ISRAEL: International Palestinian and Israeli activists erect playground on Israeli side of the Gaza border

Record ID: 396229

  • Title: ISRAEL: International Palestinian and Israeli activists erect playground on Israeli side of the Gaza border
  • Date: 10th June 2009
  • Summary: ACTIVIST BLOWING SOAP BUBBLES ACTIVIST BEHIND LINE TALKING TO POLICEMAN MORE OF ACTIVISTS TALKING TO POLICEMEN ADAMS HOLDING PASSPORTS GETS ON HIS KNEES CLOSE OF ADAMS' FACE
  • Embargoed: 25th June 2009 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Israel
  • Country: Israel
  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVA978SXQ6P1Z2IBYB1ATSURW0VU
  • Story Text: Dozens of international, Palestinian and Israeli peace activists protested at the Israeli side of the Erez border crossing, against the Israeli blockade on the Gaza Strip.
    Activists, in pink shirts, Israeli army outfits and even a clown costume, erected a playground at the border to bring attention to the blockade that Arabs say has left Palestinians in the territory with dangerous low levels of basic necessities.
    "We are doing some activities to end the siege, and deliver a message of what we see here of barriers, of the siege, to the world," Lana Ghazakia, a Palestinian activist said on Monday (June 8).
    The protest was organised by the the Coalition of Women for Peace and the American group Code Pink after members of the groups were banned to transfer humanitarian aid to a small number of the 1.5 million people in Gaza Strip on Sunday (June 7).
    American activist Patch Adams received most of the attention after dressing up as a clown and presenting an Israeli border policeman a dead fish together with his passport.
    "I am here to try to bring light to this horrible situation here. The 60 years that the Palestinians have been held in jail of the Israeli government. And to try to draw attention," Adams said.
    Since the Islamists seized control of Gaza in 2007, ousting forces of the Fatah movement of Western-backed President Mahmoud Abbas, Israel has completely blocked the entry of cement and steel, which it says Hamas will use for military purposes.
    Gaza's residents are facing a humanitarian crisis, hospitals are without basic medicines. A World Bank study says without aid, the percentage of families in poverty in the West Bank and Gaza jumped from 44 percent to 67 percent.
    Gaza relies on daily supplies of international aid, which is delivered via Israel and subject to Israeli approval.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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