Another ship heading to Gaza
Photo: AFP
Arab MKs to sail to Gaza
Arab Knesset members decide to take action, say they want 'Gaza babies to smile for a day'
A ship carrying Arab Knesset members and humanitarian aid, including medicine, food, and toys will be departing from the Jaffa Port Sunday and heading to the Gaza Strip.
"The Feast of Sacrifice will be held Monday, and we wish to see Gaza babies smiling for at least one day," said Zahi Nujaidat, of the Committee against the Siege, which initiated the move.
The ongoing Gaza blockade stirs great interest among Arab Israelis, and in recent days a large quantity of donated good was collected at many communities nationwide. Arab parties in Israel also held rallies to protest the situation under the Islamic Movement's auspices. Several Arab Knesset members attended the demonstrations.
The MKs, including Mohammad Barakeh and Ibraim Sarsur, said Israel is starving Strip residents, yet on Wednesday they decided to shift from words to actions.
"The decision was taken in the face of the critical situation of babies, women, and the elderly in the Strip," Nujaidat said. "This situation does not allow us to sit by idly in light of the chutzpah of the Israeli government, which doesn't care about the lives of Gazans."
Most Arab Knesset members are expected to sail on the ship, along with the Islamic Movement's Northern Branch Head, Sheikh Raed Salah.
"We hope the ship will mark our contribution to ending the siege," Nujaidat said. "The Feast of Sacrifice will be held Monday, and there are hundreds of families in Gaza that have nothing to eat…we hope that the goods we'll be bringing mitigate their ongoing pain, even if a little."
In recent months, three ships were able to reach the Gaza Strip despite Israel's blockade. The pervious ships were carrying foreign activists and parliamentarians.
