Egypt's Blockade of Gaza
The Rafah border crossing between Egypt and Gaza, January 2009. (Source: International Transport Workers' Federation)
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"We understand Egypt's security concerns in Sinai, but it's time for the Egyptians to reopen the border crossing on a permanent basis, especially in light of the historic relations between Egypt and Palestine." — Salah Abdel Ati, Palestinian human rights activist
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It is shameful for the Egyptians and other Arabs that, while they are imposing various restrictions on Palestinians, Israel is helping patients from the Gaza Strip undergo surgery in Jerusalem. Ironically, the frustration and bitterness eventually translate into violence against Israel, not Egypt. The Palestinians are well aware that attacking Egypt would draw a very strong response from the Egyptian military.
- Instead of pointing the finger of blame at Israel, it is time for the international media and community to put pressure on Egypt and other Arab countries to help their Palestinian brethren and to stop torturing and humiliating them.
Yussra al-Najjar, a 65-year-old woman from the Gaza Strip, died this week while waiting to return from Egypt to the Gaza Strip. She and hundreds of Palestinians had been stranded on the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing for the past few months.
Al-Najjar is the tenth Palestinian to die while waiting for the Egyptians to reopen the Rafah terminal. Her relatives said she lost consciousness while waiting inside the travelers' hall on the Egyptian side of the border and was rushed to an Egyptian hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
The story of the Palestinian woman who passed away after being banned from by the Egyptian authorities from returning home to the Gaza Strip is unlikely to make it to the pages of major Western newspapers. Her story would have won extensive media coverage had she been stranded on the Israeli side of the border for even one day.
But in this instance, al-Najjar was the victim of a months-long blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip by an Arab country, Egypt, and not Israel.
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Palestinian human rights activist Salah Abdel Ati said that Egypt's continued closure of the Rafah border crossing was a form of collective punishment against the Palestinians of the Gaza Strip. "The Rafah terminal is the only opening of the Gaza Strip to the outside world," he explained. "Its continued closure is a violation of human rights and causes grave suffering to thousands of people.
We understand Egypt's security concerns in Sinai, but it's time for the Egyptians to reopen the border crossing on a permanent basis, especially in light of the historic relations between Egypt and Palestine."
It is shameful for the Egyptians and other Arabs that, while they are imposing various forms of restrictions on Palestinians, Israel is helping patients from the Gaza Strip undergo surgery in Jerusalem.
While of course both Egypt and Israell have maintained blockades on thier border with Gaza, anti-Semitic propaganda only mentions the Israeli blockade, and totally ignores the blockade imposed by Egypt.
Why?
We all know why.
Yes we do. It's good to get this story out there. Thanks to Krishna for seeding it.
Important related story:
Egypt Christians Flee Sinai As Sixth Of Their Kin Killed
El-Arisha - Suspected Islamic militants gunned down a Coptic Christian inside his home in northern Sinai, the sixth such killing in a month's time in the restive region, officials said on Friday, prompting some Christian families to flee from the area for fear of being targeted next.
The militants stormed the home of Kamel Youssef, a plumber, on Thursday and shot him to death in front of his wife and children in the town of el-Arish, said two officials.
A spate of killings by suspected militants have spread fears among the Coptic community in el-Arish as families left their homes after reportedly receiving threats on their cellphones.
A day before Youssef's killings, militants killed a Coptic Christian man and burned his son alive, then dumped their bodies on a roadside in el-Arish.
(Read it all)
And it was because of these attacks on innocents in Egypt-- perpetrated by terrorists based in Gaza- - that Egypt had to institute their harsh blockade of Gaza!
The cold hard fact is that no Arab country wants the Palies. And for good reason.
I wonder how many Americans are aware this is going on?