Middle-east Arab News Opinion | Asharq Al-awsat

Saudis Unite for Gaza | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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Riyadh, Asharq Al-Awsat- Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz donated 30 million SR [Saudi Riyals] yesterday leading the way in the nation-wide fund-raising campaign to aid the Palestinian population of Gaza.

King Abdullah’s Campaign for the Relief of the Palestinian People in Gaza has been met with a wave of popular support throughout Saudi Arabia. This campaign was launched as a result of the continuing and unrestrained Israeli attack on the Gaza Strip which has entered its eighth successive day.

Cold weather did not prevent Saudi Arabians and foreign-nationals from attending donation sites that opened their doors at 4 am on 3 January in order to make financial donations and bequeath goods [jewelry etc] to aid the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

The Campaign for the Relief of the Palestinian People in Gaza is scheduled to continue until 3am Sunday. Staff from the Ministry of Culture and Information are involved in the work committees formed by the [13] Saudi provinces [to receive relief for the people of Gaza].

This nation-wide relief campaign has set up sites to receive donations and aid in eight Saudi regions including; Riyadh, the Eastern province, Jeddah, Medina, Tabuk, Jizan, Abha, and Al Qasim.

In a televised interview, one of the donation coordinators revealed that committees had been set-up to deliver financial donations and aid received at relief sites immediately and directly to those affected in the Gaza Strip.

He added that “The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Campaign for the Relief of the Palestinian People in Gaza” could also “receive your financial donations by way of account No.33 to the Saudi National Commercial Bank”

The donation coordinator said “we urge you to be generous to your Palestinian brothers in Gaza who are subjected to the worst genocidal war; God blesses those who helps his brother”

The presence of children at relief sites is also notable, especially as some of them have taken to wearing the Palestinian keffiyeh on their shoulders. Some Saudis also wore the keffiyeh [to demonstrate solidarity with Palestine] at the Prince Faisal Bin Fahd Sporting Stadium in Riyadh [one of the donation receiving sites]. One of those [wearing the Keffiyeh at the stadium] had wrapped a “shawl” around his shoulders, one side depicted the Saudi flag, and on the other the Al Aqsa mosque [in Jerusalem] under the words “Jerusalem…we are coming!”

Abd Al Amry, the man in charge of the contributions committee [for the Campaign for the Relief of the Palestinian People in Gaza] in Riyadh informed Asharq Al-Awsat that over 200 staff from the Ministry of Culture and Information were working at the Prince Faisal stadium [to receive the community’s donations]. He noted that the committee had already received a number of donations, including two cars.

The King’s Campaign for the Relief of the Palestinian People in Gaza was launched with the aid of the 13 governors of the Saudi Arabian provinces.

Also participating in the reception of donations is a committee comprised of delegates from the 13 provinces of Saudi Arabia, the Ministry of Culture and Information, the Chambers of Commerce and Industry, and the National Commercial Bank, not to mention a number of other departments.