I’ve been busy organising the Wagga ‘From Gaza with love’ talk of Palestinian Dr Mona El-Farra on Monday 27 May, only to hear today that she is trapped in Gaza because the border crossing is closed! There are only two or three crossings, and it usually the Israelis that closed there’s, but Dr. El-Farra was due out via the Egyptian one, which is usually not closed. Apparently it is closed because of military exercises in Sinai. How frustrating.
We should know within 24 or 48 hours whether or not she can catch her flight from Cairo, but regardless of the Wagga and subsequent talks, it will be too late for the Sydney ones,which were scheduled to begin her national tour.
I was enjoying setting up the Wagga talk, as it was another, albeit small, activity of my being an ‘Ambassador for Palestine’ project, post my Palestine Peace Project volunteer trip.
I’ll keep you posted.
I’ve been reminded by a colleague from the Palestine Peace Camp I took part in during December 2012 that it is time to publicise our follow up event planned for July 2014, in which I intend to participate and am really looking forward to. It is called Breaking the Barrier and aims to bring Healing, Reconciliation and a Just Peace to the Palestine / Israel by jointly deconstructing the mental and physical barriers!
Much detail on the Ben Zygier case was revealed on the ABC’s ‘Foreign Correspondent’ program last night. Seems that in order establish his credentials as a Mossad agent to foreign interests (‘Hezbollah’?) he compromised a Mossad case and so committed suicide. What interests me is that the story broke here in Australia rather than Israel, and as far as I can tell, the only public investigations have been here, and by the media to boot. The Israeli government and its obsessive secrecy has a lot to answer for, especially as to how the way it and its agencies operate can drive an Australian citizen to suicide. Enough said.
Just returned from a ‘Gaza Ark’ boat building project to break the Israeli blockade fundraising cruise on Sydney Harbour, which I learned about through Greens MP David Shoebridge and the ‘Parliamentary Friends of Palestine’. Very worthwhile and very enjoyable. Also really good feedback from David and other NSW Greens MP John Kaye and Senator Lee Rhiannon about my ‘Political Debate’ talk on Palestine at the Greens NSW state council meeting we hosted in Wagga last Saturday
Co-presented a political discussion on Palestine with Greens Senator Lee Rhiannon Greens state meeting in Wagga last Saturday. It went well. I’m pleased that the Greens provided me with this opportunity and also pleased that I’m able to create opportunities to ‘act as an ambassador for Palestine’, as I undertook to do as I left the Peace Camp in Bethlehem at the beginning of January.
The entire Greens meeting, which we, the Riverina Greens, hosted and I organised, also went well. The business of the agenda was well and productively conducted, catering was great, and socially it was very successful. Good PR for us, and thanks to Jenny, George and William for catering, Kevin at the registration desk, and Ros for our local group report as our Convenor.
Tonight (Friday 26 April) looking forward to Greens MP Cate Faehrmann’s free public lecture at 5.30 on ‘Dying with Dignity’ bill at the Commercial Club, Gurwood Street, Wagga.
The at the weekend we, the Riverina Greens, are hosting the Greens NSW State Delegates’ Council in Wagga Wagga. Should keep me busy and on my toes.
Interesting to hear that the Israeli’s aren’t bringing any charges against anyone over the suicide of ‘Prisoner X’, the bi-national Ben Zygier spy. Looks rather like they are covering up Mossad’s mistakes.
