What Would Berlusconi Do?

Hosni Mubarak should take a cue from Silvio Berlusconi when dealing with the 1000+ international activists hanging out at the Jordanian-Egyptian border.

When the little Italian Alpine village of L'Aquila was slammed with an earthquake earlier this year, everyone's favorite Botox King was quick to offer reassurance. Prime Minister Berlusconi, probably fresh from another naked-models party, said that earthquake survivors who were spending their nights in tents should view themselves as being on a "camping weekend." Poor Silvio, he got a lot of shit for that one.

Now, international activists around the world, my dad included, are participating in the 3rd Humanitarian Mission to break the siege on Gaza. Named Viva Palestina, the convoy is sending much needed medicines, food, building materials, ambulances and other items to the Gazans, trapped on two sides by the Israeli Apartheid Wall, on another side by the Israeli Navy (which only allows Palestinian fishermen to catch their harvest a mere 3 nautical miles from the shore), and now on the fourth side by Egypt's new Apartheid Wall.

The convoy started off in England, getting great reception from people in every country. Apparently, in Syria, the group was put up free of cost by the government at the Sahara Tourist Complex in Damascus. (The only time I ever went there was when I attended the 'Extraordinary' Meeting of International Communist Parties, and I wasn't given anything to eat and my bike was stolen.) Now, the Jordanian government has given a typically cold reception, while my dad reports that Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood are very enthusiastically receiving the convoy (of course).

But as the Pharoah of Egypt, Mubarak is now putting the brakes on the convoy. He's in a pickle. Should he bend to popular will and allow the convoy through to Gaza, thus making him look slightly more legitimate? Or should he do the Israeli bidding and block the caravan, thus allowing for more money to come into Egypt to siphon off to fund his own Botox operations?

He'll take the Botox. The Egyptians are currently refusing entry to the convoy, thus stranding my dad and his convoy-mates in the port city of Aqaba. Mubarak should tell them that they should see it as a camping trip, that might make it more fun. My dad said he hasn't changed his underwear in three days; I'm not sure if that is in protest for not getting in, or because there aren't adequate facilities. In any case, the convoy, along with their buses and ambulances, food and medicine, are being made to camp out on the border.

If you feel moved by the story of my dad's gross underwear, do them all a favor. Call the Eygptian embassy and tell them "No more money for Apartheid walls and Hosni's Botox!". Or stand outside the embassy with a similar sign. Or even better, take a cue from Italy's mentally deranged, and if you see Mubarak, take a metal statue to his face like what happened to poor Silvio.

You can follow the convoy at: http://readingpsc.org.uk/convoy/