Keffiyeh And Onions

Olympia BDS - Take Action To Support Them TODAY :)

2010-07-21T19:28:00.000-07:00

Last week the Board of Directors of the Olympia Food Co-op in Olympia, WA, the hometown of Rachel Corrie, took the courageous step of instituting a boycott of Israeli goods, the first grocery boycott of Israel in the US.

Already, there is a movement afoot to condemn the Co-op for taking this important stand. Please help us thank the Olympia Food Co-op and its board of directors for supporting human rights in Palestine!

Sign the petition here!

Civil Disobedience Earns Respect in Palestinian Resistance Struggle

2010-07-06T22:44:00.000-07:00

My complaint with this article though is that it makes it seem like non-violent resistance is a novel concept for Palestinians when in fact the first Intifada (uprising) was almost completely non-violent and still do this day Palestinians regularly engage in CD and non-violent means. What the article misses is the fact that the American media coverage is so biased in favor of Israel that we are blind to these realities until unfortunately something like the Flotilla Massacre occurs and we think "oh, wow. people must be using non-violent means" - - even when Israel tried to villify this endeavor also.

Given this complaint though, I think the article is still very interesting because it reports on how groups that have in fact adopted violent means in their engagements with Israel and how they see CD now.

I'm sure though that in the long run that this sort of 'approval' from Hamas and Hezbollah will lead to even greater scrutiny of non-violent protests and resistance, but more so especially, because Israel too is realizing their powerful impact internationally.

-

Israel's Foes Embrace New Resistance Tactics
Hamas and Hezbollah Find Inspiration In Flotilla, Support Protest Movements

By CHARLES LEVINSON

JERUSALEM—Hamas and Hezbollah, groups that have long battled Israel with violent tactics, have begun to embrace civil disobedience, protest marches, lawsuits and boycotts—tactics they once dismissed.
For decades, Palestinian statehood aspirations seemed to lurch between negotiations and armed resistance against Israel. But a small cadre of Palestinian activists has long argued that nonviolence, in the tradition of the American civil rights movement, would be far more effective.
Officials from Hamas, the militant group that controls the Gaza Strip, point to the recent Israeli raid on a Gaza-bound flotilla, in which Israeli troops killed nine activists, as evidence there is more to gain by getting Israel to draw international condemnation through its own use of force, rather than by attacking the country.

Agence France-Press/Getty Images

Israeli troops approach a model of a ship representing the Gaza aid flotilla during a demonstration by activists in the West Bank in early June.

"When we use violence, we help Israel win international support," said Aziz Dweik, a leading Hamas lawmaker in the West Bank. "The Gaza flotilla has done more for Gaza than 10,000 rockets."

Hamas and Hezbollah, the Islamist movement in Lebanon that has been fighting Israel since the early 1980s, haven't renounced violence and both groups continue to amass arms. Hamas still abides by a charter that calls for Israel's destruction; Palestinian youths still hurl rocks at Israeli soldiers across the West Bank separation barrier. And the flotilla incident didn't fall into conventional standards of peaceful protest: While most activists passively resisted Israeli soldiers, some on the boat where protesters were killed attacked commandos as they boarded, according to video footage released by Israel and soldiers' accounts.
The incident triggered international condemnation and plunged Israel into one of its worst diplomatic crises in years. In response, Israel said it would take some steps to ease its blockade on the Gaza Strip.
After the incident, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah called on supporters to participate in the next flotilla bound for Gaza. Ghaleb Abu Zeinab, a member of the Hezbollah politburo in Beirut, said it was the first time Mr. Nasrallah had forcefully and publicly embraced such tactics against Israel.
"We saw that this kind of resistance has driven the Israelis into a big plight," he said. Organizers in Lebanon say they have two ships ready to sail, but no departure date has been set.
A senior Israeli foreign ministry official said Israel recognizes "changes in the tactical thinking of Hamas and other resistance movements." The official said the groups are no less committed to Israel's destruction, but have simply concluded they are more likely to defeat Israel by encouraging its international isolation instead of through military force.
"People who are provoking violence are using peaceful protest as a cover," said Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev.
The Palestinian protest movement picked up steam in the past year, spearheaded by activists in the West Bank and a coalition of pro-Palestinian international human-rights groups.
The absence of peace talks for much of the past two years has pushed the Palestinian Authority leadership to embrace the movement as well. Dominated by members of Hamas's more moderate rival Fatah, they long advocated a negotiated settlement with Israel and dismissed popular protest campaigns.
But in January, Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad launched a campaign to boycott products produced in Israeli settlements and to plant trees in areas declared off limits by Israel. In April, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas outlawed settlement products in Palestinian Authority-controlled areas.
Hamas's turnaround has been more striking, said Mustapha Barghouti, a prominent Palestinian advocate for nonviolent resistance. "When we used to call for protests, and marches, and boycotts and anything called nonviolence, Hamas used these sexist insults against us. They described it as women's struggle," Mr. Barghouti said. That changed in 2008, he said, after the first aid ship successfully ran the Israeli blockade of Gaza.
"Hamas has started to appreciate just how effective this can be," Mr. Barghouti said.
Hamas has started organizing its own peaceful marches into the Israeli-controlled buffer zone along the Gaza border and supported lawsuits against Israeli officials in European courts. Hamas says it has ramped up support for a committee dedicated to sponsoring similar protests in Gaza.
Mr. Dweik, the Hamas lawmaker, recently began turning up at weekly protests against Israel's West Bank barrier.
Salah Bardawil, a Hamas lawmaker in Gaza City, says Hamas has come to appreciate the importance of international support for its legitimacy as a representative of the Palestinian people and its fight against Israeli occupation, and has adapted its tactics. Hamas hasn't claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing in years and now denounces the tactic as counterproductive. Since an Israeli military incursion into the territory in December 2008-January 2009, it has also halted rocket attacks into Israel.
"Hamas used to believe [international support] was just empty words," said Mr. Bardawil. "Today it is very interested in international delegations … and in bringing Israeli officials to justice through legal proceedings."

Indian Dock Workers Continue Labor Resistance to Apartheid

2010-07-06T22:41:00.000-07:00

From Labor for Palestine

Dockworkers at the major Indian port of Cochin are refusing to unload Israeli cargo in protest of Israel’s siege of the Gaza Strip.
According to the Indian communist publication People’s Democracy, “The boycott began on June 17 on receipt of information that cargo unloaded at Colombo Port [Sri Lanka] from Israeli ship m/v Zim Livorno 16 was bound to arrive at Cochin Port in a feeder vessel.”

“On June 23, trade unions held a joint protest rally in Cochin Port near the office of Zim Integrated Shipping Services (India) Pvt Ltd – the Israeli shipping line,” the report added. At the demonstration, labor leaders denounced Israel’s attack on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla in May which left nine people dead.

Representatives of several trade unions—including those aligned with both left and right wing parties— joined the demonstration.

The port of Cochin, in the state of Kerala, is one of the biggest ports in India.

The Chochin dockworkers join workers at ports in Sweden, South Africa, and other countries who have refused to unload Israeli cargo. Calls for boycotts against Israel intensified in the wake of the flotilla raid.

On June 20th, dockworkers in Oakland, California, refused to unload an Israeli cargo ship after protesters picketed at the dock.

WHAT GREAT NEWS!!

solidarity is always SO unbelievably replenishing.

we are one.

Exciting BDS Update

2010-06-29T20:48:00.000-07:00

Some very exciting BDS news within the Palestinian territories was featured recently in The Guardian.

I think this symbolizes a tangible connection between BDS actions internationally in countries like the U.S., Turkey, and Australia, to the resistance within the actual Palestinian territories. It is a very exciting time, indeed.

Enjoy!

"The objective is to ensure the Palestinian market is free of Israeli settlement produce by the end of this year," the Palestinian prime minister, Salam Fayyad, said at the launch of the Store to Store campaign at the Alameen supermarket.
A team of volunteers will inspect 66,000 stores across the West Bank in the coming weeks, awarding certificates and window stickers to those free of settlement produce.
After a period of grace, shopkeepers retaining such produce in their stores could be liable to a fine of more than £9,000 or up to five years in prison under a law already passed but not yet enforced by the Palestinian legislative council.
"This is the daily expression of rejection of the occupation," Fayyad said. "It will help ensure that the Palestinian economy is self-sufficient. There will not be a store in Palestine which cannot carry our stickers."

Palestine & The Left

2010-06-21T19:26:00.001-07:00

Great, great article. Must read for anyone on the left who has struggled with the Palestinian liberation struggle not being "hip" enough to be included, for a variety of reasons.

I like that the article is critical but then also talks about improvements that have been made since the 2007 Social Forum - including the Students for Justice in Palestine summit. Really exciting :)

Also - TOTALLY wish I could be in Detroit for the US Social Forum 2010. If you're in Detroit, or can get there pronto, DO IT! It looks AMAAAAZING.

-sj.

Integrating Palestine into the Progressive Left

by:
Noura Erakat

As progressive forces in the United States prepare to convene the second U.S. Social Forum this week in Detroit, Al-Shabaka Policy Advisor Noura Erakat comments on the gap between Palestinian and Arab dreams of an America committed to justice and the reality of the work it would take to achieve this dream

Overview

The World Social Forum is a global movement of progressives that has gained in strength and influence over the past decade. Regional meetings build up to the Global Forum, and progressive forces in the United States are about to convene the second U.S. Social Forum June 22 – 26, 2010. Al-Shabaka Policy Advisor Noura Erakat examines the gap between Palestinian and Arab dreams of an America committed to justice and the reality of the work it would take to achieve this dream, using the exclusion of Palestinian representation at the first U.S. Social Forum in 2007 as her entry point. She argues that in order to build on recent successes within the American progressive community -- including securing a key organizing role in this year’s forum -- it is necessary to see the struggle for Palestinian justice as a function of policies with global implications that impact Palestinians, other nations, and marginalized American communities.

Aspirations Vs. Action

Hardly an Arab or Palestinian living in the United States does not desire their fellow Americans to carry the banner of Palestinian justice and shift U.S. policy toward the conflict. Even the revered Columbia Professor, Edward Said, who commanded respect and attention in a broad spectrum of fields echoed this sentiment. At a 2002 Al-Awda rally in New York he called upon the impassioned throng to talk about Palestine everywhere, to everyone: at the supermarket, near the office water cooler, at the playground, with members of the Parent Teacher Association, on the bus, and at the bus stop -- everywhere.

Yet despite this yearning to nurture American solidarity, there is a vast divide between the aspiration and the understanding required for its realization -- that Palestinians, other nations, and millions of marginalized Americans contend with the same structural impediments standing between them and the full realization of their human dignity. The understanding of a common enemy and the affirmation of a common humanity is the linchpin of genuine solidarity.

Who then might constitute effective allies of Palestinians in the U.S.? Who contends with institutionalized discrimination similar to that which renders Palestinians second-class citizens on their own land? Which communities in the U.S. are racially profiled, systematically incarcerated, and rendered poor by a confluence of institutional factors, lack access to health care and employment and secure housing?

For progressive Arab and Palestinian Americans, these U.S. counterparts are immigrant communities, the working poor, migrant workers, indigenous peoples, racial minorities, and other U.S. communities considered expendable by a neo-liberal economic framework that touts itself as colorblind, reveres individualism, disdains social and economic rights, and places corporate profits above people’s welfare. These economic policies have driven poor families out of their homes in the U.S., have led to the systematic incarceration of African-Americans in prisons for profit, have devastated labor’s ability to negotiate workers’ rights, have accelerated gentrification in urban centers, and have fueled the insidious attack against immigrants.

Like their counterparts, Palestinians and other nations endure the brunt of neo-liberal prerogatives -- foremost of which is the expansion of labor and consumer markets as well as resource extraction -- by way of colonization and/or military domination.

Thousands of Americans opposed to neo-liberalism’s manifestation in the U.S. and beyond -- what I term the “progressive left” -- are organizing the second U.S. Social Forum to take place in Detroit, Michigan from June 22-26, 2010. The Forum is the U.S.-based counterpart to the World Social Forum and according to its architects it “will provide space to build relationships, learn from each other's experiences, share our analysis of the problems our communities face, and bring renewed insight and inspiration. It will help develop leadership and develop consciousness, vision, and strategy needed to realize another world.”

The U.S. Social Forum reflects the political principles drafted at the World Social Forum in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 2001. At the heart of those principles is a commitment to a global collaborative process aimed at creating a world wherein nation-states will “rest on democratic international systems and institutions at the service of social justice, equality, and the sovereignty of peoples.”

Left Out of the Progressive Left

The U.S. Social Forum is an opportune space for Palestinians to forge alliances with other progressive forces as well as integrate the cause for Palestinian self-determination more firmly into the progressive left agenda. Arab and Palestinian Americans who consider the crises in the Middle East, and U.S. support for them, a function of unfettered neo-liberalism are seeking to do just that. However, even in this space, Palestinians have had to struggle to represent themselves and to push back against a liberal tendency to provide a “balance” of narratives before they could experience genuine solidarity.

At the first Forum held in Atlanta, Georgia in July 2007, no Arabs or Palestinians were invited to participate in the National Planning Committee which functions as the Forum organizing body and is comprised of U.S.-based social justice organizations. Palestinians and their allies urged the Committee to invite Palestinian civil society leader Jamal Juma’ as the plenary speaker to address U.S. militarization in the Middle East. Juma’ is a founding member of Stop the Wall and leading member of the Palestinian-led Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement. Instead, the Committee invited a liberal Zionist Jewish woman instead. In her speech to nearly 12,000 people, she called for a mutual approach among Palestinians and Israelis to embrace non-violence and build peace. She thereby “balanced” Israeli and Palestinian narratives and portrayed the institutional discrimination, displacement, dispossession, and occupation endured by Palestinians as a product of civil war as opposed to U.S.-backed foreign colonization. According to Sami Kittimo, a Palestinian activist who attended the session, “the message to us was that Arabs and Palestinians were not a valued part of the Forum and there was no need for us to represent ourselves. On a panel about U.S. imperialism, here was a speaker advocating against self-determination for Palestinians and speaking in support of imperialist efforts in Palestine.”

News of the controversial speech quickly spread, especially at the Palestine Tent (“Nahr al-Bared”) the organizing hub of educational and cultural activities coordinated by Palestinian participants and their allies at the Forum. Kittimo and the other activists decided to draft a statement to the National Planning Committee expressing their concerns regarding the ill-suited plenary speaker. The Committee responded honestly, saying that it did not know any better and in fact had confused the speaker’s Hebrew name for an Arab one, thus thinking that she was Arab. As a reconciliatory gesture, the NPC invited the Palestinian activists and their supporters to read the statement before a captive audience the following night.

Since 2007, there has been consistent follow-up with the Forum organizers. Sara Kershnar, a founding member of the International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network who attended the 2007 Forum, said that the follow-up coupled with the speaker controversy strengthened NPC commitment to prioritize Palestinian participation in the organizing of the 2010 Forum. In June 2009, a Forum representative asked the U.S. Palestinian Community Network (USPCN), a loose coalition of Palestinian individuals and institutions dedicated to building a participatory and inclusive network for the U.S.-based Diaspora, to submit an application for membership in the National Planning Committee. The USPCN includes Palestinian individuals, organizations, and village/town-based clubs throughout the U.S., who share the aim of addressing and overcoming the fragmentation afflicting the Palestinian nation, affirming Palestinian national unity, and encouraging collaborative initiatives in furtherance of Palestinian self-determination.1 After an interview process, the USPCN’s application was approved and it has been a leading organizing member of the Forum since October 2009.

Building Solidarity at the U.S. Social Forum

The USPCN has managed to corral multiple efforts into an impressive force for the 2010 U.S. Social Forum, including the:

Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions People’s Movement Assembly;
Palestine Tent featuring cultural performances, speakers, and a bazaar;
Palestine Track of 48 workshops; and
Students for Justice in Palestine summit;

In addition, Jamal Juma’, coordinator of the Palestinian Grassroots Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign, will be a keynote speaker on the international plenary panel. (http://ussf.palestineconference.org/) Juma’ will address the Forum by videoconference due to the travel restrictions that Israel has imposed on him in the aftermath of a 25-day detention for his political activities against Israel’s Apartheid Wall in the West Bank. According to Rama Kased, a leading USPCN organizer, “Jamal’s inability to physically address the Forum is not an impediment -- on the contrary, this highlights the arbitrary and capricious nature of Israel’s apartheid regime.”

Among the planned workshops is one called, “United Against Racism & War: From New Orleans to Palestine,” which, in Kershnar’s words, intends to strengthen an anti-racism movement by “discussing implications for building joint struggles against racism experienced by communities in the U.S. and those impacted by U.S. policies abroad, with a specific focus on U.S. support for Israel.” United Against Racism is a multi-racial, multi-national alliance that emerged in the wake of rising Arab and Muslim profiling post-9/11, the neglect of minority communities during and following Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and the mounting violence against Palestinians since the Second Intifada and especially since Hamas’ electoral victory in 2006. The alliance formally established itself in 2008 in preparation for the USPCN Popular Conference.

According to Kali Akuno, a Malcolm X Movement national organizer and co-founder of the alliance, United Against Racism chose to centralize Palestine in its anti-racist analysis because the alliance’s core activists and organizations “hold a common view that Palestine represents the barometer of the extent to which imperialism is willing to go to ensure that the capitalist system of oppression and exploitation continue unabated. There is a general understanding that the liberation of Palestine is a critical linchpin in the transformation of this system and the creation of a more humane global system.”

Challenges Ahead

Establishing firm alliances with those communities and persons who, like Kali, identify a common foe and affirm a common fate, represents only half the battle in solidifying genuine solidarity. The other half depends on the Arab and Palestinian community itself and specifically in its ability to commit to other struggles. As the USPCN has found in its outreach efforts for the U.S. Social Forum, although Arabs and Palestinians can identify the structural injustice inherent to Israeli colonization and apartheid, they are not as aware of similar injustices endured by marginalized communities in the United States.

Here is just one example from personal experience with a national Arab-American organization. During my last year of law school some years ago, I was seeking opportunities to practice law creatively in the advancement of social justice. After an initial conversation, this national organization encouraged me to submit a project proposal for a fellowship that it would sponsor. Excited by the positive response, I drafted a plan aimed at ameliorating Arab-Black tensions in Detroit by crafting joint campaigns against environmental injustice harming both communities and by nurturing dialogue between community leaders regarding the resentment bred between Arab-American liquor store owners and African-American patrons suffering from alcohol addiction. My rejection phone call was quite curt—I was told that my proposal was too “Bay Area-esque,” a euphemism for “too controversial.2

I suppose criticizing a targeted and minority community like the Arab-American one is a bit controversial but this is precisely emblematic of our condition. While we bemoan the lack of support for the Palestinian struggle for justice, we do too little to treat the racism in which our own communities engage, whether wittingly or not. If we want to achieve and benefit from genuine solidarity, then not only must we speak about Palestine to everyone, everywhere, as Edward Said advocated, but we must also speak to our own Arab and Palestinian communities about everyone else.

Union & Liberation Struggle Solidarity

2010-06-21T19:07:00.000-07:00

This post officially marks my revamping of this blog. I used it to originally detail my trip to Egypt for the Gaza Freedom March and instead of starting a whole new one, I figured I would use this to write, post, and keep up on things going on with this "conflict".
--Will post later on why I put the word conflict in quotations :)

As a labor union organizer currently working for a local in D.C. this made me infinitely happy today. In many countries, and even in the history of this very local in Oakland, California, labor unions have been deeply embedded within social justice struggles. While there are few that are hardly as militant (read as in staunch, not as in violent) as they used to be, this certainly replenishes my hope in their change. I think for the greater BDS movement in the U.S. this is a very significant step and the fact that it was not only leftists/activists who participated but also Union Dock Workers makes me all the more optimistic for this movement.

Here's to many more ships being turned away.

-sj.

Bay Area dockworkers refused to cross a picket line early Sunday, leaving a ship loaded with cargo from Israel floating offshore.

Seven hundred demonstrators had gathered to protest Israel’s May 31 attack on a flotilla attempting to break the blockade on the Palestinian territory of Gaza. The assault on the flotilla, carrying 10,000 tons of aid, killed nine people and injured more than 100.

After members of Local 10 of the Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) chose not to cross the line at the Port of Oakland, citing a contract provision that protects their health and safety, the stevedoring company cancelled the next shift, anticipating another refusal to unload the ship.

The events followed a similar action by dockworkers in Sweden, responding to the call put out by the Palestinian General Federation of Trade Unions (PGFTU) to turn away Israeli goods. Dockworkers in Norway, Malaysia, and South Africa have also said they will not unload Israeli ships and cargo.
The call for longshore unions to refuse Israeli goods was amplified when Israel dispatched commandos in helicopters three weeks ago to seize small ships that were attempting to break the Israeli blockade of Gaza. The humanitarian mission was sponsored by Turkish organizations, and hundreds of unarmed activists were on board.

Israel has prohibited food, household goods, and construction materials from reaching Gaza since the 2006 election of the militant Hamas movement to the territory’s government.

Israel, under heavy international pressure since the deadly assault on the flotilla, announced Sunday it will widen the list of goods allowed into Gaza.

Israel’s three-year blockade—and a 2008 military assault on Gaza that killed 1,440 Palestinians and destroyed 4,000 homes along with hospitals and water treatment facilities—has left the tiny territory in ruins, unable to rebuild.

Scores of unions around the world have condemned Israel’s blockade and attack on the flotilla, with the Congress of South African Trade Unions calling it “state-sponsored piracy.”

Along with US Labor Against the War, Labor for Palestine, a small US-based cross-union network, decried the assault on the flotilla. The AFL-CIO declined to comment.

BOYCOTT STRATEGY

Meanwhile, the South African Municipality Workers, among others, is campaigning to have cities break ties to Israel. Their drive is part of the international Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement, which activists in many countries are taking up to pressure Israel to change its behavior toward Gaza and its own Palestinian citizens. The campaign is modeled after the international movement that brought down South African apartheid in the 1980s.

Palestinian labor is asking for union solidarity in the campaign to sever ties with Israeli businesses, and to support new flotillas attempting to bring essential goods into Gaza.

Manawell Abdul-Al, a PGFTU executive committee member, responded to ILWU Local 10’s action: “This genuine solidarity is something we have longed for and expected,” he said. “We expected from you nothing less because of your history of defending the oppressed.”

The events followed a similar action by dockworkers in Sweden, responding to the call put out by the Palestinian General Federation of Trade Unions (PGFTU) to turn away Israeli goods. Dockworkers in Norway, Malaysia, and South Africa have also said they will not unload Israeli ships and cargo.
The call for longshore unions to refuse Israeli goods was amplified when Israel dispatched commandos in helicopters three weeks ago to seize small ships that were attempting to break the Israeli blockade of Gaza. The humanitarian mission was sponsored by Turkish organizations, and hundreds of unarmed activists were on board.

Israel has prohibited food, household goods, and construction materials from reaching Gaza since the 2006 election of the militant Hamas movement to the territory’s government.

Israel, under heavy international pressure since the deadly assault on the flotilla, announced Sunday it will widen the list of goods allowed into Gaza.

Israel’s three-year blockade—and a 2008 military assault on Gaza that killed 1,440 Palestinians and destroyed 4,000 homes along with hospitals and water treatment facilities—has left the tiny territory in ruins, unable to rebuild.

Scores of unions around the world have condemned Israel’s blockade and attack on the flotilla, with the Congress of South African Trade Unions calling it “state-sponsored piracy.”

Along with US Labor Against the War, Labor for Palestine, a small US-based cross-union network, decried the assault on the flotilla. The AFL-CIO declined to comment.

BOYCOTT STRATEGY

Meanwhile, the South African Municipality Workers, among others, is campaigning to have cities break ties to Israel. Their drive is part of the international Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement, which activists in many countries are taking up to pressure Israel to change its behavior toward Gaza and its own Palestinian citizens. The campaign is modeled after the international movement that brought down South African apartheid in the 1980s.

Palestinian labor is asking for union solidarity in the campaign to sever ties with Israeli businesses, and to support new flotillas attempting to bring essential goods into Gaza.

Manawell Abdul-Al, a PGFTU executive committee member, responded to ILWU Local 10’s action: “This genuine solidarity is something we have longed for and expected,” he said. “We expected from you nothing less because of your history of defending the oppressed.”

Bay Area dockers refused to unload a South African ship in 1984, and would not load bombs headed for Chile’s military government in 1978.

55+ Injured in Viva Palestine Convoy

2010-01-06T07:14:00.000-08:00

Just saw this, thanks Marwa for sharing!!

Al Jazeera reports

Clash in Egypt over Gaza aid effort

Egypt barred some of the vehicles in the aid convoy from passing through the Rafah crossing [Reuters]

At least 55 people have been injured in clashes between Egyptian police and pro-Palestinian activists who were trying to deliver aid into the Gaza Strip, eyewitnesses say.

Some 520 activists broke down the gate at the port in al-Arish late on Tuesday in protest against an Egyptian decision to ship some of the goods through Israel, medical workers and protesters said.

The protests were sparked by an Egyptian decision to allow 139 vehicles to enter Gaza through the Rafah crossing, about 45km from the port in al-Arish, but requiring a remaining 59 vehicles to pass via Israel.

Around 40 members of the convoy had minor injuries while over a dozen policemen were hurt in the clashes with protesters, who also blocked the two entrances to the Sinai port with vehicles, medical workers said.

The Viva Palestina convoy, led by George Galloway, the British MP, had already been delayed by more than a week, after he and a delegation of Turkish MPs failed to persuade the Egyptians to change their mind.

Disputed route

The convoy of nearly 200 vehicles arrived in al-Arish on Monday after a dispute with Cairo on the route.

But the arrival came after a bitter dispute between its organisers and the government, which banned the convoy from entering Egypt's Sinai from Jordan by ferry, forcing it to drive north to the Syrian port of Lattakia.

The convoy with 210 lorries full of medicine and other supplies set out from the UK nearly a month ago.

Israel and Egypt have severely restricted travel to and from the Gaza Strip since Hamas seized power there in June 2007, after winning Palestinian legislative elections in 2006.

In depth

'Fighting to break Gaza siege'
Egypt blocks US activists' march
Viva Palestina's bumpy road
Video: Gaza aid held up in Jordan

The blockade currrently allows only very basic supplies into Gaza.

The siege has severely restricted essential supplies and placed Gazans in a dire situation, made worse by Israel's military assault last winter that reduced much of the territory to ruins.

Hamas has accused Egypt of reinforcing the siege imposed.

Fawzi Barhoum, a spokesman for the group, told Al Jazeera on Wednesday that Egypt's moves to ban the Gaza aid convoy from reaching the enclave and to build an underground steel wall are deliberate policies that reinforce its participation in the siege.

He said that such practices are unjustifiable and frustrating for Palestinian expectations from the Egyptian side.

In other Gaza-related news, a Palestinian fighter was reportedly killed and four others wounded in an Israeli air attack on Tuesday in the city of Khan Younis, according to a security source.

An Israeli military spokeswoman said Israel had launched the raid against fighters "planning to fire rockets at southern Israel".

The armed wing of a group called the Popular Resistance Committee said its members had been targeted by the attack.

- -

DemocracyNow! Reports

Dozens Wounded as Egypt Blocks Gaza Aid Convoy

In Egypt, around fifty-five people were reportedly wounded Tuesday when Egyptian forces clashed with members of an international delegation trying to bring humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip. Several protesters were hospitalized with injuries from rocks and tear gas. The Viva Palestina convoy of nearly 200 trucks departed Britain last month. Convoy leader and British lawmaker George Galloway said the group protested after Egypt tried to force dozens of trucks to pass through Israel.

George Galloway: “Together with myself and other leaders of the convoy we were in negotiations with the Egyptian authorities about their determination to remove more than 55 of our vehicles and send them to the Israeli checkpoint. We refused this because it is a breach of the agreement we reached in Akabar between the government of Egypt and the Turkish side and it completely unconsciounable that 25 percent of our convoy should go to Israel and never arrive in Gaza. Because nothing that ever goes to Israel, ever arrives in Gaza.”

The Egyptian government has blocked hundreds of Palestinian solidarity activists from entering Gaza around the one-year anniversary of the U.S.-backed Israeli assault that killed over 1,300 Palestinians.

All of this stuff is so out of control. Wow.

Viva Palestina Convoy in Crisis

2010-01-05T13:10:00.000-08:00

Just got this update on Facebook - anyone have more info or details?

To all friends of Palestine

Our situation is now at a crisis point! Riot has broken out in the port of Al- Arish.

This late afternoon we were negotiating with a senior official from Cairo who left negotiations some two hours ago and did not return. Our negotiations with the official was regarding taking our aid vehicles into Gaza.

He left two hours ago and did not come back. Egyptian authorities called over 2,000 riot police who then moved towards our camp at the port.

We have now blocked the entrance to the port and we are now faced with riot police and water cannons and are determined to defend our vehicles and aid.

The Egyptian authorities have by their stubbornness and hostility towards the convoy, brought us to a crisis point.

We are now calling upon all friends of Palestine to mount protests in person where possible, but by any means available to Egyptian representatives, consulates and Embassy's and demand that the convoy are allowed a safe passage into Gaza tomorrow!

Kevin Ovenden
Viva Palestina Convoy Leader

Jerusalem <3

2010-01-01T12:04:00.000-08:00

So - now that Gaza is no longer an option it looks like the only other rational thing to do is go to the West Bank! :)

I'm here another 10 days in Cairo and I've seen all the touristy things and seen the basics of Cairo and Egypt and they've been beautiful but its a new year, and its time for new ideas and I got a new game plan.

I'm going to try and hit up Jerusalem, Ramallah, and Bethlehem and somehow, alhumdulilah, I seem to know people in almost all of those areas so I'll have someone to show me around and inshAllah take me in maybe too if we can work it out like that.

West Bank, here I come!!

xoxox

Gaza Freedom March Wrap Up

2010-01-01T08:40:00.000-08:00

I'm sure its going to take me some time to process everything that has happened in Cairo with the Gaza Freedom March over the past week or so but here are some of my initial thoughts and feelings. Bear in mind, these are my own opinions and reflections and they surely are not the same as the 1300 other people who were in Cairo. So for what its worth - here it goes:

This whole political experience here with CODEPINK, for me, has been honestly disappointing and angering. I'm going to be honest here, I did not participate in many of the protests that took place in Cairo because I had serious issues with the way everything was being handled and the way that the March really seemed to have fallen apart and unraveled once everyone realized that our chances of getting into Gaza were really slim to none. From the very first meeting that was held in Tahrir Square, the individuals who were going to be staying in Gaza longer (past January 2nd) were told to not participate in any of these demonstrations because if we did somehow come up with a way to get into Gaza, if we had any record or history with problems with the Egyptians - this would effectively eliminate any chance of us getting in. People told us to completely "disassociate from the March" and that because Egypt is not a democracy, "nothing we do will change their minds" - which sadly, ended up being quite true despite how often people demonstrated, were barricaded in by people, and some even beaten up. Moral of the story: This is not the U.S., they don't care that you're Americans, and we did not fly thousands of miles to protest in Egypt.

Aside from this though, there were so many critical problems with the way things were being done and decisions were being made that I really felt uncomfortable with doing anything that GFM was doing in Cairo.

I felt as though there was no insight to the way the Egyptian government works, or the greater public opinion in Egypt, at all. We cannot simply think that a country, who has religiously served the agenda of the U.S. and Israel, will do a complete 360 and open the borders when a group of activists show up, no matter how big. Anyone who has any familiarity with the politics of this conflict, know that Egypt's role in ensuring the Palestinian suffering is not a new or novel concept. Given that, the fact that CODEPINK did not prepare for the very unsurprising setback that Egypt delivered by closing its borders, really baffled me. When we got news on Monday, that the borders were going to be closed and no one would enter, I figured that this was a very expected move (especially after news of Egypt's steel wall just was released as well) and that the steering committee and whoever else also saw this coming and that surely back up plans and strategies were on hand now that Egypt played its cards. But after a couple days when everyone started arriving and it was time to figure out what we were going to do, it just seemed like these small fragmented actions (the hunger strike here, french sit-in there) were things that groups were doing on their own, hardly with any support from the mass collective. There was no unified message besides come out in the streets and protest. It felt like everyone kind of went their own way and that now instead of focusing on the occupation we were going to go after the Egyptian government - which as much as I have issues with that they are doing and how they add to the Palestinian suffering - that is not why I came here.

Lets clarify something here. As much as I hate Egypt, Egypt is NOT occupying the Palestinian territories. ISRAEL is. I mean, to a certain degree, by doing of all this, I feel, we took a lot of heat off of Israel b/c the press coverage just shows a bunch of people demonstrating in Cairo, which is giving the message that we have a problem with Egypt for what they are doing wrong when we were here to raise awareness of the ISRAELI OCCUPATION and Operation Cast Lead which was carried out by ISRAEL one year ago. Why are people shouting "Free Egypt" at the demonstrations? It makes no sense, we had no focus.

I want to believe that GFM tried to do the best that it could, given the circumstances, but honestly it just led to many people feeling as if they had to do something, anything, since we weren't being allowed in Gaza. Don't get me wrong, I am a firm believer in public resistance and demonstrating, even getting arrested when its necessary, etc - but you cannot do these things without tons of planning, proper escalation tactics leading up to massive direct action like that, and a solid SOLID solid foundation in Egypt (resources, connections, lawyers, etc) for the people that do take those risks. Otherwise, you just end up looking like a bunch of stupid foreigners (mostly Americans) who are protesting, sitting in, going on hunger strike - for what? We came here to deliver aid and stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people in Gaza - if that was not going to happen then we could have held all of these actions back in our home towns where we know how things work, we know what resources we have, and we can accurately assess what type of risk we are willing to take for this dire cause. After these past few days, I feel that all we've done is agitate Egypt for a brief period of time, spent a lot of money fueling this unjust country's economy, and made the daily lives of the Egyptian people harder.

When our plans fell through, and it did not seem like we were going to get in, there should have been a massive meeting/discussion with a vote with all of the delegates who have come from around the world as to what we think would be the best thing to do. But when people were told to figure it out and come up with ideas, you had serious fragmentation and people, like the French delegates, who were occupying the area in front of the Embassy feeling like they did not have support or instances like when the entire Japanese delegation just left after the first day for the West Bank. All I've been asking myself these past few days is "What the hell is going on?" and "What is all of this?". And to tell the truth, I still really don't know because I don't think GFM really even knows.

The "100 people to Gaza" stunt was also another fiasco that only further divided this group and our efforts. At first, CODEPINK accepts this offer and takes credit for it since the women went and talked to Suzanne Mubarak. They come up with a list in a very short time of these people who would get to go, not realizing what a bad mistake this is. After a few hour, they do realize its a bad idea, send out an official message saying how they have 'rejected' this offer, and yet, lo and behold people STILL got on the buses and went? Again, "What is going on?"

I realize that this has gotten really long already and these are just some of my preliminary thoughts from the past few days. As of right now this is how I feel: as much as I'd like to really blame fully the repressive Egyptian dictatorship for the Gaza Freedom March falling apart and not succeeding, I believe that CODEPINK, and the same old foreign arrogance/ignorance we have, has a lot to do with it this time as well. Sadly, the Palestinian people are still under occupation and I wish the best of luck to the VIVA Palestina convoys who seem to have a better grasp on how to deal with all this nonsense than we do.

Until later, free free Palestine,

-Sana

Egyptian Police Beating Protesters

2010-01-01T08:36:00.001-08:00

So yesterday in Tahrir Square in Cairo there was a massive demonstration as Gaza Freedom Marchers tried to March to Gaza from Cairo, more in a symbolic fashion than anything, to show that the March would still try and carry on as much as possible.

People were quickly corralled in though by the police and when people started to sit down as a response to the aggression people were kicked, shoved, and punched.

Here are some videos.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbjBBd9xp60

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4i2QRBLuE1Q

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vvln4HkQNA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MSclyt2yd0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obSOaGp2yAY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yT4tk2RiNIo

Gaza Freedom March Rejects Egypts Offer

2009-12-30T03:11:00.001-08:00

http://english.aljazeera.net//news/middleeast/2009/12/2009123061947605152.html

So really late last night we got word that Egypt was going to allow two buses today of only 100 people to go to Gaza. Originally the GFM, said okay we'll accept and then tried to come up with a 'fair' list of people from the different countries within a short period of time. This really upset a lot of people (myself included) and one of the students said it best that "This is the Gaza Freedom March, not the Gaza Freedom Bus". A lot of delegations, from New York, Switzerland, etc, decided to completely relinquish their spaces on the bus because of how unjust this was. I agree with them that we should not accept this petty offering especially when 1300 people have come to Cairo to go to Gaza and that this seems like a slight offering to get Egypt off the hook.

Well, fortunately, GFM understood and agreed with these criticisms also and they have all refused to get on the buses and go because its not fair, its not what we came to do, and if 100 people can go then all 1300 should be able to go.

These next fews days are going to be insane so I'll keep you all posted as best as I can.

Peace,

Sana

WTF is Going on in Egypt

2009-12-29T06:28:00.000-08:00

A great article from The Palestine Chronicle breaks it down:

Here's the new official rationale for Egyptian policy - we're not participating in the siege of Gaza, we're not trying to prevent medicine, food and building supplies from reaching the survivors of last years devastating bombardment that snuffed out 1,600 civilians - we're only out to stop Palestinians from smuggling goods our way without paying duties. We're just protecting our borders against the Gazan hordes. We're not against allowing the aid convoys entering Gaza - we just want to make sure they enter Egypt from Al-Arish - not Nuweiba. Whatever you think about Egyptian policies, you have to tip your hat to Abu El Gheit for being so creative.

Of course, if you don't get your paycheck from the Egyptian Foreign Ministry or your annual bonus check isn't issued by Al-Ahram - you'd have a much easier job explaining Egypt's policy.

Under pressure from the Israeli Lobby, the Congress and the State Department have, in turn, pressed the Egyptian government to cooperate with Israel and tighten the siege of Gaza, close the tunnels and starve Hamas out of power. The government of Hosni Mubarak, after weighing its options and taken into consideration that Hamas is a natural extension of the Muslim Brotherhood, has adopted a rigid policy that complies with the American demands. This has been state policy for two years and Egypt did not waiver from implementing that policy even when Israeli soldiers were committing war crimes in Gaza. Moreover, the Egyptian government is not about to reverse its policies under pressure from the Viva Palestina convoys.

See, that took just one paragraph to explain. There's and even a shorter version - Gazans have no Friends in Egypt
.

Feteer Is Delicious.

2009-12-28T15:45:00.000-08:00

So today I went to meet up with Matt and his mom Patty at the Extended Stay contingency meeting but it turns out that was cancelled, and my guess is its because of what was going down at the UN earlier in the morning. I guess I should have known it was going to turn out bad when my cab driver, Mohammed, got lost for like 45 minutes trying to find the Sun Hotel :/

So then the three of us went for a bit to Islamic Cairo and saw the Sultan Hassan Mosque which was just epic. I'll post pictures as soon as facebook starts cooperating w/ my computer here in Egypt but until then you'll have to believe me when I say I was at a loss for words.

I then went with Sherif and Rania to Khan el-Khalili and bought a few things. And they, being the super amazing people they are, bought me a birthday present which in fact turns out to be this ring that said "Allah" which we looked at in one of the stores/stands and the shopkeeper was being really difficult so I left it and it so happened that when Rania went to the "bathroom" she went and bought the ring for me. It was honestly the nicest thing ever, and I can understand now why the two of them are a couple because they are both such sweet people. I am so lucky to know people like that, alhumdulilah. They are really great :)

Afterwards we went to eat and I finally tried fateer/feteer (however you spell it) and it was sooo delicious. Oh my goodness. Its like this doughy pie but with different fillings like cheese or meat and we had one with cheese, one with meat, and another one with chocolate. Both the cheese and meat one were amazing but unfortunately the chocolate one had a fly in it so we didn't eat it haha

Maybe next time :)

I posted below the plan for tomorrow and I'm really excited for the day especially the Netanyahu protest. I've tried to keep a low profile in terms of political action so far but I think given that Netanyahu is coming and that Egypt needs to be held just as accountable as Israel for the suffering of Palestinians - whether by shutting out Viva Palestina in Aqaba or Gaza Freedom March in Cairo - I think its time to escalate.

I've been really confused as to what direction GFM is really going in because the wall (no pun intended) that we keep running into w/ Egypt has really fragmented the groups efforts. I'm sure you all have heard/read about the French delegates that are sitting in right now in front of the French Embassy, and the hunger strike led by the Ms. Epstein the 85 year old Holocaust survivor, but nothing as a solid group has been done yet. Well nothing until this Netanyahu protest so far. So I'm excited to show our numbers and stand our ground.

Bismillah.

This one's for Gaza,

Sana.

Don't Tell Me You Thought This Was Over -

2009-12-28T15:08:00.000-08:00

Gaza Freedom March URGENT UPDATE

December 29, 2009

9:30 am - 12 noon: Embassy visits

11 am: Press Briefing including hunger striker Hedy Epstein

2 pm: Hunger Strikers Hold Candle Light Vigil

6 pm: Protest of Netanyahu's visit with Egyptian groups

This will be a demonstration against Netanyahu's visit to Cairo and Egypt's role in the siege on Gaza. Egyptian activists are calling for international solidarity, which is vital in showing those in power that we will not be deterred by their attempts to divide us and that we, Egyptians and internationals side by side with Palestinians, will stand fast in our opposition to the crippling Israeli siege on Gaza and Egypt's complicity in it.

Here is a message of solidarity from Roger Waters of Pink Floyd:

A message of solidarity with THE GAZA FREEDOM MARCH

27 December 2009

My name is Roger Waters. I am an English musician living in the USA. I am
writing to express my great admiration for and solidarity with the 1360 men
and women from 42 different countries around the World who are gathering
in Egypt, preparing for The Gaza Freedom March. We all watched, aghast,
the vicious attack made a year ago on the people of Gaza by Israeli armed
forces and the ongoing illegal siege. The suffering wrought on the
population of Gaza by both the invasion and the siege is unimaginable to us
outside the walls. The aim of The Freedom March is to focus world attention
on the plight of the Palestinian people in Gaza in the hope that the scales will
fall from the eyes of all, ordinary, decent people round the world, that they
may see the enormity of the crimes that have been committed, and demand
that their governments bring all possible pressure to bear on Israel to lift the
siege.

I use the word 'crimes' advisedly, as both the siege and the invasion have
been declared unlawful by United Nations bodies and leading human rights
organizations. If we do not all observe international law, if some
governments think themselves above it, it is but a few short, dark, steps to
barbarism and anarchy.

The Gaza Freedom March is a beacon to all those of us who believe that
under the skin, we are all brothers and sisters, who must stand shoulder to
shoulder, if we are to make a future where all have recourse to law and
universal human rights. Where life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness is
not just the preserve of the few. All the oil in The Middle East is not worth
one child's life. So to those of you who march, I tip my hat. It is a brave and
noble thing you do, and when you reach your goal please tell our Palestinian
brothers and sisters, that out here, beyond the Walls of their Prison, stand
hundreds of thousands of us in solidarity with them. Today, hundreds of
thousands, tomorrow, millions, soon, hundreds of millions. We Shall
Overcome.

Roger Waters

What's Going on in Cairo Tomorrow

2009-12-27T16:33:00.001-08:00

Right NOW: "As we are writing this hundreds of French delegates are camped outside the French Embassy, pitching tents and sleeping bags on the sidewalk, chanting "Palestine Freedom!" The French Ambassador and his wife are outside negotiating with the delegates and the police and Egyptian authorities. It is a powerful action and the French invite solidarity and support - come wherever you can! This is a critical situation and the police are surrounding the group. Check it out if you can. We will send out an update when possible"

11 am - Press Conference

12 pm - Action @ UN / Beginning of Gaza Freedom March hunger strike

3 pm - Women's Contingency Delivers Letter to H.E. Suzanne Mubarak

A group of individuals from Anarchists Against the Wall were arrested for demonstrating the Occupation at the Erez border. They have since been released.

:::

Police detain 16 leftists on Gaza border

http://www.ynetnews.com/Ext/Comp/ArticleLayout/CdaArticlePrintPreview/1,2506,L-3825757,00.html

Activists marking one year since launch of IDF offensive protest Israeli blockade, prevented from entering Strip. Israel continues to perpetuate destruction, suffering,' one of them says
Anat Shalev

Police detained 16 left-wing activists as they were trying to cross into Gaza on Sunday to mark the one year anniversary of Operation Cast Lead.

Chief Superintendent Shimon Nahmani, commander of the Sderot police station, said the leftists held a rally without prior authorization.

United Nations

Ban: Year after war, sense of hopelessness in Gaza  / Yitzhak Benhorin
On one year anniversary of Operation Cast Lead, UN chief issues statement calling for end to 'unacceptable' Israeli blockade, says residents of coastal enclave denied basic human rights
Full Story

"We detained them and had to employ a reasonable amount of force, but we didn’t beat anyone," he said. "They are currently being interrogated at the station, and may be charged with entering a closed military zone without a permit and holding an illegal demonstration."

Several dozen left-wing activists took part in the protest against the Israeli blockade on the Hamas-ruled territory, claiming it was hindering Gaza's rehabilitation.

Adar Grievsky of the "Anarchist against the Wall" group said, "We began walking southward on the beach towards Gaza, but near Zikim large police and IDF forces prevented us from crossing (into Gaza).

"A year after Israel killed 1,400 people during the Cast Lead war, Israel continues to perpetuate destruction and suffering by preventing rehabilitation and denying the transfer of construction materials to Gaza," said the activist.

According to Grievsky, the purpose of the march was to "convey the message that as citizens living in this country, we find the situation intolerable and we must resist it."

One of the protestors claimed that one of the leftists was beaten by police.

22nd Birthday in Cairo <3

2009-12-27T15:11:00.000-08:00

If you haven't read already, I published a press release that was sent out earlier today notifying everyone that people affiliated with the Gaza Freedom March were put under house arrest temporarily in hotel in al-Arish and also several people who were trying to leave al-Arish were detained and were still in prison at least up until the afternoon.

The silent candle light vigil that was held today by the lawyers union ended in a really ugly way when the group of mostly local Egyptian nationals were not only surrounded by state security but then also beaten up for holding the memorial.

The 4:30 p.m. memorial that was supposed to take place in dozens of boats on the Nile also encountered many complications when we found out that we weren't allowed to rent or board any of the boats so that we could place the 1400 candles along the Nile. We ended up rallying in front of the Nile anyway, and of course tons of police came and within an hour we also saw these massive armored trucks starting to show up (kind of like the type the SWAT team in the U.S. use) and so pretty soon we dispersed because we clearly did not want to be rounded up and thrown into trucks and taken to jail.

At the 7:30 meeting at Al-Mogamma we also found out the news that the bus company who we had a reservation to take everyone in the March to al-Arish would not be able to any longer because the Egyptian government threatened to revoke their licenses and shut down their business entirely if they took us. So needless to say, we can no longer go. Also - this just might be my inner conspiracy theorist in me speaking - but I am convinced that this place has to be swarming with spies and the like. Its just too political to not be and some people have been super shady, too.

All of these things are so unreal to me right now. I knew that our political presence and demonstrating in Egypt were not really welcome, especially to a government that could care less about public opinion and freedom of speech, but seriously - beating people up? detaining them for hours? shutting down entire companies? Furthermore, we don't WANT to stay in Egypt any longer than we have to. Even though I have my issues with the Egyptian government, I did not come here this time for them and I'm sure as hell that neither did the rest of the 1300+ people. We came to stand with the Palestinians, deliver aid, and bring back their stories. Sigh.

It sounds like Egypt has taken a page out of Israel's book and is acting in an eerily familiar way when people that challenge the state and wish to exercise their "right" to free speech. Its so sad and outrageous at the same time.

As far as getting into Gaza is concerned, things aren't looking so well to be honest. The latest that I have heard is that Rafah will be opening on January 3rd, 4th, and 5th, for the Viva Palestina convoy and we're hoping that this generosity might be inclusive of all internationals as well. That is really the only hope that I really see remaining of us getting into Gaza because other than that everything is looking pretty bleak. I know that some of the other subdivisions within the March like the students group and the interfaith group might hold smaller solidarity actions in strategic locations in Egypt but I'm not really sure what those might be. I'm also uncertain to what the outcomes for those will be as well seeing as how some of the other, quite simple things, have taken such a bad turn.

So today it was my 22nd birthday :) I was honestly a bit homesick because its hard to celebrate when all your loved ones are away but it was still a good day, alhumdulilah.

So I slept in today and ended up missing the 11 a.m. vigil that was planned on the Nile Bridge. Turns out though, that police ended up breaking up the memorial anyway and removed what the people had put up there to commemorate those lives lost in the Gaza Massacre.

I later went to the 4:30 p.m. memorial on the Nile and luckily I ran into Matt and his mom, Patty, who are also from the DMV and so afterwards we grabbed a quick bite to eat before the 7:30 meeting at al-Mogamma.

After that I met up with Sherif and Rania, who are probably two of the nicest people in the world, and for my birthday we went to get some Koshary and mango juice from Farghali. I am so extremely stuffed right now even after eating like 4 hours ago. I love the food here :) I was also telling Efo, that Cairo really feels like a city where everyone is in love. You see couples all the time, sitting along the Nile, holding hands, "canoodling" lol, and just being super romantic - its really adorable.

I think Efo made a really good point though that people are this way because being in love or spending time with a significant other is really one of the few ways the people can escape briefly from a harsh reality of stark class structure/privilege and intense political oppression. It honestly makes a lot of sense too and in some ways its a beautiful surprise back to reality because even in countries or places, very much like Palestine, people still live and time goes on. So as strange as it might seem at first, even under occupation and repression, people fall in love, get married, give birth, and/or celebrate birthdays. At the end of the day, we all just to be normal and to be human, and love is one of the few things that survives amidst the most harshest of surroundings. So tonight, I'm sending lots of love your way. xox

Thinking of Gaza and Palestine, always.

-Sana J.

Update.

2009-12-27T05:50:00.001-08:00

Egyptian Security Forces Detain Gaza Freedom Marchers in

el-Arish and shut down Gaza Memorial in Cairo

What: Egyptian security forces detain internationals in el-Arish, break up memorial actions in Cairo

When: Sunday, December 27, noon: the Egyptian security forces detained a group of 30 internationals in their hotel in el-Arish and another group of 8 at the bus station. They also broke up a memorial action commemorating the Cast Lead massacre at the Kasr al Nil Bridge

At noon on 27 December, Egyptian security forces detained a group of 30 activists in their hotel in el-Arish as they prepared to leave for Gaza, placing them under house arrest. The delegates, all part of the Gaza Freedom March of 1,300 people, were Spanish, French, British, American, and Japanese. The Egyptian security forces eventually yielded, letting most of the marchers leave the hotel, but did not permit them to leave the town. When two younger delegates, a French and Japanese woman, attempted to leave el-Arish, the Egyptian authorities stopped their taxi and unloaded their luggage.

Another group of eight people, including citizens from American, British, Spanish, Japanese and Greece, were detained at the bus station of Al Arish in the afternoon of December 27. As of 3:30 PM, they were still being held.

Simultaneously, Egyptian security police broke up a commemoration of the Israeli invasion of Gaza organized by the Gaza Freedom March at Kasr al Nil Bridge, one of the main bridges connecting Zamalek Island, in the middle of the Nile, to Cairo. As a nonviolent way of commemorating the more than 1300 Palestinians killed in the Israeli assault on Gaza that began a year ago on December 27, 2008, Gaza Freedom Marchers tied hundreds of strings with notes, poems, art and the names of those killed to the bridge.

“We’re saddened that the Egyptian authorities have blocked our participants’ freedom of movement and interfered with a peaceful commemoration of the dead,” said Medea Benjamin of CODEPINK, one of the March’s organizers.

Benjamin added that the Gaza Freedom March participants are continuing to urge the Egyptian government to allow them to proceed to Gaza. They visited the Arab League asking for support, various foreign embassies and the Presidential Palance to deliver an appeal to President Mubarak. They are calling their supporters around the world to contact Egyptian embassies and urge them to free the marchers and allow them to proceed to Gaza.

GFM & West Bank Solidarity :)

2009-12-27T05:08:00.000-08:00

Peace peace,

Here is some great news of support and love from the West Bank for Gaza and the Gaza Freedom March.

Together, We Will Break The Siege of Gaza!

International Call to Action from the Bilin Popular Committee

Egypt has announced that the Rafah border into Gaza will be closed over the coming weeks to the 1,300 international delegates attempting to march in solidarity with the people of occupied Palestine. A historic march will still take place on the anniversary of Israel’s horrific Cast Lead massacre that killed over 1,400 people one year ago. The powerful and diverse collaboration of international support must now choose its response to this horrific injustice. Will you stand waiting permission at the gates of Gaza? We say that you need not wait; if Egypt will not open their border, then the time for action is now. We encourage and support the escalation of non-violent direct action. It is up to you to take the next steps. It is no surprise that Egypt is not allowing the march to continue, so the natural progression towards a victory over this injustice is creative tactical escalation. If you cannot march on the roads then set up camp and sleep in them instead, fast in solidarity with the people who are dying of starvation, refuse to be stopped by their temporary boundaries. We can look to the lessons, the creativity, and the determination of our sister and brothers from historical resistance movements. We are the voice of the voiceless, the arms of those physically held captive, the eyes of those blinded by hate. There are those of us who resist because we have no choice, we resiist to live. And there are those of us who know that no one is free until we are all free, and we use our bodies and the privilege of out relative freedom to resist oppression in all its forms.
There is no time for words without action. Here in Bil’in, we will be demonstrating in solidarity with Gaza, and all those trying to enter. Do not stop at Rafah to break the siege of Gaza.

Thank you for you continued support,

Iyad Burnat- Head of Popular Commitee in Bilin
co-founder of Friends of Freedom and Justice - Bilin

Hope. - Gaza Lives On.

2009-12-26T16:27:00.000-08:00

Thanks Mariam!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lU5Wi2jhnW0

Palestinians Continue to Struggle - and Die.

2009-12-26T16:24:00.000-08:00

This news makes me sick.

December 27, 2009

Israeli Military Kills 6 Palestinians

By ETHAN BRONNER

JERUSALEM — The Israeli military killed six Palestinians on Saturday, three in the West Bank whom it accused of killing a Jewish settler and three in Gaza who it said were crawling along the border wall planning an attack. It was the deadliest day in the conflict in nearly a year.

Salam Fayyad, the Palestinian prime minister, called it “a sad day for Palestinians and their National Authority” and condemned the West Bank operation as an “assassination” and “an attempt to target the state of security and stability that the Palestinian Authority has been able to achieve.”

Maj. Peter Lerner, spokesman for Israel’s Central Command, which controls the West Bank, said that its forces had spent the past two days looking for the killers of the settler, Rabbi Meir Hai, a 45-year-old teacher and father of seven, who was shot dead on Thursday as he drove near his home in the settlement of Shavei Shomron.

The information gathered, he said, led them to three men in the city of Nablus early Saturday. Troops in jeeps descended on their homes and in each case, he said, the suspect was asked to give himself up. None did so, and all were shot dead.

All three, he added, had been involved in anti-Israel violence in the past through activities in the Aksa Martyrs Brigade, a militia associated with the Fatah movement led by Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president.

One of them, Annan Sleiman Moustafa Tsubakh, 36, was hiding with two assault rifles, two handguns and ammunition in a crawl space in his house when the Israeli troops found him.

Major Lerner said that the three were the killers of Rabbi Hai and that they acted as an isolated cell rather than as part of some larger organization. Asked if the Israelis had coordinated with the Palestinian security forces that had been patrolling West Bank cities for a year and a half, he said no, that the army’s job was first and foremost to protect Israeli civilians.

Ghassan Katib, spokesman for the Palestinian Authority, said Palestinian security had been investigating the killing when the Israelis interfered.

“This is what they do,” he said. “They kill people and then claim they were responsible. Our security forces had begun an investigation into the killing but the Israelis did not coordinate with us.”

Relatives of two of the three men who were in the houses when the raids occurred contended that the men were not armed and that the Israelis shot without warning. In the case of Mr. Tsubakh, relatives said they fled while he remained inside.

In the middle of the second Palestinian uprising in 2002 and 2003, drive-by shootings of settlers like the one that killed Rabbi Hai had become almost common in the West Bank. An Israeli clampdown and a Palestinian security focus — and greatly increased cooperation between the forces — have turned such attacks into a rarity and have led to a sense of increased personal security and potential prosperity.

But since the war in Gaza a year ago and the election of Benjamin Netanyahu as prime minister, peace talks have been suspended, and officials on both sides fear that violence may pick up again and that security coordination could decline.

Each side blames the other. Mr. Fayyad, the Palestinian prime minister, called on his people not to be “dragged into a circle of violence, chaos and instability.”

At the Nablus funeral procession on Saturday for the three killed, attended by thousands, some shouted for revenge and condemned the security coordination with the Israelis.

A man who claimed to speak for Al Aksa Martyrs Brigade issued a statement saying that by killing six Palestinians on Saturday, “the occupation forces have opened the doors of hell on themselves.”

The killing of the three Palestinians in Gaza occurred when Israeli soldiers guarding the border from inside Israel saw people crawling along the border barrier near the main civilian crossing point. Israel permits no such movement near its border.

The soldiers said they fired warning shots but the three continued to crawl. An Israeli aircraft then shot at the men and killed them, an army spokeswoman said. She added that the army was convinced that the men were planning an attack.

Khaled Abu Aker contributed reporting from the West Bank.

Viva Palestina Convoy Update

2009-12-26T16:00:00.000-08:00

Peace everyone,

In case you don't know already, Viva Palestina is another delegation that is currently trying to get into Gaza, like the Gaza Freedom March, to deliver humanitarian aid and to shed light on what an occupation really entails and unfortunately they are also being given the run around by the Egyptian government.

Since they are travelling by boat, their situation is a little different but the message from Egypt is the same - that it will not cooperate whatsoever.

Here is the update.

-Sana

- -

Viva Palestina has traveled throughout Europe, Turkey, Syria and Jordan and have been welcomed with open arms. However, having arrived to Aqaba to sail into Nouba, a nearby Egyptian port, they have been denied access by the Egyptian Authority, who claim that the Rafah border is open to the convoy. But the reality is far fetched from this, being prohibited to sail into Nouba, entering Palestine would be an impossibility.

Egypt asserts that it has not hindered the convoy in any sense and that it has offered access to the convoy via El-Arish, but this would mean driving hundreds of miles back into the countries they have formerly crossed. Furthermore, Egypt has ordered the convoy to comply to its set of guidlines, which include coordinating with UNRWA, and thus surrendering all humanitarian aid carried. Adding fuel to the fire, the Egyptian authorities have outlined that the convoy leaders must negotiate with Israel to get into Gaza, despite it being a region universally accepted as Palestinian land.

The convoy members aim to go on a hunger strike as of 27th December 2009 in an attempt to appeal to the president of Egypt and show solidarity with the Palestinians as they mark the anniversary of the assault on Gaza at the Israeli hand. The duration of the hunger strike has not been revealed but it is clear that the convoy will not yield to the barriers before them.

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القاهرة - Day 4! - Beeramids!!

2009-12-26T14:56:00.000-08:00

So today after the super fun Christmas party we went to the one and only Pyramids in Giza! Rana, Amira, and I all left early in afternoon/late morning and we drove to Giza and it was seriously sooo much fun. Although very very touristy, I had such a blast. We had a really great tour guide named Ahmed (of course - like almost every other man in Egypt) and he was really nice took loads of fun pictures of us and told us neats things along the way.

I'm uploading the pictures to facebook as we speak (or as I type) so if we're not friends add me and you can see pictures not just from today's adventures at the Pyramids but also pictures from the past few days :)

We saw all 9 of the pyramids - 3 big ones and 6 little ones. We also saw the tombs for the workers who helped build the pyramids, too. It was so much fun though because we rode on horses and camels the whole way. On the way through everything I rode the camel whose name, very non-coincidentally was Ali Baaba lol (and apparently he loves the ladies), and Amira and Rana rode horses. On the way back, Rana and I switched and I rode a horse back and her name was Mish-Mish (aka the cutest thing ever). Amira's horse's name was Ghazelle and she was hilarious because she just did whatever the heck she felt like doing. I don't know if I liked the horse or the camel better, maybe the horse a little bit more since it didn't hurt as much haha, but they were both a ton of fun and soo adorable. We also got to see the Sphinx, a place that sold "original" Papyrus haha, and a lotus flower perfume place. The best part of our way back though had to have been the store that was called "Ankel Sam Store for Berfoume" hahaha :P

After the Pyramids, we were starving so we drove back and tried to go eat at this restaurant on the Nile but that didn't work because it was a military place and I was American and no foreigners were allowed so we ended up eating at Fridays on the Nile and it was really gorgeous. We got there around Maghrib so the sun was setting and it was just beautiful to be so close to the water, watching the sunset, and eating tons of food because Rana and I were literally starving since that was the first time we had eaten all day.

Afterwards we came home, I took a quick nap, and then Efo and Ranya picked me up and we were originally going to go to Khan el-Khalili but it ended up being later than we thought and it was going to close soon so we went to this rooftop place to just hangout and even though it had the shadiest elevator probably in the world (it had no door at all ahaha) it was really a great view of the Nile and the Cairo skyline.

Well tomorrow is actually my birthday :) and I'm both excited to celebrate it in Cairo and also slightly homesick and missing all my loves back in the States. If any of you are reading this - I am sending lots of love your way and hope you're doing the same :) At the same time, on a much sadder note, the 27th of December also commemorates the day that Israel began attacking Gaza last year and its been a really difficult year for the people of Gaza and there are no signs of anything improving at all right now either.

I know there are going to be several solidarity actions around Cairo tomorrow (I posted a press release of one earlier tonight) where 1400 candles will be lit and placed on the Nile to remember each one of the people that were killed during the invasion. We recently received some (cross your fingers) good news that Egypt *MIGHT* be opening the borders, of course nothing is confirmed and this just might be a rumor, but that means that we are going to try and bus over to al-Arish on Monday morning, the 28th, to see if we can get in.

These past few days in Cairo have been downright amazing, and I've got to make some amazing friends and see really beautiful things ranging from everything to funny signs in English to the grandeur of the pyramids - Cairo really has a unique essence and I doubt any other city could imitate it. It really is beautiful. With that said though, I'm really anxious to see Gaza and really do what I came here to do. I know that it might not be possible and I might have to stay in Cairo, which is perfectly fine because the people, the culture, and the city are absolutely great but this trip would really feel incomplete without setting foot in Gaza, without raising my voice, without taking a stand, and without showing the world that one year later we remember, and we still stand with the Palestinian people.

Please send all of your positive energy, prayers, thoughts, love, and wishes our way the next few days. We really need them, and the people of Gaza and Palestine really need them.

Inshallah Inshallah Inshallah Inshallah Inshallah Inshallah Inshallah Inshallah Inshallah Inshallah Inshallah I will be in Gaza in 2 days. Now that, would be the best birthday present. ever.

In struggle,

Sana

GFM Marks 1st Anniversary of Gaza Invasion

2009-12-26T14:33:00.000-08:00

Gaza Freedom Marchers mark first anniversary of Gaza invasion

WHAT: Gaza Freedom Marchers Remember Gaza's dead by floating candles on the Nile

WHEN: Sunday, December 27, 4:30 pm gather at Cairo's Garden City Nile Cornice

(next to the Grand Hyatt and opposite the Four Seasons.) to take feluccas at sunset.

(Cairo) - On December 27^th, 2009, marking one year since the brutal Israeli invasion of Gaza, members of the Gaza Freedom March in Cairo will place 1,400 candles in the Nile River to commemorate the dead.

The Gaza Freedom Marchers had hoped to be in Gaza to commemorate the war, but access to Rafah is being denied by the Egyptian authorities. The Marchers, coming from 43 countries, have appealed to President Mubarak to allow them to proceed.

The delegation includes families of three generations, doctors, lawyers, diplomats, students, artists, rabbis, priests, imams, a women delegation, a Jewish contingent, a veterans group and Palestinians born overseas. The coalition spent seven months planning for their trip to Gaza. As they flood into Cairo with a longing to reach Gaza, they plan to remember the besieged strip while being trapped here.

"We mark this date, December 27, with great saddess for those killed and wounded, and we call on the world's leaders to hold Israel accountable," said Medea Benjamin of the Gaza Freedom March. "We also call on Israel and Egypt to lift the blockade that is causing so much suffering in Gaza."

يتذكراعضاء مسيرة الحرية لغزة ضحايا القطاع بالقاء الشموع في مياه النيل يوم الاحد ٢٧ ديسمبر في الساعة الرابعة و النصف مساء في كورنيش جاردن سيتي بالقرب من فندق جراند حياة و امام فندق الفور سيسونز حيث نقطة التجمع لاخذ مراكب شراعية في النيل.
يوم ٢٧ ديسمبر ٢٠٠٩ يمثل مرور عام علي حرب اسرائيل علي غزة. سوف يلقي اعضاء مسيرة الحرية لغزة ١٤٠٠ شمعة في النيل في ذكري ضحايا الحرب.
كان اعضاء المسيرة يتمنون ان يحيوا ذاكرة الحرب في غزة و لكن السلطات المصرية قد منعتهم من الوصول الي رفح.
و قد طالب اعضاء المسيرة من الرئيس المصري محمد حسني مبارك تغيير موقف الحكومة.
يضم الوفد اسر من ثلاث اجيال من دكاترة و محامين و دبلوماسيين و طلبة و فنانين و شيوخ و رهبان و وفد نسائي و وفد يهودي و فلسطنيين ولدوا بالخارج.
تم التنظيم للمسيرة لمدة سبعة اشهر وبينما وصل الكثيرون بتطلع لدخول غزة فانهم سوف يتذكرون الحرب الاليمة و هم في مصر.
تقول ميديا بنجامين من مسيرة الحرية لغزة: في هذا التاريخ ٢٧ ديسمبر نتذكر بحزن عميق ضحايا الحرب من جرحي و قتلي و نطالب زعماء العالم بمحاسبة اسرائيل. كما نطالب مصر و اسرائيل برفع الحصار المتسبب في معاناة الشعب الفلسطيني في غزة.

Gaza Freedom March Letter to President Mubarak

2009-12-25T17:20:00.000-08:00

I'm not quite sure what the outcome of all of this will be with regards to us getting into Gaza or not. Honestly as the days go by, I feel like it is less and less of a possibility but I still have hope and I'm trying to be as optimistic as possible even when the Egyptian government is not cooperating with us at all.

Either way, I know there will be various actions and things done in Cairo in solidarity with the Palestinians but its sad to see that something as simple as a peaceful demonstration would be so over complicated. Ugh, Egypt...

-Sana

- - -

OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT MUBARAK FROM THE GAZA FREEDOM MARCH

December 25, 2009

Dear President Mubarak;

We, representing 1,362 individuals from 43 countries arriving in Cairo to participate in the Gaza Freedom March, are pleading to the Egyptians and your reputation for hospitality.

We are peacemakers. We have not come to Egypt to create trouble or cause conflict. On the contrary. We have come because we believe that all people -- including the Palestinians of Gaza -- should have access to the resources they need to live in dignity. We have gathered in Egypt because we believed that you would welcome and support our noble goal and help us reach Gaza through your land.

As individuals who believe in justice and human rights, we have spent our hard-earned, and sometimes scarce, resources to buy plane tickets, book hotel rooms and secure transportation only to stand in solidarity with the Palestinians of Gaza living under a crushing Israeli blockade.

We are doctors, lawyers, students, academics, poets and musicians. We are young and old. We are Muslims, Christians, Jews, Buddhists and secular. We represent civil society groups in many countries who coordinated this large project with the civil society in Gaza.

We have raised tens of thousands of dollars for medical aid, school supplies and winter clothing for the children of Gaza. But we realize that in addition to material aid, the Palestinians of Gaza need moral support. We came to offer that support on the difficult anniversary of an invasion that brought them so much suffering.

The idea of the Gaza Freedom March—a nonviolent march to the Israeli Erez crossing-- emerged during one of our trips to Gaza in May, a trip that was kindly facilitated by the Egyptian government. Ever since the idea emerged, we have been talking to your government through your embassies overseas and directly with your Foreign Ministries. Your representatives have been kind and supportive. We were asked to furnish information about all the participants—passports, dates of birth, occupations—which we have done in good faith. We have answered every question, met every request. For months we have been working under the assumption that your government would facilitate our passage, as it has done on so many other occasions. We waited and waited for an answer.

Meanwhile, time was getting short and we had to start organizing. Travel over the Christmas season is not easy in the countries where many of us live. Tickets have to be purchased weeks, if not months, in advance. This is what all 1,362 individuals did. They spent their own funds or raised money from their communities to pay their way. Add to this the priceless time, effort and sacrifice by all these people to be away from their homes and loved ones during their festive season.

In Gaza, civil society groups—students, unions, women, farmers, refugee groups—have been working nonstop for months to organize the march. They have organized workshops, concerts, press conferences, endless meetings—all of this with their own scarce resources. They have been buoyed by the anticipated presence of so many global citizens coming to support their just cause.

If the Egyptian government decides to prevent the Gaza Freedom March, all this work and cost is lost.

And that's not all. It is practically impossible, this late in the game, to stop all these people from travelling to Egypt, even if we wanted to. Moreover, most have no plans in Egypt other than to arrive at a predetermined meeting point to head together to the Gaza border. If these plans are cancelled there will be a lot of unjustified suffering for the Palestinians of Gaza and over a thousand internationals who had nothing in mind but noble intentions.

We plead to you to let the Gaza Freedom March continue so that we can join the Palestinians of Gaza to march together on December 31, 2009.

We are truly hopeful that we will receive a positive response from you and thank you for your assistance.

Sincerely

Tighe Barry, Gaza Freedom March coordinator
Medea Benjamin, CODEPINK, USA
Kawthar Guediri, Collectif National pour une Paix Juste et Durable entre Palestinens et Israeliens, France
Mark Johnson, Fellowship of Reconciliation
Alessandra Mecozzi, Action for Peace-Italy
Germano Monti, Forum Palestine, Italy
Ehab Lotayef, Gaza Freedom March, Canada
Ziyaad Lunat, Gaza Freedom March, Europe
Thomas Sommer, Focus on The Global South, India
David Torres, ABP, Belgium
Ann Wright, Gaza Freedom March coordinator
Olivia Zemor, Euro-Palestine, France

Cairo - Day 2 & 3 :D / HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANNIE! :)

2009-12-25T17:10:00.001-08:00

So yesterday was my second day in Cairo! :)

I started off the day by meeting up with a friend of Rana's, Sarah, who is from the states but is now living in Egypt. She had some family visiting and so I tagged along with them and we went to see the Citadel.

On the way there, the cab driver was really nice and he said that I had an Egyptian face haha :D Once I got there, I was there a bit earlier than Sarah and her family so I was waiting for them for a few minutes. A lot of schools take field trips to the Citadel so while I was sitting there tons of kids and their teachers walked by. One group walked by and there was a young girl at the end of the group probably like 4 or 5 years old and I waved to her and then she came back and said "Amreeka!!? Amreeka?!!!" hahaa She was beyond excited that I was from the states and she came and shook my hand and said "Hello! Goodbye!" It was super cute and then an older guy came to get her and he also had the same "Amreeka!?" expression and then said "Welcome" :) Seriously, everyone here is super nice. I love it.

Once we got to the Citadel there were two mosques that we saw. First was the Qalum mosque, which was older and had been stripped of the marble in the ceiling and according to the story, returned to Turkey. It was still beautiful though and the glass lamps that went all around the mosque were still intact and gorgeous as ever. We even found a sun dial that had been carved into one of the pillars on the courtyard inside the mosque and that was a really cool find. I wish we had gone into the minaret but I didn't realize there was even one until we were already outside.

After that we went to the Egyptian Military Museum, which in all honesty was really boring haha. I don't really care for the history of artillery and how it was used. There were a few cool things in there but it was unnerving to see war glorified in any country, but nonetheless a nice stop :) The funniest/best part of the whole thing though has to be how while we were walking through the museum there were a lot of teenagers there and in one of the halls, they all stopped us and asked for pictures with us! hahaha It was HILARIOUS. We probably took pictures with like 10 or 15 kids because they were so excited we were from the U.S. lol

Next we went to the Muhammad Ali mosque which was soooo beautiful. Oh. my. goodness. I cannot express how much I loved this mosque. Of course it was swarming with tourists but seriously it was amazing. There was an outdoor courtyard in addition to the musallah (the room where people actually pray) and that was stunning. Then once you come inside there were hundreds of these glass lamps that circled the entire room in layers and everything was done in such an ornate and intricate fashion that I wonder how people could even concentrate on their prayers when they're surrounded by something so beautiful. It was great :) Outside of the mosque, you got a gorgeous view of Cairo and although it was a bit hazy it was still great view.

As we were leaving the Sultan Hassan mosque, it was around Maghrib, and one of the guards escorting us out asked us if we wanted to see this prison that one existed there and of course we went. It was honestly really freaky because the cells were so small and some of them I guess to pay homage to prisoners of times past, had statues of humans in there in prison and if you didn't expect to see one there it was weird to see a face staring back at you haha

Since we spent a lot of time at the cafe during lunch and made a pit stop at the military museum, we didn't get a chance to see the Ibn Tulun mosque or the Sultan Hassan mosque that day, but inshallah I'm going to try and go there Sunday on the 27th. It will be something fun to do for my birthday :)

After we left the Sultan Hassan mosque, we went to a small cafe that was a part of one of the many hotels on the Nile River and that was absolutely beautiful. It wasn't too cool at all as a I expected since we were so close to the water but it was just breathtaking how serene the entire moment there was and with a warm cup of coffee it was fabulous :)

After the cafe, I went home for a bit and then with Sherif we met up with a few other people and hung out a cute little sushi place. We then went and got some shrimp sandwhiches which were pretty good and went to a hangout place called After Eight. Since it was Christmas Eve, they specially brought in a belly dancer who I even danced with a little bit haha so that was loads of fun :)

Since we were out so late last night today I mostly slept :( lol Once I was up though, I helped Rana and Leila decorate for the Christmas party that Rana was throwing at her place. People brought tons of food, we did Secret Santa as well and there was lots of fun dancing to old 90s songs. It was a great night and it was a nice break from all the tourist-y things I had been doing so far. It was also fab to meet more of Rana and Hana's friends who I have heard so so much about. They are all such sweet people, just like almost everyone else in Egypt :D

Tomorrow, we're heading to the Pyramids (!!!) and Khan el-Khalili as well so its going to be great and I'll try to get pictures up by the weekend!! Please also pray that we can get into Gaza. THANKS!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANNIE!!! :)

Much love, always.

-Sana

Cairo - Day 1 :)

2009-12-23T14:30:00.000-08:00

So today was my first official day in Cairo, and it was absolutely amazing. I can feel myself falling in love with this city so much where Islamic elements meet antique memories of colonization and the people are incredibly sincere and welcoming. I can't wait for the next few days because its only going to get better, insha'Allah :)

This morning I headed over to the Egyptian Museum, which was literally jam packed with artifacts and relics from thousands of years ago. There had to have been several millions of things packed in this room. I honestly think I only covered about 40% of it with the 4 hours I was there. It was an absolute information overload and I wish they allowed us to take pictures because everything in there was mind-blowing but I guess this means you'll just have to come see it for yourself ;) At one point I was walking past this slab of some ancient hieroglyphic etchings and I just touched them lightly and I got the chills all over thinking about how old something like this was and the fact that here it was in front of me when all else from the era has completely vanished. Not to over romanticize museums or anything, but you can truly feel the history and their age emitting from some of these pieces. It is really beautiful.

Funny story: This guy who worked at the Museum, who I thought was just being friendly, comes up to me and says like hi/hello/how are you etc, and then he asks me: "Why don't you have a wife"? hahaha. I figured he meant husband but it was just so funny because he asked me that several times, and then I told him I was Muslim he kissed my hand and asked me to recite verses from the Qur'an - it was the weirdest/funniest thing ever. He tried to teach me Arabic too but that didn't work well because of his accent and I didn't realize until much later that "moh-zzer" actually meant "mother" and same thing with "fah-zzer" lol! This dude Ahmed was too funny.

I also was fortunate enough to see the exhibit with the ancient mummies and in all honesty that was horrifying for me. Here you had these dead bodies with their faces revealed in all their terror and morbidness on display. I just felt squeamish and scared the whole time, especially because some of the faces looked like they were in pain or that something still sort of lingered on their lips, like their spirit left them in mid-sentence. It was really freaky. :/

The King Tutankhamen exhibit was beyond words beautiful. I know we've almost all heard of him and how he was King and what not but the detail and the intricacy that went into his tomb and burial are absolutely phenomenal. So much gold was layered onto the encasing of him tomb and then so much more detail and decoration went into the mask that was placed on his body and the actual coffin his body went into. Its just unbelievable when you see it up close and in person. Again, I really wish I could have taken pictures because it was breathtaking.

Interestingly enough, a guy that I walked past at the museum saw my shirt which said "Gaza 'Ala Bali"/"Gaza on my mind" and we started talking just about the Gaza Freedom March and everything going on in Palestine right now because he was from Gaza City and he still had family there. We talked for a while and then agreed to meet up once we both were done going through everything at the museum. So after we both got out, we then went out to eat koshary, which was absolutely delicious - just as everyone had predicted it would. I walked around with him for the next few hours and we went to Old Cairo and walked around and explored a lot. We saw tons of book stores, the Wall Street of Cairo, and stopped at a place for some mango juice which was sooo amazing. It was so rich and had thick pieces of mango in it and it was just divine. It was one of the best parts of the day :) After that, I left my friend Mohammed and then met up with Hana and Rana's friend, Sherif and went to eat at Abu Sid, which was yet another experience with delicious Egyptian food. We had tahini, grape leaves, Molakahely - which if I typed that correctly is the Egyptian National Dish. I've eaten so much today, I fear for how much weight I am going to gain by the time I leave to go to Gaza. :P

After that, we went to a small cafe by the AUC dorms and I got to meet all of Hana's friends who she talks about alllll the time and they were all so nice and funny. I think the one thing that is going to leave a seriously everlasting impression on me from Egypt is going to be the incredible warmth, kindness, and hospitality of the people here. Everyone goes out of their way to be nice to you and it is just the sweetest thing.

Okay - so I am beyond exhausted and my jet lag has caught up to me at last so it is time to crash.

Please if you haven't already send a message to the Egyptian government pressuring them to allow the Gaza Freedom March into Gaza so that we can demonstrate in solidarity with the people of Palestine. As much as I love Cairo, there is no way I came all this way just to sight see. We're too close now to back down, Egypt.

Here is the link in case you missed it earlier:

http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/424/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=1946

Love and solidarity,

Sana J.

Israel Threatens Gaza With War - AGAIN.

2009-12-23T13:26:00.000-08:00

Ugh.

I am so angry right now. I don't even have the words to describe how ridiculous this nonsense is.

Commentary to come later when I'm not as tired or angry.

Peace.

http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=114471&sectionid=351020202

Israel threatens another large-scale Gaza war

Wed, 23 Dec 2009 10:55:35 GMT
Israel has threatened another massive war against the Gaza Strip as the impoverished enclave continues to suffer in the aftermath of the devastating January offensive.

Israeli planes have been dropping thousands of leaflets across Gaza, warning Palestinians against cooperating with the resistance fighters based in the coastal sliver.

The leaflets also threaten Gazans with a new attack just ahead of the first anniversary of Israel's 22-day onslaught against the Palestinian territory.

On December 2008, Tel Aviv launched an all-out military action against Gaza, killing 1,400 people, including a large number of women and children, killed and leaving thousands more injured.

The threats come despite the Israeli army's failure in its January operation to reach its strategic and military objectives — above all its pledged overthrow of Israel's long-time arch foe, Hamas.

In July, the activist group Breaking the Silence released print and video testimony from some 30 soldiers who said they entered Gaza with firing guns upon a "permissive" guideline by commanders, urging to shoot first and worry later about distinguishing civilians from combatants.

The 112-page testimony also accused Israeli troops of using Palestinian civilians as human shields and charged Israel with dropping forbidden white phosphorus bombs indiscriminately into Gaza streets on the top of aerial bombardment and heavy artillery fire.

In April, former South African UN prosecutor Richard Goldstone led an independent fact-finding mission commissioned by the United Nations Human Rights Council to investigate international human rights and humanitarian law violations during the Gaza war.

The committee's 575-page report mostly highlighted Israeli atrocities against the people in the beleaguered Gaza Strip and documented deliberate targeting of centers, such as schools and mosques, known to be holding civilians.

The document also filed complaints that the Israeli soldiers killed unarmed people on the run, saying some of the victims were even waving white flags.

In October, the damning report was put up for a vote in the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council and endorsed by an overwhelming majority of 114 countries while 18 opposed and 44 abstained.

The three-week Israeli land, sea and air offensive in the Gaza Strip also devastated a large part of the infrastructure in the impoverished coastal enclave, which remains under Tel Aviv's blockade despite international opposition.

In light of all this, and many other things, please take just ONE moment to send an email pressuring the Egyptian government to allow the Gaza Freedom March to take place. You can send an email here.

Lots of love from Cairo,

Sana

(updates on today's adventure coming soon, promise!)

Long Live Gaza

2009-12-22T23:12:00.000-08:00

Best video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8Pj3i8YgR0

Why We Fight.

2009-12-22T23:01:00.000-08:00

Amnesty International and several other human rights organizations and groups from the international community released a report today on how the world has failed the people of Gaza by not acting more strongly to shatter this brutal occupation.

I cannot believe how timely the release of such a strong report is, especially with the Gaza Freedom March. I hope this will answer the "why" and "what for" questions when people ask why it is not time for action - great action, to end this inhumanity. This is why the Gaza Freedom March is critical because while the diplomats and the Prime Ministers have stopped paying attention - we haven't. The people of Gaza have not forgotten their loved ones who were so ruthlessly murdered in the name of 'defense', their suffering has not lessened by any degree whatsoever, and the culprits behind all of this brutality are not only not being held accountable, their crimes against humanity are completely ignored. What kind of world is this?! While they all may have forgotten, the people of Gaza, of Palestine, have not and neither have we.

We have not, we will not, and we will not be silent by any measure.

It is time for this occupation to end, it is time for the inhumanity to stop, it is time, it is time, it is time.

Read the report and the articles here:

Aid agencies have strongly criticised the international community for failing to help bring an end to Israel's blockade of Gaza.

The charities made the accusation in a report published just ahead of the anniversary of Israel's offensive in the Gaza Strip.

The aid agencies condemn not just Israel, but the world community.

In the words of Oxfam's director, Jeremy Hobbs, "world powers have failed and betrayed Gaza's ordinary citizens".

The charities call for more pressure to be exerted on Israel to end what they describe as its illegal collective punishment of Gazans.

Gazans despair over blockade

Gaza voices: Life under blockade

Guide: Gaza under blockade

Israel imposed a tightened blockade after the Islamist Hamas movement seized power two-and-a-half years ago.

That was bad enough, say the aid agencies.

Matters became that much worse after the destruction caused by the Israeli offensive in Gaza earlier this year.

The report points to an acute shortage, in particular, of building materials.

A spokesman for the Israeli prime minister told the BBC that Israel remains committed to humanitarian supplies of food, medicine and power.

But he said that sanctions will remain in place as long as Hamas is committed to destroying Israel and killing Israelis.

Finally Arrived in Cairo - Alhumdulilah!

2009-12-22T15:26:00.000-08:00

Alhumdulilah (Thank God), I have finally arrived in Cairo! :D

I left D.C. Monday around 10:30 and have arrived in Cairo around Tuesday at 9 p.m. and needless to say that was the longest bit of travelling I have ever done. I took a bus to New York, then the shuttle to JFK, then a flight to Amman, Jordan, and then another flight to Cairo. Alhumdulilah nothing was delayed because of the massive snow storm on the U.S. east coast but it was still madness getting here. I am just grateful to have made it.

And many many many thanks to Hana and her sister Rana for opening their home and all of their hospitality. I have only been here a few hours and Rana is such a sweetheart. I am really lucky to have such caring people in my life.

I honestly still can't believe I am here. When we were driving to Rana's house it was just surreal seeing the Nile and the beautiful mosques just on a way here. I think the one thing that I automatically has made me fall in love with Cairo is the Muslim-ness of it all. When we got on EgyptAir we were greeted with "Salaam Alaikum" and before the plane took off they said the prayer for safe travelling and there was this beautiful sense of comfort in small things like that. Coming from the States where Islam is foreign and often feared, it is so nice, and such a relief, to not have to explain or defend anything and just enjoy the fact that you can say "salaam", or peace, to any and everyone on the street. Even seeing huge mosques in the middle of city is such a beautiful sight. I'm not going to lie, it makes me all really happy :)

I am excited to wake up early tomorrow and start exploring Cairo. I think I first might go to the Egyptian Museum with all the history (and mummies!). Rana said that to take it all in you might need all day so we'll see how that goes :-)

I'm also super excited, to practice the little Arabic I know while I'm here. Hopefully I won't make a big fool of myself, but if I do I think thats still part of the fun. Either way, I'll learn a lot, see beautiful things, eat loads, and of course, end the occupation.

Also to anyone reading this: please take a moment and call the Egyptian embassy and urge them to let the Gaza Freedom March into Gaza. Here is how you can help us :

Please call the Egyptian Embassy (in the US 202-895-5400) and tell them to let us into Gaza.

Contact your local consulate here:
http://www.mfa.gov.eg/MFA_Portal/en-GB/mfa_websits/

Contact the Palestine Division in Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Cairo

Ahmed Azzam, tel +202-25749682 Email: ahmed.azzam@mfa.gov.eg

In the U.S., contact the Egyptian Embassy, 202-895-5400 and ask for Omar Youssef or email omaryoussef@hotmail.com

Possible text for emails:

Dear Sir/Madam,

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

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

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

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

Thank you

Okay so I'm exhausted and I don't want to sleep the day away!!

Ma'salaama and lots of love from Cairo,
Sana

Try And Stop Us.

2009-12-21T11:57:00.000-08:00

So I'm on my way to New York to catch my flight to Cairo and news comes, unsurprisingly, of the Egyptian government's refusal to allow the March to occur and how those who break the law will be dealt with. If anyone is familiar with this conflict already, I think it is needless to say that I don't really care or respect the Egyptian governments views very much, because of their inhumane and heartless treatment of the Palestinian people.

The Egyptians have often denied access to Palestinians fleeing the Gaza Strip from outright bombings and starvation, to the point of even shooting innocent people and killing them. So given that, and the fact that Egypt just released news that they are building a steel wall on the Gaza border, I am not really surprised by this "news" coming from Egypt.

What I think is more important though than Egypt's lack of sympathy and humanity for Palestinians and those who are taking a stand on their behalf, is the press release from the Gaza Freedom March and how we are responding (read: disregarding) this denial from Egypt.

It says the following:

December 21, 2009

We are determined to break the siege

We all will continue to do whatever we can to make it happen

Using the pretext of escalating tensions on the Gaza-Egypt border, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry informed us yesterday that the Rafah border will be closed over the coming weeks, into January. We responded that there is always tension at the border because of the siege, that we do not feel threatened, and that if there are any risks, they are risks we are willing to take. We also said that it was too late for over 1,300 delegates coming from over 42 countries to change their plans now. We both agreed to continue our exchanges.

Although we consider this as a setback, it is something we've encountered-and overcome--before. No delegation, large or small, that entered Gaza over the past 12 months has ever received a final OK before arriving at the Rafah border. Most delegations were discouraged from even heading out of Cairo to Rafah. Some had their buses stopped on the way. Some have been told outright that they could not go into Gaza. But after public and political pressure, the Egyptian government changed its position and let them pass.

Our efforts and plans will not be altered at this point. We have set out to break the siege of Gaza and march on December 31 against the Israeli blockade. We are continuing in the same direction.

Egyptian embassies and missions all over the world must hear from us and our supporters (by phone, fax and email)** over the coming crucial days, with a clear message: Let the international delegation enter Gaza and let the Gaza Freedom March proceed.

Contact your local consulate here:
http://www.mfa.gov.eg/MFA_Portal/en-GB/mfa_websits/

Contact the Palestine Division in Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Cairo

Ahmed Azzam, tel +202-25749682 Email: ahmed.azzam@mfa.gov.eg

In the U.S., contact the Egyptian Embassy, 202-895-5400 and ask for Omar Youssef or email omaryoussef@hotmail.com

We look forward to seeing you all in the coming week.

The GFM Steering Committee

If any of you have a spare moment to send an e-mail or a phone call, please do so to ensure that this March can happen and Egypt is pressured to do the right thing and let this peaceful demonstration for the sake of humanity occur.

Wish me safe travels!

-Sana

Getting ready.

2009-12-13T22:58:00.001-08:00

Peace everyone,

My name is Sana Javed, and I'm going to graduate this Sunday from the University of Maryland with a degree in Government and Politics and Spanish Languages and Literature. I'm a member of the Muslim Students Association and Students for Justice in Palestine.

I am from the DMV- (D.C./MD/VA) and in one week I will be leaving for Egypt. On December 26th I will be joining over 1300 activists and other human beings of conscious for the Gaza Freedom March. This march is to demand an end to the Israeli occupation of the Gaza Strip and to remember that exactly one year ago, Israel massacred 1400 Palestinians, where 900 of them were women and children.

I hope with this blog that I can describe and write the things I've seen, the people I've met, and relay what life under a brutal occupation is really like. I doubt this will be a fun blog with vacation like memories, but it will be real and honest and about the people living in the Gaza Strip.

Oh and the name of this blog, is in reference to what Palestinians use when they are gassed by Israeli soldiers. When gassed, they tie their keffiyeh on like a mask, and then cut onions and hold it up to their face to lessen the burning from the gas.

This one is for Gaza.

In struggle,
Sana.

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