Baltimore Activist Alert -- March 9 - 10, 2026

21] Align Your Money with Your Values – March 9

22] Cuba solidarity meeting – March 9

23] Phone bank for climate justice legislation – March 9

24] Shore Progress meeting – March 9

25] Call for stable homes – March 10

26] Stop BGE – March 10

27] Dump Trump for invading Venezuela – March 10

28] Indivisible socials – March 10

29] Mobilize voters – March 10

30] Johnny O Town Hall – March 10

31] Sarah Elfreth Town Hall – March 10

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21] – The Third Act hosts a series of interactive learning sessions every month on how to prevent your bank deposits, credit cards, home/auto insurance premiums, and investments from being used to finance the fossil fuel industry and instead fund local businesses, community housing, and development of renewable clean energy. Join the webinar Align Your Money with Your Values on Mon., 9 at 4 PM ET. RSVP at  https://thirdact.org/events/align-your-money-with-your-values/?link_id=0&can_id=4b9d4061aec5469758759317ac0f5285&source=email-upcoming-events-this-march&email_referrer=email_3124292&email_subject=upcoming-events-this-march

22] – On Mon., March 9 at 6 PM, join a virtual International Working Group Cuba Solidarity Meeting. A virtual link will be communicated before the event Join the Cuba subcommittee of the Internationalism Working Group to discuss upcoming solidarity action for Cuba. RSVP at https://actionnetwork.org/events/iwg-cuba-solidarity-meeting?link_id=70&can_id=4b9d4061aec5469758759317ac0f5285&source=email-metro-dc-dsa-weekly-newsletter-for-february-27-2026&email_referrer=email_3130893&email_subject=metro-dc-dsa-weekly-newsletter-for-march-6-2026&&

23] – CCAN Action Fund [info@ccanactionfund.org] on Tues., March 10, from 6 to 8 PM wants you to get involved by joining a phone bank to help pass climate justice legislation. This will continue through April 7. ‌Sign up here: https://act.chesapeakeclimate.org/page/92348/data/1?utm_medium=email&utm_source=engagingnetworks&utm_campaign=mdce&utm_content=MD-Postcard+team+signup-0126-C4+B&ea.url.id=4483621

The first Thursday afternoon phone bank is on March 12 from noon to 2 PM.  The phone banks will continue through April 2. The first virtual post card huddle will be on Mon., March 9 from 7 to 8 PM. The postcards AND the stamps will be mailed to you— all you need to do is show up and write to your legislators.

24] –  On Mondays, including March 9, from 7:30 to 8:30 PM, join the Shore Progress Legislative Committee and help be a voice for Eastern Shore voices in Annapolis: - Learn what bills are being presented in Annapolis - Learn how these bills will impact the community - Help advocate for legislation that will uplift our communities - Fight policies that hurt residents.  This event will continue through Mon., June 8 from 7:30 to 8:30 PM.  RSVP at https://www.mobilize.us/progressivemaryland/event/895469/?followup_modal_context=organization_newsletter_custom_recommendations

25] – Renters United Maryland [rum-steer@googlegroups.com] on Tues., March 10 at 9:15 AM are urging you to appear in Annapolis to support the Stable Homes, Strong Communities Agenda. Join a press conference highlighting why the Maryland General Assembly must support the 'Stable Homes Strong Communities' housing agenda this session! Gather on Lawyers Mall in front of the State House to urge the legislature to take action.  Register a bit.ly/rum34.

26] – CCAN [info@chesapeakeclimate.org] on Tues., March 10 starting at noon is holding a press conference to Stop BGE's Money Grab at 6 Bladen Street, Lowe House Office Bldg., Annapolis.  NOW is the time to keep up the pressure and make sure our legislators continue to prioritize solutions that lower energy bills and focus on clean generation. After the press conference, there will be a lit drop and a free lunch. Then on Wed., March 11 at Lawyer's Mall, fight for data center reform at 9 AM to rally for clean air and lower bills. Enjoy a free breakfast!  The Exelon-owned utilities have proposed a bill (HB1561/SB0954) requesting the ability to own new generation projects in the state. FIGHT this proposal because it would raise rates, chill job growth, harm our clean energy goals, and lead to more gas! RSVP at https://act.ccanactionfund.org/page/94702/data/1?utm_medium=email&utm_source=engagingnetworks&utm_campaign=mdce&utm_content=MD-CE-Annapolis+Action+Week-0226-c4+A&ea.url.id=4652467

27] – Join the Baltimore Nonviolence Center on Tues., March 10 from 4:30 to 5 PM ET at 33rd and N. Charles Sts. to challenge President Trump for a long list of illegal executive orders. And now he has invaded Venezuela. Without resistance Trump will undermine our flawed democracy.  Right now Trump wants fascism as the order of the day. Contact Max at Comcast dot net or 410-323-1607.

28] – Get with the Indivisible Baltimore County Socials on Tuesdays, including March 10, from 5 to 7 PM.  The next event will be on March 24. This event's address is private in Timonium. Indivisible Baltimore County (IBC) is looking to build community by hosting events around the county. The community gatherings are a chance to share stories, spark ideas, and build real connections rooted in respect, peace, and joy.  Come socialize, discuss news of the day, complain about your favorite teams, and relax over a drink.  The socials will continue through Tues., May 19 from 5 to 7 PM.  RSVP at https://www.mobilize.us/indivisiblebaltco/event/849437/

29] – Grassroots Action Team (via Common Cause) [causenet@commoncause.org] on Tues., March 10 from 6 to 8 PM and Thurs., March 12 from 5:30 to 7:30 PM ET wants you to join a weekly phone bank to key swing senators as Congress negotiates ICE and DHS’s demand for $10 billion.  Mobilize voters to take action against dangerous legislation in state houses and Congress. Focus on the most urgent campaigns that need help. Some of these campaigns may include stopping bills that will make it harder for millions of Americans—especially students, seniors, and veterans—to cast their ballots. Ensure voters across the country to call their elected representatives and make their voices heard. A full training will be provided at the start of each shift! The next phone bank will be on Tues., March 17 at 6 PM ET.  This event will continue through Jan. 12, 2027. RSVP at https://www.mobilize.us/commoncause/event/758610/?link_id=2&can_id=4b9d4061aec5469758759317ac0f5285&source=email-five-things-you-can-do-right-now-4&email_referrer=email_3077543&email_subject=five-things-you-can-do-right-now&&

30] – Rep. Johnny Olszewski is inviting you to his next Town Hall meeting on Tues., March 10 from 6:30 to 8 PM. This event will be held in the auditorium at Randallstown High School, located at 4000 Offutt Road, Randallstown, Maryland 21133. If you would like to attend, register at olszewski.house.gov. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfE0Dtm8pAVwz7yTLpFvXPhXrCQsrA0qTHjSMl9RsLrEOzU2w/viewform

Outside the Town Hall, join a demo calling on him TO STAND UP AGAINST THE U.S.-ISRAELI WAR AGAINST IRAN, LEBANON AND PALESTINE. WAR IMPOVERISHES US. Email the Baltimore Chapter of World Beyond War at wbw.baltimore@proton.me

 31] – Congresswoman Sarah Elfreth [MD03SE.Outreach@mail.house.gov] on Tues., March 10 at 6:30 PM is holding an In-Person Town Hall! RSVP for the exact location at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/anne-arundel-county-town-hall-tickets-1983368038193?aff=oddtdtcreator

Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman will also participate. Doors will open at 6 PM.

To be continued

Donations can be sent to Max Obuszewski, Baltimore Nonviolence Center, 431 Notre Dame Lane, Apt. 206, Baltimore, MD 21212.  Ph.: 410-323-1607; Email: mobuszewski2001 [at] comcast.net. Go to "http://baltimorenonviolencecenter.blogspot.com/" http://baltimorenonviolencecenter.blogspot.com/.

"The master class has always declared the wars; the subject class has always fought the battles. The master class has had all to gain and nothing to lose, while the subject class has had nothing to gain and everything to lose--especially their lives." Eugene Victor Debs

Baltimore Activist Alert – March 8 – 9, 2026

Baltimore Activist Alert – March 8 – 9, 2026

"I speak as an American to the leaders of my own nation. The great initiative in this war is ours. The initiative to stop it must be ours." -Martin Luther King Jr.

Friends, this list and other email documents which I send out are done under the auspices of the Baltimore Nonviolence Center.  Go to www.baltimorenonviolencecenter.blogspot.com. 

If you appreciate this information and would like to make a donation, send contributions to Max Obuszewski, BNC, 431 Notre Dame Lane, Apt. 206, Baltimore, MD 21212.  Max can be reached at 410-323-1607 or mobuszewski2001 [at] comcast.net.

1] Books, buttons and stickers

2] Web site for info on federal legislation

3] Need help in archiving activist material

4] Get the book A Bag of Snakes

5] Get the book Male Supremacy in the Catholic Church: An Insider’s View by Roy Bourgeois

6] Labor History Project

7] Friends meeting – March 8

8] BES guidelines – March 8

9] Canvass for Janeese – March 8

10] Fundraiser for families affected by ICE – March 8

11] Mutual aid distribution – March 8

12] Doctors against genocide – March 8

13] Consider joining Aparna for D.C. canvassing – March 8

14] Indivisible Bowie on the bridge – March 8

15] Looking for resistance knitters – March 8

16] Cure for Hate – March 8

17] Nicaragua report – March 8

18] Weekly PDA Town Hall – March 8

19] Vigil at the Pentagon – March 9

20] Election protection – March 9

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1] – Buttons, bumper stickers and books are available.  “God Bless the Whole World, No Exceptions” stickers are in stock. Call Max at 410-323-1607.

2] –To obtain information how your federal legislators voted on particular bills, go to http://thomas.loc.gov/.  Congressional toll-free numbers are 888-818-6641, 888-355-3588 or 800-426-8073. The White House Comment Email is accessible at http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/.

3] –  Janice Sevre-Duszynska needs some assistance in archiving her activist material.  If you are interested in this project, contact Max at 410-323-1607 or mobuszewski2001 at Comcast dot net.

4] – Barry Lee Burnside, a gaggle of great writers and copy editors are making available “A Bag of Snakes: Selected Writings on Prisons and the Death Penalty by Murphy Davis and Eduard Loring. Edited by Barry Lee Burnside.” Your donation will provide a needed financial boost for the printing costs. The suggested donation is $20 for one copy; and $30 for your copy and an additional copy for a prisoner or someone in need. Any donation is appreciated. More or less you will receive the book.  Barry and the team have spent over two years putting this book together. It begins with outlines and notes found in the boxes of materials Murphy left when she ascended. The work is a work of love, and all involved are proud of the fruit borne by seeds nourished in good soil.

To order by postal mail, make your check to Open Door Community.  Send it to Open Door Community, PO Box 10980, Baltimore 21234.  For any questions, contact David Payne at 404-290-2047 or davidpayne@opendoorcommunity.org.

5] – Another book to consider purchasing is Male Supremacy in the Catholic Church: An Insider’s View by Roy Bourgeois. His new book is both memoir and position-paper, and it makes the case that the Roman Catholic Church is a corrupt system that spits out truth-tellers. The crime he was excommunicated for was attending the ordination ceremony of Janice Sevre-Duszynska in Lexington, Kentucky, in August 2008. The ordination was under the auspices of the Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests.  The Vatican’s response has been to excommunicate any woman who has the audacity to see herself as a priest equal to a male priest. You can purchase a copy from Amazon or by Kindle.

Here are two quotes to contemplate: “I permit no woman to teach or to have authority over men. She is to keep silent.” – Timothy 1, 2:12-13.  “If the patriarchy that dominates the church is not dismantled and women are not treated as equals, the church will continue to diminish and, eventually, die.” – Roy Bourgeois.

6] – William Barry [billbarry21214@gmail.com] has a request. As the country begins to celebrate our 250th anniversary, our history is complicated but one thing is certain--labor history is always deleted. So he created the MD250 Labor History Project, and hopes you will participate by sending in labor history materials, and by sharing it with your friends, as part of creating a union movement. Go to https://www.md250laborhistory.org/

"We are either part of the solution or part of the problem." "The only reason an organization has dead wood is that management either hired dead wood or it hired live wood and killed it."   - W. Edwards Deming

7] – Homewood Friends Meeting [homewoodfriends@gmail.com] gathers for worship on Sundays at 10:30 AM at 3107 N. Charles St., Baltimore 21218 and on Zoom.  A simple lunch will take place after the 10:30 AM worship. Call 410-235-4438. To join by Zoom, go to https://us02web.zoom.us/j/255867065?pwd=UDNxVnlVSkZQOHlXWlc3NHpHeHdhZz09#success

8] – The Baltimore Ethical Society hybrid meetup on Sun., March 8 at 10:30 AM will be at the Impact Hub Baltimore, 10 E. North Ave., Baltimore 21202 for a platform What's in Our Conduct Guidelines, What Should Be in It, and Why Do We have One? This will be facilitated by Karen Elliott, BES President. You can attend the platform via Zoom or in person. Masks are optional. Every single week near the start of our meetings, the presider says "The Baltimore Ethical Society strives to be a safe, welcoming community for all members and guests, regardless of race, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, economic status, creed, age, or disability. We ask that members and guests show respect for one another in their words and actions so that BES may continue to honor the worth and dignity of every human being. BES members and guests are encouraged to advocate for their personal comfort and safety. For more information, see the link to the conduct guidelines in the chat."  Elliott is a long time member of the Baltimore Ethical Society. During her professional life, she held various roles within the information systems area of the life insurance industry, including business and technical analysis, training, writing, and project management. RSVP at https://www.meetup.com/bmorethical/events/312712316/?eventOrigin=group_events_list

9] – Join a Ward 4 Families Meet & Greet on Sun., March 8 from 10:30 AM to noon starting at a private address. Join Ward 4 neighbors for a family-friendly meet and greet with Janeese Lewis George, councilmember and mayoral candidate. Hear about her vision for a DC that works for residents in all eight wards and get an opportunity to ask questions about the issues important to you. RSVP at https://www.mobilize.us/janeesefordc/event/909996/

10] – Get over to a Fundraising Canvass for Families Fighting Deportation organized by MoCo DSA ICE Watch on Sun., March 8 from 11 AM to 1 PM at Rockville Town Square, 131 Gibbs St., Rockville 20850.  Canvass local business in and around Rockville Town Center and ask if they'll allow the hanging of fundraising flyers for the most at-risk families in Montgomery County, children who have lost both their parents to immigration abductions and deportations and are now the primary caretakers of their younger siblings. Materials and training will be provided on site. RSVP at https://actionnetwork.org/events/fundraising-canvass-for-families-fighting-deportation-moco-dsa-ice-watch?link_id=65&can_id=4b9d4061aec5469758759317ac0f5285&source=email-metro-dc-dsa-weekly-newsletter-for-february-27-2026&email_referrer=email_3130893&email_subject=metro-dc-dsa-weekly-newsletter-for-march-6-2026&&

11] – On Sun., March 8 from 11 AM to 2 PM, get with the Northen Virginia DSA Mutual Aid monthly distribution at the Court House Metro, 2100 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, VA 22001.  RSVP at https://actionnetwork.org/events/nova-mawg-monthly-distribution-court-house-edition?link_id=66&can_id=4b9d4061aec5469758759317ac0f5285&source=email-metro-dc-dsa-weekly-newsletter-for-february-27-2026&email_referrer=email_3130893&email_subject=metro-dc-dsa-weekly-newsletter-for-march-6-2026&&

Email novamutualaid@mdcdsa.org.Donations will be accepted at the distribution site, so feel free to bring any packaged food, water, hygienic supplies, clothes, etc. that you'd like to donate.  The Bodily Autonomy Working Group, in partnership with EC 4 DC, will provide health care kits at this event. Meter parking on site should be free on Sundays.

12] – On Sun., March 8 at noon ET, join Doctors Against Genocide for its weekly webinar as it moves from mourning what has been destroyed to rebuilding what must endure. Welcome voices directly from Gaza and frontline witnesses to both devastation and unwavering resilience: Dr. Ahmad Al Farra: Head of Pediatric Department in Khan Younis-Gaza, Dr Sakher Hamad: Acting director of Kamala Adwan Hospital, Mr. Fares Afaneh: Head of paramedics in north Gaza and others. This is about ensuring that hospitals remain places of care, not targets, and that collective power is used to restore life-saving services. Register at https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_aUUzycRDSwaem750Nc6iFg#/registration

13] – Consider joining Aparna for D.C. canvassing on Sun., March 8 from 1 to 4 PM. This event's address is private, but the door-to-door canvassing is in Mount Pleasant and Pleasant Plains! It will start with a brief campaign orientation and canvassing training at the meetup location. After that, talk with voters about her vision for a DC and a Ward 1 for all. Everyone will then head over to a local restaurant to debrief. Water and campaign literature will be on hand but it is recommended you bring a small bag (totes work great), a granola bar or other light snack, and a portable charger. Please also download the MiniVAN app on your phone ahead of time. Sign up on to make sure you receive day-of information from the Aparna for D.C. campaign: https://www.mobilize.us/aparnafordc/event/887729/

14] – On Sun., March 8, from 1 to 3 PM ET at 15202 Major Lansdale Blvd., Bowie 20716, join Indivisible Bowie for a Visibility Brigade sign wave on the pedestrian bridge over Route 50. If you can't make the full time, no worries, come when you can! Help bring attention to important issues and let your neighbors and commuters know they are not alone in fighting back against authoritarianism.

Parking is behind the Hampton Inn in the old theatre lot, please look for the sign. Follow the paved path through the chain-link fence, then turn left onto the pedestrian trail to reach the bridge. Approximately a 4-minute walk. RSVP at https://www.mobilize.us/dfadcoalition/event/873914/?followup_modal_context=organization_newsletter_custom_recommendations

15] – Calling All Resistance Knitters/Crocheters to join the Melt the Ice Hat Knit-In, hosted by Allies for Democracy on Sundays, including March 8 from 2 to 4 PM ET in the common area at The Shops at Kenilworth, 800 Kenilworth Dr., Towson 21204. In the 1940s, Norwegians quietly defied Nazi occupation by knitting and wearing red, pointed hats with tassels. A simple garment became an act of protest. Today, Minnesota knitters are reviving that tradition—and they need more hats. Join in to knit and crochet Melt the Ice Hats. These red hats will be sent to Needle & Skein yarn shop in Minnesota and distributed to protesters. This event will continue through March 8. Bring red yarn and needles or a hook if you have them. Knit and crochet patterns may be found on Ravelry. Beginners welcome, and supplies may be available to share.  RSVP at https://www.mobilize.us/mobilize/event/899993/?followup_modal_context=nonexclusive_newsletter_more_events_of_type

16] – On Sun., March 8 at 3 PM, join the Baltimore Jewish Council for a screening of the 55-minute film The Cure For Hate, followed by a conversation with Tony McAleer and the film’s director, Peter Hutchison. McAleer has spent over a decade helping others to understand the dynamics of hate. He should know: in the 1980s, he was deeply involved in the neo-Nazi White Aryan Resistance, anti-immigrant activism, Holocaust denial and street violence. In the 1990s, he attracted increasing notoriety through a series of publicity stunts and by running a white supremacist phone line. His pathway back was a long, lonely and difficult one – an experience that led to him and a small group of other formers to create the organization Life after Hate in order to help others exit hate groups with more support and greater success. This powerful film follows former Skinhead and Holocaust denier, McAleer on his journey of t’shuvah and atonement at Auschwitz/Birkenau. The film and conversation will be held at Chizuk Amuno Congregation, 8100 Stevenson Road, Pikesville. RSVP at https://www.baltjc.org/event/the-cure-for-hate/

17] – On Sun., March 8 at 3 PM ET, hear from National Lawyers Guild attorneys, recently returned from a delegation to Nicaragua to review policies that promote collective rights and the meeting of basic human needs--Martha Schmidt is a retired labor and employment lawyer who works on the right to health with National Single Payer; Richard Hobbs is an immigration attorney who founded Human Agenda in San Jose, California and has helped form worker-owned co-ops; and Anna Capati has served as an Executive Editor of the International Law Journal and as the President of the USD National Lawyers Guild. Register bit.ly/NicaMarch8

18] – Progressive Democrats of America [info@pdamerica.org] on Sun., March 8 at 4 PM will hold the weekly Town Hall and celebrate International Women's Day.  Join and help build an Anti-war Movement, Support Veterans and Revel in the Rev. Rodney Sadler's Landslide Primary Victory in NC. Hear from Hanieh Jodat from PDA-Greater Middle East Alliance and Suzanne Gordon who will continue the brilliant discussion from two weeks ago on the evisceration of Federal Departments by the Trump administration and DOGE. RSVP at https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0tceuhrzsvHdymeeZRwb-i7X50FJa-HMR4?emci=ced5d1ed-71c8-f011-8196-6045bdfe8e9c&emdi=ea000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000001&ceid=2907617#/registration

19] – There was a weekly Pentagon Peace Vigil from 7 to 8 AM on Mondays, since 1987, outside the Pentagon Metro stop.  However, the Pentagon police, presumably on the orders of President Trump, have made it impossible to protest on the reservation. Now it will take place on the corner of S. Fern and Army Navy Dr. in Arlington, VA.  The next vigil is March 9, and it is sponsored by the Dorothy Day Catholic Worker.  Email artlaffin@hotmail.com or call 202-882-9649. 

By car from D.C. area, take 395 South and get off at Exit 8A-Pentagon South Parking. Take slight right onto S. Rotary Rd. at end of ramp and right on S. Fern St. Then take left onto Army Navy Dr. You can "pay to park" on Army Navy Dr.,  and there is meter parking one block on right on Eads St. Payment for both of these spots begins at 8 AM.  No cameras are allowed on Pentagon grounds. The restrooms are located inside Marriot Providence Inn on corner of S. Fern and Army Navy Dr.

20] – Progressive Democrats of America [info@pdamerica.org] wants you to participate with the Grassroots Election Protection Coalition/ALLIANCE 4 GRASSROOTS DEMOCRACY Zoom on Mon., March 9 at 5 PM ET. Hear from leading activists, elected officials, and others committed to union organizing as well as cleaning up our elections and the environment, and other critically important issues. RSVP at https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYqfuygpjIiHtc20uIOxdeqYRiAicjSLWUc#/registration

 Donations can be sent to Max Obuszewski, Baltimore Nonviolence Center, and 431 Notre Dame Lane, Apt. 206, Baltimore, MD 21212.  Ph.: 410-323-1607; Email: mobuszewski2001 [at] comcast.net. Go to http://baltimorenonviolencecenter.blogspot.com/.

"The master class has always declared the wars; the subject class has always fought the battles. The master class has had all to gain and nothing to lose, while the subject class has had nothing to gain and everything to lose--especially their lives." Eugene Victor Debs

Palestinians Face Beatings and Abuse in Israeli Interrogations at Rafah Crossing

Friends,

     Read this and weep.  Now that Netanyahu convinced his buffoonish friend President Trump to bomb Iran on the cusp of a break-through in negotiations, you can expect the IDF’s brutality to escalate.  You would think any Palestinian who survived the genocide would be allowed to live in peace. Not a chance. 

Kagiso, Max

https://truthout.org/articles/palestinians-face-beatings-and-abuse-in-israeli-interrogations-at-rafah-crossing/?utm_source=Truthout&utm_campaign=4670da1a6d-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2026_03_01_07_35&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_bbb541a1db-4670da1a6d-65013013  

Human Rights

Palestinians Face Beatings and Abuse in Israeli Interrogations at Rafah Crossing

Palestinians returning to Gaza from Egypt report being tortured and pressured to collaborate with Israel as informants.

Tareq S. Hajjaj , 

Mondoweiss

February 28, 2026

Palestinian children watch as war-wounded Palestinians and other patients prepare to leave the Gaza Strip for treatment through the Rafah border crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt, in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip, on February 8, 2026.   Bashar Taleb / AFP via Getty Images

Palestinians returning to Gaza through the Rafah border crossing report systematic harassment, beatings, torture, and being told to leave Gaza with their families by Israeli border agents. Returnees who spoke to Mondoweiss described how Israeli authorities subjected them to hours of intensive interrogation, during which they attempted to recruit some travelers as informants.

       As the Rafah crossing partially resumed operations in late January after having been closed by Israel in May 2024, increasing numbers of Palestinians who had left for Egypt during the war have begun returning to the Strip. Palestinians have described the harrowing treatment they experienced at the crossing. Additional interviews with returnees upon arrival reveal that travelers received two distinct messages from the authorities with whom they interacted during the journey.

    The first appeared to come from the Egyptian side, who urged travelers to remain in Gaza and reject all offers of emigration. The second seemed to have been planted by the Israelis, particularly through interrogation rooms. The message was nearly identical for every person crossing through Rafah:

Gaza now belongs to Israel, and Palestinians will inevitably be forced out of the Strip — “even if it takes twenty years,” according to statements attributed to Israeli interrogators.

          Every Palestinian making the journey must undergo mandatory questioning, in which Israeli officers alternate between aggressive intimidation tactics and feigned concern and helpfulness. Almost all travelers were detained for more than two hours, and sometimes up to the whole day. In all cases, their hands were bound, and their eyes were blindfolded during the entire interrogation. Israeli officers proposed what they phrased as “generous offers” to the travelers to assist them and their families in leaving Gaza permanently. Others were offered to work for the Israeli army by providing it with information from within Gaza upon their return.

          Maha Abu Qamar, who returned to Gaza with her two children, ages 11 and 13, described the Egyptian side as routine: bags were searched, passports stamped, and travelers were allowed to pass through toward Gaza without incident. When they entered Gaza to hand in their passports, they were received by armed members of the infamous Israel-backed militia formerly led by the late Yasser Abu Shabab, who was reportedly killed by one of his men in December of last year. “Abu Shabab’s group received us and searched us. They did not abuse us or cross any lines,” Abu Qamar told Mondoweiss. “They took our passports to hand them to the Israelis, along with our mobile phones, while our belongings remained outside. Then they led us into a makeshift room. It was wrapped in plastic sheeting from the side and was open at the top.”

          The crossing on the Palestinian side is no longer a place fit for human use, travelers say. They walk through sandy dirt paths with fences on either side, describing the Israeli-controlled area as a flattened “desert.” As of April of last year, Israel systematically razed the southern Rafah governorate.

          Abu Qamar says that after waiting briefly, an Israeli female soldier arrived and grabbed her by the hand, ordering her to face the wall. She then bound her hands and placed a blindfold over her eyes. She was led through what she described as several winding corridors until they reached the interrogation room. She sat in the room for ten minutes before being taken out of it, only to be called back in and led through the same process. The entire time, she was handcuffed and blindfolded.

Offers of Collaboration          

          Interviews conducted by Mondoweiss show little difference from one interrogation to another. The questions are the same, the methods nearly identical. Returnees consistently say that the message conveyed by interrogators was uniform: Gaza will not be rebuilt, it will remain destroyed for 20 or 30 years, and Israel will ultimately take it over and expel all Palestinians from the Strip.

          No travelers are able to describe the interrogation rooms, as they remained blindfolded the entire time. One returnee, Sabah al-Rakab, 41, tried to raise her head when she was being questioned, but when she did so, an interrogator immediately hit her head with his hand, ordering her to keep it down.

          Abu Qamar says the first question she was asked was what she was doing on October 7. “I told him I was awake, preparing my children for school, when we were surprised by what happened,” she said. He asked where her husband was at the time. She replied that he was at home, resting after his night shift, before leaving for his daytime job.

          The interrogator then asked about a relative and whether he worked for Hamas, which she denied. He pressed her, accusing her of lying, but she insisted she was telling the truth. He then asked about her nephew, repeating the same question. He was a nurse, she said, but she didn’t know exactly where he worked, except that he had trained at al-Nasr Eye Hospital. The interrogator asked the same questions about her son, Tamer. He was a nurse training at al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital. The interrogator then asked about another relative, Alaa Abu Qamar, and his relationship to Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya. She said they were colleagues who worked together.

          The interrogation lasted more than an hour and a half. Questions were not asked consecutively; instead, a question would be posed, followed by 10 minutes of repeating the same question to elicit more answers. When the interrogation ended, she was handed over to the Red Crescent, taken to a bus, and then transported into Gaza.

          The interrogators offered returnees to expedite their emmigration from Gaza alongside their families. Among the questions posed was why had Qamar returned in the first place. “If we secure you a life, a home, and a salary outside Gaza, would you leave?”

          Abu Qamar said she answered in the affirmative. “If you provide me with a dignified life — a home and a salary for my children for life, and for my husband — I would leave,” she said.

          In other cases, interrogators made different offers to returnees, including attempting to recruit them as informants. “They asked me to tell them what happens around me, what I see, and to do what they ask,” Sabah al-Rakab says.

          “All of the questions revolved around why we wanted to return to Gaza. He told me Gaza has no life, that it’s completely destroyed and there’s nothing worth returning to. ‘Why do you want to go back?’ he’d say. And I would tell him: ‘I want to go to my family, to see my children and grandchildren. I want to see my family again.’” The interrogator then interjected to say that her husband was not in Gaza, but Oman. “He said, ‘I will send you to your husband in Oman. I will give you what you need and help reunite you with your children there. I will bring them and help them travel to Oman—on the condition that you never return to Gaza and that you turn back immediately.’”

          Sabah refused, saying Gaza is her homeland. She added that she had lived in Egypt for more than a year and never felt comfortable or safe, and that she would only feel that way in Gaza.

Testimony of Beatings, Torture, and Degrading Treatment          

          Travelers also share how interrogations used insults, foul language, and verbal and physical abuse, banging on the table over and over and calling them liars.

          Over the course of an hour and 40 minutes, Sabah al-Rakab was subjected to “intense pressure” by two interrogators she could neither see nor identify. During the interrogation, the two played contrasting roles: one acted kindly, promising help, family reunification, housing, a salary, and a suitable life outside Gaza if she agreed to leave and never return; the other slammed the table, shouted, accused her of lying, and hurled insults she refused to repeat due to their nature.

          When al-Rakab denied their offer to leave Gaza and never come back, the two interrogators went back to hurling insults. She says she had been wearing a woolen shawl to protect herself from the cold, but that they took it from her. As she grew cold and began to cry, she told them she was sick and needed warmth. Instead of returning the shawl, they sprayed water on her back.

          Another traveler, Taghreed Marouf, says that from 3 a.m. to 9 a.m., she was made to sit on a steel chair, hands cuffed and eyes blindfolded. Her feet were tied to the chair. They were asking about her husband, who serves as a policeman in the Hamas-run civilian branch of government in Gaza.

          “They did not believe that he was a policeman. They kept insisting that he is a member of the Qassam Brigades,” she says. “I kept telling the interrogator that he isn’t affiliated with al-Qassam, and that he is only working as a civilian policeman to feed his family and has nothing to do with any military activity.”  Marouf says the interrogator then hit her with the butt of his rifle.

          During the interrogation, they asked Marouf to provide information about another individual, but she denied any knowledge of the details they sought. After that, she says, they stripped her of her winter jacket and left her to sit in the cold for a few more hours.

          “The interrogators asked me where I had surgery. I told him on my hip. He told me to turn my body so he can see. When I did, and he saw where they had operated on me, he hit me there with his rifle. He kept kicking me in the same spot. I fell down and lost consciousness. When I next opened my eyes, I was in a hospital in Gaza.”

“Homeland Is Like the Soul“          

          Another traveler, Routana al-Rakab, was offered the chance to reunite with her family and children at the border before they all left together. She refused. They then offered to provide her with a place to live away from the rubble. She refused again, insisting that all she wanted was to return to Gaza. At that moment, the officer’s tone shifted, his “generosity” turning into rage. He began slamming his hands on the table, raising his voice, and threatening to deprive her of her children, saying she would never see them again.

          “He said that ‘Gaza is ours — if not today, then in twenty years, in thirty years. We own Gaza now. Not a single Palestinian will remain. You will all leave, and it will belong to us,’” al-Rakab recounts.

          Most travelers interviewed by Mondoweiss said they would not accept the Israeli offer to be relocated. Most of them cited their need to be with family. “My family, my land, my home, my memories — everything I know and love can only be found in Gaza,” al-Rakab says. “I will never choose to leave without returning. It’s my homeland. Homeland is like the soul, it’s irreplaceable.”

          “I lived in an occupation-free country,” she continues. “It’s really amazing to breathe freedom, but if it’s not in our homeland, then it’s not our freedom.”

         Al-Rakab says that after over a year spent in Egypt, never felt safe or happy, despite not wanting for anything. “Exile is a burden, and home is a blessing,” she explains. “I choose Gaza every time.”

This piece was reprinted by Truthout with permission or license. It may not be reproduced in any form without permission or license from the source.

Tareq S. Hajjaj is the Gaza correspondent for Mondoweiss and a member of the Palestinian Writers Union. Follow him on Twitter/X at @Tareqshajjaj.

Donations can be sent to Max Obuszewski, Baltimore Nonviolence Center, 431 Notre Dame Lane, Apt. 206, Baltimore, MD 21212.  Ph: 410-323-1607; Email: mobuszewski2001 [at] comcast.net. Go to http://baltimorenonviolencecenter.blogspot.com/

"The master class has always declared the wars; the subject class has always fought the battles. The master class has had all to gain and nothing to lose, while the subject class has had nothing to gain and everything to lose--especially their lives." Eugene Victor Debs

Baltimore Activist Alert -- March 6 - 7, 2026

10] Peace vigil at White House – March 6

11] Women in Black vigil – March 6

12] Support the people of Gaza – March 6

13] Sign wave in Bowie – March 6

14] Silence gives consent – March 6

15] Teach-In on campus protests – March 6

16] Enough is enough – March 6

17] Patterson Park clean up – March 7

18] Northern Virginia Fiber Arts Group meeting – March 7

19] Sign waving – March 7

20] Phone bank for Janeese for D.C. mayor – March 7

21] Stand up for science – March 7

22] Donations needed for the Silent Fallout project

23] Read Dave Eberhardt’s book "For All the Saints- a Protest Primer"

24] Tell JHU president to renounce nuclear weapons contracts

25] Do you need a doctor?

26] Donate books, videos, DVDs and records

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10] – There is a weekly vigil at the White House on Fridays from noon to 1 PM sponsored by the Dorothy Day Catholic Worker.  Email artlaffin@hotmail.com or call 202-882-9649. 

11] – Every Friday from noon to 1 PM, Baltimore Women in Black vigil for peace with men and women who live in Roland Park. WIB invites all to join, and any peace sign is welcome, such as "Defuse Nuclear War."  The vigil takes place outside Roland Park Place at 830 West 40th Street and Elm Street. Parking is free at RPP or at the Rotunda across the street. Contact Ann Vinup at annvinup@gmail.com.

12] – The American Friends Service Committee holds an Action Hour every Friday at noon ET.  You’ll get updates from AFSC staff in Gaza, hear what’s happening on Capitol Hill, and get resources for your activism. Together, contact Congress to demand an arms embargo on Israel, and fully funded humanitarian aid for Palestinians. Our elected officials need to keep hearing from us. RSVP at https://afsc.org/actionhour?emci=822f3fb8-241a-f011-8b3d-0022482a9fb7&emdi=20221eff-f41a-f011-8b3d-0022482a9fb7&ceid=764241

13] – On Fridays, including March 7, from 2 to 4 PM ET at 15202 Major Lansdale Blvd., Bowie 20716, join Indivisible Bowie for a Visibility Brigade sign wave on the pedestrian bridge over Route 50. If you can't make the full time, no worries, come when you can! Help bring attention to important issues and let your neighbors and commuters know they are not alone in fighting back against authoritarianism.

Parking is behind the Hampton Inn in the old theatre lot, please look for the sign. Follow the paved path through the chain-link fence, then turn left onto the pedestrian trail to reach the bridge. Approximately a 4-minute walk. RSVP at https://indivisible.org/events/bowie-rt-50-pedestrian-overpass-wave-for-democracy-fri-2-4pm/

14] – Join RESIST - Silence Gives Consent, a visibility event organized for Indivisible, will take place on Fridays, March 6 & 13, from 3 to 5 PM at on an overpass at 9706 Gorman Road, Laurel 20723.  This event will continue through March 13.  Protest this Trump administration and to protect our democracy. If you too feel a need to speak out and use your freedom to protest, then this is your opportunity to join like-minded people who believe in our constitution and in humanity. This is a fun way to do something useful - lots of honking and affirmation from the 20K+ cars below. Wear your warm clothes or your character costumes. Bring your flags, small signs (for local traffic) and large signs for the 95 traffic below. Or just bring yourself and friends too of course. RSVP at https://www.mobilize.us/mobilize/event/891474/

15] – The MAPA Education Fund [info@masspeaceaction.org] is holding a Teach In on Fri., March 6 at 4 PM Defending Campus and Schools Expression. RSVP at https://secure.everyaction.com/avUZ5ZzJ7EONeqo72rzL-g2?ms=email-260305&emci=3619441f-2f18-f111-a69a-000d3a1f0a97&emdi=962bd5f7-cd18-f111-a69a-000d3a1f0a97&ceid=269591

The AAUP and AFT have organized a national campaign resisting the Trump attacks on our campuses, to engage faculty, staffs, students and alumni. The call is for teach-ins on the first Fridays of the month leading up to a national event on Friday May 1, 2026. Many college and university campuses lack active AAUP chapters or AFT locals. However, many Peace and Justice advocacy groups have members or supporters on local campuses. To advance the Days of Action Campaign the Books Not Bombs Committee is hosting a series of Zoom Teach-ins.

16] – On Fridays, March 6 & 13, from 4 to 5 PM ET, join Indivisible to say Enough is Enough at the east side of 16th St. between 2nd Avenue and Grace Church Road, Silver Spring 20910.  RSVP at https://www.mobilize.us/dfadcoalition/event/781857/?followup_modal_context=organization_newsletter_custom_recommendations

Join your neighbors on a Friday evening. Bring flags, signs, and energy. Make a stand for Democracy and the Rule of Law and signal to passing motorists that enough is enough!

17] –Join a Habitat Team in Patterson Park on Saturdays, March 7, April 11 or May 2, from 8 to 9:30 AM at the Patterson Park Habitat Gardens, South Rose St. & Eastern Avenue, Baltimore21224. Help build bird habitat in Audubon’s native plant gardens in Patterson Park! Need volunteers to make sure they remain healthy habitats for the park’s birds and butterflies, as well as safe spaces for learning and exploring. Come to weed, mulch, and/or plant while spending the morning outdoors with friends, family, and Audubon. For questions, email baltimore@audubon.org. Meet at the wetland garden, uphill & northwest of the boat lake in Patterson Park. Please note, there is no driving in the park.  RSVP ay https://www.mobilize.us/audubon-mid-atlantic/event/906415/?emci=7032b97e-ed0c-f111-a69a-000d3a57593f&emdi=4dae1a51-0f0d-f111-a69a-000d3a57593f&ceid=2504878

18] –On Sat., March 7 from 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM, the Northern Virginia Fiber Arts Group will be meeting at the Arlington Central Library (Glebe Room), 1015 N. Quincy St., Arlington , VA 22201. This group aims to promote, celebrate, and build community around the fiber arts, including knitting, crocheting, sewing, embroidering, felting, and needle-punching. Develop fiber skills, mitigate burnout, and connect organizers who normally work in different realms. Discuss plans for skill building and projects for helping the community. Knit/crochet hats, blankets etc. Everyone is encouraged to bring their current projects. If you don't have a current project, make hats! Extra supplies are provided! Bring any items to be donated (finished hats, blankets, socks, etc.) for the next NoVA Mutual Aid WG distribution event. RSVP at https://actionnetwork.org/events/march-2026-nova-fiber-arts?clear_id=true&link_id=10&can_id=4b9d4061aec5469758759317ac0f5285&source=email-02192026-nova-branch-dsa-upcoming-actions-and-events&email_referrer=email_3116818&email_subject=02262026-nova-branch-dsa-upcoming-actions-and-events&&

19] – Chesapeake Indivisible is doing a Sign Waving protest on Sat., March 7 from 11 AM to 1 PM at a new location Forest Drive, on the sidewalks near Safeway, 1796 Forest Drive, Annapolis 21403. This event will continue through March 28. RSVP at https://www.mobilize.us/chesapeakeindivisible/event/834849/

There are mountains of snow/ice along the Annapolis mall sidewalks, so instead of cancelling the weekly sign-waving protest, it has been moved. Once those sidewalks are well cleared and look safe, return to the Annapolis Mall area when the footing is safe.

20] – On Sat., March 7 from noon to 4 PM and Sun., March 8 from 11 AM to 3 PM ET, sign up to phone bank for Janeese for D.C. Mayor. RSVP at https://www.mobilize.us/mobilize/event/906441/?followup_modal_context=nonexclusive_newsletter_more_events_of_type

The address is private. This campaign is totally reliant on small dollar donations from volunteers and supporters. There is a training both days.

21] – The Union of Concerned Scientists [action@ucs.org] on Sat., March 7 from noon to 3 PM on the National Mall is organizing  Stand Up for Science, the national day of action. In the second Trump administration, science has been under attack since day one. From the defunding of scientific agencies to the rollback of science-based environmental and health regulations to the rampant spread of disinformation, science is under siege.  Sign up to join the rally: https://secure.ucs.org/a/2026-3-7-su4s-dc?contactdata=sE22y1sOAX6NLw5cAkpr9A2343CfigzRw27HaNRu%2fLepZG6EywssaXd%2fBvTKXqH2DsiYOVdhZGHp19QcRAebTIyRmJnikfUTPhkVVy8OO3TIfwOBs6yBJ+25ySoS6GYE1iUhYGmLQnW85NuAQsxDLOLlLCyXCDjpTtdGxQKR7PyWLMHqJg+2RLVZdEA1lcqqWsn+9oupbvJ0I8JTzIlTNbEnBi%2fiYhAMwp3EAK5PiG44wCbnfT88IWwVRvwfdHkNGjVedJ8k+nu+HHCihiT%2fpw%3d%3d&utm_campaign=email&utm_medium=email&utm_source=email&emci=4e504ed2-9b0e-f111-a69a-000d3a57593f&emdi=50147d60-3e0f-f111-a69a-000d3a57593f&ceid=1507036

22] – Hideaki Ito [silentfalloutproject.org@gmail.com] wants to give you an update about the Silent Fallout Project. 2025 was a successful year. Now there are plans for 2026. Make a donation at https://www.silentfalloutproject.org/donation

23] – David Eberhardt was a member of the Baltimore Four with Father Philip Berrigan, Tom Lewis and Rev. James Mengel.  The group poured blood on draft files on October 27, 1967.  They would be convicted and sentenced to prison. He has written a book "For All the Saints- a Protest Primer"- documenting the Baltimore Four action and many others up to and including the most recent Plowshares action – Kings Bay Plowshares 7.  Dave printed new copies of For All the Saints, a Protest Primer- 250+ pp w photos-therefore #'s 351-400 making it o so collectable with two Berrigan book reviews added. The books are signed, and the price remains $25. Will send free if need be- he is not in it for the money! If you want one, send him a check, or contact Dave Eberhardt, 4 Hadley Square North, Baltimore, MD 21218 by email at 1941mireille@gmail.com. 

24] -- This is A PLEA TO CONVINCE JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY TO OBEY INTERNATIONAL LAW. The world reached a historic milestone on January 22, 2021: The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons [TPNW] entered into force and become binding international law -- https://www.icanw.org/the_treaty.

Prevent Nuclear War/Maryland has called attention to the growing danger of nuclear war and the outrageous $1.7 trillion dollars we are spending to upgrade the nuclear arsenal. On July 18, 2017, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, a U.S. Navy - affiliated research center received a seven-year, $92 million contract to continue its systems engineering and research-and-development services for the Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center. Help convince JHU to renounce nuclear weapons contracts. Contact the president, Ron Daniels, to urge him to reject all nuclear weapons contracts: Office of the President, 242 Garland Hall, The Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N. Charles St., Baltimore, Maryland 21218.  Call his office at (410) 516-8068 or email president@jhu.edu.

25] – Yousef Zarbalian [EastWestRheum@gmail.com] started his own medical practice in December before the pandemic hit. It is called East-West Medicine and Rheumatology, and its website is EastWestMD.com.  Yousef is licensed in Maryland and Virginia. He is doing primary care as well as rheumatologic care (focusing on joint problems and autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and sjogren's).  He is offering telemedicine visits, and he has very reasonable rates for uninsured individuals.  He makes use of herbs (which can be sent directly to patients from the herbal dispensary) as well as prescribing medications to their local pharmacy if needed.  

26]- If you would like to get rid of books, videos, DVDs, records, tarps and table cloths, contact Max at 410-323-1607 or mobuszewski2001 at comcast.net.

Donations can be sent to Max Obuszewski, Baltimore Nonviolence Center, and 431 Notre Dame Lane, Apt. 206, Baltimore, MD 21212.  Ph: 410-323-1607; Email: mobuszewski2001 [at] comcast.net. Go to http://baltimorenonviolencecenter.blogspot.com/.

“One is called to live nonviolently, even if the change one works for seems impossible. It may or may not be possible to turn the US around through nonviolent revolution. But one thing favors such an attempt: the total inability of violence to change anything for the better" - Daniel Berrigan