Sunday, November 2, 2008

They are safe


Greta Berlin
The Free Gaza Movement

Date : 11-02-2008

"The SS DIGNITY arrived at 6:30 this morning in Larnaca, Cyprus, as the sun was just splitting the waters of the Mediterranean. I watched the boat come around the corner of the quay, its Palestinian flag flying from one of the masts. Waiting up most of the night worrying about whether they were OK and answering worried callers had made the night long and tiring.

All of that anxiety disappeared as the boat landed and the passengers spilled out, talking all at once and waiting for the immigrating authorities to clear them to leave. As we walked out of the port, we were met by 50 members of the Palestinian refugee community from Iraq, all with keys and names of the villages in Palestine, waving flags and welcoming everyone back from Gaza.

The Palestinians from the West Bank, the Palestinians from Gaza, and the Palestinians from the diaspora were able to hug each other and forget for just a few minutes that their country has been torn apart.

What a lovely morning. What a lovely homecoming. "

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