ITEM: BBC report: US supplies steel, US military supplies engineering and installation of subterranean steel barriers along path of Israel-Gaza-Egypt (imprisonment) wall, in order to cut off Gazan access to tunnels.

The BBC reported yesterday that the wall, which was designed by the US military, will reach about 18 metres into the ground in order to block as many as 1,000 tunnels that now allow goods and people to flow from Egypt into the Gaza Strip, which has been blockaded by Israel since 2007. http://mondoweiss.net/?p=12938#comment-135477 <b>UPDATE</b> from AFP <blockquote>CAIRO — Protest leaders stranded in Cairo accepted an Egyptian offer on Tuesday to allow only 100 out of about 1,300 protesters into blockaded Gaza after the activists staged demonstrations and a hunger strike. The decision split delegates from more than 40 countries who came to Cairo planning to reach the Palestinian enclave, which shares the Rafah border crossing with Egypt. Some organisers said Egypt's offer was a victory after it initially refused to allow any of the protesters into the Gaza Strip for the Gaza Freedom March, which is scheduled to take place on Thursday. "It's a partial victory," said Medea Benjamin, an American activist and one of the demonstrations organisers. "It shows that mass pressure has an effect." They said the foreign ministry offered to let them choose 100 delegates who would be allowed into Gaza. They were due to leave Cairo for Gaza on Wednesday morning.</blockquote> UPDATE from AFP

CAIRO — Protest leaders stranded in Cairo accepted an Egyptian offer on Tuesday to allow only 100 out of about 1,300 protesters into blockaded Gaza after the activists staged demonstrations and a hunger strike.

The decision split delegates from more than 40 countries who came to Cairo planning to reach the Palestinian enclave, which shares the Rafah border crossing with Egypt.

Some organisers said Egypt’s offer was a victory after it initially refused to allow any of the protesters into the Gaza Strip for the Gaza Freedom March, which is scheduled to take place on Thursday.

“It’s a partial victory,” said Medea Benjamin, an American activist and one of the demonstrations organisers. “It shows that mass pressure has an effect.”

They said the foreign ministry offered to let them choose 100 delegates who would be allowed into Gaza. They were due to leave Cairo for Gaza on Wednesday morning.

]]> http://mondoweiss.net/2009/12/egyptian-security-forces-detain-gaza-freedom-march-protesters-possibly-at-the-request-of-the-us-embassy.html/comment-page-1#comment-135467 potsherd Wed, 30 Dec 2009 00:39:27 +0000 http://mondoweiss.net/?p=12938#comment-135467 Mubarak sucks up to Netanyahu, allows Jewish pilgrims from Israel. http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1138668.html <blockquote>Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak Tuesday acceded to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's request to allow hundreds of Jewish pilgrims to visit the tomb of Rabbi Yaakov Abuhatzeira near Alexandria at the end of next week. Citing security concerns, Egyptian authorities had initially refused to allow a traditional hilula, or remembrance ceremony held on the anniversary of a revered rabbi's death, to take place at the tomb.</blockquote> Mubarak had better be careful. This is how the settlers took over Hebron. Next thing he knows, there'll be Jews-only roads to Alexandria and IDF checkpoints on Egyptian soil. Mubarak sucks up to Netanyahu, allows Jewish pilgrims from Israel. link to haaretz.com

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak Tuesday acceded to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s request to allow hundreds of Jewish pilgrims to visit the tomb of Rabbi Yaakov Abuhatzeira near Alexandria at the end of next week.

Citing security concerns, Egyptian authorities had initially refused to allow a traditional hilula, or remembrance ceremony held on the anniversary of a revered rabbi’s death, to take place at the tomb.

Mubarak had better be careful. This is how the settlers took over Hebron. Next thing he knows, there’ll be Jews-only roads to Alexandria and IDF checkpoints on Egyptian soil.

]]> http://mondoweiss.net/2009/12/egyptian-security-forces-detain-gaza-freedom-march-protesters-possibly-at-the-request-of-the-us-embassy.html/comment-page-1#comment-135314 Update: Egyptian security forces confront Gaza Freedom March … American Me Tue, 29 Dec 2009 19:36:18 +0000 http://mondoweiss.net/?p=12938#comment-135314 [...] original post here:  Update: Egyptian security forces confront Gaza Freedom March … By admin | category: american, american embassy | tags: 2797-3300, cairo-ironically, [...] [...] original post here:  Update: Egyptian security forces confront Gaza Freedom March … By admin | category: american, american embassy | tags: 2797-3300, cairo-ironically, [...]

]]> http://mondoweiss.net/2009/12/egyptian-security-forces-detain-gaza-freedom-march-protesters-possibly-at-the-request-of-the-us-embassy.html/comment-page-1#comment-135267 VR Tue, 29 Dec 2009 18:11:30 +0000 http://mondoweiss.net/?p=12938#comment-135267 My recommendation is that all of those in Egypt who support the cessation of the siege of Gaza start marching toward where the world March representatives are being harassed. With this process it invokes the fear of the Egyptian puppet dictatorship that their grip on the people will unravel, and a fair tool to open the door to Gaza. Indeed, the Egyptian puppet is hanging by a mere thread presently, and the brutal and callous treatment of the Palestinians in Gaza is a mere extension of what they have and will summarily inflict on the people of Egypt. My recommendation is that all of those in Egypt who support the cessation of the siege of Gaza start marching toward where the world March representatives are being harassed. With this process it invokes the fear of the Egyptian puppet dictatorship that their grip on the people will unravel, and a fair tool to open the door to Gaza. Indeed, the Egyptian puppet is hanging by a mere thread presently, and the brutal and callous treatment of the Palestinians in Gaza is a mere extension of what they have and will summarily inflict on the people of Egypt.

]]> http://mondoweiss.net/2009/12/egyptian-security-forces-detain-gaza-freedom-march-protesters-possibly-at-the-request-of-the-us-embassy.html/comment-page-1#comment-135227 yonira Tue, 29 Dec 2009 17:25:43 +0000 http://mondoweiss.net/?p=12938#comment-135227 where does it say they were beat up? where does it say they were beat up?

]]> http://mondoweiss.net/2009/12/egyptian-security-forces-detain-gaza-freedom-march-protesters-possibly-at-the-request-of-the-us-embassy.html/comment-page-1#comment-135221 aparisian Tue, 29 Dec 2009 17:19:13 +0000 http://mondoweiss.net/?p=12938#comment-135221 Excellent post Thank you Phil Excellent post Thank you Phil

]]> http://mondoweiss.net/2009/12/egyptian-security-forces-detain-gaza-freedom-march-protesters-possibly-at-the-request-of-the-us-embassy.html/comment-page-1#comment-135219 Chaos4700 Tue, 29 Dec 2009 17:15:37 +0000 http://mondoweiss.net/?p=12938#comment-135219 Obama's a real man of the people, isn't he? Obama’s a real man of the people, isn’t he?

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