 Egyptian authorities have announced that all aid convoys travelling to Gaza will be banned from travelling across Egypt after a riot broke out at the Rafah border crossing earlier in the week. Ahmed Abul Gheit, Egypt's foreign minister, said in remarks published on Saturday that members of Viva Palestina, the last convoy allowed through, had "committed hostile acts, even criminal ones" on Egyptian soil. "Egypt will no longer allow convoys, regardless of their origin or who is organising them, from crossing its territory," he told government-backed newspaper Al-Ahram. More than 50 people were wounded during a clash between Egyptian authorities and international members of the convoy on Tuesday after Egypt decided to allow 139 vehicles to enter Gaza, but said a remaining 59 vehicles would have to pass via Israel. The Rafah border is the only crossing point into the Palestinian territory not controlled by Israel.However, both Rafah and the Israeli-controlled crossings have largely remained sealed since 2007, when the Palestinian group Hamas gained control of the Strip. George Galloway, the British MP leading Viva Palestina, was himself deported by the Egyptian government on Friday. The politician was picked up by Egyptian officials at Rafah and driven to Cairo, the capital, where he was placed on a flight back to London. The Egyptian foreign ministry said Galloway had been declared "persona non grata" and would not be allowed to return to the country, accusing him of incitement over his criticism of the government. Arrest warrants were also issued for seven other members of the convoy after being accused of inciting riots in El-Arish, the Mediterranean port town where Viva Palestina entered the country. The Respect Party MP has been vocal in his criticism of Egyptian authorities in recent days. "It's always been a badge of honour to be deported by a tin-pot dictator and that's what happened," he said after arriving at London's Heathrow airport. Abul Gheit, who spoke to Al-Ahram during a visit to Washington, said future aid convoys will have to turn their supplies over to El-Arish's Red Crescent chapter. The relief organisation would then be responsible for transferring the aid to its Palestinian counterpart. Israel and Egypt have severely restricted travel to and from the Gaza Strip, and only very basic supplies are allowed in. Aid organisations say the siege has placed Gazans in a dire situation, made worse by the Israel's offensive last year that reduced much of the territory to ruins. Al Jazeera 
 George Galloway, the British MP leading the Viva Palestina international aid convoy to the Gaza Strip, has been declared 'person non grata' by the Egyptian government and deported from the country. The politician was picked up by Egyptian officials at the Rafah border crossing on Friday and driven to Cairo, the capital, where he was placed on a flight back to London. On arriving at Heathrow airport, in the UK capital, Galloway said: "It's always been a badge of honour to be deported by a tin-pot dictator and that's what happened this morning. "Having crossed the border from Gaza into Egypt ... my friend and I were bundled into a car, 25 officers, accepting no dissuasion, drove us straight to the airport, basically forced us onto the plane." Galloway said that at the steps of the plane a representative of the foreign ministry in Egypt had told him he had been declared 'persona non grata,' was being deported and was not welcome to return to Egypt. The Respect Party MP has been vocal in his criticism of Egyptian authorities in recent days after their decision not to allow the convoy of about 200 vehicles to arrive in Egypt through the port at Nuweiba. Cairo insisted that the aid be sent back through Syria and then by ferry to the port of El-Arish on the Mediterranean. Egypt's foreign ministry later issued a statement on Friday confirming Galloway had been declared 'persona non grata' and would not be allowed to return to the country, accusing him of incitement over his criticism of the government. An Egyptian police officer maintained that security personnel had only escorted Galloway for his own protection.
Seven other members of the Viva Palestinian convoy have also been ordered arrested after being accused of inciting riots in El-Arish. The decision by the attorney-general in North Sinai means the activists could be detained after passing through the Rafah border crossing from Gaza.
It was not clear if they were in Egyptian custody on Friday.
Late on Tuesday, more than 50 people were wounded during a clash between Egyptian authorities and international members of the convoy. The protests were sparked by an Egyptian decision to allow 139 vehicles to enter Gaza through the Rafah crossing, but requiring a remaining 59 vehicles to pass via Israel. Afterwards, clashes between Egyptian security forces and Palestinians waiting for the aid convoy led to the death of one Egyptian policeman. Israel and Egypt have severely restricted travel to and from the Gaza Strip since Hamas seized power there in June 2007, after winning Palestinian legislative elections in 2006. The blockade currently allows only very basic supplies into Gaza. The siege has severely restricted essential supplies and placed Gazans in a dire situation, made worse by Israel's military assault last winter that reduced much of the territory to ruins. Al Jazeera
 At least 55 people have been injured in clashes between Egyptian police and pro-Palestinian activists who were trying to deliver aid into the Gaza Strip, eyewitnesses say. Some 520 activists broke down the gate at the port in al-Arish late on Tuesday in protest against an Egyptian decision to ship some of the goods through Israel, medical workers and protesters said. The protests were sparked by an Egyptian decision to allow 139 vehicles to enter Gaza through the Rafah crossing, about 45km from the port in al-Arish, but requiring a remaining 59 vehicles to pass via Israel. Around 40 members of the convoy had minor injuries while over a dozen policemen were hurt in the clashes with protesters, who also blocked the two entrances to the Sinai port with vehicles, medical workers said. The Viva Palestina convoy, led by George Galloway, the British MP, had already been delayed by more than a week, after he and a delegation of Turkish MPs failed to persuade the Egyptians to change their mind. The convoy of nearly 200 vehicles arrived in al-Arish on Monday after a dispute with Cairo on the route. But the arrival came after a bitter dispute between its organisers and the government, which banned the convoy from entering Egypt's Sinai from Jordan by ferry, forcing it to drive north to the Syrian port of Lattakia. The convoy with 210 lorries full of medicine and other supplies set out from the UK nearly a month ago. Israel and Egypt have severely restricted travel to and from the Gaza Strip since Hamas seized power there in June 2007, after winning Palestinian legislative elections in 2006. The blockade currrently allows only very basic supplies into Gaza. The siege has severely restricted essential supplies and placed Gazans in a dire situation, made worse by Israel's military assault last winter that reduced much of the territory to ruins. Hamas has accused Egypt of reinforcing the siege imposed. Fawzi Barhoum, a spokesman for the group, told Al Jazeera on Wednesday that Egypt's moves to ban the Gaza aid convoy from reaching the enclave and to build an underground steel wall are deliberate policies that reinforce its participation in the siege. He said that such practices are unjustifiable and frustrating for Palestinian expectations from the Egyptian side. In other Gaza-related news, a Palestinian fighter was reportedly killed and four others wounded in an Israeli air attack on Tuesday in the city of Khan Younis, according to a security source. An Israeli military spokeswoman said Israel had launched the raid against fighters "planning to fire rockets at southern Israel". The armed wing of a group called the Popular Resistance Committee said its members had been targeted by the attack. Al Jazeera
 British politician George Galloway has criticised Egypt for denying a humanitarian aid convoy permission to enter the Gaza Strip. The Viva Palestina convoy, containing some 210 vehicles and 500 people, is currently stranded in Jordan with Cairo refusing to allow it passage to Gaza through the Red Sea port of Nuweiba. The lorries are laden with European, Turkish and Arab aid - both food and medical supplies. "It's a strange Christmas for us. We are stuck ... hundreds of tonnes of aid which is desperately needed in Gaza," Galloway said in an interview with Press TV on Friday. "We are very sad not yet angry, but we will get angry if the days go by". But Hossam Zaki, an Egyptian port official, insisted that there would be "no entry from Nuweiba", saying "entry can only be through El-Arish". El-Arish is a port on Egypt's Mediterreanean coast, while Nuweiba is on the Red Sea. The Egyptian decision means the convoy would have to travel hundreds of kilometres by ferry around the Sinai peninsula and through the Suez Canal. In a statement, the Egyptian foreign ministry said: "The Egyptian government welcomes the passage of the convoy into the Gaza Strip on December 27, on condition that it abides by the mechanisms in place for humanitarian aid convoys to the Palestinian people. "This includes most importantly, the entry of convoys through the port of El-Arish". Gaza has been under a stifling Israeli siege since a Hamas election victory and its decision to push Fatah armed forces from the territory in June 2007. The blockade has severely restricted essential supplies and placed Gazans in a dire situation, made worse by Israel's military assault last winter that reduced much of the territory to ruins. According to the latest UN report on the situation in Gaza, the ongoing Israeli blockade has triggered a "protracted human dignity crisis" with negative humanitarian consequences. "At the heart of this crisis is the degradation in the living conditions of the population, caused by the erosion of livelihoods and the gradual decline in the state of infrastructure, and the quality of vital services in the areas of health, water and sanitation, and education,” adds the report. Al Jazeera
 Viva Palestina, an organization that materially and morally supports the terrorist organization Hamas, launched its third convoy to Gaza last Sunday. Dubbed "The Return to Gaza," the convoy is an international effort, with groups joining from the UK, the U.S. and dozens of other countries. While some members of the Viva Palestina USA branch met their counterparts over the weekend in London, most will be joining the convoy in Istanbul on December 15 th. The convoy plans to enter Gaza on December 27 th after traveling through France, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Syria, Jordan and Egypt. It does so amid an ongoing British government inquiry and American-based requests for investigations to determine whether its support for Hamas has broken any laws. The brainchild of British MP George Galloway, the first Viva Palestina UK convoy publicly gave over $1 million to Hamas officials in March 2009. The second convoy, which departed New York in July with approximately 200 Americans, raised more than $1 million from fundraising events, largely through Galloway's speaking engagements around the country.
The money was purportedly transferred to Egypt where supplies were purchased for distribution in Gaza. Due to a blockade imposed by Egypt, the group spent only 24 hours in Gaza, meeting with Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh and visiting Hamas run-facilities, such as the Ministry of Prisoners, which is devoted to helping the families of Palestinian martyrs in Israeli jails. One of Viva Palestina's stated goals is to "distribute necessary medical aid to the Palestinian people." However, a closer look at the activities of the past two convoys indicates that the organization actually benefits Hamas more than individual Palestinians. After the U.S. convoy in July, questions were raised about where the medical aid and the cash donations went. Several participants noted in personal blogs that they were concerned over the matter. As an example, one participant wrote: "I did not witness the presentation of the ten truck-loads of medical aid that VIVA PALESTINA purchased in Cairo and was donated by Egyptian businesses. I was told by VIVA PALESTINA leaders that that aid was distributed to several NGOs. I wish that VIVA PALESTINA would report an inventory of the contents, of the trucks, and a list of the NGOs who received the aid." Perhaps in response to such doubts, as well as to complaints addressed to the federal government about its support for Hamas, Viva Palestina USA released a statement on its website on October 31st titled "Viva Palestina Addresses Concerns."
It claimed that the organization "does not and in fact will not favour any political party within Palestine" and "the donations were given to a non-governmental consortium in Gaza called Expertise in Consulting and Development (CODE) which was, in turn, responsible for distributing the aid in a manner consistent with our goals, as well as with the community's needs." CODE receives significant funding, however, from the Union of the Good, designated by the U.S. Department of the Treasury in 2008 as an organization created by Hamas to "transfer funds to the terrorist organization."
The Treasury press release notes, "In addition to providing cover for Hamas financial transfers, some of the funds transferred by the Union of Good have compensated Hamas terrorists by providing payments to the families of suicide bombers." More at IPT
 The Investigative Project on Terrorism reports that a rally was held in Washington, D.C. on September 18 featuring supporters of Hezbollah and speakers that called for destroying Israel.The rally was in celebration of Al-Quds Day, a holiday established by Ayatollah Khomeini, the founder of Iran’s current theocratic government. The event was organized by a member of Fairfax County’s Department of Planning and Zoning named Faheem Darab, and individuals in front of the stage were seen carrying the flag of the Hezbollah terrorist group and an Israeli flag with a swastika on it. “…we cannot get away from the fact that the solution begins with the complete destruction, the annihilation, and the utter dismemberment of the State of Israel,” the report quoted one of the speakers, Afeef Khan, as saying. Also present was a rapper from the Viva Palestina USA organization that spoke in support of the wing of Hamas that carries out terrorism. “And I promise there will be another intifada. You think our children are scared to be martyrs?” he said. Other speakers included Reverend Graylan Hagler, who called on the audience to help “dismantle the State of Israel” and Mauri Saalakhan, who praised Ayatollah Khomeini. Source: World Threats
 In the U.S. and England, organizers are laying the groundwork for a convoy of relief aid destined for Gaza. It would be the third such venture by a group calling itself Viva Palestina. Its two previous trips saw the group deliver medical supplies, ambulances and other goods.
They also included meetings with senior Hamas officials. In March, Viva Palestina's leader, British MP George Galloway, defiantly handed a bag of cash directly to a Hamas minister (click here to see the video from the Middle East Media Research Institute): "I, personally, am about to break the sanctions on the elected government of Palestine. By Allah, we carried a lot of cash here. You thought we were all fat. We are not fat. This is money that we have around our waists ... We are giving you now 100 vehicles and all of the contents. And we make no apology for what I am about to say: We are giving them to the elected government of Palestine; to the Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh." Galloway was a little more circumspect on the second trip to Gaza in July. There was no public ceremony showing the donations. A group of Viva Palestina convoy participants did meet with Haniyeh, however, who praised them "as heroes; you are opening the eyes of the world to the siege in the Strip." The Investigative Project on Terrorism has found ample evidence that Viva Palestina's ultimate objective is political – with the elevation of Hamas at its core. How can we be so sure? Viva Palestina officials repeatedly said so. During that March event with Hamas officials, Galloway held up the bag of cash and said: "This is not charity. This is politics. The government of Palestine is the best people to decide where this money is needed. We are giving this money now to the government of Palestine. And, if I could, I would give them 10 times, 100 times more." That sentiment was echoed on the eve of the sendoff of the Viva Palestina USA convoy which left in July. During a rally in Brooklyn, speaker Lamis Deek told the crowd: "It's not about charity... but in every way that we cut it, it is political." She added: "[I]n choosing Hamas, what they chose was one united Palestinian state on all of the 1948 territories from the north to the very south.
That is what Palestinians chose. And in supporting Palestinian choice we are saying we support their right to liberation from violent colonialism." Read more here ... Source: IPT
 New York City Council member Charles Barron, who also serves as the Chair of the Higher Education Committee, helped lead a convoy with 200 activists to Gaza this summer for a group that openly advocates for the terrorist organization Hamas. Barron (D-Brooklyn) sought advice from the city's Conflict of Interest Board (COIB) prior to his trip: Is it permissible for the group to pay for his travel expenses? A COIB attorney said it "appears that the trip will serve a City purpose," based on the representation Barron offered – that the visit to Gaza would involve delivering relief and medical supplies and meeting "with leaders of charitable organizations, schoolteachers, students, heads of refugee camps, patients and nurses."  Charles Barron, terrorism enablerNew York is America's ultimate melting pot, with sizeable constituencies from all over the world. When a New York City official visits Ireland or Italy, it historically has been viewed as spreading goodwill for New York and thus, serving the city. But it's doubtful those trips involved meetings with leaders of terrorist organizations. Charles Barron's trip to Gaza, along with two of his staff members, was paid by Viva Palestina, a group launched by British Member of Parliament George Galloway who has twice led convoys to Gaza that culminated in meetings with, and delivery of more than $2 million in the form of cash and supplies directly to Hamas officials. The cost of each person's travel was estimated at $2,400. The United States has designated Hamas a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and outlawed providing support to it. Last November, a federal jury in Dallas convicted five former officials of the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development of violating that and other laws like it. Barron came to lead the convoy, which left the United States in July, after Galloway passed him the baton upon reaching Gaza, as noted in an account provided by convoy participant Hector Carreon. According to Carreon's report, Galloway called Barron "one of the most important new and rising voices in the Democratic Party of Barack Obama, the City Councilman of New York City to whom I now hand over formally the leadership the American Viva Palestina convoy, Councilman Charles Barron." Upon their arrival in Gaza, both Galloway and Barron knelt down in a Muslim prayer position. Barron did not respond to calls seeking comment. The Investigative Project on Terrorism has been unable to obtain the letter Barron sent to the COIB detailing what he expected to happen on the trip. However, the response obtained from a COIB attorney includes a summary of Barron's representations – making no mention of meetings with Hamas officials. A COIB attorney said board staffers are not allowed to comment on their communication with city officials. Read more ...Source: IPT NewsCharles Barron
Latest recipient of The Dhimmi Award
 There is an ancient Arab proverb that says, "The enemy of my enemy is my friend." Its meaning is essentially self-explanatory. In the modern world, the phrase can describe the relationship among seemingly disparate people or groups who share a common adversary. It is no surprise that Islamist organizations in the United States espouse support for foreign Islamic terrorist organizations and denounce virtually every US counter-terrorism effort. Such organizations viciously attack Israel and often Jews when issues related to Israeli defense measures against terror attacks come into play. Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) and other Palestinian terror organizations can unleash lethal attacks against Israelis and Jews and nearly any Israeli response will be condemned as a "war crime" against the Palestinian people. A disturbing trend is emerging in America. Those radical Islamists are finding new allies among a number of extreme leftist groups. One example of this is the coalition found in "Viva Palestina USA." Viva Palestina USA is an offshoot of British MP George Galloway's anti-Zionist, pro-Hamas Viva Palestina convoy initiative that has conducted supposed humanitarian aid trips into Gaza, including last month's trip with about 200 Americans as well as more than $1 million in aid for Palestinians in Gaza. Viva Palestina USA claims to be a humanitarian initiative desiring to help needy Palestinians. A previous report by the Investigative Project on Terrorism shows convoy organizers exhibiting clear anti-American, anti-Israel, revolutionary and pro-Hamas sentiments. Read more ...Source: IPT News
Viva Palestina USA, an offshoot of British MP George Galloway's anti-Zionist, pro-Hamas, Viva Palestina convoy initiative, crossed into the Gaza Strip on July 15th, 2009, with 200 Americans as well as more than $1 million worth of aid for Palestinians in Gaza. Viva Palestina USA claims to be a humanitarian initiative desiring to help needy Palestinians. But behind the headline-grabbing trip, events prior to, during and after the trip reveal the anti-American, anti-Israel, revolutionary and pro-Hamas sentiments of its organizers. When Galloway led a Viva Palestina UK convoy to Gaza in March, he started out with 110 trucks filled with supplies. That doubled during a stop in Libya when the Gaddafi International Charity and Development Foundation donated a matching volume of supplies. The Foundation's chairman is Safi Saif Al-Islam Gaddafi, son of Libyan dictator Muammar al-Gaddafi. Read more ...Source: IPT NewsViva Palestina
Latest recipient of The Dhimmi Award
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Egyptian authorities have announced that all aid convoys travelling to Gaza will be banned from travelling across Egypt after a riot broke out at the Rafah border crossing earlier in the week. 
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