From an editorial in the Egyptian newspaper Al-Masry Al-Youm titled “Egypt to Gaza: The road begins here“:
As part of Egypt’s conscience and its rising revolutionary fabric, we at Al-Masry Al-Youm call for a public campaign to invite the Freedom Flotilla II to sail to the Gaza Strip from one of Egypt’s ports.
While we believe the Freedom Flotilla II is better off sailing from Egypt for logistical reasons, we also think the decision gives a strong political message. This is the political message of enacting popular solidarity with the Palestinian cause and challenging the incumbent naval blockade. This is also our chance to rewrite a shameful political history of Egypt sponsoring the blockade, especially during Israel’s war on the strip during the 2009 Cast Lead operation, when over 1000 Palestinians – mostly civilians – lost their lives.
“The Audacity of Hope” is one of the flotilla ships names as well as the title of Barack Obama’s autobiography, written before he became US president. This title acknowledges the fact that regular citizens are the real makers of history. The status quo will not be changed through countries and institutions alone, but through people’s struggle against the blind clinging to power.
This was the logic behind the 25 January revolution, during which millions of Egyptians raised the slogan “dignity” to reinvent the meaning of their humanity and determine their own futures.
Now that we’re in the process of reclaiming our history and dignity, our struggle transcends borders and nation states and extends to other sagas of oppression. Gaza, as part of the Palestinian cause, has its place in our collective consciousness. The struggle of its one-and-a-half million people is one with which we identify, and we’re re-awakened to it in light of our on-going struggle. Moreover, the road to Gaza begins in Egypt, the natural point of departure for any quest to break the blockade, in force since 2007.
For these reasons, Freedom Flotilla II must sail from Egypt.
Read the entire editorial here and follow the discussion around the proposal on Twitter.
