Why Palestinians remain so quiet as Egyptians loudly rail against Mubarak

[oberliner]

Cries for President Hosni Mubarak's ouster in Egypt are being echoed in Jordan with antigovernment protests and a "day of rage" planned for Syria this Friday. But in the Palestinian territories, it's the silence that is most notable.

Part of that quiet is due to a rare common effort from the Palestinian Authority (PA) in the West Bank and Hamas in the Gaza Strip to suppress vocal support for Egyptian protesters. Both sides dispersed solidarity demonstrations that were planned for last Sunday and Monday.

The PA and Hamas both maintain close ties with the Egyptian government. Mr. Mubarak has been a key supporter in Israeli-Palestinian peace talks that have involved the PA. Although Egypt has helped maintain the blockade on the Gaza Strip, Mubarak also turned a blind eye to the brisk tunnel trade under the Gazan-Egyptian border, and has allowed aid into the strip. Further, Mubarak has attempted to mend the rift between the Gaza-based Hamas and Fatah, which rules the West Bank.

http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2011/0202/Why-Palestinians-remain-so-quiet-as-Egyptians-loudly-rail-against-Mubarak

[ananda]

1. I see.

The Gazans are literally hanging by a thread for survival, and Egypt was
the only border open enough for them to get supplies.

That is so sad because I imagine that many Gazans support the Egyptian
people in spirit.

[oberliner]

3. Supplies travel across the border with Israel daily

Hundreds of truckloads of goods cross into Gaza via Israel every day.

Most of the goods from Egypt came to Gaza via smuggling tunnels rather than through the border crossing itself.

[azurnoir]

4. so it is untrue that Egypt opened their border with Gaza after the Mavi Marmara incident?

and that border remained open to most goods oked by Israel until last weekend?

[oberliner]

5. The majority of the goods from Egypt to Gaza came via the tunnels not via the Rafah crossing

I don't think there is even any remote comparison in terms of volume.

[azurnoir]

6. proof please? I am sure you would never make such a statement

without some backup?

[oberliner]

9. You can't be serious

Gaza's tunnel economy

Even before Israel's December/January offensive, some 90 percent of goods entering Gaza were smuggled through the tunnels, which are controlled by businessmen who pay the Hamas government a one-time digging fee of about $2,500 for each tunnel they build.

http://socialistworker.org/2009/08/19/gazas-tunnel-economy

Egypt's unfulfilled promise to open the Rafah Crossing

As for aid, very little is going through Rafah. An aid convoy was organised by Egyptian opposition MPs but it was not allowed through. Later, permission was given for the MPs themselves to enter Gaza, but they had to leave behind the aid, which consisted of construction materials. An Algerian convoy was also prohibited from entering Gaza before being allowed in.

http://www.middleeastmonitor.org.uk/articles/middle-east/1202-egypts-unfulfilled-promise-to-open-the-rafah-crossing

[azurnoir]

10. anything more recent than 08/09 or 06/10?

the simple fact is that Israel only allowed about a 10% increase in the amount of goods it allowed to enter Gaza, how much actually entered through Rafah is not known

[azurnoir]

7. also weren't a good deal of those 'goods' UN aid? n/t

[whosinpower]

2. So - it has spread to Syria as well.....

One can hope that the other two bigshots get a mouthful of this protest movement as well.....Iran....and Saudi Arabia.

[azurnoir]

8. ah another damned if they do damned if they don't situation here

if the PA were to allow demonstrations IMO the Israeli headlines would screech PA supports Muslim Brotherhood if they quash demonstrations then they are repressive tyrants and well do repressive tyrants deserve their own state about as much as those who support MB I suspect