Palestinian Aid Convoy Participant: “American Citizens Are Trapped In Gaza”

BOSTON/Dorchester – For three years, the Israeli and Egyptian governments have blockaded Gaza; preventing locals and foreign nationals from crossing in and out of the tiny occupied territory.

Jeff Klein, a retired machinist and union leader and now an activist with Dorchester People for Peace, recently returned from Gaza following his participation in the Viva Palestina aid convoy from Cairo, Egypt to Gaza City. Klein, interviewed Thursday, August 6, 2009 in the studios of WMBR, Cambridge, says family members of Palestinian-Americans in the convoy (including children who were born in the United States) are trapped within Gaza, and were prevented from crossing back into Egypt when the convoy left Gaza last month.

Open Media Boston could not reach a spokesperson for the U.S. State Department prior to deadline.

In a conversation with OMB News Editor and I.B.I.S. Radio Executive Producer Dave Goodman, Klein relates how the U.S. authorities in Egypt made convoy members sign and pay for affidavits essentially absolving the U.S. government of any responsibility towards the activists if they were to cross the Egyptian border into Gaza. (Editor’s note: they did cross the border, in spite of being given only 24 hours by the Egyptian government to visit and come back)

In addition, says Klein, several Palestinian-American members of his and other aid convoys were not allowed to bring family members back who had visited their homeland on previous trips.

OMB Audio: Jeff Klein of Dorchester People for Peace

The following audio includes the entire conversation with activist Jeff Klein, recorded August 6, 2009 in the studio of WMBR-FM. Klein begins by describing how convoy organizer and british MP George Galloway approached the Palestinian-American community for their support and approval before engaging international activists:

Web Resources:

http://www.vivapalestina-us.org/
http://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/report/impunity-war-crimes-ga...
http://www.dotpeace.org/

Photos courtesy of Jeff Klein