Protest at Egyptian Embassy

Picket at the Egyptian Embassy, 26 South Street, London, W1K 1DW, off Park Lane, Marble Arch/Hyde Park Corner Underground stations

Thursday 31st December, 1.00pm – 3.00pm

Called by British Muslim Initiative and supported by PSC

Yesterday the letter below was delivered to the Egyptian Embassy. Baroness Jenny Tonge, Jeremy Corbyn MP and Martin Linton MP were received in the Embassy and assured that the Gaza convoy would be allowed in to Gaza.

Your Excellency,

We are writing to urge your assistance to ensure that the people of Gaza receive the medical aid which British and European citizens have worked hard to provide for the Palestinian people suffering under Israeli siege in the Gaza Strip. Hundreds of people are stuck in Aqaba with 210 aid vehicles waiting for Egyptian permission to travel to Rafah and cross into Gaza.

It is one year since Israel launched its ‘Operation Cast Lead’, a horrific attack on the defenceless people of Gaza resulting in the deaths of 1,400 people, thousands of injured and the destruction of homes, workplaces, schools and hospitals. The ongoing illegal and inhuman blockade on the Gaza Strip is now in its third year. This blockade which denies spare parts and building materials as well as food and medicines to the people of Gaza amounts to collective punishment, an action which is prohibited under international law and constitutes a crime against humanity.

While governments have remained inactive in their response to the violations by Israel, people of conscience around the world have been moved to work tirelessly to support the people of Gaza. The Viva Palestina/Palestine Solidarity Campaign convoy has been travelling from Britain and through Europe since 6th December to deliver aid and solidarity on the anniversary of the attack on Gaza, an attack which constituted war crimes according to the UN Goldstone Report .

We understand that the Egyptian government is imposing conditions on the convoy of 210 aid vehicles which make it impossible for them to leave Aqaba to deliver the ambulances packed with medical aid and the aid trucks with food and educational materials.

We represent British organizations seeking a just solution for the people of Palestine and as such we support the work of Viva Palestina which is a UK registered charity that was formed earlier this year to provide humanitarian relief for the people of Gaza . The two previous convoys, which entered Gaza via Eqypt in March and February this year, successfully delivered hundreds of tonnes of desperately needed aid through the Rafah crossing.

Alas, the actions of the Egyptian government in preventing the delivery of this international aid appears to be supporting Israel’s blockade of Gaza.

We are also gravely concerned by reports of Egypt’s construction of a steel wall to seal off the besieged territory and close the tunnels which constitute the only means of livelihood and survival for the one and a half million Palestinians in Gaza.

We appeal to you to convey our demand to the Egyptian authorities that the convoy be allowed to travel immediately through Egypt and to the Rafah crossing to Gaza to show the Palestinian people there that they are not forgotten by people of conscience across the world.

Yours sincerely,

Dr Daud Abdullah, Deputy Secretary General of Muslim Council of Britain
Mr. Jeremy Corbyn MP
Lindsey German, Chair, Stop the War Coalition
Betty Hunter, General Secretary, Palestine Solidarity Campaign
Mr. Martin Linton MP
Dr Hafiz Al-Karmi, President of Palestinian Forum in Britain
Mohammad Kuzbar, British Muslim Initiative
Ismail Patel, Chairman of Friends of Al-Aqsa
Baroness Jenny Tonge

Help build the pressure on the authorities to allow Viva Palestina's aid convoy into Gaza. 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.uk/
David Miliband (Foreign Secretary) milibandd@parliament.uk - (0191) 456 8910
British Embassy in Egypt Tel: +(20)(2)27916000 information.cairo@fco.gov.uk

PSC recommend you email the Egyptian Embassy and copy the message to your MP and David Miliband

For updates visit the website of Viva Palestina
For videos and pictures of Sunday's protest at the Israeli Embassy see HERE.