The SS Free Gaza.
The Free Gaza Movement consists of over 40 peace activists from 16 nations, including Jeff Halper, founder of Israel Committee Against House Demolition, Palestinian, Israeli, and international participants, including an 81-year-old Catholic nun, and an 84-year-old Nazi concentration camp survivor. This group is presently awaiting departure from Cypress to Gaza in an attempt to stop to the siege of Gaza, which is causing serious malnutrition among children as well as death among medical patients unable to leave Gaza for specialized care. Jimmy Carter rightly called the siege of Gaza a “human rights crime” that is being ignored by the world, including Americans who support it with their carte blanc funding and support of Israel.
These recent reports indicate that Israeli authorities are reacting negatively to the Free Gaza effort, and perhaps may be unwittingly contributing to the publicity it is intended to achieve.
Israel warns activists against breaking Gaza blockade
appeared 4 hours ago:
ATHENS (AFP) — Israel has warned a group of pro-Palestinian activists sailing for the Gaza Strip to break a year-long blockade to steer clear of the territory, the Israeli embassy in Athens said on Tuesday.
“The area to which you are planning to sail is the subject of an (Israeli Navy) advisory notice which warns all foreign vessels to remain clear of the designated maritime zone,” the Israeli foreign ministry said in an open letter to the participants of the Free Gaza Boat Expedition.
“We assume that your intentions are good but, in fact, the result of your action is that you are supporting the regime of a terrorist organisation in Gaza,” the ministry said.
At least since June 2007, Hamas, an Islamist movement organized to fight Israel’s military occupation, has been considered a terrorist organization by the US and Israel as part of a propaganda campaign to nullify the democratic Palestinian election, in which Hamas received a majority vote. Hamas, which developed during the first Intifada in the late 80s, was originally funded by Israel, which wanted to counteract the peace initiatives of Arafat and the PLO. The terrorist charge is obviously a ruse being used by Israel to continue its military occupation and colonization of further Palestinian land.
Israel to treat Gaza peace boats ‘like pirates’
appeared 10 hours ago
Peace activists planning to land two boats on Gaza’s shores are no better than “pirates” and will be turned back by the Israeli navy, officials have warned.
The SS Free Gaza and the SS Liberty, which are sailing from Crete to Cyprus and then on to Gaza after being delayed by a storm, will carry about 40 protesters campaigning against Israel’s economic sanctions on the Palestinian territory, including an 84-year-old Holocaust survivor and Lauren Booth, sister-in-law of Tony Blair, who is the international special envoy to the Middle East.
The boats, which will also carry a cargo of balloons, musical instruments and thousands of hearing aids, are expected to approach Gaza early next week.
(snip)
Israeli officials are thought to see the protesters’ efforts as a dangerous precedent. The foreign ministry sent a letter advising organisers that Gaza coastal waters are subject to a no-go warning from the Israeli navy and that any attempt to approach would be interpreted as assistance to a terrorist regime. They have offered help in delivering humanitarian aid via land borders instead.
“From my point of view this is some kind of pirate ship,” said Shlomo Dror, a defence ministry spokesman.
“You can demonstrate, that’s OK with us. But you are not allowed to break international law.”
That’s incredible. Since 1948, and UN Resolution 194, the demanded the right of return for Palestinians ethnically cleansed six months earlier, was only the first UN Resolution and international law that Israel has violated. Ever since then, when not saved by a US negating vote in the Security Council, Israel has thumbed its nose at international law.
Israel trying to dissuade anti-siege boats from reaching Gaza
appeared 16 hours ago
JERUSALEM, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) — The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday tried to dissuade the Free Gaza Movement from sailing boat to break the siege of Gaza, Xinhua has learnt.
(snip)
Earlier on Monday, the Israeli navy has been ordered to turn back the two boats and it was reported by local media on Sunday that Israeli military may use force to block them.
Media reports said that Israeli defense officials held a series of discussions to deal with the coming boats and vowed that allowing the ships to reach the Gaza coastline could create a dangerous precedent.
However, the Free Gaza Movement viewed Israeli foreign ministry’s Monday letter as a change in its attitude and was obviously not persuaded by the Israeli government. In a press release by the organization, it claimed that “it’s not clear if the letter from the (Israeli) Ministry of Foreign Affairs signals a change of policy, or is simply an attempt to open up an official dialogue.”
Greta Berlin, one of the organizers of the Free Gaza Movement, said that “since the (Israeli) Foreign Minister’s office responded to our invitation to join us, and said that we have good intentions, we now fully expect to reach Gaza.” The Free Gaza Movement said they will use the human rights mission to raise international awareness about the Gaza’s situation.
Are Americans listening to this?
