New Egyptian government stops helping starve people of Gaza

Here’s Gisha’s response to the announcment that the government would ease passage via Rafah.

Gisha expresses hope that Egypt will expand the ability of Gaza residents to travel abroad via Rafah Crossing, which has become Gaza’s gateway to the world, in light of Israel’s closure of Gaza’s airspace and territorial waters and restrictions on travel via Erez Crossing. Gisha notes the need also to permit passage of people and goods between Gaza and the West Bank, recognized by Israel as a single territorial unit whose integrity is the basis for a two-state solution.

Gisha notes that since June 2007, Israel has prevented Gaza residents from transferring goods for sale to Israel or the West Bank, as part of a policy to separate Gaza from the West Bank. Security concerns cannot explain the ban, as Gaza residents are permitted to sell limited quantities of agricultural products to Europe – via Israel and Israeli security checks. Gaza, Israel and the West Bank are part of a single customs envelope, in which free trade is to take place and in which customs regulations are to be uniform.

Any arrangement for permitting goods to cross via Rafah should consider the need to maintain the unity of the Palestinian economy, existing in Gaza and the West Bank.

And here’s an action you can participate by writing the people of Gaza, to be delivered by the US Boat to Gaza.

The U.S. Boat to Gaza, The Audacity of Hope, is committed to breaking the siege of Gaza. Around the U.S. thousands of people have been contributing. Not everyone can sail on the boat but you all are just as much a part of the campaign as the passengers and the crew.

 

We are happy to announce the launch of an exciting new effort

– To Gaza with Love –

which will collect letters from people in the U.S. for the people of Gaza. Your letters will be precious cargo on the ship.

Already mothers, farmers, teachers, students, cab drivers and artists are writing. Whether it’s a letter from a U.S. mother to a mother in Gaza, a child in the U.S. to a child in Gaza, or letters from students, teachers, business people, religious leaders to their counterparts in Gaza, the siege cannot withstand the power of our words to break through.

WE WILL NOT BE SILENT

WE WILL BE HEARD

Please write your letter today.

To participate in To Gaza with Love:

 

• Write a letter and then encourage your friends and family to join this collective action of friendship and solidarity with the Palestinian people.

• Organize letter-writing parties in your home, school or place of worship.

• You can simply write a few lines on a postcard, a few paragraphs on paper or a card, or film a short video clip.

• Be creative. The only restriction is we need to be able to get it to Gaza. If you do a sculpture or a wall mural, you will have to send us a picture, not the real thing.

Send Letters To:

Letters To Gaza
119 West 72nd Street
#158
New York, New York 10023

How We Will Share These Letters?

When The Audacity of Hope sails, your letters and messages will be part of its cargo. Meanwhile, we will send some of these messages right away and make them public through Twitter, Facebook, on our website, and in statements to the press. We’d also like to archive them and create an exhibit or book.

 

Printable versions can be downloaded at the US Boat to Gaza website.