CONVOY TO GAZA ATTACKED IN EGYPT
– Contact the Egyptian Embassy
– Contact the BBC
The Aid Convoy to Gaza has been attacked last night in Egypt, and is experiencing further delays. Please take action now!
Press Release 6th January
Egyptian Police attack Humanitarian Gaza Aid Convoy
Last night Egyptian police again delayed the Viva Palestina aid convoy carrying much needed aid from reaching the people of Gaza. Having agreed to Egyptian demands whilst being stranded in the port of Aqaba some seven days ago, convoy leaders agreed to re-route their journey after receiving guarantees from the Egyptian authorities of a safe passage to Gaza.
Humanitarians from all over the world transporting the aid were attacked by riot police in the port of Al Arish last night (5th January). And it is now reported that some of the activists were hospitalised overnight for their injuries. They have since returned back to re-join the convoy members in the port and thankfully have no life threatening issues.
British and national embassies are being kept informed of the situation.
Protests broke out when Egyptian authorities at Al - Arish ordered some lorries to use an Israeli-controlled checkpoint. The activists preferred the goods to be transported via Egypt's Rafah crossing as agreed.
George Galloway who is leading the convoy said Israel is likely to prevent it entering Gaza - This morning he told Sky News. "It is completely unconscionable that 25% of our convoy should go to Israel and never arrive in Gaza."
Following Israel’s horrific attack on Gaza, people all over Britain worked for months raising funds for aid and aid vehicles for the Palestinian people. Those taking the aid are humanitarians from all walks of life, who have given up a month to bring the much needed medical aid in a gesture of solidarity with their continuing oppression under Israel’s illegal siege.
Betty Hunter, General Secretary of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign said, “It is shocking that the Egyptian government is behaving in this way. There can be no justification for preventing this aid and the people who have worked so hard to provide it from reaching Gaza. The Palestinians are waiting for this well publicized international convoy to arrive and these actions of the Egyptian government, and the building of Egypt’s steel wall signal that Egypt is colluding with the Israeli government’s illegal siege of Gaza.”
Viva Palestina 'The Return to Gaza' is partnered with the Palestine Solidarity Campaign and departed London on 6th December bound for Gaza.
See a sample letter here: http://www.vivapalestina.org/
Egyptian Embassy in Dublin: +353-1-6606718 / +353-1-6606566 / consular@embegyptireland.ie
The contact details for the Egyptian Embassy in London: 0044-20-7499-3304 / eg.emb_london@mfa.gov.eg (Consulate: consulate.london@mfa.gov.eg )
Your local MP: http://findyourmp.parliament.
David Miliband (Foreign Secretary)
British Embassy in Egypt Tel: +(20)(2)27916000 information.cairo@fco.gov.uk
More contacts: http://readingpsc.org.uk/
Please email/phone/fax the Egyptian Embassy (copy this to your MP and Foreign Secretary, David Miliband).
Contact the media: Please phone and email the BBC, and other media, to ask for coverage of the Convoy’s progress to Gaza.
Please ask your MP to sign EDM 536 in the name of Richard Burden
Please organize local meetings on Gaza. PSC and Viva Palestina can provide speakers –contact the PSC office to arrange for a speaker.
More news:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
http://www.aztlan.net/
http://english.aljazeera.net/
Financial support: Support the financial appeal on Viva Palestina website as the additional costs incurred because of the obstacles created by the Egyptian government are astronomical.
http://www.vivapalestina.org/
Other news and events
Video of demo on 27 December in London
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
MAP Petition http://www.ipetitions.com/
The Guardian Video- Gaza war: One year on, Palestinians struggle to rebuild life from the rubble
http://www.guardian.co.uk/
Gaza One Year On – 19 January, Conway Hall, Speakers include: Bruce Kent, George Galloway MP, Karma Nabulsi, Lowkey, Alexei Sayle, Sir Gerald Kaufman MP, Daud Abdullah and more..
http://www.palestinecampaign.
Boycott News
Week of Action 9th – 16th January
The supermarkets are full of Israeli dates, herbs sweet potatoes etc. Some are still being incorrectly labelled ‘West Bank’ despite the government’s guidance that settlement goods should be clearly labelled. Please join the national week of action to protest at the sale of all Israeli goods and tell shoppers about the reality of the Gaza siege and the illegal occupation. See the article below.
Why We Support the Non-violent BDS Movement
By Udi Aloni
http://kibush.co.il/show_file.
I find it appropriate that the Israeli public be notified of the emerging movement for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions against Israel (BDS), which has been growing at a breathtaking pace. Following bewildered reports published by Yedioth Aharonot journalist Sever Plocker, who noticed that BDS has moved from the circles of the radical western left to the circles of the bourgeois centre, I can add that this is now true for Israel-loving Jews as well.
Kairos Statement supports the boycott
In an important development the Christian community in Palestine is the Kairos Statement which can be seen and signed up to at: www.kairospalestine.ps
An important part of the document addresses the international community, calling for an end to double standards and asking for support for the proposal of ‘a system of economic sanctions and boycott to be applied against Israel’ until the occupation of Palestinian and other Arab territories ends.
The Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) aims to raise public awareness about the occupation of Palestine and the struggle of the Palestinian people. PSC seek to bring pressure on both the British and Israeli government to bring their policies in line with international law. PSC is an independent, non-governmental and non-party political organisation with members from communities across the UK. Join PSC today!
Palestine Solidarity Campaign
Box BM PSA
London
WC1N 3XX
Tel: 020 7700 6192
Fax: 020 7609 7779
Email: info@palestinecampaign.org
Web: www.palestinecampaign.org
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