Gush Shalom Activists Deliver Flour to West Bank Villages - Gush Shalom

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Gush Shalom Activists Deliver Flour to West Bank Villages

29/03/03

A delegation of 21 Gush Shalom activists succeeded today (Saturday) to deliver 15 tons of flour to two Palestinian villages in the Nablus area. The flour was donated by private donors (at 75 NIS per sack) in Israel and abroad.

The occupation army tried to prevent the delivery and stopped the activists at the Tapuakh checkpoint south of Nablus. For more than three hours the activists were held up, while frantic negotiations with various army authorities took place. In the end the army agreed to let the activists in to certain areas, but not to the two villages earmarked for the delivery.

However, the 300 sacks of flour, as well as quantities of chocolate for children, were delivered to one of the villages. The second could not be reached because the army has demolished all roads leading there and completely cut the village off from the world. However, the flour was stored nearby and will be carried to the village tomorrow.

The Gush spokesman emphasized that the delivery is a political act. The Palestinians did not ask for it, but Gush Shalom requested to be able to send the flour as a gesture of solidarity and protest. The foodstuffs will be stored for an emergency, if the Sharon government decides to exploit the war in Iraq in order to cut off villages by enduring closure and curfew.

Gush Shalom announced that it will continue this action. It called upon people of goodwill in Israel and abroad to provide the means for more deliveries and donate money for this purpose.