Click here to send a letter to the Egyptian government using our web form!
A year after Israel’s vicious “Operation Cast Lead” assault against the Gaza Strip, which left over 1400 Palestinians – including 355 children – dead, thousands more wounded and tens of thousands of homes destroyed while devastating Palestinian health care, educational and economic infrastructure in Gaza, the siege that has continued since that day is being tightened further by the Egyptian government, in violation of the wishes of its people.
The Egyptian people have a long and proud history of support for the just cause of the Palestinian people and led the Arab nation to confront colonization and economic domination. It comes today as a bitter shock and appalling reality that the government of Egypt now is implementing a policy of separation and division at the behest of the United States government and Israel that is harmful and dangerous to the Egyptian and Palestinian people.
The Egyptian government is actively participating in starving Palestinians by building a steel underground wall along Egypt’s border with Gaza. According to British newspapers, the barrier stretching over 40 meters into the ground, designed by the US Army Corps of Engineers, is being built under the supervision of French and American intelligence officials. The new wall will be supplemented by a series of electronic sensors detecting movement and reinforced with a system of pipes through which seawater would be passed to flood the tunnels used by Gazans as a lifeline to smuggle desperately needed food, consumer goods, fuel and medical supplies to the besieged Strip. Furthermore, the use of seawater in this way would help destroy the soil on the Palestinian side of the wall.
Adding insult to injury, hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of donated medical equipment, school supplies and winter clothing are awaiting delivery to Gaza via its border with Egypt. The Egyptian government continues to prevent the over 1,400 members of the Gaza Freedom March from participating in an international march to break the siege of Gaza, and the Viva Palestina 3 caravan from delivering its hundreds of thousands of dollars much-needed supplies.
The US Palestinian Community Network (USPCN), standing in full solidarity with our brothers and sisters in Gaza, as well as the heroic organizers and participants of the Gaza Freedom March and Viva Palestina, calls on the government of Egypt to:
1. End its siege of Gaza, the longest blockade in history since World War 2, including permanently opening the Rafah crossing.
2. Terminate its plans to build the “Wall of Shame” on border between Gaza and Egypt. As detailed by numerous humanitarian groups, Egypt’s wall will cut Gaza from desperately needed food, medicine and other essentials for the survival of its 1.5 million people.
3. Permit the entry into Gaza of all members of the Gaza Freedom March and Viva Palestina and exercise all efforts in support of breaking the siege.
Take Action!
USPCN calls on its members and supporters to contact the Egyptian consulates and embassies, demanding that the Egyptian government end its participation in the siege on Gaza, allow the Gaza Freedom March and Viva Palestina to enter, end all plans to build the “Wall of Shame,” and immediately and permanently open the Rafah crossing. Click here to send a letter to the Egyptian government using our web form!
In the U.S., contact the Egyptian Embassy, 202-895-5400 and ask to speak to Omar Youssef or email [email protected]. Also contact Ahmed Azzam at the Palestine Division in Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Cairo, tel +202-25749682 Email: [email protected]. Click here to send a letter online!
Furthermore, please call your representative and member of Congress, and demand that Congress cut off all funding to the “Wall of Death,” end U.S. aid to Israel, and stop participating in the siege of Gaza. The US House of Representatives main switchboard is (202) 225-3121 or visit ://www.house.gov/ to locate your representative.
In Chicago, a coalition of protestors demonstrated on Monday, December 28 at the Egyptian consulate and will return on Wednesday, December 30 at 12:00 PM, following up on a similar protest last week. Calls to stop the Wall of Shame and open the gates at Rafah were also heard clearly at the mass protest for Gaza in New York City on Sunday, December 27. We call upon all USPCN supporters to organize and participate in similar actions at Egyptian embassies and consulates across the country:
The Washington Embassy and its Consulate Section
Telephone: (202)895-5400
3521 International Ct. N.W
Washington, DC 20008
The Consulate General in San Francisco
Telephone:(415)346-7352 / (415)346-9702 / (415)346-9700
276 Mallorca Way
San Francisco, CA 94123
The Consulate General in New York
Telephone: (212)759-7122 / (212)759-7121 / (212)759-7120
1110 Second Avenue
New York, NY 10022
The Consulate General in Chicago
Telephone:(312)828-9162 / (312)828-9163 / (312)828-9164
500 N. Michigan Ave., Suite # 1900
Chicago, IL 60611
The Consulate General in Houston
Telephone:(713)961-4916 / (713)961-4915
5718 Westheimer, Suite # 1350
Houston, TX 77057
Send a Letter to the Egyptian Government!
Dear Mr. Omar Youssef, Mr. Ahmed Azzam, and the Government of Egypt,
I am appalled to learn of the “Wall of Shame” being built on the border between Egypt and Gaza, and further, that it is being constructed with U.S. funds and under U.S. military guidance. This wall is a mechanism of death and destruction for Palestinians in Gaza and only tightens the siege being faced by 1.5 million Palestinians in Gaza. Never in history have Arab countries been separated by walls. It is urgent that the Arab Republic of Egypt end this deeply damaging project.
Furthermore, the role that the Egyptian government is playing in refusing to allow the Gaza Freedom Marchers to enter Gaza, and the Viva Palestina 3 caravan to bring its urgently needed aid, is destructive and only strengthens the siege on Gaza.
I urge you to reverse some of your recent decisions that would add to the starvation and killing of 1.5 million Palestinians living in Gaza. I ask Egypt to:
1. Permit the entry into Gaza of all members of the Gaza Freedom March and Viva Palestina. These members belong to world renowned human rights and humanitarian organizations. They reflect global support for people of Gaza. Egypt’s gesture will therefore be noticed at a global level.
2. We ask the government of Egypt to terminate its plans to build the “Wall of Shame” on the border between Gaza and Egypt. As detailed by numerous humanitarian groups, Egypt’s wall will cut off Gaza from desperately needed food, medicine and other essentials for the survival of its 1.5 million people.
3. End the blockade of Gaza that is already in its 4th year, the longest blockade since World War 2. Palestinians in Gaza are already reeling from the aftermath of the Israeli massacres during Operation Cast Lead. Stop adding to their misery with a blockade that denies them any chance of rebuilding and returning to normal lives. Instead, open the Rafah crossing on a permanent basis.
Millions of Palestinians around the world and tens of millions of their American, European and other supporters are looking towards Egypt to open its borders with Gaza to allow Viva Palestina and the Gaza Freedom Marchers to pass. On the one hand, if they are allowed into Gaza, it would encourage millions of their supporters to visit, support and understand Egypt, but on the other hand, denying them entry to Gaza will discourage tens of millions of human rights supporters from visiting Egypt.
Sincerely,
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The US Palestinian Community Network (USPCN) is a grassroots body for Palestinians in the United States, with an elected democratic leadership from over 20 cities. Visit our website, at www.palestineconference.org, for news, action alerts, key political issues and an updated calendar of events.
December 28, 2009
US Palestinian Community Network
The US and Israeli Governments share in Egypt’s shame of denying human rights and aides to the Palestinian people who have suffered under the brutal illegal Israeli Occupation. Please stop this madness!
Shame on US, shame on Egypt, shame on Israel and shame on all of us. An octogenarian goes on hunger strike, hundreds wait in limbo, far away from home, while most of us go about our daily lives.
It is tragic to find htat egypt is participating in the perpetuation of the concentratation camp in Gaza
Egypt should be boycotted until it opens the Rafah border to the Palestinian people imprisoned in Gaza.
Egypt is a real POLICE STATE. But neither Germany, nor the EU and especially Mr. Obama the “great PEACE man” cares !
It’s hard to believe that there is no progress in the Middle East. There should be much pressure by the USA – e.g. financial shortcut – on the Israeli and Egyptian government to stop the long lasting blockade of Gaza, to stop the occupation of the Westbank, to give up settlements (colonies!!)…
Shame on all, who misuse the words of god…..Stop the brutal occupation !
Open up travel for all free men, stop the colinization of Palestine !
Stop supporting Israel who misuses the monies we send to kill innocent peoples!!
No more settlements and retreat to the pre-war borders !
nO MORE killing !
what a shame on the egyptian government….how dirty and low can they get……inshalla 1 day all these traoitors get their punishement and evryone who stands by them….the whole world needs to knw about this wall
I agree with Patricia, PLEASE stop the madness and HELP the Palestinian human beings to have a home to call their own and be able to work and earn money for food and housing.
Thank you
To the Government of Egypt
To all Egyptian embassies, consulates, and other diplomatic missions
SHAME ON YOU! You are participating in a genocidal siege against the Palestinian people in Gaza. You are as guilty as the State of Israel in this crime against humanity. A crime against a besieged innocent population. Shame on you!
Let the aid convoys in and stop your collaborationist role in this murderous strangulation of a people that are supposedly your brothers and sisters. World opinion is turning against you, just as it has been turning against Israel. The U.S. government may still be your friend, but not the people of the world who have a conscience and know what is right and what is wrong.
STOP YOUR COLLABORATION WITH THE CRIMINAL STATE OF ISRAEL!
STOP YOUR ROLE IN THE GENOCIDAL SIEGE OF THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE!
The Palestinian People are my People. I am not Palestinian but I feel very strongly for them. Long live Palestina.
Hector Lopez
We are all Palestinian…
The Egyptian, Israel and American behavior is totally unacceptable!!
Stop the occupation of Gaza!!!
President Obama???? NO hope, President Obama, NO hope!!!
shame on us all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
Egypt must end the siege on Gaza and stop building the wall of shame between your countries. We are watching you as you do the bidding of and with help of US and Israel.