Sisterhood is powerful

My friend Gladiola sends me this dispiriting post about sistership and solidarity in the bitterly divided Palestinian world.

The de facto government prevented more than 70 Women’s Union members en route to the West Bank from Gaza for a women’s conference, according to Palestinian Authority (PA)’s civil affairs chief Hussein Ash-Sheikh on Wednesday.

Member of the Women’s Union and one of those barred from exiting the Gaza Strip Nawal Zaqqut, said the group of women headed to the Erez crossing ahead of the fifth Palestinian women’s conference. As they approached the crossing, personnel at a de facto government security checkpoint stopped them, confiscated ID cards, papers to be presented at the conference and bags, and prevented the group from continuing toward the crossing. “We have not got back our things, and we were told to go to Gaza internal security next Sunday,” Zaqqut explained.

She added that police officers told the women that women affiliated to Fatah could not go to Ramallah, but others could. Thus, all participants insisted that they all travel, or go back to Gaza.

filed from Bethlehem – Ma’an