The politics of Viva Palestina
The convoy’s journey to Gaza was marked by diplomatic tensions and violent clashes.
George Galloway’s Viva Palestina convoy finally arrived in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday carrying a cargo of activists and humanitarian aid.
They made it to the Gaza Strip a month after leaving Europe, but it has been a month marked by diplomatic tensions, enforced changes of route, and in the final hours, violent clashes with Egyptian security forces.
But Egyptian authorities say the convoy organisers deliberately broke rules and violated their sovereignty. This time, they argue, they were restrained in their response.
“Any other attempt to provoke the Egyptian security will have consequences,” declared Hossam Zaki, an Egyptian foreign ministry spokesman.
The activists dispute this version of events.
“This Egyptian foreign ministry … is trying to throw sand in the eyes of Arab public opinion … you would be lonely if you were a believer in Mr Zaki, even in Egypt, you would be lonely,” says George Galloway, the British organiser of the convoy.
Was it worth it? And could it have been handled differently? What are the politics behind the scenes?
Inside Story presenter Hoda Abdel Hamid is joined by John Hurnson, a convoy organiser, Mustafa Akyol, the deputy editor of the Turkish Daily News, and Gamal Abdel Gawad, an analyst with the Al Ahram Centre for political and strategic studies.
This episode of Inside Story aired from Thursday, January 7.