Day 7

By Yvonne Ridley

This Sunday, around the time our peace flotilla will be attempting to smash the siege of Gaza by sea, a group of Scottish activists will be launching their own protest on land.

A Tartan army is gathering at 2pm in Mound Precinct on Princes Street to show support for another group of blockade breakers who are desperately trying to get urgent medical aid through to Palestinians. And the rally is also being held to show their outrage as well towards the Zionist State which can no longer shake off its reptilian image to ordinary people across the world.

Israel says it pulled out of Gaza two years ago and there is NO siege. Poppycock!
The Zionist State is lying and with the help of Egypt's despicable President Hosni Mubarak, they are exerting more pressure on the weakest members of the Gaza community.

Mubarak, who makes some of the most brutal, oppressive Pharonic dynasties look like a bunch of Tupperware Agents, is a disgrace to humanity.

Great leaders are respected for their courage and wisdom - Mubarak, a man who bellydances and contorts himself to please his Zionist masters in Tel Aviv, has neither of these qualities.

Of course his real masters are in Washington and it's their dollars that have turned him into the Chief Pimp of Arab politics.

The latest example of Mubarak's craven behaviour surfaced when humanitarians Linda Willis and Khalil al Niss were kept waiting at the Rafah-Gaza border to deliver medical supplies to a hospital in Gaza.

They spent 10 days driving across Europe with 1.5 tonnes of medical supplies donated by kind-hearted Scots but for the past two weeks their van has been held up by officials.

Mubarak's men are refusing them entry saying they do not have the correct paperwork.
I feel ashamed that only yesterday I was writing to you all, complaining that some high winds had delayed our own peace mission by a couple of days - I really do salute the stamina of Linda and Khalil.

Sadly Linda, 51, a nurse has now been forced to return to Edinburgh leaving Khalil, 49, who is from Jerusalem, to wait, and wait and wait.

One of the hospitals is just five minutes from the border where these jumped up soldiers of Mubarak are refusing to let him pass.

The venture is supported by the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign and they have now enlisted heavyweight political leader Alex Salmond.

The van is packed with medical supplies including medication for heart conditions and diabetes, as well as syringes, bandages, swabs, antibiotics, blood bottles for taking samples, and more advanced equipment such as endotracheal tubes for use in surgery.


As I said before, this aid mission is stuck at the Rafah crossing, the only Egypt-Gaza gateway which has been continuously closed since June 2007, with brief openings for extreme cases. They were initially made to wait more than 24 hours at the border town of Nuweiba, where Egyptian authorities sent them to six departments to fill out forms.

The couple have been interviewed by numerous officials from the Egyptian border, Egyptian intelligence, and the weak and feckless Palestinian Authority, but still lack the permission to deliver the medical supplies.

The two recently submitted to Egypt's Intelligence Chief Omar Suleiman a letter with the signatures of six Scottish MPs supporting their mission. Although the letter was requested by the Egyptian authorities handling the case, no reply has been forthcoming.

They have also faced down threats to impound their van.

Well I will be making dua for my brother Khalil's patience and I hope he succeeds in his mission, just as we are determined to succeed in ours.

Insh'Allah we'll all meet in Gaza to exchange stories and tales about overcoming the pettiness of the Zionists and their feckless supporters.

The parallels being drawn between Israel and Apartheid South Africa are growing stronger by the day.

This is not the way to win over the international community and the more Israel stamps its jackboots and refuses peace missions and initiatives the more damaged is its reputation.

Might is not right. But our determination to succeed smashing the siege by land and sea is far more powerful than any red tape, petty politics or artillery.

Well done to everyone who turns up to protest in Edinburgh on Sunday - please continue to protest, shout and highlight the brutality of the Zionist State.

And as for you Khalil - well, we'll see you in Gaza soon, insh'Allah.