Thursday, August 27, 2009

Trip across the Sinai

So here I am on my porch, enjoying the cooling of the evening with a nice cup of tea, when I chance upon a lovely item forwarded to me be a concerned friend. She knows that I am due a vacation, and that work has been wearing me down.
So she e-mails me a lovely notice of a journey that surely I, of all people, should enjoy.


Vi azoy:

CODE PINK
GAZA FREEDOM MARCH

Itinerary:
Sunday, December 27 Orientation meeting in Cairo at 7 pm.
Monday, December 28, Leave Cairo for Al-Arish at 9 am; overnight in Al-Arish.
Tuesday, Dec 29, Enter Gaza from Rafah border.
Wednesday, Dec 30, Visit areas most devastated during Israeli invasion.
Thursday, Dec 31, Meet with civic organizations and community leaders, evening peace event.
Friday, January 1 - MILE LONG MARCH FOR FREEDOM.
Saturday, January 2 Return to Cairo (arrive Cairo 11pm).

All of this and more at www dot gazafreedommarch dot org.

[There are several other groups and individuals on board with this ridiculous adventure, not just Code Pink. All the usual suspects, in fact. Including the Corries, Chomsky, and several veterans for peace keen to revisit the Middle East. I do not know if they will all be wearing pink - it may not be the best idea in the Sinai, even during the cool season. Ruffled pink just stands out too much, and makes you a target, besides looking very silly.]


Wow! For just $250.00 I can stay in a camping in Gaza, or for $400.00 I can enjoy the comforts of a modern hotel, probably with airconditioning, pool, roomservice, and a lovely sunset view of the beach.

What should I do? What should I do?!??!

Should I tell her that my people have ALREADY made the journey through Sinai? Been there, done that, it was rewarding at the time, but has been the source of several silly movies since.
Should I tell her that I doubt that any hotel in gaza has a reliable Hechsher? Or tofu?
Should I tell her 'no thank you, the hummus in Tel Aviv is MUCH better, and doesn't come with a side of kalashnikov'?

Should I tell her that bunking with a bunch of ferkrampte antisemitische Berkeley earthmother types and butterfly huggers would drive my tension level through the friggin roof, even if they didn't find out that I was normal (ie, not "selfloathing twisted pro-terrorists coz they're really like innocent little children oh those fluffy huggable third-worlders in touch with nature waaah!"), which would force them to hand me over to the local goombas for re-education and a bonfire?

Or should I let her think that I am really a patsy, and encourage her to send me more interesting stuff from her mailing-list buddies?

Hmmmm. I think I'll do the sensible thing.
My, this tea is good! Time for another cup.
Pink isn't flatteing, by the way. It makes the skin look flat and sallow.

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