Nisa Sude Demirel
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Israel’s aggression in the Middle East continues to escalate with its attacks on Iran, while the genocide and Israeli attacks on Gaza continue. While most of the European governments remain silent, hundreds of people who want to reach the Rafah border crossing with the Global March to Gaza after Madleen are raising their voices. At the border, the Egyptian government detained dozens of people who had come to Cairo for the march and prevented them from gathering for the march.

European Parliament Member Carola Rackete, who went Egypt to participate in the Global Gaza March, answered Evrensel’s questions.

You are going to Cairo for attending Global Gaza March. We know that people are being detained at checkpoints. What is the current situation?

So at the moment, people have been trying to get to Ismailia from Cairo, and there are several checkpoints on the road. And people are being detained by police in civil clothes. So unidentified people who work for the government.

I've just been speaking to one of the organizers, and the police or whoever they are is not allowing people to continue towards the Rafa border. Blocking them directly outside Cairo.

“This march is about starvation in Gaza”

Israel threatened the march; they said that Egyptian government is cooperating with them. What do you expect for the march?

The organizers and of course, also me as a parliamentarian and others, we're trying to negotiate with the Egyptian government to allow this peaceful march and also for their protection. Because, what is clear, we want the safety of the people. It's really, a march that is about the situation in Gaza, the starvation of people, the lack of aid, and raising attention to that. And this is the main goal. The goal is not to be heroes or to bring ourselves in dangerous situations, But the goal is to speak about the atrocities that are going on, the genocide, and the fact that at any moment, aid could be allowed to enter. If there was enough pressure by other governments on Israel. And people could be fed and prevented from all these, war crimes and bombings if there was enough international pressure. And that is the aim of the march.

“EU is the partner of these war crimes”

At the same time, Israel attacked Iran. How do you consider Israel's ongoing attacks in Middle East, and also European governments' reactions?

Well, obviously, this attack's unlawful, same as the invasion of Israel into Lebanon has been, same as obviously the ongoing occupation of the West Bank, and the war on Gaza. All of that is completely unlawful and against international humanitarian law. It's absolutely for that reason that the International Court of Justice is also prosecuting the Israeli government, not only Netanyahu but several ministers. And the EU as a whole is complicit in these crimes. That has to be said extremely clearly. Because EU governments, for example, the German government, are still delivering weapons to Israel to help carry out the genocide. So that is a very sad and tragic and morally wrong situation that me and other European leaders, do not stand for. We do not agree with what the governments are doing.

So, as you mentioned European governments keep supporting Israel financially, and in international area. Do you have a call to the people and the governments in Europe?

For the people, I can say not to look away, to go on the streets and protest your government, protest the European Union, European institutions. It's incredibly important. In in any sort of situation, we see that it always matters what happens in the streets and that the protest is continuous, that it's strong, that there are many voices, not only of, people who have cultural or religious similar heritage, but also by white people.

“Protests create a difference”

Let's say that very clearly. Because Europeans have a tendency to look away, when the victims of crimes are non-white, when the victims are Muslims. That is part of the structural racism that we see in our society, and I think, we can't allow that to happen. So, my call to people is to go on the streets and protest and put pressure on the government for Germany, particularly on the conservatives and the new government, to stop selling weapons and to stop the EU Israel agreements for the EU level, obviously. There are many, many ways that we can put sanctions on Israel, so they will hopefully stop bombing, the people in Gaza.

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