Mary Rizzo is an art restorer, translator and writer living in Italy. Editor and co-founder of Palestine Think Tank, co-founder of Tlaxcala translations collective. Her personal blog is Peacepalestine.
mary said...
So your job is smearing Haitham and his sites and work? It is easy to do from anonymity in California, is it not? Haitham may have ideas or thoughts that are mistaken, and all who disagree with him can and should express that, and they should not be put on trial - but his good faith, his total devotion to his people and their total liberation is beyond doubt and your seeking to foment wars between activists and Palestinians who are against Jewish Occupation of Palestine and against all client regimes of the USA/Israel, including Egypt's I find negative. But, you can't argue with UP, he will turn it into a public smear war to discredit other activists. At any rate, his work, which you seem to want to in one fell swoop berate, has allowed the Palestinian voice to go viral over the web, and that includes yours. I think you are the only person I know who has doubted his integrity and his commitment to his people. It does not look nice on you, however much Haitham may write things that could be wrong on some counts, Haitham is not doing Pharaoh's work, and shame on you.
As you may have not noted, Stuart Littlewood, after reading Haitham's report, amended his own report, and he is in agreement with Haitham's questioning. You can see it all on Redress: http://www.redress.cc/palestine/slittlewood20091229
and now you can attack Redress and Littlewood, for the sake of consistency.
Littlewood takes direct suggestions from Haitham, that no one should ever have had been put in a condition to be begging or bargaining with Egypt. If you do it, then be prepared to do it. If you don't want to do it, say so and don't pretend, and if you want to break the siege, you break the siege, as Free Gaza was able to do, without genuflecting to anyone.
Awaiting your attack of Redress or Littlewood, for consistency's sake.
Reaching the Gates of Hell is not so easy
Egyptian ruler Mubarak torpedoes international voluntary aid to Gaza
By Stuart Littlewood29 December 2009
Stuart Littlewood considers the predicament of the Viva Palestina international humanitarian convoy – the culmination of voluntary work by thousands of supporters, fund-raisers and donors in the UK, Europe and internationally – whose journey to besieged Gaza was thwarted by Egypt’s ruler, Husni Mubarak, just four hours before it reached its destination.
The Viva Palestina convoy is being given the run-around by Egypt’s President Husni Mubarak and his “Awkward Squad”.
My heart goes out to the 500 or so dedicated people from 17 different countries who brought their convoy of 200 vehicles almost to the gates of Gaza, only to be stranded at Aqaba just four hours short of their destination.
And not only the 500 driving with the Viva Palestina convoy but the thousands of supporters, fund-raisers and donors back home who have worked for months to provide the medical supplies, the food, the transport and the countless other humanitarian items.
These 500 “salt of the earth” were kicking their heels in Aqaba, and threatening a hunger strike while their precious cargoes spoiled in the heat, because the Egyptian authorities wouldn’t allow them to enter Egypt through the port of Nuweiba. The reason appeared to be that the road across the Sinai from Nuweiba to Rafah ran close to the Israeli border and the 250 trucks and ambulances of the convoy might have caused “a big infiltration problem”.
Why the Egyptian army couldn’t have provided an escort to ensure that no trucks left the column, wasn't explained. The convoy had already taken great trouble and gone many hundreds of extra miles to avoid Israel.
To have come so far and given so much – in time, effort, money and other resources – and to be thwarted at the last minute, was very hard to take.
However, Egypt is perfectly entitled to lay down rules and its Foreign Ministry issued a statement saying: "The Egyptian government welcomes the passage of the convoy into the Gaza Strip on 27 December, on condition that it abides by the mechanisms in place for humanitarian aid convoys to the Palestinian people, including most importantly the entry of convoys through the port of El-Arish."
In February 2006 the British MP George Galloway, who leads today's convoy, was refused entry into Egypt. The last Viva Palestina convoy was pelted with stones and vandalised at El-Arish, which is about 28 miles from the Rafah border crossing into Gaza, after Galloway reportedly called President Mubarak uncomplimentary names and urged the country's armed forces to overthrow him.
We all know what Mubarak is, but how sensible was it for Galloway to broadcast his opinion to the world when he wanted easy passage for his convoy through the guy’s territory?
There’s clearly no love lost here, and I heard the Egyptians had imposed three conditions if the convoy wished to reach Gaza through Egypt:
- It must hand all its vehicles and aid over to UNWRA.
- It must drive 500 miles back to Syria, then take ship from Latakia to the port of El-Arish.
- It must ask Israel’s permission to cross from Egypt to Gaza.
The voyage should take them under the noses of the trigger-happy and piratical Israeli gunboats who think nothing of opening fire on Gazan fishermen. Will the Royal Navy be dispatched to provide an armed escort?
The question remains: did the organizers know all this beforehand – especially the El-Arish stipulation – or was it suddenly sprung on them? Was clearance given for the southern route via Aqaba, then rescinded, or was it left to chance?
The convoy’s organizers are not answering basic questions and the full picture has still not emerged.
“This is a very determined convoy and we're not going anywhere except to Gaza," says George Galloway.
God speed you to the Gates of Hell then, George. But next time you should maybe consider going by sea, sailing 200 boats though international waters and demanding that the Western powers guarantee the freedom of the high seas. That way you don’t need to bow to the likes of Mubarak.
And you could become an admiral.
Stuart Littlewood is author of the book Radio Free Palestine, which tells the plight of the Palestinians under occupation. For further information please visit www.radiofreepalestine.co.uk.
Comment:
Mary
I was expecting your visit earlier, to vent. You could have done it there at your site.
A look at the majority of comments of your reader tells why you prefered to do it here, and explains your accusation. Moreover, you are angry fore something else and you found a chance to vent your anger.
Your are welcome, and free. Therefore I moved you comment up here.
"Haitham is not doing Pharaoh's work,"
With full respect to his history and good intentions, he didn't just called Viva Palalestinia to apologize to Pharaoh, he called viva palestina to put pressure on Pharaoh and to "put the blame and the pressure on US, Western Power and the occupation, Israel. Then they will allow PA (Dahlan) to run Rafah border, which in turn will make Egyptians opens it." Period.
As for attacking Redress and Littlewood, for the sake of consistency. Why should I attack him, at least he is not a Palestinian, and you said he "af'ter reading Haitham's report, amended his own report, and he is in agreement with Haitham's questioning.' I shall disapoint you by saying Littlewood spoiled his own report. Thanks to Admeral Haitham.
Littlewood claimed that the viva palestina organizers said "'Nothing has been said about complying with the other two conditions." - the unthinkable Conditions number 1 and 3.
HERE, MARY.
TAKE IT FORM THE MOUTH OF Galloway: I refuse any kind of coordination with Israel
Viva Palestina may fail to deliver the Aid, even so, it did a great work in exposing the TRAITORS, and your guy is paving the way to blaim Viva Palestina for that failure.
Hopfully, Littlewood, haven't read Haitham's "Truth" about the food smuggling used as a "cover to many other businesses", and a "passage for terrorist groups such as Al-Qaedaa and their likes which Gaza are full with these days." and party doing "the trading and were the money goes. Definitely not to buy food for the Palestinians in Gaza"I am not working to smear your Guy, his Sites and History. He is doing that to himselve and his sites. I am trying to stop his attempt to smear both missions of the International Freedom Fighters, and speading Abu Alghaitth propaganda about the wall of shame??
Yes we all do mistakes, and non of us holds the ultimate truth. We have to learn the vitue of admitting our mistakes, instaed of storming our minds to justfy it. Finally, why the mistakes of your guys can be forgiven, and the "mistake" of Galloway is not tolerable??
River to Sea
Uprooted Palestinian
1 comment:
Awaiting your attack of Redress or Littlewood, for consistency's sake.
Mubarak Creates PR Disaster for Egypt and HimselfBy Littlewood
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