Cairo - Twelve hours before this writing, it appeared that 50,000 Palestinians in Gaza planning to march to the Erez border crossing with Israel on Thursday in protest of the continuing blockade on Gaza might not be accompanied by any of the 1400 internationals who had come to Egypt planning to join the Gaza Freedom March.
But on Tuesday Egypt agreed to let 100 of the 1400 marchers depart for Gaza Wednesday morning. This came as just the story of the Egyptian government crackdown on largely Western peace activists was starting to spill from the Arab media and European media into the US press.
UPDATE: The Gaza Freedom March steering committee has announced that it has rejected sending a "token delegation" to Gaza.
Egypt's partial concession means that 50,000 Palestinian marchers will have 100 companions representing some 40 countries to act as a deterrent against Israeli government violence - and to help get the story out about Gazans nonviolently protesting the blockade.
Egypt's concession leaves 1300 of us here in Cairo to continue to press the case on the Egyptian government - together with many sympathetic Egyptians - that Egypt should cease supporting the U.S.-Israeli blockade on Gaza.
Of course, as a simple matter of geography - Gaza has two land borders, one with Israel, and one with Egypt - the blockade would be impossible without Egyptian cooperation. And indeed, that cooperation has been explicitly described in the press in recent days, with a spokesman for the Viva Palestina aid convoy telling AFP that in talks with Egypt, Egypt insisted that Viva Palestina "coordinate" with the Israeli government.
At the same time, the Egyptian government had blocked the international activists and foreigngers generally not only from going to Gaza, but from getting anywhere near the Egypt-Gaza border. I myself was pulled off a bus today by Egyptian police just outside Ismailiya and sent back to Cairo - along with three Australian tourists who were only trying to reach Port Said. Ismailiya is some 150 miles west of Gaza, so that gives you some sense of how large the Egyptian "security perimeter" around Gaza has been.
The international pressure generated around the Gaza Freedom March and the Viva Palestina convoy has shown that internationally, the blockade on Gaza is very vulnerable politically. More pressure and attention can end it. It would certainly help if the New York Times and the Washington Post would stop ignoring the rising din of protest.
UPDATE: The New York Times is now reporting on the Gaza Freedom March. Still no word from the Washington Post.
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HPOCRYTE because few demonstrate (if ) against Hamas or in other parts of the world against much
bigger tragic events.
NOT OBJECTIVE and ONESIDED because they don't consider the crimes initiated and committed by Hamas , the DELIBERATE use of its civilians as HUMAN SHIELD , the continuous claim and aim of Hamas to destroy Israel without considering the NECESSITY and DUTY for Israel to defend its citizens
Ralph
Notwithstanding the Egyptian successive assurances, Egypt was surprised by Galloway's insistence on ignoring its instructions; the convoy traveled to Jordan, then south to the city of Aqaba, in preparation for trying to enter the Egyptian territories through the Nuweiba port sea, contrary to the mentioned mechanism.
In this regard, perceiving that the convoy organizers are trying to impose a fait accompli and ignore the Egyptian instructions, Egypt announced that it will not allow access for the convoy except through the port of El Arish, and the Egyptian consulate in Aqaba informed Galloway of such decision upon receiving him.
Noteworthy, Egypt had previously cooperated with Galloway in two convoys, "Lifeline 1", which entered the Gaza Strip in March 2009, as well as "Lifeline 2" in mid-July 2009.
The Letters sent by the Egyptian Embassy in London to MP Galloway
http://www.mfa.gov.eg/NR/rdonlyres/319DF59F-906C-4321-8F1F-4EC37D73824E/4446/images.pdf
As a result of Galloway ignoring the embassy's two letters, the Egyptian embassy in London, for the third time, contacted the Office of MP George Galloway on 17/12 (one week after sending the second message), emphasizing the need for the convoy to literally commit to the Egyptian mechanism used to receive such convoys. The embassy also asked the Office of Galloway to send data and names of participants in the convoy, as well as a list of the aid materials, as Galloway did not provide the embassy with such data (eleven days after the convoy had started from London). In that day 17/12, the embassy received the lists of participants and aid carried by the convoy, and then received a modification to such data on 20 December.
According to the instructions of the Foreign Ministry, the Egyptian Embassy in London, in its contacts for the fourth time, reconfirmed to Mr Galloway the decision of the Egyptian authorities to allow access for the convoy to the Gaza Strip, on December 27 as proposed by Galloway, on the condition that it commits to all Egyptian rules and procedures organizing the entry of relief convoys.
Facts regarding the "Lifeline 3" convoy
Source: Press Office - Minister's Cabinet
Published at: 29/12/2009
December 29, 2009….
The Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs followed up the preparation for the "Lifeline 3" convoy on the website of the Association Viva Palestina Supervised by the British MP George Galloway. The Egyptian Embassy in London sent a letter to the British MP, on November 10th, 2009, informing him of the Egyptian mechanism to receive relief convoys in the Gaza Strip, which points to the need for convoys to enter through the port of el-Arish.
The convoy launched from London, on December 6th, in front of the British Parliament, while neither the Egyptian Embassy in London nor the Egyptian Foreign Ministry received information or any request from the organizers of the convoy. Moreover, the embassy did not receive a response to its letter sent on November 10th.
Following the departure of the convoy from London, the Egyptian embassy sent a letter to MP Galloway, on Dec. 10, highlighting the Egyptian mechanism and the importance of entering relief materials through the port of El Arish. Yet, the Embassy did not receive a response to its letter.
One of the most beneficial aspects of the international protest (no matter the ultimate outcome) is that it is providing very real proof of what has been a growing perception in the Arab world as well as the rest of the international community that Egypt is very guilty, its govt. acting in utter concert with the Israeli & American govts. to maintain the hardships of the collective punishment of the Gaza siege upon over hundreds of thousands of Palestinians, many of whom are infants & children.
My admiration to ALL of you. Countless numbers of us here in the U.S. stand in solidarity with you. We're doing our best to keep U.S. and world attention focused on the march, the marchers, and the plight of Gazans who are suffering.
To peace, equality and humanity!
Linda