Tag: International Campaign to Open the Rafah Border

Global actions target Egyptian embassies to break Israel’s closure of Gaza

26 August 2011 | International Campaign to Open the Rafah Border

Fed up with the closure of Gaza that has kept more than a million and a half Palestinians locked in to the strip’s tight borders, a beacon call is coming from Gaza and resonating across to Egypt, to break Israel’s siege and re-open the border with Egypt immediately.

Activists from South Africa, to youth leaders of the Egyptian revolution, to European, North and South American, and Asian supporters will present signatures to their respective Egyptian Consulates starting Friday August 26th to demand the permanent re-opening of the Rafah Crossing with Egypt without conditions.

Despite promises by the Egyptian government to open it, approximately 35,000 people wait daily to cross the border. Meanwhile, Israeli air strikes last week killed at least 21 people, including 2 children, and injured at least 80 more.

Actions:

Launching the campaign internationally, on Friday, August 26, South Africans in Pretoria have delivered the petition to their Egyptian embassy, in solidarity with Gazans who share similar circumstances to those under the Apartheid regime. This delegation will be supported by faxes, emails and calls to Pretoria from around the world.

The Egyptian ambassador in South Africa received the delegation, was receptive and promised to follow up. He cited security reasons for the slow flow at the crossing.

Each Friday until September 30, international actions in solidarity with Gaza and in support of the on-going Egyptian people’s movement will request that the Egyptian Supreme Council of the Armed Forces honor the human dignity and freedom of its own people and the people of Gaza by opening the Rafah Crossing permanently and unconditionally.

Today, the South African embassy is receiving emails, faxes and calls from across the globe in support of the delegation to Pretoria.

The full text of the petition and signatories is available at: petition.

Click to see the petition’s Facebook page

Email contact: rafahcrossingcampaign@gmail.com

IMORB: End the siege on Gaza, open the Rafah border

Dear friends,

Please take a few minutes on Monday to call the Egyptian embassy in your country to demand the Rafah border be opened!

Since June 13, when International Movement to Open the Rafah Border members set their sit-in at the Rafah Gate, we witnessed the Egyptian authorities’ collaboration in the Gaza siege enforced by the Israeli government with the US an international community support.

Even after the Viva Palestina folks and some aid got into Gaza, the plight of the people waiting to get out or into Gaza has not changed,

Please call the Egyptian embassy Monday, July 20. Please spread this call far and wide. It will make a difference to so many Palestinians, And for those who can, come and join us at the Rafah Gate. Come and witness these tragedies at the border.

Below details of Egyptian embassies in 40 countries

Ambassade d’Egypte à Alger, Algérie
Tél: (213) 21 69 16 73
Fax: (213) 21 69 29 52

Egyptian Consulate in Sydney, Australia
Phone: (61 2) 9281-4844
Fax: (61 2) 9281-4344
Web Site: http://www.egypt.org.au
Email: consular@egypt.org.au,visa@egypt.org.au
Office Hours: 9:00 am – 3:00 pm Open to public: 9:30 am – 2:00 pm

Egyptian Embassy in Canberra, Australia
Phone: (00612) 6273 4437 – 6273 4438
Fax: (00612) 6273 4279
Email: egyembassy@bigpond.com
Office Hours: Monday – Friday: 9.00 a.m. – 4.00 p.m.

Egyptian Consulate in Melbourne, Australia
Phone: (00613) 9654 8869
Fax: (00613) 9654 8634
Office Hours: Monday-Friday: 9.00 a.m. – 3.00 p.m.

Ambassade d’Egypte à Bruxelles, Belgique
Tél : (02) 663.5800
Fax : (02) 675.5888

Egyptian Embassy in Brasilia, Brazil
Phone: +55.61.3323.8800
Fax: +55.61.3323.1039
Email: embegito@opengate.com.br, eg.emb_brasilia@mfa.gov.eg
Office Hours: Mo Fr: 9:00 17:00

Egyptian Embassy in Ottawa, Canada
Phone: (613)234-4931, (613)234-4935
Fax: (613)234-4398
Email: egyptemb@sympatico.ca
Office Hours: Monday to Friday from 9 am to 4 pm.

Egyptian Embassy in Beijing, China
Phone: (8610) 6532 1825
Fax: (8610) 6532 5365
Email: eg_emb_bj@yahoo.com

Egyptian Embassy in Nicosia, Cyprus
Phone: 00357 22449050/1
Fax: 00357 22449081
Email: info@egyptianembassy.org.cy

Egyptian Embassy in Prague, Czech Republic
Phone: +420 224 311 506
Fax: +420 224 311 157
Email: embassyegypt@centrum.cz
Office Hours: Monday through Friday from 09.00 to 16.00

Sr. Embajador de la República Árabe de Egipto en Madrid, España
TEL: (0034) 915776308 – 915776309 – 915776310
FAX: (00.34) 915781732
egyptemb@teleline.es, embegipto.alicia@gmail.com

Ambassade d’Egypte à Paris, France
Tel : 01 53678830-32
Fax: 01 47230643

Consulat d’Egypte à Marseille, France
Tel : 04 91 25 04 04
Fax: 04 91 73 79 31

Consulat d’Egypte à Paris, France
Tel : 0145009989 – 0145007427 – 0145007710
Fax: 0145003528
Email: Paris_Con@mfa.gov.eg

Egyptian Embassy in Berlin, Germany
Phone: 030 477 54 70
Fax: 030 477 10 49
Web Site: http://www.egyptian-embassy.de/
Email: Embassy@egyptian-embassy.de

Egyptian Consulate in Hamburg, Germany
Phone: 0049 – 40-413326 0
Fax: 0049 – 40-413326 19
Email: gen-kons-et-hh@gmx.de, eg.con_hamburg@mfa.gov.eg
Office Hours: Application: Monday to Friday from 09:00 to 12:00

Egyptian Embassy in Athens, Greece
Phone: 210 36 18 612 13
Fax: 210 36 03 538
Email: emb.egypt@yahoo.gr, eg.emb_athens@mfa.gov.eg

Egyptian Embassy in Budapest, Hungary
Phone: (+361) 225-2150
Fax: (+361) 225-8596
Email: egyemb@pronet.hu, eg.emb_budapest@mfa.gov.eg
Office Hours: Mo Fr: 9:00 17:00

Egyptian Embassy in New Delhi, India
Phone: 26114096/7
Fax: 26885355
Email: egyptdel@spectranet.com
Office Hours: Monday till Friday 9am till 4 pm

Egyptian Embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia
Phone: (+6221) 3143440, 31935350, 31931141
Fax: (+6221) 3145073
Email: egypt@indosat.net.id
Office Hours: Office hours: 8:30 am 4:00 pm

Egyptian Embassy in Dublin, Ireland
Phone: +353-1-6606718
Fax: +353-1-6683745
Email: info@embegyptireland.ie

Egyptian Embassy in Roma, Italy
Phone: +39-6-8440192 – +39-6-8440191
Fax: +39-6-8554424
Email: amb.egi@pronet.it

Egypt Consulate General , Milano, Italy
Phone: +39-2-9516360 – +39-2-9526482
Fax: +39-2-9518194

Egyptian Embassy in Tokyo, Japan
Phone: 03-3770-8022(3)
Fax: 03-3770-8021
Web Site: http://www.embassy-avenue.jp/egypt/
Email: egyptemb@mc.kcom.ne.jp

Egyptian Embassy in Amman, Jordan
Phone: 5605175 / 5605176 / 5605202 /5605203
Fax: 5604082
Email: egypt@tedata.net.jo, embegypt@tedata.net.jo
Office Hours: Sunday to Thursday 9 a.m. – 4 p.m

Egyptian Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya
Phone: 3870298-3870278-3870360
Fax: 3870383
Email: egypt@wananchi.com
Office Hours: Embassy Working Hours: From 09:00 till 16:30

Egyptian Embassy in Benghazi, Libya
Phone: 00218612232522
Fax: 00218612232523
Email: Egyptian_Consulate_Ben@yahoo.com
Office Hours: Working Hours Daily from 8:30 am till 3:00 pm

Ambassade d’Egypte à Rabat, Maroc
Tél: (212) 37 73 18 33
Fax: (212) 37 70 68 21

Ambassade d’Egypte en Mauritanie
Tél: (222) 25 21 92

Egyptian Embassy in The Hague, Netherlands
Phone: +31 (0) 70-354 20 00, +31 (0) 70-354 45 35
Fax: +31 (0) 70-354 33 04
Office Hours: From 8.30 a.m. To 15.30 p.m.

Egyptian Embassy in Oslo, Norway
Phone: +47 22 44 77 67 or +47 23 08 42 00
Fax: +47 22 56 22 68
Web Site: http://www.egypt-embassy.no/
Email: Counsellor@egypt-embassy.no
Office Hours: 09.00-15.00

Egyptian Embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan
Phone: +92 (51) 2209072 or 2209082
Fax: (+92) 51 2279552
Office Hours: Monday to Friday, 10:00am to 12:00 pm

Egyptian Embassy in Lisbon, Portugal
Phone: +351-1-213018301
Fax: +351-213017909
Email: egiptembassy@ip.pt

Egyptian Embassy in Bucharest, Romania
Phone: (4021) 2110938 – 2110939
Fax: (4021) 2100337
Email: Embassyofegypt@gmail.com
Office Hours: The Chancellery Monday to Friday; from 0900 to 1700

Egyptian Embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Phone: 009661)4810159 – 4831275
4810427 – 4831367 – 4810464
Fax: (009661)4810463
Web Site: http://www.mfa.gov.eg/missions/ksa/riyadh/embassy/en-gb/
Email: Riyadh_emb@mfa.gov.eg

Egyptian Embassy in Singapore, Singapore
Phone: (+65) 67371587 / (+65) 67371811
Fax: (+65) 67323422
Email: eg.emb_singapore@mfa.gov.eg
Office Hours: Mon – Fri: 9.00 am – 3.00 pm

Egyptian Embassy in Seoul, South Korea
Phone: 00 822/ 749-0787, 749-0788, 749-0789
Fax: 00 822/ 795-2588
Email: embassyegyptkorea@yahoo.com

Egyptian Embassy in Stockholm, Sweden
Phone: (46 8) 662 9687 or 662 9603 or 660 3145
Fax: (46 8) 661 2664

Egyptian Embassy in Bern, Switzerland
Phone: 031 352 80 12 / 13
Fax: 031 352 06 25
Office Hours: Opening hours: Monday Friday 09.00 14.00

Egyptian Consulate in Geneva, Switzerland
Phone: 022 347 62 55
Fax: 022 346 05 71
Office Hours: 09.00 15.00

Ambassade d’Egypte en Tunisie
Tél: +216 71 792 233 / 841 192
Fax: +216 71 794 389

Egyptian Embassy in Ankara, Turkey
Phone: 09003124261026 / 00903124682240 / 00903124266132
Fax: 0090312- 4270099
Email: egyembassyankara@yahoo.com, eg.emb_ankara@mfa.gov.eg
Office Hours: Working Hours of the embassy:- 9 am -4 pm

Egyptian Embassy in Kiev, Ukraine
Phone: 272-13-27 / 486-65-30
Fax: 4869428
Email: eg.emb_kiev@mfa.gov.eg

Egyptian Embassy in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Phone: 4445656 4445566
Fax: 4449878
Office Hours: 9 am till 4 pm.

Egyptian Consulate in Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Phone: 3971122
Fax: 2971033

Egyptian Embassy in London, United Kingdom
Phone: 020 7235 9777
Fax: 020 7235 6562
Email: info@egyptianconsulate.co.uk

Egyptian Consulate in London, United Kingdom
Phone: 020 7235 9777
Fax: 09065 540 833
Email: consulate.london@mfa.gov.eg
Office Hours: Opening Hours: Monday-

Egyptian Embassy in Washington D.C., United States
Phone: (+1) (202) 8955400
Fax: (+1) (202) 2444319
Email: embassy@egyptembdc.org

Egyptian Consulate in Chicago, United States
Phone: (312) 828-9162-3-4
Fax: (312) 828-9167
Email: egyptianembassy@cantv.com.ve
Office Hours: 9:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Egyptian Consulate in Houston, United States
Phone: (713)961 4915 (713)9614916 (713)9614407
Fax: (713) 9613868
Office Hours: = From 9:00 AM Till 3:00 PM

Egyptian Consulate in New York, United States
Phone: +212-759-7120/1/2
Fax: +1212-308-7643
Web Site: http://www.egyptnyc.net/
Email: info@egyptnyc.net

Egyptian Embassy in Caracas, Venezuela
Phone: 0058212 9926259
Fax: 0058212 9931555
Email: egyptianembassy@cantv.com.ve
Office Hours: From 9 am till 3:30 pm

In solidarity,
International Movement to Open Rafah Border

Joy and shame at Rafah

International Movement to Open the Rafah Border

16 July 2009

Yesterday, July 15, should have been a day of rejoicing here at Rafah Gate because the Viva Palestina convoy had finally been authorized to enter Gaza, but it turned into a nightmare for the many Palestinian families held up on the Egyptian side. Finally, at 10 pm we were smiling again when we saw Jenny Linnel and Nathalie Abu Chakra, two members of ISM-Gaza come through the Gate. The Egyptians had been denying them entry because they had arrived in Gaza on board the ships of the Free Gaza movement.

For those who don’t know the Rafah Gate, the frontier between Egypt and Gaza is situated in the middle of nowhere– 2 kilometers from Rafah. There is no hotel; the Egyptian police have closed the town to foreigners and have installed dozens of checkpoints—I would say one every 50 meters! And you can’t tell me it’s to stop contraband headed to Gaza because all the pathways leading to the tunnels are wide open.

Large numbers of Palestinian families denied entry for weeks on end–or longer—are forced to live in hotels in El Arish, a seaside resort 40 kilometers from the border. Because it’s high season, the hotels have hiked up their rates, so it costs these families a fortune. And that’s without the taxi fares. The price of a taxi between El Arish and Rafah is anywhere from 35 to more than 100 Egyptian pounds, and if you want to avoid the checkpoints, it can run to close to 300 pounds.

Among these families are Palestinians living abroad who have come to visit their families, to attend weddings; others are returning from hospital stays in Egypt or abroad; there are also young people who have finished their studies etc….Everyone has his or her own story.

Elated at news of the arrival of the Viva Palestina convoy, many of these families, exhausted and in debt, came today to try their luck at Rafah, hoping that the Egyptian police would be more lenient and that they might be able to get some help from members of the convoy.

But that was, unfortunately, not the case: for these families the day turned into a nightmare. They had arrived early in order not to miss the convoy, so they waited all day in the scorching sun. The first members of the convoy began to arrive around 2 pm in buses under heavy security.

Then the horror began: at this very moment, the Egyptian riot police set upon the Palestinian families them and began forcibly evacuating them. People were shouting, screaming, weeping—and the cops kept on beating them savagely.

We tried to slip into Rafah Gate in the midst of the confusion. We even succeeded, but were then dragged back out.

The scene we were witnessing was once again so shocking that Iman, furious, was shouting insults at Mubarak and his minions.

Laila got into one of the buses and called for the help of the members of the convoy, but they replied that there was nothing they could do. “We want to get into Gaza and we don’t want any trouble.”

A man in the bus called out, “I’m a Palestinian.” And one Palestinian woman, stuck in Egypt for many days couldn’t help saying to him, “Oh, fine, you’re a Palestinian from America and I’m a Palestinian from Gaza. You can get in and I am not even allowed to return to my home in Gaza.” By then the Egyptian police had arrived and they pulled Leila and this woman out of the bus.

No contact between Palestinians and foreigners. That has been the order of the day every day since we pitched our tents here at Rafah.

We can understand the attitude of the members of this impressive convoy, with its buses, refrigerator trucks and vans. It has been so difficult for them to get this far with half of their humanitarian aid(the other half was confiscated in Alexandria) that it was hard for them to jeopardize delivery of the remaining supplies by attempting to help the people they were watching being beaten up before their very eyes. They would have been heavily penalized—they would have been refused entry into Gaza.

How can one comprehend Egyptian policy? How can one understand these Egyptian policemen who viciously beat the Palestinians and treat them like sub-humans, like enemies? Why prevent the Palestinians from returning to their own homes? Who gives the orders? Why not tell them what procedures they need to follow? And, by the way, is there one? We have asked these questions countless times, and each time we got a different answer. The only thing we are sure of is that the Egyptian authorities are pathologically corrupt, that they collaborate willingly with the Zionist entity and that they lie to their police force and army units to make sure they keep mistreating the Palestinians.

We are going to wait for the return of the Viva Palestina convoy and we hope they will not be satisfied with 24 hours in Gaza, because the border is still closed, especially for Palestinians.

PS : A good news : Kefiah Ib Mousa Hamed, the Palestinian woman with kidney problems we found lying on the ground in front of Rafah gate some days ago came back and was the only one to be allowed to enter into Gaza.

International activists continue protests at Rafah border

International Campaign to Open the Rafah Border

12 July 2009

We are actually 16 people in our camp with mainly Egyptian activists.
Yesterday afternoon, the Egyptian authorities put barbed wire at the door of the bathroom and cut the water, so now, we have no more access to the bathroom.

Chris says : “Fortunately, I managed yesterday morning to take a shower, after climbing over the bathroom iron gate, so now we will keep dirty. I’m happy to be here again, because this is, may be, the lonely place in the world where you can feel free. We are moving freely, we are challenging the Egyptian authorities, Israel and the worldwide community and we ask them to lift this infamous siege.”

We are waiting the Galloway convoy which has been stopped by the Egyptian authorities at the Moubarak Peace Bridge checkpoint.
It is a shame to see how Americans civilians are treated by the Egyptian authorities.

At the border, we are seeing daily the American forces convoy who come and enter into the Rafah gate (don’t know why they are coming every day and what they are doing inside) but when it comes to American civilians, they are denied to move freely in Egypt.
It is due to their commitment in helping Gaza people who are suffering from an humanitarian crisis.

Last week, G8 members called for an end of the Gaza siege but it seems Egypt did hear nothing. We will not talk about the racist Zionist entity because we know that they never care about other people, particularly Palestinian people, and the whole world accepts it.

Galloway convoy update
The Egyptian authorities didn’t allow them to cross the Moubarak Peace Bridge and to enter into Sinai
They are safe and back in Cairo…. They will try again on Monday!

How to help Viva Palestina Convoy ?

Contact the Egyptian embassy in Washington DC and call for the immediate release of the Viva Palestina convoy. Call 202-966-6342, fax 202-244-4319 and e-mail embassy@egyptembdc.org

Steadfastness and solidarity at the Rafah border

16 June 2009

Under pressure from the Egyptian army and the police, the International Movement to Open the Rafah Border ( IMORB), is maintaining their camp at the Rafah Border. The group is growing; now 26 people from France, USA, Germany, Egypt, Belgium, and Sweden.

Yesterday, our Italian friend left us for his job in Italy, but a German woman, Alona, married to a Palestinian from Rafah, joined us with her six children, aged 2 to 12. She wants to return to live with her husband and other three children in Gaza. After Egyptian authorities denied her entrance, she said, “I am coming from Germany and I don’t wish to go back to sleep in El Arish. I come here and I only want one thing: to go to Gaza.” By phone, her husband asked his family to join the IMORB camp.

This morning we were joined by a Palestinian refugee, Mohammad, a PFLP (Palestinian Front for Liberation of Palestine) activist who spent 24 years in Israeli prison and has been living in Belgium. Mohammad’s daughter, a diabetic student in Gaza, is now in need of insulin. “Since June 8, the Egyptian authority has denied my exodus from Egypt. I heard about your camp and I decided to come and stay with you. The rumor says the border will be open Wednesday [6/17] so I will stay and wait.”

Nine Swedish Palestinians, including four children, have also joined the border camp.

Since we set up camp two days ago (6/13) Egyptian police and intelligence agents have been visiting us periodically. Each night Colonel Mohammad speaks to us, but allows us to stay, after first threatening to expel us by force.

When he came to us last night he showed more tolerance and ordered the toilets, adjoining the cafeteria, opened, which had been closed by General Khalil Harb to pressure us to leave.

This morning policemen came and asked us to put down the tents. We explained that we need the tents for the children to take their naps later. They pressured us no more on this issue.

After yesterday morning’s visit, General Harb, came after midnight and said, “this is a closed military zone, and your presence here is unacceptable. We will use any means necessary to remove you.”

In spite of all this pressure, the IMORB persists. They stated, “we will leave only when the border will be opened.”

Our presence is reinforced by support from the Egyptian population, some of whom have brought us blankets, mattresses and other supplies. This morning an unknown man brought us fresh bread. Then a child brought some fooul, a traditional breakfast meal, that was most delicious.

Yesterday evening a policeman came to us wearing a Palestinian kifeyeh around his neck and offered us some chai.

All these demonstrations of support help us to persist in spite of the precarious situation, what Alona calls a “five star hotel.”