Sara Ibrahim, 26-12-2009

On the 31st of December over 1,360 international delegates from 42 countries will enter Gaza via Egypt, marking the one-year anniversary of the December 2008 Gaza War that left over 1,400 martyrs.
The Gaza Freedom March is a historic initiative of where students, teachers, refugee groups, NGOs, doctors, farmers, artists, people from different sectors will march in solidarity with Gaza, and for the sake of breaking the siege.

Hedy Epstein an 85-year old American Holocaust survivor will be one of the Marchers, in addition to the acclaimed writer Alice Walker, and Ronnie Kasrils, a leader of the South African liberation, not to mention a substantial delegation from the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU).

Due to the serious security conditions at the border, no international missions are allowed to enter Gaza during December, yet the Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson in Egypt told the organizers of the March that the policy might be altered because of the "humanitarian assistance" nature of the Viva Palestina convoy.

The Gaza Freedom organizers, representing 1362 individuals from 43 countries, sent an open letter appealed directly to President of Egypt Hosni Mubarak to grant them passage into Gaza.
The letter will be delivered to the presidential palace in Heliopolis today.

Although many activists have been in Gaza before, this visit is considered to be totally different. People in Gaza are suffering, a lot of homes remain not built, students are left with no education, and those who were lucky to go to school have no notebooks nor pencils, babies are wretched from nitrate poisoning due to contaminated water, and many remain unemployed, it is time to do something about it and many believe that the Gaza March is the start to the change.

The Gaza March idea comes from a women's peace group called CODEPINK, the group is committed to drawing attention to the humanitarian crisis in the occupied Palestinian territories, among other campaigns.

In an interview by Nancy Murray, the president of the Gaza Mental Health Foundation and a member of the International Steering Committee, with John Ging head of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, he said: "We have run out of words to describe how bad it is here. Things are moving rapidly in the wrong direction. The best help we can get is to lift the siege and to begin to deal with human beings on a humane and legal basis." Therefore this March is highly needed, and many are excited about it.

At a news conference to announce the march last week, president of the New York-based Center for Constitutional Rights, Michael Ratner said: "I think we have to recognise that the importance of the Gaza Freedom March as a way of drawing attention to the blockade is crucial."

Ratner said that he plans to attend with his family who want to show solidarity as Jewish Americans with the people of Gaza, he added, "I want to break the blockade, I want to see the damage done by the weapons from my tax dollars, and I want it understood: Israel does not kill in my name. I want to follow words with action, and that's why me and my family are going to Gaza."

Medea Benjamin, co-founder of CODEPINK, and also a Jewish American, which has visited Washington many times to lobby for a reduction in aid, said that the fact that so many people around the world are participating really gives heart and inspiration to the people in Gaza and shows that the have not been forgotten.

"We are doing this in the spirit of Martin Luther King, of Mohandas Gandhi, of Nelson Mandela, of non-violent resistance worldwide," Benjamin said.

"Israel's" blockade of Gaza is a notorious despicable violation of international law that has led to massive torture and suffering. We hope that the Gaza Marchers will be able to send its clear message of ending the siege on Gaza to world leaders and awaken their minds and conscience.