Despite George Galloway's
insistence that all of the aid of his "Viva Palestina" convoy go through Rafah, he ended up caving - all the while
declaring victory:
An agreement was reached late Sunday afternoon between the Egyptian authorities and Galloway that medical aid and all 500 convoy members were to go through Rafah, while non-medical aid such as food, toys, and clothes would be emptied from Viva Palestina trucks and repackaged by the Red Crescent to enter Gaza from the Awja border, which Israeli security controls.
Israel requires specific packaging of non-medical supplies so the trucks had to be emptied in Arish and the supplies repackaged in 120 cm. wide wooden boxes and wrapped, Ahmed Orabi, Head of the Red Crescent office in Sinai, told AlArabiya.net. Israeli security officials then scan them on the Israeli side of the Awja border before taking the boxes to Karam Abu Salem border to be delivered to Gaza.
This is exactly what Galloway vowed not to let happen just yesterday:
To give in to this would be to admit to Israeli command and control, which we can't do....we can't accept a special favour from Israel which, for almost two years, has sealed the borders and starved the Palestinian people, a communal punishment which is illegal under the Geneva Conventions.
Well, telling the truth was never exactly one of Galloway's strong suits.
