by Mikael Löfgren
This past week reports from Israel have indicated that the Israeli
authorities will not allow the Freedom Flotilla to reach Gaza with its cargo
of much-needed reconstruction material, medical equipment, and school
supplies. According to Israeli news sources, clear orders have been issued
to prevent the ships from reaching Gaza, even if this necessitates military
violence.
The Free Gaza Movement, which has launched eight other sea missions to Gaza, confirms that Israel has tried these kinds of threats and intimidation
tactics before in order to try to stop the missions before they start. “They
have not deterred us before and will not deter us now,” said one of the
organizers.
Ship to Gaza — Sweden, a Freedom Flotilla coalition partner, together with
parliamentarian Mehmet Kaplan (Green Party) yesterday asked for an audience with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sweden, Carl Bildt, to discuss what measures the Swedish government and the European Union will take to protect the Freedom Flotilla’s peaceful, humanitarian voyage. Earlier this week during a meeting with the European Campaign to End the Siege on Gaza – another coalition partner, Turkish Prime Minister Tayyib Erdogan expressed his support for “breaking the oppressive siege on the Gaza Strip…which is at the top of Turkey’s list of priorities.“
Coalition partners, Ship to Gaza – Greece and the Turkish relief
organization IHH, stressed that the ships, passengers, and cargo will be
checked at each port of departure, making it clear that we constitute no
security threat to Israel.
Israel’s threats to attack unarmed civilians aboard vessels carrying
reconstruction aid are outrageous and indicative of the cruel and violent
nature of Israel’s policies towards Gaza. The Freedom Flotilla is acting in
line with universal principals of human rights and justice in defying a
blockade identified as illegal by the UN and other humanitarian
organizations. Palestinians in Gaza have a right to the thousands of basic
supplies that Israel bans from entering, including cement and schoolbooks,
as well as a right to access the outside world. The Freedom Flotilla
coalition calls on all signatories to the Fourth Geneva Conventions to
pressure Israel to adhere to its obligations under international
humanitarian law, to end the lethal blockade on Gaza, and to refrain from
attacking this peaceful convoy.
For more information:
Free Gaza Movement – Greta Berlin – +33 607374512
ECESG – Mazen Kahel – +33 1 46 81 12 92
IHH – Ahmet Emin Dag – +90 530 341 1934
Ship to Gaza / Greece – Vangelis Pissias – +30 697 200 9339
Ship to Gaza / Sweden – Dror Feiler – +46702855777
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition is comprised of: Free Gaza Movement (FG),
European Campaign to End the Siege of Gaza (ECESG), Insani Yardim Vakfi (IHH), Ship to Gaza Greece, Ship to Gaza Sweden, and the International Committee to Lift the Siege on Gaza, with hundreds of groups and organizations around the world supporting the effort.