Tell Egypt you stand in solidarity with Gaza!
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(1) TELL EGYPT: Let the Gaza Freedom Marchers in! (2) ASK THE NY TIMES AND THE WASHINGTON POST: Why are you not covering the March on Gaza? (3) PARTICIPATE IN A SOLIDARITY FAST FOR GAZA THIS THURSDAY: http://www.fastforgaza.net |
We are asking you to contact Egyptian authorities again. Even if you've already done it, please do it again.
Over thirteen hundred people from 42 countries are now in Egypt, and they intend to participate in the Gaza Freedom March on December 31. And yet, Egypt is denying them access to the border. These freedom marchers did not travel all the way to Egypt to tourist around in Cairo, but to express their solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza.
Hedy Epstein, the 85 year old Holocaust survivor and peace activist, announced that she is beginning a hunger strike in Cairo today as a response to the Egyptian government's refusal to allow the Gaza Freedom March participants into Gaza.(1) Please join a one-day emergency fast on Thursday, December 31 to show solidarity with the Gaza Freedom Marchers.
Additionally, Egypt has stopped a convoy with humanitarian relief en route to Gaza. The convoy, organized by Viva Palestina, was stuck in the Jordanian port of Aqaba, and in order to satisfy Egypt's whims is now being forced to take a costly detour to the Syrian port of Latakia, and to sail from there to the Egyptian port of El Arish, and then to Gaza.(2)
And to make matters worse, news reports confirm that Egypt is building a new separation wall at the border to stop cross-border smuggling.(3) Unfortunately, the Israeli-imposed siege on Gaza leaves Palestinians in the Strip with no alternative but the tunnels to survive. The solution to the smuggling will come when the siege is lifted, not when it is further entrenched.
We need to stand in solidarity with the people of Gaza.
What's going on? Is it a coincidence that Egypt is the second largest recipient of U.S. military aid, after Israel? Or that Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu is visiting Egypt today?(4)
Tell Egypt to let the marchers in and to stop the wall!
Thanks!
Sydney Levy
Jewish Voice for Peace
(1) 85 year old holocaust survivor Hedy Epstein begins hunger strike
to open Gaza borders
[http://www.jewishvoiceforpeace.org/publish/article_1251.shtml] and
Gaza marchers on hunger strike in Egypt [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8433010.stm]
(2) Gaza aid convoy to change course [http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2009/12/200912281583520582.html]
(3) Egypt's barrier along Gaza border called 'wall of shame'
[http://www.latimes.com/news/nation-and-world/la-fg-egypt-wall21-2009dec21,0,3083730.story]
(4) Netanyahu says will visit Egypt on Tuesday [http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE5BQ0MU20091227]
