Tuesday, November 4, 2008

In Protest

Despite a strict blockade by Israel, a boat with 27 pro-Palestinian activists docked in the Gaza Strip last Wednesday; the second in three months. Dignity left Cyprus and arrived in Gaza to protest against Israel's blockade after Gaza was seized by Hamas in June last year. The activists in Dignity included Nobel Laureate Mairead Corrigan Maguire (Nobel Peace Prize in 1976 for peace efforts in Northern Ireland); Palestinian parliamentarian Mustafa Barghuti and Israeli activist Gideon Spiro. Barghuti called it "a historic day" as he would normally require a permit to enter Gaza being a resident of Ramallah in West Bank. The first boat docked in August to focus attention on the state of the 1.5 million people who live in the area. Israel warned activists not to enter the military zone around the Gaza Strip but did not move to stop Voyage.

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