Open letter by concerned Israelis

To

His Excellency Muhammad Hosni Mubarak

President of the Arab Republic of Egypt

Via The Egyptian Embassy, Tel Aviv

November, 2007

Your Excellency

We the undersigned, citizens of the state of Israel - after numerous unsuccessful efforts to address our own government - have decided to take the step of approaching you on the subject of the severe and fast deteriorating situation in the Gaza Strip, and in which you can effect a substantial change.

As you know, the Government of Israel rejects out of hand any possibility of a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip, and continually tightens the cruel siege imposed on the Strip's million and a half inhabitants. This siege completely paralyses economic activity in the Strip and drives its population under the poverty line and to the edge of starvation. The cutting of fuel supplies to the Strip, the closing of the Sufa Crossing, the cutting of foodstuff deliveries and the intention to cut electricity supplies are but the latest in a long series of severe acts of collective punishment. The Israeli public is told that these acts are needed in order to stop the shooting of missiles on the town of Sderot. It is not told that, in the opinion of the Army's own experts, the punitive acts would only exacerbate the shooting.

This siege could not have been maintained without the consent of Egypt. While arms and ammunition continue to be smuggled from Egyptian territory into the Strip, despite the presence of Egyptian security forces, already for many months the border between Egypt and the Gaza Strip is completely sealed and locked to the passage of peaceful civilians and of vital goods needed by the civilian population.

As citizens of the State of Israel, concerned for collective guilt and our future in face of the irresponsible policy undertaken by our government, we call upon you, Mr. President, to do all in your power to help break the siege imposed on the inhabitants on the Gaza Strip: to open the Rafah Border Crossing to a free movement of persons and goods, supply to the inhabitants of Gaza fuel and any other vital need denied them by the Government of Israel, and supply the Gaza Strip with the electricity it needs from the Egypian electrical grid so as to end its dependence on Israel.

If you take this brave and positive act, Your Excellency, all inhabitants of the region will have a reason to thank you - your own Egyptian people, the Palestinians and at last also the Israelis.

Sincerely Yours

Aviv Adashi, Nitzan Aviv, Adv. Amir Badran, Efri Bar, Talma Bar-Din, Yossi Bartal, Or Ben David, Naomi Benbassat-Lifshitz, Mor Ben Israel , Judy Blanc, Edna Canetti, Hava Cohen-Keller, Ran Cohen, , Moshe Eliraz, Amir Hallel, Yitzchak Frankenthal, Yaron Golchar, Eli Kalir, Eva Katz, Uri Katz, Dr. Bareket Shiff Keren, Adam Keller, Nimrod Kerrett, Hanna Knaz, Daniel Lang, Joyce Livingstone, Yuval Lotem, Tamir Magel, Susanne Moses, Rayna Moss, Dorothy Naor, Ofer Neiman, David Nir , Noa Roei, Eddie Saar, Ayelet Senyor, Emily W. Schaeffer, Galia Shapira, Ehud Shem Tov, Gideon Spiro, Dr. Yosefa Sartiel, Michal Sapir, Su Schachter, Yaniv Shahar, Adam Sessler, Galia Shapira, Sonia Stainfeld, Benny Tavor, Osnat Tavor, Eran Torbiner, Tamar Yaron, Arkadi Yaroslavtsev, Dr. Yael Waldman, Bekah Wolf, Merav Yerushalmy, Amnon Yuval, Uri Zackhem, Kobi Zeid, Beate Zilversmidt, Emanuel Zytner.

Tel: 054-2340750

Fax: 0018313093716