Lifestyle

From Wales to Palestine

A convoy of Welsh volunteers have overcome a myriad of obstacles to deliver aid to the people of war-torn Palestine, writes ALUN FÔN ROBERTS…
 

ILLUSIONIST and entertainer Richard Viner (pictured) is back home in Garndolbenmaen, following an arduous month-long trip to the Middle East, accompanying MP George Galloway on the ‘Viva Palestina’ aid convoy, delivering supplies to the besieged people of the Gaza Strip.
Last week it was reported that the convoy, made up of more than 500 volunteers, was within a few miles of reaching their destination.

Events, however, took a turn for the worse, culminating in the deportation of Mr Galloway and the forcible removal from Egypt of convoy volunteers.
As the convoy prepared to depart the port of Al-Arish on the last leg of its 4,453-mile route, port authorities announced that all vehicles were to enter Gaza under Egyptian rules, with only 20 allowed at a time. Convoy members staged a peaceful protest but things quickly deteriorated as over 2,000 Egyptian police, clad in riot gear, began spraying water and tear gas on to the convoy.

According to Richard, the convoy protested because a contingency of American aid cars had earlier been refused entry despite calls from medical representatives in Gaza for the vehicles.
Eventually, the authorities allowed the volunteers passage to Gaza. This was compounded by efforts across the border, as thousands of Palestinians demanded that the convoy be allowed through. Kevin Ovenden, convoy organiser, said: “The level of support internationally for this mission has been tremendous.
“We were understandably in a bit of a bubble - especially when barricaded at the port of Al Arish.
“But, we’ve got some sense of the scale of solidarity and media coverage.”
Describing the welcome received on the convoy’s arrival, Richard said: “When the convoy crossed the Rafah crossing into the Gaza Strip, the welcome was overwhelming.
“Thousands of ordinary people lined the route into Gaza City, breaking into applause as each vehicle passed by.
“By the time we reached the city itself, the Palestinian authorities had laid a welcome reception for us all.”

Convoy members had originally planned to stay in Gaza for three days, distributing aid and seeing for themselves the daily challenges faced by the Palestinian people.
However, the convoy was only allowed to stay for 48-hours, further reduced to a little over 36-hours by the time border checks and paperwork had been completed.
Despite the obstacles faced by the convoy, Richard was able to fulfil his desire and hand over his minibus full of aid to a refuge housing people with disabilities.
“I met the head of the Palestinian Board in Medical Rehab, Dr Khamis A Elessi, who accepted my minibus and all medical supplies,” Richard said.
“I was humbled knowing that children and adults alike would benefit from the aid we carried all the way from Wales.
“I was also able to hand out shoeboxes filled with aid, which were kindly donated by Ysgol Garndolbenmaen.”
Following a brief tour of the heavily bombed region, convoy members spent the night in Gaza.

However, violence escalated when the Israeli army fired rockets at the border between Gaza and Egypt, widely believed to be a militant hotspot.
Ordinary Palestinians had earlier been warned of an imminent attack by the distribution of leaflets from the Israelis - this is apparently the normal course of action prior to an attack.
Richard said: “We were sitting in the hotel lobby when we felt this almighty tremor, followed by a loud explosion.
“It later emerged that the Israeli army had fired a rocket into Gaza, which exploded close to where we were staying.
“If we needed a reminder of how dangerous life in Gaza is, then this was it.”

Richard is no stranger to conflict, having spent several years of his childhood in the Aden Protectorate of Yemen, which was under British occupation up until the late 1960s.
His father, a commander with the Aden Protectorate Levies, had two tours of duty in the region.

Despite the setbacks and arbitrary obstacles faced by the convoy, organisers remain adamant that the mission was a success, and that the siege on Gaza was temporarily broken by the determination and willpower of ordinary people wanting to change the lives of the Palestinians.
Plans are already being drawn up for further activities over the next 12 months to highlight the plight of those living in Palestine.
The ‘Viva Palestina’ convoy and the determination of political figures such as George Galloway have certainly brought fresh publicity to this conflict.
When asked whether he would go back to Palestine if the opportunity arose, Richard said: “I have already put my name forward for any future mission that might take place.
“Even if the Egyptian authorities refuse us entry, we will find alternate means of reaching our Palestinian friends.”