Tyrone To Gaza, home safely in Dungannon

[give her dixie]

Sunrise in Libya.


Well folks, following the success of the last "Viva Palestina" convoy of aid to Gaza, another one in making it's way
to Gaza as we speak. It left London 2 weeks ago, and is currently at the Turkey/Syria border.
I will be flying out to Jordan on Tuesday in order to meet up with them, and travel through Jordan and Egypt,
and on December 27th, we hope to cross through the Rafah Border into Gaza.

December 27th marks the 1st anniversary of the attacks, and over 400 people in 250 vehicles will attempt
to mark this date by delivering humanitarian aid to the stricken region. The aid I brought earlier this year remains
the only Irish aid to have reached Gaza this year. Containers from Cork and Galway have been refued entry,
2 seperate boats with Irish aid have been denied. One was rammed, and the other diverted to Israel and all
21 people on board arrested and deported. Politicians, Michael Martin and Proinsias De Rosa have been refused.
Plus, 4 Irish men cycled to Gaza, and yes, you guessed it, they were refused.

This folks is totally unacceptable. People still live in tents and in the ruins of their old homes, aid lies piled
up on the borders of Egypt and Israel. Recently, 200,000 tonnes of food was dumped in the Siani desert.
What we will be carrying is only a sticky plaster in relation to what's really needed, however, our actions will
highlight the current situation, and let the people in Gaza know that they are not forgotten, one year on.

There is an ambulance from Derry with 5 volunteers, and 2 people in one from Cork. From Tyrone, David Callander
is in a truck carrying 10 tonne of aid. On Davids truck, I have GAA goalposts, footballs, dvd's, books, and training
equipment for the 1st Gaza GAA Club that I am establishing. I have Peter Canavan, and Professor Noam Chomsky
as Honouray Presidents. This folks, is some combination, as Noam wouldn't be too well known in Gaelic circles!
Peter has donated a full set of jerseys from his school, Holy Trinity College, Cookstown. We are very lucky indeed
to have his support on this project. Hopefully he will be playing a game there in the not to distant future.
(Que smart ass remarks from the board...........)

So, this Christmas, take a moment and think of the people in Gaza, who are still trying to deal with the incredible loss
they suffered a year ago. Keep them in your thoughts during the anniversary of the attacks, and in small way,
this will let them know that they are not forgotten.

Tyrone To Gaza

John Hurson

Facebook group: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=541019313#/group.php?gid=238347355199



The "Ireland To Gaza" team in Turkey.

[give her dixie]

Entering Gaza through the Rafah Border.



Peter Canavan presenting me with a set of Holy Trinity jeresys.





The new Dublin team line out in Gaza.



A Hardstation Antrim select, play a Tony Ferron all star Armagh team. Guess the score....

[Archie Mitchell]

Some great pictures there. Keep up the good work!

[down6061689194]

A Hardstation Antrim select, play a Tony Ferron all star Armagh team. Guess the score....

Really does sum it all up that.

Incredible story.

[give her dixie]

Ready for the throw in



Armagh reveal Mc Kenna Cup squad

[ardmhachaabu]

great pics John

[stpauls]

John, you are some man and i have the utmost respect for what you are doing, fair play!!
keep safe and we hope you make it again this time!!!!

[give her dixie]

I am now in Aqaba, Jordan with the "Viva Palestina Convoy". Tonight, 2009 years after Joseph and Mary were refused a room at the Inn, over 400 people, from 17 different countries in 250 vehicles loaded with Humanitarian Aid, have been refused entry into Gaza.

In the birth place of Jesus, the Egyptian authorities, under Israeli orders, have denied the starving people of Gaza, food, water, medicine, blankets, electricity, clothes, human rights and dignity.

So, today, when you are tucking into your massive dinner, followed by deserts, and washed down with the finest wines, please spare a thought for the forgotten stricken people of Gaza who have nothing.

Israel and Egypt must be very proud of themselves, for their total disregard of humanity.  The world might have forgotten them, but we havn't. If they do not let us deliver this humanitarian aid, then they must be prepared for the backlash that is comming their way from all over the world.

Stay tuned, and have a Happy Christmas. The people in Gaza will not have the same luxury.

John Hurson, in the Holy Lands.

[hairyhog]

f**k them!

hopefully their shortsightedness will be their shortcomings.  Surely by letting what can only be described as a sticky plaster of aid(by no means any offence caused), they will attract attention and continue to raise bad publicity and public outrage, eventually turning the tables before the palestinean state becomes extinct.  May the day come when the corrupt governments of the states and the uk be held accountable for their coverups to appease the zionist c***ts.

Happy Christmas John, hopefully all isn't lost and may you have a safe return home.

viva palestina

[Galwaybhoy]

Very interesting Dixie, I looked at the facebook page you linked to and added it to my page and will continue to follow it.  Fair play to you and the rest involved, it must be hard being away from home at this time of year but its great what ye are doing.  Happy Christmas, keep up the good work and dont give up!

[longrunsthefox]

You're doing mighty work John but stop putting Armagh jerseys on those kids. They have suffered enough   

[gerry]

Your making me feel guilty, laying full as a frog in front of the telly.

[mylestheslasher]

f**k them!

hopefully their shortsightedness will be their shortcomings.  Surely by letting what can only be described as a sticky plaster of aid(by no means any offence caused), they will attract attention and continue to raise bad publicity and public outrage, eventually turning the tables before the palestinean state becomes extinct.  May the day come when the corrupt governments of the states and the uk be held accountable for their coverups to appease the zionist c***ts.

Happy Christmas John, hopefully all isn't lost and may you have a safe return home.

viva palestina

Good work again John. The world needs more people like you.

I fear the backlash from the rest of the world is a long way away unfortunately and until public opinion in the USA gets really pissed off then Israel and the wests "friendly" dictators of Egypt will continue to act this way. I can only ask that people out there do their bit to boycott Israeli and Egyptian goods, hit them in their pocket is all we can do and pass the word.

[give her dixie]

Well folks, as you awake today from your Christmas hangover, over 500 people from 20 countries, in 250 vehicles loaded with Humanitarian Aid,  are left stranded in Aqaba, Jordan, having been refused permission to enter Egypt.

The Egyptians have placed 3 conditions on the convoy if it wants to enter Egypt.

1. We hand all our vehicles and aid over to UNRA.

2. We drive 500 miles back to Syria, and take a 24 hour ferry through the Suez Canal.

3. We have to ask Israel for permission to cross from Egypt to Gaza.

All 3 conditions have been flatly rejected by everyone on the convoy, as we want to cross into Gaza and hand our aid over to the Palestinians ourselves.

Would you phone Canada to ask permission to enter the US? Would you ask France for permission to go to Germany? For the 1st time, Egypt have now openly admitted that they are under control of Israel/US.

This has been the lead story on Al Jazeera for the past 24 hours, and there are media teams from all over the Arab world here in Aqaba following this story. Needless to say, everyone watching is totally outraged by Egypt's complicity with Israel/US in denying this convoy of aid to reach Gaza.

Yesterday, Christmas Day, I dressed up as Santa to lighten the mood, and everyones sprirts lifted.
Al Jazeera interviewed Santa, who explained that the children in Gaza were the only ones in the whole world who didn't recieve any presents. Santa explained that while flying through the air on his sleigh with the reindeers, he was stopped and refused entry. Santa was upset as this was the only place in the world he could not visit. I will post the clip whenever I get it from Al Jazeera.

Tomorrow marks the 1st anniversary of the start of the 22 day massacre of over 1,400 people. In solidarity, we are all going to embark on a fast. We will all fast for as long as it takes for us to get into Gaza with our aid.
We are calling on people all over the world to fast with us, and with the Palestinians, who fast every day due to the illegal siege imposed upon them by Israel/US/Egypt.

It's time to take a stand and say "Enough Is Enough". This siege has got to stop, for the sake of humanity.

I am calling on ALL the members of the "gaaboard" to call the Egyptian Embassy and demand that we be allowed to enter Gaza, and deliver our aid.

The contact details for the Egyptian Embassy in Dublin are: +353-1-6606718 / +353-1-6606566 / consular@embegyptireland.ie

The contact details for the Egyptian Embassy in London are: 0044-20-7499-3304 / eg.emb_london@mfa.gov.eg"


Pleaase post a short note after contacting them.
Please contact them, and express your outrage at their refusal to allow Humanitarian Aid into Gaza, and to let them know that you will never travel to Egypt again, as long as they are the lap dogs for Israel/US.

John Hurson

Stranded in Aqaba, Jordan

[give her dixie]

Santa in Aqaba on Christmas Day, after been denied entry to deliver presents to children in Gaza



George Galloway addresses the convoy members on Christmas Day in Aqaba, Jordan