Gaza-Egypt border reopened

[bemildred]

The Gaza-Egypt border has been reopened with a festive ribbon-cutting, a milestone for the Palestinians who for the first time are taking control of a border crossing without Israeli veto powers and gaining some freedom of movement.

The opening on Friday is being seen as a step towards Palestinian independence and a boost to Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, as he faces a fierce challenge by the Muslim resistance group Hamas in the 25 January parliament elections.

"This is a great day. It is a day of happiness ... because it means an enormous step forward towards the freedom of the Palestinian people," Marc Otte, the EU representative in the Middle East, told 1200 guests attending the ceremony.

The Rafah terminal on the Gaza-Egypt had been closed by Israel as its troops withdrew from the Gaza Strip in September.

al Jazeera

[Scurrilous]

1. Gazans Enjoy Freedom of Rafah Gate Opening

"It was a smooth debut Saturday for the first Palestinian-run border. Hundreds of travelers zipped through passport control without having to submit to Israeli security checks, savoring their new freedom after 38 years of military occupation.

The West Bank also witnessed a milestone: corruption-tainted veterans of Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas' ruling Fatah movement were swept aside by younger activists in Fatah's first primary, signaling a change of generations and the rise of jailed uprising leader Marwan Barghouti.

The opening of Gaza's gate to the world and the revamping of the movement that was founded by Yasser Arafat could boost Abbas' chances of beating back a challenge by the Islamic militant Hamas in Jan. 25 parliament elections.

At noon Saturday, the Rafah terminal on the Gaza-Egypt border opened for the first time since Israel's pullout from the coastal strip in the summer. Under a U.S.-brokered deal, the Palestinians are in charge, with backup from European monitors. Israel watches over closed-circuit TV, but cannot veto travelers.

Jihad Zanoun, 30, a government employee, was the first to cross. "It is the beginning of a new era that will open a new horizon for me," said Zanoun, who was visiting relatives in Egypt."

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[bemildred]

2. I thought Barghouti's election was a promising event too.

You can't predict whether it will come to much, but we're not going anywhere anyway, and he's a promising young leader. With new leadership and access to the outside world, possibilities could open up. The Israeli government appears to have gone further than I expected in allowing the opening of Gaza, and I give them credit for that.

[Violet_Crumble]

3. Is it open to vehicles?

n/t

[pelsar]

4. 4hours a day..while they work out the system.

but yes it is...

[Violet_Crumble]

5. That's a good start...

I hope it doesn't take too long for the new system to find it's legs. As long as they steer clear of anything remotely like the new system we've got here, things should be fine :)

Violet...