It's almost funny: Hamas won't let Muslims leave Gaza for the Hajj, but Al-Awda whines about Israel allegedly restricting movement.
It illustrates that anti-Israel propaganda is motivated simply by irrational hatred of the concept of Israel rather than any interest in the welfare of the Palestinian Arabs.
It illustrates that anti-Israel propaganda is motivated simply by irrational hatred of the concept of Israel rather than any interest in the welfare of the Palestinian Arabs.
Witnesses: Hamas Blocks Hajj Pilgrims From Leaving Gaza
By VOA News
29 November 2008
Witnesses say the Islamic militant group Hamas has blocked scores of Muslim pilgrims from leaving the Gaza Strip for the annual hajj pilgrimage.
Witnesses said Hamas police set up checkpoints Saturday on the road leading to the Rafah border post where the pilgrims were planning to cross into Egypt on their way to the Muslim holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia.
Hamas denied that it was stopping pilgrims and accused Egypt of failing to open the border post as promised. But Egyptian officials and witnesses on the other side said the border was open.
[Hamas is excellent at denial.]
The dispute appears rooted in the standoff between Hamas, which controls Gaza, and the rival Fatah movement, which controls the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank.
[And some people want Israel to negotiate. With whom?]
The groups gave Saudi authorities separate lists of pilgrims applying for Hajj visas. Saudi Arabia only gave visas to those on the Fatah-sponsored list. Hamas is now insisting that its own applicants be given visas as well.
The Rafah crossing has been largely closed since Hamas took control of Gaza last year, but Egyptian authorities said this week they would open it for three days to allow thousands of hajj pilgrims to leave.
Saudi Arabia limits the number of pilgrims each country can send to the annual hajj, to avoid overcrowding. Gaza this year was allocated 3,000 visas.
More than two million people made last year's pilgrimage. The hajj is the largest regular religious event on Earth. The five-day pilgrimage is scheduled to begin next week.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.
[Al-Awda, if it was really interested in the welfare of the Palestinian Arabs living in Hamastan, would pressure Hamas to let its people out rather than blasting Israel for taking minimal steps to decrease the terror attacks on innocent people.]
ACTION ALERT
For Immediate Release
November 17, 2008
BREAK THE SIEGE OF GAZA NOW!
Al-Awda, The Palestine Right to Return Coalition, calls on all its chapters and members, supporting organizations and individuals to organize demonstrations to demand an end to the siege of the Gaza Strip.
On November 5, Israel completely sealed the Strip's border crossings after launching an unprovoked attack that killed six Palestinians. Most of the Gaza Strip is without power due to lack of fuel, and the United Nations has been forced to stop food distribution to those in need.
[A group of Arab terrorists were preparing to attack Israelis. Israel acted to prevent that attack. From Al-Awda's distorted perspective, that is unprovoked.
Palestinian Authority spokespersons have said there is no lack of fuel in Gaza, explaining the power outages are a propaganda ploy executed by Hamas.
Meanwhile, despite barrages of rocket and mortar fire by Palestinian Arabs from Gaza, Israel has sent dozens of trucks with supplies to the very people shooting.]
Palestinian Authority spokespersons have said there is no lack of fuel in Gaza, explaining the power outages are a propaganda ploy executed by Hamas.
Meanwhile, despite barrages of rocket and mortar fire by Palestinian Arabs from Gaza, Israel has sent dozens of trucks with supplies to the very people shooting.]
The humanitarian situation is dire for the people in the Gaza Strip, most importantly the children.
[Of course, if Hamas cared about the children, it would act to help them live normal lives rather than simply using them as pawns in the drive to destroy Israel.]
The strip is home to 1.5 million Palestinians, 80% of whom are refugees denied by the Zionist state the right to return to their homes and lands of origin from which they were expelled by the Zionist occupation in 1948.
[There are very few refugees left; almost everyone referred to as a refugee is a descendent of refugees, forced by his or her own brethren, including Hamas, to live like a refugee in order to keep their anger alive and directed at Israel rather than at those responsible for their plight - their own leadership.]
ACTION
We appeal to all people:
SPEAK OUT!
DEMAND AN END TO THE SIEGE OF THE GAZA STRIP AND THE OCCUPATION OF ALL OF PALESTINE!
[For Al-Awda, that refers to all of Israel.]
ORGANIZE STREET ACTIONS AND PROTESTS
CALL/WRITE THE MEDIA AND YOUR CONGRESSIONAL REPRESENTATIVES
ORGANIZE COMMUNITY MEETINGS AND DELEGATIONS TO RELIGIOUS LEADERS AND EDUCATORS
DONATE TO HELP THE PEOPLE IN GAZA!
[Anyone truly wanting to help the people living in Gaza should donate to the United Jewish Appeal (if they live in the United States) or Keren Hayesod/United Israel Appeal (if they live outside the United States) and ask that their donation be used to alleviate the disastrous situation Hamas and the Palestinian Authority have brought on the people living in Gaza.]
To contact your congressional representatives, go to www.congress.org/congressorg/home.
[Ask them to help Israel defend against Arab terror and support Israel in its efforts to end the Arab war against Israel. Since Israel is the only party working towards peace, those who want to help the Palestinian Arabs can best do so by helping to strengthen Israel.]
To contact the media, go to newslink.org.
To donate and help the people in the Gaza Strip, go to http://www.al-awda.org/donate.html and simply follow the instructions. Indicate that your donation is for the GAZA EMERGENCY FUND.
[This is one of the worst things anyone interested in either peace or the welfare of the Arabs living in Gaza could do.]
BREAK THE SIEGE OF GAZA NOW!
DON'T DELAY!
TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE!
Al-Awda, The Palestine Right to Return Coalition
PO Box 131352
Carlsbad, CA 92013, USA
Tel: 760-685-3243
Fax: 360-933-3568
E-mail: info@al-awda.org
WWW: http://al-awda.org
[Those interested in helping the Palestinian Arabs, both in Gaza and in the West Bank (Judea and Samaria), should contact Al-Awda and demand it start working for, rather than against, their interests.]
Al-Awda, The Palestine Right to Return Coalition (PRRC) is the largest network of grassroots activists and students dedicated to Palestinian human rights. We are a not for profit tax-exempt educational and charitable 501(c)(3) organization as defined by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) of the United States of America. Under IRS guidelines, your donations to PRRC are tax-deductible.
[The fact that a donation to a hate-mongering organization like Al-Awda is tax-deductible is an indication of the looseness of our regulations.]
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