Houston activist delivers aid to Gaza

Palestinian-American activist Sahar Abusada returned home and was greeted by a welcoming crowd at the airport in Houston Feb. 28. Abusada had raised money in Houston to buy 140 large tents and 280 blankets for families in Gaza who are homeless due to the recent Israeli bombing.

When Abusada came through customs she was greeted with cheers and bouquets of flowers given to her by family and fellow activists.

Sahar Abusada (holding flowers) returns to Houston after delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza. WW photos

Abusada flew to Cairo to purchase the tents and blankets and coordinated the delivery of the supplies with the Palestinian Red Crescent. She had hoped to be allowed into her homeland to follow the aid to its destination in the north of Gaza.

However, when she attempted to enter Gaza from the Rafah border, Abusada, who was born in Gaza, was twice denied entry by Egyptian government officials despite having an “official permission letter” from the U.S. Embassy.

Sahar Abusada back in Houston.

“One thing worth noting is the contrasting sentiments of the Egyptian people and the Egyptian government with regard to the Gaza issue,” said Abusada. “From the moment I arrived in Cairo I felt nothing but support for Palestine on all levels, ranging from the tent merchant who sold the tents to us at cost, to the workers loading the trucks who refused to be paid, to the inspectors at the check points who did everything possible to facilitate our safe passage. Their warmth and encouragement was truly a sign of the support of the Egyptian people.”

Abusada, frustrated at not being allowed to visit her family and other Palestinians so she could assess their humanitarian needs through first-hand discussions, took out the banners she had brought and began chanting and having a one-woman demonstration right on the border.

Abusada spoke with many Palestinians while on the border. “They are well aware that even with the new president in the U.S. there is still total and endless support for Israel in the U.S. government. This is clear to everyone in Palestine,” she said.

“There is no doubt to the people of Palestine that Israel won a lifetime lottery from the U.S. and receives its payoff of $1.5 million every day,” Abusada told Workers World. “People understand that the white phosphorous and other illegal weapons used on our people are funded by the U.S. government, yet we see the U.S. acting like it does not know of the war crimes being committed by Israel on our people.”

“Gaza can be described as being like an open-air jail,” Abusada said. “The Israeli blockade continues to leave Gaza’s 1.5 million inhabitants without sufficient food, water, fuel, electricity, shelter or medicine. There has been a complete blockade of Gaza for over a year. Life there is like being in a huge jail.”

Abusada was met in Cairo by Naser Ashour, who is also from Gaza and now lives in Houston. Both activists work with the Houston Coalition for Justice and Peace in Palestine, formed after the Israeli air attacks began in December.

“When we finally made it to the Rafah border, I was very touched to see people from all over the world standing together in solidarity with the people of Palestine. From a distance I could see a group holding a Canadian flag, and once we got closer it became apparent that there were people from all over the world: France, Canada, Egypt, Germany, many of whom were doctors or activists waiting for days for just a chance to get through the border and help in any way possible,” Abusada explained to Workers World.

A full account of this woman’s journey to the Palestinian border, made despite the worries of her teenage daughters and family in Houston, can be found at gazawearewithyou.blogspot.com.

The Houston Coalition for Justice and Peace in Palestine demonstrated every day for a week when the bombing of Gaza began, drawing crowds of more than 1,000 people. They also led the annual Martin Luther King Parade in Houston on Jan. 19. They have 10 billboards up on Houston freeways and have sent hundreds of thousands of dollars of medical aid to Gaza.