Code Pink's Medea Benjamin Jailed In Egypt

Kerry Picket

Code Pink’s leader Medea Benjamin was stopped at the Cairo airport on Monday along with other U.S. women within her organization and placed in a detainment cell. The radical left wing anti-war group, known for its support of Hamas, was on its way to Gaza for International Women’s Day 2014. 

 According to Code Pink’s website, the purpose of the trip was to “show solidarity with the women of Gaza, to bring attention to theunbearable suffering caused by the Israeli blockade, to educate peopleback in our home countries, to push for opening the Gaza borders and tobring solar lamps to help with the electricity shortage.”

 The Gaza strip is governed by Hamas, a terrorist organization. It is also an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood movement, the same organization that took over Egypt in 2011 and was toppled in 2013 by the Egyptian military. Israel Today points out that Egypt is now going after Hamas to assure another Muslim Brotherhood uprising cannot happen again. Additionally, Egyptian officials have already told the Islamist group it will be shutting down smuggling tunnels between the Sinai Peninsula and the Gaza Strip, Israel Radio reported Friday.

Code Pink’s plan was to meet in Cairo on March 5 and attempt to enter Gaza on March 6. The delegation of women wanted to stay for 6 days and return on March 12. Code Pink cautions that they may not be able to enter Gaza due to the high security in Egypt, saying, “If we do not get into Gaza, we will make your time in Cairo very worthwhile.” Indeed.
 

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