Thousands march for Gaza

Yesterday afternoon saw around three thousand demonstrators take to the streets of Edinburgh to oppose Israel’s ongoing attacks on humanitarian aid missions en route to Gaza. The protesters marched, in soaring temperatures, on a lengthy route around the city, going past both the US Consulate and Bute House, the official residence of the First Minister. The demo was noisy and colourful, with hundreds of Palestinian flags being waved. There was a brief flashpoint when demonstrators tried to storm the Marks & Spencers store on Princes Street – M&S being a company with extensive financial and political links to the Israeli state.

The demo came on the same afternoon that news was emerging that Israel has stopped the latest attempt by activists to break the illegal blockade of Gaza, seizing aid ship The Rachel Corrie and diverting it to an Israeli port. Fortunately on this occasion the Israeli military restrained themselves and there was no repeat of the violence which left at least 9 aid activists dead in the early hours of Monday morning.

Gaza is under an absolute blockade by Israel – who claim that allowing goods and traffic into Gaza would allow the Islamist Hamas movement , who form the elected government of Gaza, to smuggle in weapons and rockets to use against Israel. Israel lets in some limited supplies to Gaza – but even basics like cement and building materials are banned, as well as, inexplicably, toys, chocolate and shampoo, amongst many other goods. So when Israel says it’s still going to let aid through – as long as the activists let it by taken in through the established military checkpoints – what they really mean is that they’re going to confiscate most of it, as they won’t allow half of it in anyway.

This is why the aid activists are so desperate to reach Gaza – as well as being a symbolic gesture against the blockade, the people of Gaza are in a truly desperate situation, with 80% surviving on UN handouts and unemployment hovering around 40%. And rather than weakening Hamas, the blockade only strengthens the extremist group, by both building up even greater resentment against Israel, and giving them a total grip over basic commodities in the strip, which they smuggle in through tunnels from Egypt.

The movement to end the blockade must continue to keep up the pressure on Israel, who’re hoping that the whole furore will soon blow over. Israel is a pariah state that must be cut off from normal relations with the rest of the world – already a number of countries, including South Africa, Turkey, Ecuador and Nicaragua, have withdrawn their ambassadors from Israel in protest at their actions. While the UN Security Council have called for an investigation, Israel has already rejected this – which can be added to the list of the dozens of other UN resolutions, demands and requests that Israel has bluntly ignored throughout the years. No more – Israel must abide by international law. End the seige now!

On Tuesday 8 June, SSY is hosting a joint meeting with the SSP in Glasgow on recent developments in Palestine. Speaking at it will be Hasan Nowarah, who was on last week’s Aid Flotilla and was injured in the brutal IDF assault, before being detained and then deported from Israel. SSY’s Jenny Haston, who studied at university in Palestine, will be also be speaking.  The meeting’s at 7.30pm, Tuesday 8 June, upstairs in the Piper Bar on the corner of George Square, Glasgow. Not to be missed!