From El-Badeel:
The Popular Committee for the Solidarity with Palestine activists in Arish boycotted Galloway’s convoy, accusing him of “coordination with the NDP and saving the regime’s face”, as General Shousha, the governor of N. Sinai, made arrangements with the State Security police senior staff and the local NDP officials for a “warm reception,” that included tightening security all over Arish, forcing local officials to dress in the traditional Sinai costumes (to add to the ambiance of the photo shots), ordering all schools to mobilize their pupils to stand on the two sides of the highway to “greet” the convoy.
General Shousha also stated, according to El-Badeel, that the NDP was to take care of all the “convoy’s expenditure.”
This just leaves me with an empty, sick feeling in my belly.
Khallas!
You know when this convoy first left Britain, I thought to myself: “Why not ship all the trucks, goods and aid to a port; give the money spent on fuel, ferries, hotels, food ect to the Egyptian opposition so that they could finance a proper convoy from Cairo and other cities… then ship in international activists to help them take it to Rafah (as the ISM do)…
The other day I attended a fundraiser for the Islamic Relief charity put on by young students in east London. I was so impressed with their humility, dedication and honesty.
“Why not gave them the aid money?” I thought… “since they have an office in Gaza.”
During the event I was reminded of 1967 when I was a young boy in Kuwait. I donated my pocket money to help the new set of Palestinian refugees fleeing the 6 day war. I remember my father, despite his mistrust of the PLO and Arafat, telling me that I should not boast about what I had given.
So I sat in the meeting thinking; “5000 km, 100 hundred vehicles… how much did that cost?”
Then I thought… “maybe this is just a publicity stunt for Galloway and his supporters…”
Please, someone persuade me that it is not.