crossing, an application of international law and <br />the respect for the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (December, <br />10th 1948).* <br />. <br />During our sit-in, we will organize coordinated actions on both sides <br />of the border with our friends in Gaza. <br /></p><p>So, in order to organize this action, we need to know: <br /></p><p>- When can you join us at the Rafah border? <br />- Will you come alone or with a group? If you will come as a <br />group, how many people are you? <br />- How long can you stay there? <br />- Would you want to help us in coordinating this action? <br /></p><p>As you can guess it, the Egyptian authorities will do their best to <br />prevent you to reach the Rafah border, so we will give you all the <br />information and contacts in Egypt you need. <br /></p><p>If you cannot come: <br /></p><p>May be you can help a friend, an activist to come (through <br />fundraising) <br /></p><p>You can also communicate with media and all your surroundings <br /></p><p>In support of this action, we will launch soon a "mailing protest <br />campaign" to embassies (Egypt Embassy in your country, and your own <br />embassy in Egypt) and to your Foreign Office <br /></p><p>So if you intend to come soon or in the coming months or if you need <br />more details, please contact us at : intm<a target="_parent" href="http://groups.google.com/groups/unlock?_done=/group/gazadelegation/browse_thread/thread/651bf2cba0338380&msg=4686e50e20b9f1ae" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 204); ">...</a>@googlemail.com and <br />gazadelegat<a target="_parent" href="http://groups.google.com/groups/unlock?_done=/group/gazadelegation/browse_thread/thread/651bf2cba0338380&msg=4686e50e20b9f1ae" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 204); ">...</a>@gmail.com 440-623-0492 <br /></p><p>In solidarity <br /></p><p>* Article 13. <br /> (1) Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence <br />within the borders of each state. <br /> (2) Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, <br />and to return to his country. <br /></p><p>حتى الآن ، أكثر من 300 من المنظمات والأفراد من 26 بلدا أيدوا الدعوة <br />إلى "الحركة الدولية لفتح معبر رفح الحدودي" ونشكركم . <br /></p><p>وكما تعلمون، هناك دائما أشخاص من جميع أنحاء العالم يحاولون الوصول إلى <br />غزة من اجل إيصال المساعدات إلى الشعب الفلسطيني الذي يعيش في ظل وضع <br />يائس. <br /></p><p>آلاف الأطنان من المواد الغذائية والطبية والمأوى والمساعدات الطارئة <br />الطوارئ بما في ذلك البطاطين والفرشات ، والتي تبرعت بها دول عديدة من <br />بينها الولايات المتحدة ومنظمات الإغاثة ، ومنعوا من الدخول عبر المعابر <br />من الحكومة الإسرائيلية ، ولكن أيضا من جانب الحكومة المصرية. <br /></p><p>ذكرت الأمم المتحدة أن 900000 من سكان غزة يعتمدون الآن على المساعدات <br />الغذائية في أعقاب الاعتداء الإسرائيلي على قطاع غزة والذي استمر لمدة 22 <br />يوم. <br />فقط 100 شاحنة من المساعدات يتم السماح لهم بدخول قطاع غزة كل يوم –اقل <br />ب 30 شاحنة مما كان مسموح بإدخاله في العام الماضي ، وأقل بكثير مما كان <br />قبل العملية الإسرائيلية 'ممثلون الرصاص' :الهجوم الذي خلف ورائه أكثر من <br />1300 شهيدا فلسطينيا ، غالبيتهم العظمى من المدنيين الذين ذبحوا في <br />الشوارع والمنازل. مع أكثر من 5000 جريح و 100000 بلا مأوى ، وقبول <br />المعونة أمر بالغ الأهمية في هذا الوقت. <br /></p><p> هذا جزء بسيط من ما يقارب 500-600 شاحنة التي تعتبر ضرورية للحفاظ على <br />السكان في قطاع غزة وفقا للأمم المتحدة. ووفقا للأونروا ، فان شاحنات <br />الغذاء توفر ما يكفي من الغذاء لإطعام 30000 شخص فقط في اليوم الواحد. <br /></p><p>يمنع المئات من المرضى والمصابين, من هذه الحرب والغزو الإسرائيلي <br />السابق من مغادرة غزة لتلقي العلاج الطبي اللازم والضروري. أكثر من 268 <br />شخص لقوا حتفهم من جراء أحوال صحية ممكن الوقاية منها ومعالجتها وجاء <br />ذلك نتيجة لاستمرار الحصار المستمر منذ أربع سنوات مضت. <br /></p><p>وفي شرم الشيخ، وعد زعماء العالم مساعدات لقطاع غزة تقدر بالبلايين ، <br />ولكن لماذا إذا الحدود لا تزال مغلقة ، وإذا قافلات المساعدات لا تستطيع <br />أن تدخل إلى غزة. <br /></p><p>لذا لا بد لنا من تحقيق إقامة دائمة في الاعتصام عند معبر رفح على الحدود <br />حتى رفع هذا الحصار والذي يعتبر أصلا جريمة حرب. <br /></p><p>هدفنا الرئيسي هو ليس فقط السماح لشخصا واحدا أو مجموعة بالعبور إلى غزة <br />ولكن هدفنا هو رفع الحصار وكذلك لمساعدة الفلسطينيين على التنقل بحرية من <br />خلال المعبر، وتطبيق القانون الدولي واحترام الإعلان العالمي لحقوق <br />الإنسان) كانون الأول / ديسمبر 10 عام 1948 <br /></p><p>وخلال الاعتصام ، فإننا سوف نقوم بتنظيم إجراءات منسقة على جانبي الحدود <br />مع أصدقائنا في قطاع غزة. <br /></p><p>لذا ، من أجل تنظيم هذا العمل ، نحن بحاجة إلى معرفة ما يلي : <br /></p><p>-- متى يمكنك الانضمام إلينا في رفح على الحدود؟ <br /></p><p>-- هل ستأتي بمفردك أو مع مجموعة؟ إذا كنت ستأتي مع مجموعة ، كم عددكم؟ <br />-- إلى متى يمكنك البقاء هناك؟ <br /></p><p>-- هل تريد أن تساعدنا في تنسيق هذا العمل؟ <br /></p><p>كما تظنون ، السلطات المصرية ستبذل ما بوسعها لمنعكم من الوصول إلى معبر <br />رفح الحدودي ، لذلك سنقدم لكم كل المعلومات والاتصالات التي سوف تحتاجون <br />إليها في مصر. <br /></p><p>إذا كنت لا تستطيع أن يأتي : <br /></p><p>قد يكون لك صديق ناشط ممكن أن تساعده على المجيء (من خلال جمع التبرعات) <br /></p><p>يمكنك أيضا التواصل مع وسائل الإعلام وجميع محيطك <br /></p><p>دعما لهذا العمل ، فإننا سوف تبدأ قريبا " حملة الاحتجاج البريدية " <br />للسفارات (سفارة مصر في بلدكم ، والسفارة الخاصة بك في مصر) ، وإلى <br />مكتبك الخارجي. <br /></p><p>حتى إذا كنت تنوي المجيء قريبا أو في الأشهر المقبلة، أو إذا كنت تحتاج <br />إلى مزيد من التفاصيل، يرجى الاتصال بنا على: <br /> intm<a target="_parent" href="http://groups.google.com/groups/unlock?_done=/group/gazadelegation/browse_thread/thread/651bf2cba0338380&msg=4686e50e20b9f1ae" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 204); ">...</a>@googlemail.com <br /></p><p>مع كل التضامن <br /></p><p>مادة 13 <br /></p><p>1- للجميع حق التنقل والإقامة ضمن حدود المنطقة التي يسكن بها. <br /></p><p> 2- للجميع الحق بترك أي بلد من البلاد من ضمنها بلده, وله حق العودة <br />إليها متى يشاء. <br /></p><p>_____________________________________________________________</p></span>Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01493185892907531231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2268326744000998450.post-42317454888853366562009-04-17T05:12:00.000-07:002009-04-17T05:14:34.636-07:00Inside, outside; The siege and the tunnels<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><img src="webkit-fake-url://B1D39DDB-CCA1-4F03-9321-12E7F2BC4D76/100_1438.JPG.jpg" alt="100_1438.JPG.jpg" /></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px; font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; color: #333333; min-height: 15.0px"><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px; font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; color: #333333">Gaza Update #4: Outside, Inside [Photo] Posted by Lora Gordon [Photo]</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px; font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; color: #333333; min-height: 15.0px"><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px; font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; color: #333333; min-height: 15.0px"><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px; font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; color: #333333">I just wanted to comment on a few things that have really struck me</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px; font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; color: #333333">here. It's always really funny to compare the conversation we have on</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px; font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; color: #333333">the outside about Gaza to the conversations people in Gaza have about</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px; font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; color: #333333">Gaza.</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px; font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; color: #333333; min-height: 15.0px"><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px; font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; color: #333333">- The motorycles. I don't remember ever seeing a motorcycle the first</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px; font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; color: #333333">time I came here in 2003. Now they are everywhere. There are</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px; font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; color: #333333">apparently 720,000 registered and thousands more assumed to be</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px; font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; color: #333333">unregistered. That's one motorcycle for every two people in Gaza. I'll</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px; font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; color: #333333">be riding in a taxi or hanging out with old friends and inevitably</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px; font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; color: #333333">people of my parents generation will start complaining about the</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px; font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; color: #333333">motorcycles, how dangerous they are, how many accidents they've</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px; font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; color: #333333">caused. I haven't had time to properly research it but a friend told</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px; font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; color: #333333">me the motorcycle craze started when Hamas blew a hole in the wall in</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px; font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; color: #333333">2006 -- you probably remember the pictures of people pouring into</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px; font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; color: #333333">Egypt and loading up on goods for 11 days. I guess motorcycles were</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px; font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; color: #333333">one of the things people brought back. Since then they've been coming</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px; font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; color: #333333">through the tunnels.</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px; font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; color: #333333; min-height: 15.0px"><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px; font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; color: #333333">- Microwaves and toaster ovens are also new here. They're still</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px; font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; color: #333333">luxuries, but now more common and available to the middle class. Many</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px; font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; color: #333333">friends have them newly and it seems like people are having the same</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px; font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; color: #333333">debate about their dangers as we did in the US when they came out.</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px; font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; color: #333333; min-height: 15.0px"><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px; font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; color: #333333">- A friend shared the most interesting analysis of the tunnels that I</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px; font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; color: #333333">didn't totally agree with but wanted to share. Her family's house was</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px; font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; color: #333333">destroyed in 2004, along with most of her neighborhood. Since then,</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px; font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; color: #333333">most of the former house owners have rented out their uninhabited land</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px; font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; color: #333333">for the use of smuggling tunnels. She said her family was one of the</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px; font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; color: #333333">few refused, even though they were offered $30,000 for the first five</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px; font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; color: #333333">years, plus 25% of the profits from goods coming in. She said she</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px; font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; color: #333333">opposes the tunnels on principle because they jack up the prices and</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px; font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; color: #333333">the goods that come in through the tunnels are only affordable to</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px; font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; color: #333333">comfortable families. Prices have more or less doubled for almost</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px; font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; color: #333333">everything since 2005. She said it would better not to have chocolate</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px; font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; color: #333333">in Gaza at all, than to have chocolate that parents can't afford to</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px; font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; color: #333333">buy for their children, and that if the tunnels were gone it would</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px; font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; color: #333333">show the true face of the siege on Gaza. I personally thought her</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px; font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; color: #333333">analysis was a little hardline, but find it really interesting how</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px; font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; color: #333333">there are two different conversations going on about the tunnels</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px; font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; color: #333333">depending on which side of the border you are. Outside, people debate</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px; font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; color: #333333">whether Hamas is smuggling arms in, and whether this justifies the</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px; font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; color: #333333">full-scale bombing of Gaza, and seem pretty oblivious to the much more</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px; font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; color: #333333">significant economic implications of the tunnels and how they affect</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px; font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; color: #333333">daily life here, which is much more debated here in Gaza. No one in</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px; font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; color: #333333">conversations about the tunnels here ever talks about weapons, which</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px; font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; color: #333333">are an insignificant part of the business. People here talk about</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px; font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; color: #333333">prices, class, and motorcycles, and debate the quality of the</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px; font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; color: #333333">different origins of imports. Syria and Hebron seem to be the highest</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px; font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; color: #333333">quality, with Egypt and Gaza unpredictable, and China affordable but</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px; font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; color: #333333">bad quality.</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px; font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; color: #333333; min-height: 15.0px"><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px; font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; color: #333333">- How smart people are. Strange kind of poverty where people speak two</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px; font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; color: #333333">or three languages and have travelled and worked internationally, have</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px; font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; color: #333333">various diplomas, yet are unemployed, homeless, and locked in.</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px; font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; color: #333333; min-height: 15.0px"><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px; font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; color: #333333">- The one foolproof way to get out of eating something is to say</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px; font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; color: #333333">you're on a diet. If you say you have a health problem, someone will</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px; font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; color: #333333">have something to feed you to fix it. If you say you don't like a</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px; font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; color: #333333">certain type of food, people assure you it's because you haven't</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px; font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; color: #333333">tasted their version of it. But if you're on a diet, no questions</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px; font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; color: #333333">asked. People here have a lot of respect for diets.</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px; font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; color: #333333; min-height: 15.0px"><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px; font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; color: #333333">- I was told by folks in the ex-pat nonprofit worker community that</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px; font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; color: #333333">boycotting Israeli products is possible in the West Bank and in other</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px; font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; color: #333333">countries but not in Gaza, since most of the fruit, meat, and yogurt</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px; font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; color: #333333">is Israeli. The same friend who gave me the class analysis of the</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px; font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; color: #333333">tunnels also said this was incorrect and that she boycotts Israel. She</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px; font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; color: #333333">said you have to know where to go to find the right products, and</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px; font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; color: #333333">sometimes go out of your way to get them, but that it can be done. She</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px; font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; color: #333333">then helped me find yogurt from Hebron, which I had been looking for</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px; font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; color: #333333">since arriving here. Her attitude struck me as similar to people who</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px; font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; color: #333333">commit to buying organic food despite the inconvenience.</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px; font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; color: #333333; min-height: 15.0px"><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px; font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; color: #333333">- The graceful and practical way people have of dealing with tragedy</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px; font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; color: #333333">that I find harder and harder to say new things about but constantly</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px; font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; color: #333333">find fascinating. People are so graceful about their lives that it's</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px; font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; color: #333333">easy to forget the horrors, which then strike you at the most random</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px; font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; color: #333333">moments. This morning I had one of those moments. I woke up in my</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px; font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; color: #333333">friend Sally's bedroom and opened my eyes to see a couple holes in the</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px; font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; color: #333333">wall stuffed with pieces of blanket and clothes. She's seventeen and</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px; font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; color: #333333">her bedroom is smattered with bullet holes because the family lives on</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px; font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; color: #333333">the border with Egypt and has nowhere else to go. The holes I was</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px; font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; color: #333333">looking at were on the outer wall and were patched in that way to keep</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px; font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; color: #333333">out the cold.</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px; font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; color: #333333; min-height: 15.0px"><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px; font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; color: #333333">- Similarly, I was walking with my friend Nahed to Sally's house and</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px; font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; color: #333333">we passed a couple of houses with particularly striking Swiss cheese</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px; font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; color: #333333">walls and clothes hanging out to dry. I asked her, a little horrified,</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px; font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; color: #333333">if people actually live there, and she said in a very matter-of-fact</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px; font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; color: #333333">way that they did. She told me not to be upset; it wasn't like their</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px; font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; color: #333333">house was particularly dangerous; all those bullet holes had been made</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px; font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; color: #333333">in the Al-Aqsa Intifada years ago, and the only reason they were still</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px; font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; color: #333333">there is that building supplies are nearly impossible to get ahold of</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px; font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; color: #333333">or afford because of the siege. Two small children then walked outside</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px; font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; color: #333333">and stood picturesquely at the door and I took a picture.</p><p></p>Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01493185892907531231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2268326744000998450.post-22772942053344256932009-04-08T08:29:00.000-07:002009-04-08T08:33:14.084-07:00Dear Senator, How's this for balance?Don Bryant<br />Gaza Delegation www.gazadelegation.blogspot.com<br />4053 Akins Road, North Royalton, Ohio 44133-5354<br /><br />4/8/09<br /><br />Dear Senator:<br /><br />I have recently returned from the Gaza Strip, Palestine. I was part of the US Gaza Delegation for Medical/Mental Health and Humanitarian Relief, sponsored by fifteen organizations in Ohio, Connecticut, and Massachusetts. Our purpose was to assess the damage to the people and infrastructure since the recent Israeli invasion and 20 months siege of Gaza.<br /><br />Personally, in one respect, I am trying to balance the equation in the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. I have been supporting the Israeli government and society for 25 years, by paying my county and federal taxes. My county real estate taxes that purchase Israel Bonds ($5,000,000 from Cuyahoga County)) helped finance Israeli settlements on Palestinian land, and helped support the construction of a thirty foot wall that separates Palestinians from each other and their livelihoods. My federal income taxes help finance the Israeli military; US military aid to Israel $3,000,000,000+ annually! As the facts of the Nakba, (the catastrophe - when Palestinians lost their home and lives in 1948) and the occupation of Palestine have been disclosed to me in the past decade, I have been moved to support Palestinian liberation with my words, my feelings and my whole self.<br /><br />Every time that I contact you on this issue, you tell me that Israel has the right to defend itself against the Palestinian attacks. Israel is the aggressor here and has been for 61 years! Why do you and the US Congress choose to whitewash Israeli aggression in this unbalanced conflict?<br /><br />When I went to Gaza I saw a nation of people living with less than the basic needs. The water is polluted. The electricity is intermittent. The cars and machines are without spare parts. The housing, schools, hospitals, colleges and government buildings that were destroyed by 22 days of attacks by Israeli forces, the world's fourth largest military superpower, cannot be repaired because of the blockade.<br /><br />I met with people that have lost dozens of family members form Israeli bombing, shelling, sniper shooting and murder. One thousand, four hundred, seventeen Palestinians were killed in the massacre. Civilians comprised 85% of those killed. I saw children who were maimed by the attacks. I saw people, some elderly, who are in need of medical care and cannot acquire even basic medical needs due to the siege which has compromised the hospitals in Gaza.<br /><br />Sixteen ambulances were targeted and destroyed by Israeli forces. Medical and paramedical aid workers were targeted, and killed. Civilians were targeted and killed in route to, and in the bomb shelters, such as schools.<br /><br />Our government supplies Israel with the military arms that have slaughtered these people. This is morally reprehensible and illegal by the Fourth Geneva Convention, which protects civilians in war, and the US Arms Export Control Act, which outlaws weapons shipments to states that target civilians. What will you do to bring the Israeli government to justice? What will you do to give back the lives to the Palestinians that have been stolen from them by occupation, siege, and military attacks?<br /><br />I do not believe that Hamas is instigating these attacks, nor does the majority of the rest of the world. US news coverage is biased towards Israel (<a href="http://www.ifamericansknew.org/" target="_blank">www.ifamericansknew.org</a>). Hamas and Palestinians are resisting occupation and siege and they do have this right under international law. I condone no targeting of civilians.<br /><br />My tax dollars and US military aid to Israel are contributing to greater civilian deaths than the Hamas rockets and other acts of violence against Israelis. Overall, deaths to Palestinians compared to Israelis since 2000 is approximately 4 to 1. The death to children ratio is over 10 Palestinian children for every one Israeli child.<br /><br />Israeli security will be derived from justice for Palestinians. This requires political will, not military aid.<br /><br />Don BryantDonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01493185892907531231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2268326744000998450.post-62189087601470892172009-03-17T13:23:00.000-07:002009-03-17T13:50:42.850-07:00Blockade of the Sea<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSZR4gg2ZUeBluxS_3HexEmTSN9kOlOmrt1YqdlKLRBavU7XyMmlgy4IOCRIBYT4LTs-nhWOH734ptizXsTByS3UEtHg2ZehALAMdiIkeeRbcrccSOmJDUbgLaK3w_XnRZhtgz0F8o3I8Y/s1600-h/100_1231.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSZR4gg2ZUeBluxS_3HexEmTSN9kOlOmrt1YqdlKLRBavU7XyMmlgy4IOCRIBYT4LTs-nhWOH734ptizXsTByS3UEtHg2ZehALAMdiIkeeRbcrccSOmJDUbgLaK3w_XnRZhtgz0F8o3I8Y/s200/100_1231.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314258691556437730" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic1BXv-OH-CSvZJIge4iwFtTYgwjgMVifJq9oc4ozM9Yz7AwpZOia4H3tGrvgcumxA2gBv2dIOnqAR7eNXI_y0aU3Jw5deImkvT3wD8obfdK7AVBd9Rg-t2B4hIwz6fEQu-HXkulRf0cxe/s1600-h/100_1223.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic1BXv-OH-CSvZJIge4iwFtTYgwjgMVifJq9oc4ozM9Yz7AwpZOia4H3tGrvgcumxA2gBv2dIOnqAR7eNXI_y0aU3Jw5deImkvT3wD8obfdK7AVBd9Rg-t2B4hIwz6fEQu-HXkulRf0cxe/s200/100_1223.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314256072712704930" /></a>The catch wasn't great but everybody eats a little bit. All the good fishing was done offshore by the Israeli's.<div><br /></div><div>From the sea shore we could see Israeli naval vessels lining the horizon. </div><div><br /></div><div>What is needed are ships loaded with store-fuls of Home Depot </div><div>supplies and an army of earth moving equipment to rebuild Gaza. </div>Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01493185892907531231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2268326744000998450.post-61189176131309119982009-03-17T03:34:00.000-07:002009-03-17T05:04:53.491-07:00Zakat with Perfume<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyCN647eJobOubdWHisCzbWLXt96VG-eynL1D5omEv9B_4zgikXbUZJs3GOOOfrOjpzN6-hYVlEBiLc1gZIDlpmF03fsn76XY0RNvtQYuWSZYC9tkTlVQiEuYKlT4Tmwk_E-qc-HW2AEOo/s1600-h/100_1627.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyCN647eJobOubdWHisCzbWLXt96VG-eynL1D5omEv9B_4zgikXbUZJs3GOOOfrOjpzN6-hYVlEBiLc1gZIDlpmF03fsn76XY0RNvtQYuWSZYC9tkTlVQiEuYKlT4Tmwk_E-qc-HW2AEOo/s200/100_1627.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314105474368437314" /></a>Gaza Delegation visited decimated villages on IWD(Left)<div><br /></div><div>The US Gaza Delegation coordinated with Code Pink.</div><div><br /><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica">When the Code Pink (CP) delegation held a press conference in Cairo, Egypt on March 6, in attendance was the owner of the bus company they had contracted with for transport to the border. She was so moved by the CP mission to Gaza, to engage with Palestinian women for International Women's Day (IWD), that she provided the 15- passenger minivan, a truck, and the gasoline for free! She said that this was her Zakat, Islamic charitable donations that are required by all Muslims except the poor Muslims. This is "zakat with perfume," the bus company owner said.</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica">The Director General of the Egyptian Red Crescent Society facilitated a truck and bus for the CP delegation to use inside Gaza. This was available at the Rafah Crossing. On March 7 the Red Crescent provided the CPers with a storehouse and 20 volunteers to assemble the baskets for IWD activities. </p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica">On IWD CP broke into 3-4 groups of separated by gender, for the day's activities.</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"> </p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica">Author (COLOR PURPLE) Alice Walker's partner, was resistant to breaking into male-only, female-only groups when Code Pink made their visits to the various organizations. but when he came back from the visits "he was glowing", said Gael Murphy, CP activist.</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica">Alice Walker did not take notes during the sessions with bomb victims, she just listened, and at times, seem to be meditating. "She just absorbed it," recounted Gael.</p><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Helvetica;font-size:12px;"> </span></div></div>Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01493185892907531231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2268326744000998450.post-881694916485598542009-03-15T00:59:00.000-07:002009-03-17T03:52:33.447-07:00White Flags Ignored by IDF<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAiClNoWkOD9pjGU1T7yK-_eHVc0Ngx3bjrkEjk3QVhjHmZjpdLka8tlcIQnoPCyZl-lrCPrTGFbLEJ9wLxF8DXLMwdFfEI2k6AJ0n_lgKU2hyphenhyphenf7vYmzFB1iaWNZ6_Tlz5B2KlqhlotZ4L/s1600-h/100_1171.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAiClNoWkOD9pjGU1T7yK-_eHVc0Ngx3bjrkEjk3QVhjHmZjpdLka8tlcIQnoPCyZl-lrCPrTGFbLEJ9wLxF8DXLMwdFfEI2k6AJ0n_lgKU2hyphenhyphenf7vYmzFB1iaWNZ6_Tlz5B2KlqhlotZ4L/s200/100_1171.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314107324712213778" /></a><br /><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica">The tragic accounts of the Gaza Palestinians are all very similar. They left their homes after a bomb, a mortar, or artillery round hit their houses. They raised white flags or hands over heads. Then one or more family members would be shot by Israeli soldier's gunfire.</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica">The US Gaza Delegation (March, 2009) found Saleh sitting on a chair in the middle of the dirt road. He and his family left their home on January 4 at 11:45AM. "We had white flags," he told us. </p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica">Saleh and his family decided to evacuate their home in the village of Johr Ad-Deick. </p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica">His 13 year-old niece had been wounded by gunfire. First, Saleh's family gathered under the stairs and called the Red Cross to get care for the niece. Israeli soldiers would not allow the Red Cross to enter the area. </p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica">They walked across the field, 150 meters from Israeli tanks. They waited for orders from the invading soldiers. There were 27 children, five women, and four men. One tank began firing and the family retreated. A soldier fired into the group, hitting Saleh's mother and daughter, Majda, killing her. His mother kept walking for a while, until she too, perished. </p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica">Saleh said they could not carry the bodies of his mother and sister. His family made their way to a nearby refugee camp and called the Red Crescent to get medical aid for his niece; and to retrieve the martyred mother and daughter. The Israeli army had not reached the camp yet, so the NGO arrived quickly. </p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica">When the Israeli ceasefire began on January 18th, Saleh went back to his house to retrieve the martyred bodies. He found his mother's body near the house, buried in sand and rubble. After searching, he finally found his sister's body 500 meters from the house. Her body had been run over by a tank. This was 14 days after their deaths.</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica">The brutality and dehumanizing treatment by Israeli soldiers of the Palestinians of Gaza is yet another chapter in the sixty-one year history of massacres, displacement, occupation, segregation and racism. Our task of moving the US taxpayers and government to action is daunting, We must work to break the blockade and allow the Gazans to rebuild. Above all, the US and Israel must talk to Hamas, stop illegal arms shipments to the Israelis, and achieve justice for all Palestinians. This is the way to end violence and insure security for Palestinians and Israelis.</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica">Don Bryant</p>Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01493185892907531231noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2268326744000998450.post-76068054054269547402009-03-12T04:40:00.000-07:002009-03-12T05:47:56.422-07:00Gaza Strip<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; ">I want to start by talking about Gaza, Palestine... It is a paradise on earth! Despite the torn apart refugee camps and the destruction of homes and infrastructures all around, the land is beautiful, the people are beautiful, the solidarity of the Palestinians is stronger and braver than any Israeli military forces. It is amazing how dear this country is to me, I was in tears as soon as I crossed the border. This is my first time in my own country after 31 years! I'm a direct descendant from the village of Dair Yaseen, in the West Bank. The most famous massacre in the history of Palestine in 1948. My grandparents were among the very few that fled this massacre. In fact I don't know anyone from Dair Yaseen except my family members and when I am asked where in Palestine I am from... people are shocked to find out that there were any survivors! So long story short, my family and I have NO RIGHT of RETURN. Therefor I never got to see my country. Let me tell you about my journey. I stayed in Rafah for the first 4 days and drove to Gaza City everyday. We met with so many organizations and went to so many neighborhoods that were completely demolished. If what I saw is not war crimes, then I'm not sure what is. Some neighborhoods that were completely leveled were given tents, while others couldn't even get a bag of bread. It's a disaster zone. The families are torn apart because the while the mother takes her children and stays in other family or friends homes, the dads sleep on the rubble to claim their land. It is so inhumane what is going on here. Do you know that there is an extreme shortage of paper here? No paper to print or re-print books for schools to teach because paper is not a humanitarian aid item. Do you know that pasta was not allowed in? Because pasta is not a necessary humanitarian aid item. Do you know that tomato paste is not allowed in? Same reason once again. The chicken farm, the ONLY chicken farm was demolished and the people here don't have chicken either. I mean don't get me wrong, pasta is now allowed into Gaza, but you can't have your tomato sauce with it. So thank God and the Palestinian master minds for the tunnels!! In Arabic we say "Necessity is the mother of innovation" and these people are not stupid! It takes 2 to 4 months to dig a tunnel and they use these tunnels to bring cattle, sheep, chocolate bars, food, etc. Not weapons. They learn to survive. I admire their strength and courage. I envy them for their hard work and determination. Even the rich businessmen who can afford and are able to live abroad stick around here, they aren't willing to give this paradise up for any cost. They take it for its good and its bad times. I have seen very emotionally disturbing areas of destruction and heard heartbreaking stories, yet I have seen the beauty of Gaza at the same time. One of the organizations I have been to is the Palestinian Children Relief Fund. I saw for myself the services they provide to the community. I also met the children that they treat in and out of Gaza. Mostly are severe injuries and are highly costly, but they do a wonderful job. These kids were amazingly strong, and somehow broken. They display their strength and courage in their conversations and actions, but if you look deep into their eyes, you will see that life for them will never be the same. I met 4 boys ages range from 10-16 years-old, all with one leg cut off, or one with no foot. Most were sponsored to travel to the UAE for treatment. They also work hard on getting travel visas for children traveling to other countries for their treatments as well as getting their passports. If anyone is to make a charitable donation, I would highly recommend PCRF. They also provide school supplies and baby formula to the community. They treat chronically ill children as well. They are amazing. </span>Inaya Khalilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03708278226749333066noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2268326744000998450.post-61035021702789194752009-03-12T03:10:00.000-07:002009-03-12T13:44:48.646-07:00MEDIA RELEASE: Multinationals in GazaFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE<br />MARCH 12, 2009<br />CONTACTS: IN GAZA: Inaya Khalil 011-972-59-706-1774<br />IN US: Kim Hill 440-884-0936<br /><br />Multinational Humanitarian Delegations Converge in Gaza<br /><br />The US Gaza Delegation for Medical/Mental Health and Relief spoke with dismembered and disfigured children and their parents, survivors of Cast Lead, Israel's recent 22-day bombing campaign in the Gaza Strip, yesterday.<br />"Our visit to Gaza is difficult and wonderful," said tearful Cleveland activist Don Bryant.<br />"Our country paid for this horrific attack and I feel great shame. But the Palestinian people have welcomed us with great generosity."<br />Since entering Gaza on March 7, the American delegation has toured the Strip's destroyed homes and listened to and listened to accounts of the bombing by the surviving members of families who were buried in the explosions.<br />The Samouni family lost 28 people in one night. The surviving group of eight women and children sat under a few sticks and a torn blue tarp on a field of rubble that had been their homes. The mother of five-year-old Mahmoud Samouni, whose face had been scarred, blocking his nasal passage, said her son had expressed suicidal wishes.<br />The delegation had waited four days to enter Gaza through the Egypt border, which has been largely closed to journalists and aid workers since the bombing ended. They camped at the border, together with an Italian delegation of psychologists and social workers. The two groups were allowed into Gaza on March 7, along with a team of British orthopedic surgeons. The American anti-war group Code Pink and British George Galloway's convoy of 200 ambulances and trucks bearing donated supplies followed shortly thereafter.<br />The siege on Gaza, in effect since 2006, has made basic supplies like tomato paste and children's clothes nearly impossible to come by. Since the end of the December-January attacks, journalists, UN workers, and humanitarian aid workers have been denied access into the Strip.Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01493185892907531231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2268326744000998450.post-60015450720795530502009-03-12T02:54:00.000-07:002009-03-12T03:10:11.922-07:00Episcopal Hospital in Gaza: The FactsAhli Arab Hospital (Episcopal). 3/9/09<br />Suhayleh Terazi, Director from Spartanburg, SCC. Originally from Gaza City.<br />Heard about our suffering at the border, strong will to come means a lot to us. Unable to go out and completely isolated from the whole world.<br />Situation in Gaza is very bad and suffering of people can't be described in words. Witnessed the atrocities, especially during the last "war." She could not believe that she would survive it. Living minute by minute. Angry at what happened accompanied by the silence of the whole world.<br />Gaza 360 sq. km. 1.5 million people, one of highest density in world. 2/3 are refugees living in camps.<br />Ahliarab serves Palestinian people, without discrimination. Target group is most needy. Built in 1882 by Christian Missionary Society till 1952 when followed by Southern Baptists -- 1982 and had financial crisis and sold and went to Episcopal diocese of Jerusalem. hospital is 80 beds but only 50 are in use -- surgery, pediatrics, medicine, orthopedics, urology. A small gynecology clinic. Diagnostic services -- xray and lab -- and pt for outpatients.<br />Another field of service -- prevention and capacity-building that is extended to personnel and local folks.<br />Expanded emergency services and outreach. Addressing areas of invasion and bombing -- provide free medical outpatient and inpatient care, dx(diagnosis) and rx(treatment). Increasing # of poor families -- provide most needy with food baskets and special food aid programs.<br />Not an easy task. Every day a new challenge. Since June 2007 -- tightened the siege on Gaza, 1.5 million prisoners, suffering from shortages of food, medicine and medical supplies and staff.<br />Health system in Gaza has been deteriorating with restrictions and shortages. Out of medicine in last "war", esp. anesthetics. Suffered from electricity cuts. Israel restricted fuel and quantity of electricity to Gaza already. 8-12 hours a day. With shortage of fuel, medical machines, cannot work effectively. Shortage of spare parts. Shortage of funds to replace. Applicable to every aspect of life.<br />Siege brought shortage of raw materials. 3,900 factories limited, 3,500 factories completely closed because unable to get raw materials or to export products. 75,000 laborers left without jobs.<br />Poverty -- 80% of population depends on food aid.<br />Because of shortages of basic goods tremendous increase in prices.<br />No fresh meat in Gaza. Increase in prices from 35-50%. No fresh milk. Price of flour skyhigh. Daily income per person is $1.10 down from $2.00.<br />Lacking access to medicines and hospital. Cannot get permit to cross for days or more.<br />Last "war" caused more suffering. 50,000 homeless. 5,000 injured, 1,400 killed. >55% women and children. Left people very angry about what is going on.<br />The same people who were running for their lives are those who were clapping for Yasser Arafat at Oslo. People do not believe in peace based on injustice.<br />Aid is not enough. Need people to work for peace with justice in the Holy Lands. At least 2 states built on dignity. Security of Israel will never be if neighboring people are hungry, angry and humiliated. Humiliation and isolation will bring more violence to the area. Need advocate for peace built on justice.<br />One of biggest problem is shortage and contamination of water. Network needs pumps and and pumps need fuel. Every day 40-50 million liters of sewage dumped into Gaza.<br />Now have influx of medicines. Still missing many items. Have to apply through who to get medicines.<br />Has small autoclave in Israel waiting for permit to come in. Shortage of anesthesiologists and cardiologists and ICU personnel. Appreciate part-timers. Arab-American Mediacl Association would like to come but can't secure passage.<br />During the last 2 weeks, head of churches came from Jerusalem, but didn't allow the Anglican Bishop because he has a Palestinian passport.<br />She has a Palestinian ID card and US passport -- cannot go to the West Bank. A prisoner.<br />Outreach program Tuesday and Saturday. Try to plant hope for better days to come.<br />During the war, took the complex cases. 15 % of the surgical patients. All lectures are open to other health providers. Are here for the community. During the first intifada Amal came here and visited. Per annum caring for 32,000 outpatients and 4800 inpatients.<br />First intifada 185 staff members and now 60 full-time and 60 part-time.<br />Provide outpatient mental health services -- medical director has found that a lot of children have psychological problems -- bedwetting, fear of going out. Call Eyad Suraj, Palestine Mental health Program to provide the services. Working with community leaders and women's groups -- send buses and bring them into the hospital for exam and treatment.<br />Episcopal Relief and Development. Provide money and advocacy -- preach for reconciliation, peace and justice. Arabs and Jews are brothers and sisters. This conflict should end soon.Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01493185892907531231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2268326744000998450.post-71163105753724237852009-03-09T09:21:00.000-07:002009-03-12T04:38:19.780-07:00Getting into GazaHello again, <div>This is <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Inaya</span> reporting from Gaza! First of all I mentioned in my earlier blog the hardship we faced in order to get through the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Rafah</span> border in Egypt. To summarize it all, it took us 4 attempts in 4 <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">consecutive</span> days. On the 3rd day, we went back to the border with no intention to turn back around. I for one was going to stay no matter what. So we were all determined to stay and get in, and if we didn't get in we were sticking around and demonstrate till someone hears us. I contacted several press people, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Aljazeera</span>, Daily Press in Cairo and a local <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">journalist</span> and human rights activist in Al-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Arish</span> to come and get coverage of our stay at the border. We arrived at about 11 am on the 3rd day and stayed all day battling with our 'friends' at the Egyptian border. No luck still, so we pulled out our tent, got permission to put it up too, and we decided to camp out there. I am assuming that they allowed us to put up our tent because they really didn't think we would really stay, little did they know we actually did. When they realized that we are sticking around they made us tear down our tents. We also had the delegation from Italy join us in our stay so they were even more shocked to see about 30 people sleeping in front of the borer in the cold, windy desert weather all night. But we did, and that night there were about 7 Israeli strikes at the border attempting to destroy tunnels. Some were about 1/2 a kilometer away. We felt the impact loud and clear. It was frightening and discouraging at times but we stuck it out. I can barely imagine the daily torture that the Palestinians go through every day. On the 4<span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Th</span> day, after spending the night on the bare cold concrete on the side of the border, we were ready to and more determined to put up another fight for this good cause. We were there all day again, going back & forth with Egyptian authority trying to convince us to leave and return with our approval from our embassy because that is the only way in. By now we learned their <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">bureaucracy</span> and can outsmart them. We were joined by the Italian Delegation, whom consist of 21 members one of them whom is French and another who is Swiss. The Italians had a group of 9 doctors who put up a table to triage by-passers as a symbolic statement. While the rest of us put up banners and made posters to protest this blockade. We were also then joined by a British Delegation that consisted of 12 members whom were all doctors that brought in cases of medications and medical supplies and as well were not allowed in. They were going back and forth for 3 weeks they told me. Another group of 2 British young men also joined us, and they were making a documentary about Gaza. All these groups stuck together and we all held a demonstration forming a long line across the gates of the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Rafah</span>, Egypt border. We were chanting and even singing in Italian to end the siege on Gaza. People started to gather around and we created a bit of a chaos that the Egyptian Authority did not appreciate. At this point I don't think they wanted the publicity, so they worked on getting rid of us one way or another. And the one way was not an option, so the only way to get rid of us is to let us in. I am proud to say that I personally gave them hell. I was loud and clear on my demands and wasn't going to take NO for an answer. So did all the other members. We were fed up at this point. I am also proud to say that the Egyptian Authority called me out of the crowed and asked me where is the rest of my group and to get them ready because at last they were going to let us through!! They did apply a few of extra and unnecessary demands on their part just to make it more difficult but we gladly did what they asked of us. For one they asked us to go to the Press Ministry and get passes for 2 of our members in order to get in, but with all the media and press contacts I had, I had the perfect resources to make it happen over the phone! I even got passes for a California journalist, as well as our 2 British film makers. Everyone was <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">great full</span> and so was I. I am proud that the US Delegation was the first to break through the border and were the first in. It took team efforts and lots of courage. I am glad to be able to connect with everyone once again, and will write more about my actual experience in Gaza in the following blog. </div>Inaya Khalilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03708278226749333066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2268326744000998450.post-21108469434821841932009-03-09T09:04:00.000-07:002009-03-12T03:05:43.865-07:00Crossed into Gaza/ Refugees Devastated<p style="MARGIN: 0px; FONT: 12px Helvetica">The US Gaza Delegation for Medical/Mental Health and Relief finally received approval to enter the Gaza Strip through the Rafah Crossing on Friday, March 6, 2009. We had camped at the border gate one night and were prepared to camp again. We received word late Friday afternoon that we would be allowed to enter Gaza, Palestine. With us was the Italian Delegation of mostly mental health professionals and a team of British orthopedic surgeons. </p><p style="MARGIN: 0px; FONT: 12px Helvetica"><br /></p><p style="MARGIN: 0px; FONT: 12px Helvetica">We have much to report, but I will start with this summary of our visit to a village that was devastated by the US funded Israeli massacre in Gaza. </p><p style="MARGIN: 0px; FONT: 12px Helvetica"> </p><p style="MARGIN: 0px; FONT: 12px Helvetica">On March 8, International Women's Day, the US Gaza Delegation for Medical and Mental Health visited the Al Shata' village in North Gaza City. The village was in a state of disaster. There were piles of rubble everywhere. Some homes were partially destroyed with makeshift plastic roofs and lean-tos to keep out the wind, sand and rain. One boy of about 15 years approached us with his father. He had two toes missing, a disfigured hand and wounded eye and other bruises. Gaza Delegation member Dr. Saeed Algheri examined him on the spot. Other delegates provided his father with the phone number of the Palestine office of the Palestinian Children's Relief Fund of Kent, Ohio. </p><p style="MIN-HEIGHT: 14px; MARGIN: 0px; FONT: 12px Helvetica"><br /></p><p style="MARGIN: 0px; FONT: 12px Helvetica">Delegate and filmmaker Edward Salem had walked off into the rubble and I followed him over piles of broken concrete blocks, splintered beams and scattered housewares, fixtures and children's book bags and smashed toys. There were two men sitting by a small campfire next to their destroyed home. Edward was sipping a coffee that they had offered him from their meager supplies. The woman of the "house" began talking in Arabic to US/Gaza delegate Dr. Martha Nathan and me. Neither of us understood the words, but we certainly heard her anguish. Delegate Inaya Khalil came over and told us that the woman only wanted a tent so her family could have a safe place to sleep. She showed us the shelter they had built to keep their supplies. It was not adequate for sleeping because the logs they used were unstable and might not stand in a heavy wind. The rain came in at times and soaked the few belongings they had salvaged from their pre-massacre (yes, MASSACRE) lives. The woman showed us the embroidered crafts that her disabled daughter had made. Two robes and an embroidered cloth tray with a broken frame. I gratefully purchased this fine piece.</p><p style="MIN-HEIGHT: 14px; MARGIN: 0px; FONT: 12px Helvetica"><br /></p><p style="MARGIN: 0px; FONT: 12px Helvetica">The worst was yet to be revealed to us. Over a few more piles of broken Palestinian lives and refugee camp homes we came upon a woman, about forty years old. She carried a young boy and invited us into her collapsed porch. She was speaking and digging with her hands in the dirt. I thought she was looking for something. I asked Inaya what she was looking for. "She's showing us her husband's blood," she told me. He had been gunned down with forty bullets by Israeli soldiers. The soldiers came in the night and shouted in Hebrew for the owner of the house to come outside. The eldest son, who now sat before us, had risen to answer the soldiers call. Mrs. Al Samouni, the wife of the dead man whose blood stained the earth, told us that Mr. Al Samouni gestured his son to sit back down and he went to the door, now riddled with bullet holes. He went out with his hands raised above his head. He was killed with merciless gunfire - along with 28 other members of the Al Samouni family killed by heavy artillery, except for one other who was killed by gunfire.</p><p style="MIN-HEIGHT: 14px; MARGIN: 0px; FONT: 12px Helvetica"><br /></p><p style="MARGIN: 0px; FONT: 12px Helvetica"> Mrs. Al Samouni begged the soldiers not to kill the children. "We are not Fatah! We are not Hamas!" With utter merciless brutality these gutless murderers shot the four-year old child inside the house. Today, and everyday, they live in the two-room house with these dark memories, with little to eat, and the stench of death all around. On our way out the son picked up a gun shell he found in the rubble; he handed it to me. We determined it was from an M-16, made in the USA. </p><p style="MIN-HEIGHT: 14px; MARGIN: 0px; FONT: 12px Helvetica"><br /></p><p style="MIN-HEIGHT: 14px; MARGIN: 0px; FONT: 12px Helvetica"><br /></p><p style="MIN-HEIGHT: 14px; MARGIN: 0px; FONT: 12px Helvetica"><br /></p><p style="MIN-HEIGHT: 14px; MARGIN: 0px; FONT: 12px Helvetica"><br /></p><p style="MIN-HEIGHT: 14px; MARGIN: 0px; FONT: 12px Helvetica"> </p>Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01493185892907531231noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2268326744000998450.post-66607411119292299212009-03-06T08:18:00.000-08:002009-03-06T08:58:27.459-08:00Crossing into GazaGood morning everyone. My name is Jake Bosley and I am a good friend of Inaya's and supporter of the Gaza Delegation 2009. I received a call from Inaya at about 11:00 am East Coast Time, or about 6:00 pm Egyptian time. She had asked me to relay the message that everyone in her delegation is safe and they have been camping out at the border in Rafah. They have met up with other delegations from Europe and will eventually meet up with Code Pink from Washington D.C. The delegations persistence and determination to help the Palestinian people has paid off and the Egyptian government has allowed them to cross the border into Gaza tonight by 10:00 pm Egyptian time. Israel tends to strike the border in late evening, and last night the border was hit about 7 times by Israeli missiles. Tonight we are hoping for a safe and ‘missile free' crossing. Everyone is getting a firsthand feeling of how the Palestinian people live each day in Gaza. Although nerves are high, the help that they will give will definitely be worth it. Inaya is hoping for a chance to post pictures soon but I will keep everyone posted when information comes in. Thanks to everyone for keeping up with the blog! -JakeInaya Khalilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03708278226749333066noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2268326744000998450.post-48438470087475796532009-03-05T07:23:00.000-08:002009-03-05T08:28:24.379-08:00PicturesI have tried so hard today to upload pictures on this blog but the internet connection must be slow because it just simply took too long and then failed. I wanted to introduce you all to our group. Our delegates are Don, Amal, Marty, Saed, Lora, Edward, Paki, & Inaya (myself) I am usually behind the camera. We have one more delegate joining us tonight, his name is Michael. I will try to post pictures and videos through this blog as I have access to the internet. I am sorry to say that I forgot the video camera wires at the border with rest of my belongings as I rushed to catch a taxi to go to an internet place to communicate this to you all, and for that I am unable to put up my videos. I will next time inshallah. Please keep in mind, we have also experienced explosions at the border twice!! Today's bomb struck loud, hard and rather close. We felt the impact on the daily lives of the Palestinians in Gaza. We were startled, the ground shook beneath us and around us. We all jumped out of place and looked around scarred and confused. We didn't know what hit, and where it came from. All we know is that Israel is trying to bomb and destroy the tunnels beneath the border so all else is insignificant. Inaya Khalilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03708278226749333066noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2268326744000998450.post-62963582087464351972009-03-05T06:34:00.000-08:002009-03-05T07:21:43.348-08:00Rafah Border, EgyptThis is our 3rd day at Rafah Border in Egypt. We have been trying to get into Gaza for the past 3 days and had no luck with Egyptian national security. We have been given the run around from one person to the other, and to the next! No one is helpful. We are like a soccer ball been kicked from one end of the field to the other. The Egyptian authority are telling us that they need a document from the US Embassy stating our names and positions along with the permission to enter Gaza. On the other hand, the US Embassy, Vice Consul, is telling us that they have NEVER given such document! In fact the document that they did give us is an affidavit stating that " I have read and understood the travel warning issued by U.S. Department of State relating to the Gaza Strip. I assume the risk for myself and understand the Embassy does not recommend my travel to the Gaza Strip. I also understand that the Embassy cannot provide me with consular services in the Gaza Strip". Basically our own US Embassy washed their hands off of us. But we called the Embassy while on our way to Rafah Border today & the Vice Consul told us that although they don't recommend our travel to Gaza, they can't prevent it either, but they cannot support it. That is why we signed the affidavit. Another thing she said was that the Egyptian Authority has complete and total control of their border in Rafah. They just probably don't want to tell us bluntly that they won't let us through so they don't look bad or get the heat, so they tell us to refer to our Embassy. And our Embassy won't give us the permission of course because that would show support or sponsorship on the American part and how would that make them look to Israel?? Israel on the other hand won't let anyone in from any border as a way of punishment to the Palestinian people in Gaza. So here is our plan... we are staying at the border today and camping out all night. We have teamed up with another delegation from Italy called Viva Palestina which consists of 21 members, 19 Italian, 1 French, & 1 from Swiss. Nine of whom are doctors. They will join us in camping at the border tonight. We also met a British Delegation of 12 members whom are all doctors and they cant get in. They have been trying for 3 weeks. I have personally contacted several people from the press to see if we can get coverage of this chaos. I contacted 2 people from Aljazeera, 1 person from The Guardian Post and another from the Daily Press. I am hoping someone would respond to us so that we can apply pressure on whom ever is in control of this bureaucracy. Inaya Khalilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03708278226749333066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2268326744000998450.post-57753939209641197822009-03-02T15:53:00.000-08:002009-03-02T15:54:34.726-08:00School supplies, Water units, and Soccor ballsTodays trip to the US Embassy in Cairo, Egypt was not totally fruitless - we now have the hours of operation for the consulate 8AM-11AM. We plan on getting there Tuesday, 3/3/09 at 8:30AM to get the required affidavits that we will need to get into Gaza, through the Rafah Crossing also on Tuesday. It is a five hour trip from Cairo - We also plan to get the water purifiers through our contact, Faiza, and the Iraq Water Project (Cleveland, OH contact, Art Dorland w/ Vets for Peace) in the morning before we head to Rafah.The school supplies collection in Cleveland last week was pretty darn good, considering we just had 3 days to do it- filled one large suitcase and a duffle bag with pecils, pens, folders, glue stick, staplers, etc. ( our luggage was NOT detained like the last time I came to the Middle East).The Massachusetts team members, Dr. Martha (Marty) Nathan and Paki Wieland brought a bunch a soccar balls and other goodies for the children.We plan on meeting up with the Code Pink Delegation , including, Rachel Corrie's Parents and author Alice Walker and some 60 others in Gaza.Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01493185892907531231noreply@blogger.com0