GAZA: The Egyptian Blockade (Rafah Crossing)

The Egyptian Blockade

of Gaza

February 26, 2011 March to Gaza

By Ken O'Keefe

There is much talk about who and what is behind the popular revolts in the Arab world and I find such talk as interesting as anyone.  But more than talk I am interested in action.  Indeed that is why tears of joy streamed down my face as I watched the Egyptian people cleansing themselves of the shame brought upon them by Mubarak and his fellow thieves and traitors.  Clearly however, the job is far from complete. 

The Egyptian and Tunisian revolutions are not actually Egyptian and Tunisian revolutions as much as they are part of a Global Revolution.  For no matter how much effort is exerted by the powers that be to divide the masses, we are all connected. 

And within the Western nations lie the very same justifications for revolution.  The truth is we are hard pressed to find a government that honours its people; the real question is to what degree does a government disrespect and violate it’s people?  And does it confine it’s crimes to it’s own population?  Or does it export these crimes as well?  I am obliged to mention that in this latter category the world champion of global oppression is of course, my birth nation, the United States of America.

And they have junior partners in the global tyranny business, and Egypt has been, and remains at this moment, one of them. Ever since the so-called peace treaty between Egypt and Israel, Egypt has become a key partner in America’s greatest export, terror.  For more than 30 years Mubarak was little more than a pimp and a prostitute, ordering the people of Egypt to bend over while the American imperialist machine penetrated the Egyptian people as a rapist does his victim.

Meanwhile Mubarak mocked the people of Egypt, his henchmen (Omar Suleiman) tortured and terrorized them while he and his family plundered the nation and swallowed American bribe money by the billions; all the while the comatose American taxpayer paid this pimp and his family those billions.

For a little comic relief, listen to what you, the American taxpayer are being told about how you’re hard earned tax dollars go to work in Egypt;

“For over three decades, the United States has worked to improve the quality of life of all Egyptians through programs supporting economic development and regional stability. USAID assistance has totaled $28.6 billion since 1975. Current programs focus on economic growth; education; healthier, planned families; and democracy and governance.” – USAID website

And so, for the bargain basement price of $28.6 billion the American people managed to buy Egyptians a lifestyle of deep poverty in which 40% of the 80 million plus of them live on less than $2 a day.  Way to go America!

I am curious to know how many reading this are like me; tell me, when you see Obama or Hillary Clinton dare to talk of Egyptian “democracy” and solidarity with “the people”, do you wish as well that someone would walk up, stare them square in their eyes and slap them with a thundering clap right in the face?  I sure do.  And I damn sure wish that famous and heroic Iraqi shoe thrower hit George Bush right in his mouth.  One can dream.

Ah but we can do better than wish for things that will likely never happen, we can act, we can create our own reality; just as the Egyptians and Tunisians and many others are showing us right now.  We can do anything we set our minds to, ANYTHING!

And that leads me to the people of Palestine.  As I sit here in Gaza I can tell you that these people are as deserving of real support as any people on Earth.  For decades our actions (or lack thereof) have translated to a brutal existence with perpetual trauma and violence.  Despite this the people of Palestine have not become the monsters that imprison and slaughter them.  They remain Palestinian; among the most generous and hospitable people you will ever meet.  And so I say to the world, now is the time to begin acting as brothers and sisters and commence to the liberation of the people of Palestine.

To everybody who knows injustice, everybody who knows tyranny, we are all brothers and sisters with the people of Palestine.  Let us act like it and let us march on Gaza on February 26^th, 2011.  Let us amass in the greatest numbers possible, and let us march week after week if necessary, to make Rafah Crossing and open border.  To achieve this would be to render the Israeli/American lead blockade useless.  That would signal another mortal blow to American Imperialism and Israeli Zionism.  If that isn’t worth fighting for then I have no idea what is.

I realize this was not the primary objective of the peoples revolt in Egypt, but it can become a primary result of it.  Why not?  Is it not possible?  Of course it is.  Egyptians have just shed their puppet dictator; they rendered his weapons and henchmen impotent.  We can now remove one of the most shameful policies of this dictator; I say again, we can do whatever we desire, if we are serious that is.

I am serious, and I know many more who are serious as well.

Let us take note, lower ranking Egyptian commanders disobeyed direct orders by Mubarak and his generals to murder the people in Tahrir Square.  So the Army did not slaughter the people as ordered, so clearly there is honour within the Egyptian military.  But it cannot be ignored, there are still higher-ranking officials who followed Mubarak’s orders and themselves ordered the lower ranks to commit mass-murder.

Let us remember that it is such people that were punished by death as a result of the Nuremberg Trials.  And let us realize that for the moment such people still hold positions of power and influence in Egypt.  And let us not be fools, they remain of course the servile minions of their Zionist and American imperialist masters.  Let us not ignore the fact that the American bribe money is still flowing.

To rest, to allow them to corrupt the will of the people into a new dictatorship is to abandon our role in the Global Revolution. As I have said, this is not an Egyptian/Tunisian Revolution, their battle is ours and vice versa, and it intertwines with Palestine directly. I know this for sure; there is not one Egyptian in their right mind that would endorse a continuation of the Egypt under Mubarak blockade of Gaza.  To the contrary, it has shamed the people of Egypt for far too long.  Why not end it now?

Is there any sane, right-minded person who supports the blatant and brutal collective punishment of the people of Gaza?  So why would it carry on?  There is only one reason, because we allow it. I say we carry on with what the people of Egypt started, they got rid of the dictator, let us, people of conscience, once and for all smash to pieces the abominable Egyptian blockade of Gaza.

Why not? Let us commence to exposing anyone intent on subjecting the 800,000 plus children of Gaza to this cruel and inhuman blockade. I say shame on us all if we do not march on Gaza with significant numbers and soon.  I see no reason why sufficient numbers cannot be mobilized for February 26^th.  If our lives or the lives of our loved ones depended on it, we would mobilize by the thousands.

As I write this there are people in Gaza who will likely die soon if they cannot access medical treatment outside of Gaza.  Among them is a 14 year-old boy who needs a kidney transplant, which his father is ready to provide.  Shall this boy be left to die?

 He needs a kidney transplant
(He could be your son or your cousin) 

There are students being denied access to education abroad.  There are building materials needed yet denied, and thus the rebuilding of Gaza remains impossible.  All of this preventable suffering and death continues, day-by-day, a human caused catastrophe, due to the Egypt under Mubarak blockade of Gaza.  But there is no Mubarak, so there is no excuse.

Having met children all over Gaza I can tell you that virtually every one of them has been and continues to be traumatized by the ongoing blockade and terrorism of Israel. All of this is compounded massively by the blockade.  If this were your child you would not rest until there was justice.  But if you see them as I do, you would see them as your children, and with that comes a duty.  Let us not fail.  We cannot do too much for the children of Gaza; to do less then everything within our power is the continuation of collectively dishonouring ourselves and degrading our humanity.

Enough.

It seems at this stage in human development the only way to make sure that governments serve the people, is to ensure that they fear the people.  If indeed that be the case, let them fear us.  Let them feel the wrath of our will and let them know that the Egyptian blockade of Gaza is in its dying days.  If this inevitability requires bloodshed then it will be because those entrusted to serve the people have instead chosen to serve the Israeli/American tyranny under which Mubarak ruled.  If that be the case then there shall be an absolute need for Nuremberg Trials of today. But I think none of that is necessary.  I think the Egyptian Military can honour the people rather than the paymaster.  We shall see.

Here is what I propose: People of conscience, supporters of Palestine and Egypt, wherever you come from, come to Egypt in the days leading up to February 26^th.    Travel to the port city of Al Arish and prepare to march on “The Day of Liberation” for the people of Palestine in Gaza.  From the Egyptian side we shall march from Al Arish to Rafah Crossing (about 35 km/22 miles).  On the Gazan side we shall demonstrate in support of this peoples liberation and we shall greet the marchers when they arrive.

Transportation via taxis can easily be arranged for those unable to walk such a distance.  The goal will be to enter Gaza with the full cooperation of the Egyptian Military/officials.  We seek no confrontation, but we demand the end of the Egypt under Mubarak blockade of Gaza.

If the marchers are blocked, attacked or arrested, we will do as the people of Egypt have done, a Tahrir style camp will be created as close to Rafah Crossing as possible.  We will maximize exposure of the march via social media such as Twitter and Facebook and the world will surely be watching if we do what we are clearly capable of doing.  People will camp out and more marchers will come, if we do as we are capable of doing our numbers will swell and our power increase.  Each and every day will bring us closer to the end of the Egypt under Mubarak blockade of Gaza.