Hedy Epstein Begins Hunger Strike to Open Gaza Borders

When Hedy Epstein was a young teen her parents smuggled her away, then perished in Auschwitz in 1942. No wonder she supports the people of Gaza.

(CAIRO, Egypt) - Hedy Epstein, the 85 year old Holocaust survivor and peace activist, announced that she will begin a hunger strike today as a response to the Egyptian government’s refusal to allow the Gaza Freedom March participants into Gaza.

Ms. Epstein was part of a delegation with participants from 43 countries that were to join Palestinians in a non-violent march from Northern Gaza towards the Erez border with Israel calling for the end of the illegal siege.

Egypt is preventing the marchers from leaving Cairo, forcing them to search for alternative ways to make their voices heard.

Ms. Epstein will remain outside the UN building at the World Trade Center (Cairo) - 1191 Cornish al-Nil, throughout today, accompanied by other hunger strikers.

"It is important to let the besieged Gazan people know they are not alone. I want to tell the people I meet in Gaza that I am a representative of many people in my city and in other places in the US who are outraged at what the US, Israeli and European governments are doing to the Palestinians and that our numbers are growing," Epstein said.

In 1939, when Epstein was just 14, her parents found a way for her to escape the persecution, sending her on the Kindertransport to England.

Epstein never saw her parents again; they perished in Auschwitz in 1942. After World War II, Epstein worked as a research analyst at the Nuremberg Trials of Nazi doctors who performed medical experiments on concentration camp inmates.

After moving to the US, Epstein became an activist for peace and social justice causes. Unlike most Holocaust survivors, one of the causes she has taken up is that of the Palestinian people. She has traveled to the West Bank, collected material aid and now she hopes to enter Gaza.

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Steve October 7, 2010 12:12 pm (Pacific time)

Yeah like john said, this is a joke ... straight up ...

Go to Israel and see the situation before you level judgement. See the difference between this and a concentration camp is that nazis actually persecuted the jews. The people of gaza have been cordoned off by both Israel AND EGYPT, because of terrorist presence. How can you support people who wrap 15 lbs of ball bearings around their necks and strap on a dynamite belt, turning themselves into claymore mines and then detonate in a marketplace full of women and children.

This "news"paper is a joke. Tim, you are a joke. Heddy Epstein is a joke. She is coming to speak at my university and I will attend just to see how ridiculous it is.

Tim King: Steve, sorry but you can't sell that here. No one group of people is entitled to kill and steal because 'they believe God gave the land to them' because God doesn't approve of thievery, oppression or genocide.

john December 30, 2009 11:20 pm (Pacific time)

what a #%*&^# joke. do you people actually believe that the situation in gaza is anything close to a real concentration camp (that the righteous ms hedy epstein hasn't even been to, yet she calls herself a survivor) may god protect us from those who fall so easily for muslim and liberal "peace" propoganda

Tim King: Well... why don't you start by not running your filthy mouth here and dropping your f-bombs. It is obvious that all people like you have no regard for children, but we do, so don't ever do it again. Second, anyone who reads your words will shake their head, because you don't have a cause worth following, just one of greed and aggression and racism that benefits one single group of people. It is frequent for people like you to use the "Nazi" card, but when the very people who suffered those horrors of The Third Reich, like Ms. Epstein, god bless her, stand up for what is right, your hate vehicle runs out of gas, and you have to think of new lies to justify the actions of Israel. As you know and I know, they are running very thin. To think that you would be so forward with this as to state liberal "peace" propaganda says it all.

mt December 30, 2009 4:22 am (Pacific time)

Oh dear

gary December 30, 2009 2:43 am (Pacific time)

Good on you Hedy. You and the other Jewish people who acknowledge the present injustice are the children of those who stood up to the Nazis.

Jeff K- December 29, 2009 9:17 am (Pacific time)

May God protect this saintly woman and her co-protesters and supporters, and melt the frozen hearts of the oppressive Israeli, Egyptian, US and other government forces conspiring to erase these people from existence at Israel's hateful whim.

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Hedy Epstein Begins Hunger Strike to Open Gaza Borders

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