gazafriends — 17 mai 2010 — On May 14, 2010, the MV Rachel Corrie pulled out of the docks in Ireland and began her long journey down the coast of Europe to the Mediterranean. She is named after the 23 year old American, Rachel Corrie, who was killed in Gaza by an Israeli bulldozer as she was protecting the home of a Palestinian doctor. She will join seven other vessels in the Mediterranean and sail to Gaza to deliver vitally needed construction, medical and school supplies to the imprisoned population of Gaza.
Bethlehem – Ma’an – Israel’s naval forces are allegedly in training to prepare to seize eight boats scheduled to dock in the Gaza Strip on 24 May from Europe, Arabic-language media reported on Wednesday.
“About half of the Israeli naval forces will participate in an operation that was approved by the cabinet. [Israeli] Defense Minister Ehud Barak will supervise the operation,” an Israeli official told the Arabic-language satellite TV station Al-Hurra.
An Israeli security source told Ma’an that authorities will prevent the arrival of the boats “at any price.”
The Freedom Fleet is scheduled to set sail from the UK, Greece and Turkey. The European Free Gaza campaign said Israeli authorities informed them that the flotillas would be prevented from docking in Gaza.
The boats will be loaded with prefabricated homes, cement, and medicine and will be accompanied by 600 individuals in a bid to break the siege on Gaza.
On Sunday, Jamal Al-Khudari, head of Gaza’s Popular Committee Against the Siege, said Israeli threats to open fire at the boats reveal Israel’s weakness.
“Such threats reflect the occupation’s failure and embody state terrorism against peaceful individuals who come to support a people under siege and aggression,” a statement issued by Al-Khudari said.
Under international law, the activists attempting to dock in Gaza have the right to participate in breaking the siege, Al-Khudari added, saying the threats will not deter participants from arriving in Gaza.
The popular committee organizer said the group was coming well-equipped, and would be ready should the Israeli navy surround them for a long period of time.
The Freedom Flotilla announced plans in late April, saying a group of ships would depart from several corners of the Mediterranean and gather in international waters with the intent to deliver some 5,000 tons of building and medical supplies to the population under siege.
According to flotilla organizers, 600 activists will sail three cargo ships and five passenger boats for Gaza in what a statement called the “biggest internationally coordinated effort to directly challenge Israeli’s ongoing occupation, aggression, and violence against the Palestinian people.”
By Thameen Kheetan
AMMAN – The first ship of an international flotilla aiming to break the Israeli blockade on Gaza and deliver humanitarian aid to the strip will depart from Ireland Wednesday, pro-Palestinian activists said.
Three cargo ships loaded with some 5,000 tonnes of aid and construction materials, in addition to five boats carrying around 600 activists from several countries across the world, will meet in the Mediterranean Sea and head for Gazan shores, where they expect to arrive at the end of this month, the Free Gaza Movement announced on Monday.
More than 150 wheelchairs, a dental chair, blood collecting machines and hospital beds will be on board the cargo ships, as well as 500 tonnes of cement, prefabricated homes, medical equipment, school supplies, water filtration equipment and generators, according to Greta Berlin, a co-founder of the Free Gaza Movement, one of the partner NGOs in the flotilla.
The date of arrival at the Palestinian coastal enclave depends on the prevailing weather, Berlin told The Jordan Times over the phone from Ireland, where activists are preparing for the launch of the first cargo ship, the MV Rachel Corrie, which will carry 1,200 tonnes of humanitarian aid.
A bottle of Palestinian olive oil will be smashed against the ship, named after the American peace activist who was killed by an Israeli bulldozer in 2003 while protesting home demolitions in Gaza, as a “celebration of Palestinian land rights and international solidarity for justice and peace”, the movement said in a statement, a copy of which was sent to The Jordan Times.
Other ships and boats taking part in the flotilla will depart on May 22 from Greek and Turkish ports, Berlin said, explaining that one cargo ship and four passenger boats will depart from Greece, while a cargo ship and a passenger boat will sail from Turkey.
On board the passenger ships will be delegations from Ireland, Germany, Norway, Malaysia, South Africa and South American countries, she noted, adding that MPs, journalists and “high-profile” people are among the passengers.
Also on board of one of the ships will be a delegation of Viva Palestina activists, who organised their third land convoy to break the siege and enter Gaza last winter.
The flotilla’s major organising NGOs are the Free Gaza Movement, the European Campaign to End the Siege of Gaza, the Ship to Gaza initiative in Greece and Sweden, the International Committee to Lift the Siege on Gaza, and the Istanbul-based Foundation for Human Rights and Freedoms and Humanitarian Relief, Berlin noted.
In addition to delivering aid to the besieged coastal strip, the initiative’s aim is to break the blockade, which Israel has imposed since the Islamist movement Hamas took power in Gaza in 2007.
The blockade has left around 325,000 refugees in the strip under “abject poverty, unable to meet their basic food needs”, according to UNRWA. The organisation also says that it has been unable to conduct “any significant repairs or reconstruction” since the 22-day Israeli military offensive against the enclave in winter 2008/09.
Tel Aviv said last week it would not allow the flotilla to gain access to Gazan shores due to the sea blockade, adding that the activists have to go through Israeli authorities in order to get the aid into Gaza.
“We don’t ask for their permission to go and travel straight from international waters to the waters of Gaza,” Berlin told The Jordan Times in an e-mail yesterday, considering that “there is no war at present and no reason to stop us”.
Polish-English activist Ewa Jasiewicz highlighted the importance of this month’s flotilla in offering the Palestinians construction materials, which activists say are normally not allowed into Gaza by the Israelis.
“Denying these construction items fits Israel’s strategy of collective punishment. It is about punishing the people of Gaza and disabling them from having a life with dignity and keeping them in a constant state of struggle,” she told The Jordan Times.
Meanwhile, some 15 Jordanians representing professional associations and civil society organisations will leave Amman for Turkey next week to take part in the flotilla, according to activist Wael Saqqa.
He said a special committee formed to organise the Jordanian participation has collected some JD100,000 as donations for the international initiative.
“We hope to do a similar activity on an Arab level… Why not have ships sail from different Arab coastal cities, for
example?” he remarked.
source
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
http://www.flickr.com/photos/29205195@N02/
When: Wednesday, May 12
Where: Dundalk Docks, 40 Quay Street, Dundalk, Ireland
10:00-11:00 come to the ship and be introduced to the MV Rachel Corrie and the organizers, donors and high profile passengers.
11:00-12:00 We will christen her with a bottle of Palestinian olive oil as a celebration of Palestinian land rights, and international solidarity for justice and peace.
12:00-16:00 Tours of the ship will be available for the media. Organizers and supporters will be available for interviews
18:00-22:00 Farewell gathering and launch to Gaza of the MV Rachel Corrie
Available for interviews throughout the day are ITF Inspector and Union organizer, Ken Fleming, Nobel Peace Prize winner, Mairead Maguire, Nobel Peace Prize winner, Denis Halliday, United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator in Iraq Matthias Chang, The Perdana Global Peace Organisation from Malaysia , Aengus.O’Snodaigh, Sinn Fein TD, plus representatives from other partner organizations in the Freedom Flotilla.
Freedom Flotilla partners are IHH (Turkish human rights organisation), European Campaign to End the Siege of Gaza (ECESG), The Perdana Global Peace Organisation from Malaysia, and the Greek and Irish Ship to Gaza campaigns and the International Coalition for Lifting the Siege on Gaza.
Contact:
Greta Berlin: 00353 851302199
Caoimhe Butterly: 00353 876114 553
Ewa Jasiewicz: 00353 851301216
Fintan Lane: 00353 87 1258325
Niamh Moloughney 00353 857747257
Dear Friends of Palestine
On May 15th, an international flotilla of cargo and passenger ships will depart from various European ports and set sail for Gaza. 3 cargo ships will carry over 5,000 tonnes of medical and building supplies, and 5 passenger boats will carry over 600 people.
This flotilla is been led by the IHH charity from Turkey, and is supported by many groups worldwide, including the Free Gaza Movement, Free Palestine Movement, European Campaign to End the Siege of Gaza and the Greek and Swedish Boat to Gaza groups amongst others.
In January of this year, IHH was an integral partner with Viva Palestina on the convoy to Gaza, where 500 people in over 200 vehicles successfully broke the siege on Gaza and delivered essential humanitarian aid. Viva Palestina are therefore very proud to announce their involvement with IHH again on this flotilla, and in addition to sending medical and building supplies, a Viva Palestina Coalition team will be on board this historic journey.
The siege imposed on Gaza is now in it’s 4th year. It has created a humanitarian crisis that has left the entire population without sufficient food, water, medicine, electricity, building supplies, clothes, toys, and freedom of movement. 1.5 million people, over half of whom are children, suffer directly because of this siege. Since the attacks on Gaza last year that left over 1,400 people dead, and 50,000 people homeless, no building supplies have been allowed to enter Gaza. 15 months on, people still live in tents and temporary shelter, unable to rebuild their homes.
Viva Palestina, led by George Galloway M.P. have successfully broken the siege on Gaza 3 times with land convoys of aid. Over 1,000 volunteers in 500 vehicles have delivered essential humanitarian aid to the stricken region in the past year. By taking part in this flotilla, Viva Palestina will be bringing much needed humanitarian aid, and attempting to break the siege once more.
We are calling on our supporters to donate towards the cost of medical and building supplies. Viva Palestina will be purchasing supplies in Turkey that will be loaded onto the IHH cargo ship departing from Istanbul. People can donate towards the cost of materials by clicking on the following link: http://www.vivapalestina.org/donations.htm
You can also follow us on facebook by joining the following Viva Palestina Flotilla group: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=238347355199&ref=mf%20
If anyone has any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at: info@vivapalestina.org
I tutor a girl at the headquarters of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency. Every Wednesday, I see John: tallish black-haired Irish guy walking around the space near the picnic tables where staff (generally Gazan) have coffee. Tomorrow maybe I will go shake John’s hand. Why? Because of this:
Israeli sources have confirmed that Israel will make an official request to the United Nations for clarification of how an official representative of the United Nations could call for European countries to send ships to Gaza without authorization and prior coordination with Israel. John Ging, the Director of Operations of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), has called upon the international community to break the siege on the Gaza Strip by sending ships loaded with desperately-needed supplies to the beleaguered territory.
In an interview with a Norwegian newspaper, Mr. Ging said, “The international community must take responsibility on this issue and embrace practical ways to break the siege, because it is possible to break it.” In urging the world to send ships to the shores of Gaza, he added, “We believe that Israel will not intercept these vessels because the sea is open, and human rights organizations have been successful in similar previous operations proving that breaking the siege of Gaza is possible.”
According to Mr. Ging, Egypt and Israel are responsible for the continuation of the blockade. “How could Israel evade responsibility for the siege, and how could Egypt not agree to show flexibility in order to bring aid to Gaza?” he asked. “It is time for the international community to facilitate assistance by sea as it did in Haiti.”
Officials in Israel were taken aback by the statements and noted that they are unprecedented and very serious. Hebrew radio reported that several overseas aid organizations have taken John Ging’s statement to heart and preparations are already being made to send ships carrying food supplies to Gaza.
I think Ging probably snapped. The Gazan economy is shuddering. There’s too little of the lubrication that normally enables economic systems to run smoothly. Not enough cash, inflated prices, no jobs, no raw materials. And the additional Hamas taxes–necessary, because there’s a dearth of hard cash, a perennial problem that is now at a crisis point–will make the lives of the petty capitalist service providers and merchants that are what’s left of Gaza’s economy much harder. I’m sure Ging knows this and he is probably sick of UN strictures that suggest that he clamp his mouth shut vis-a-vis the illegal siege. Only suggest. Here is the spin: Farhan Haq, a UN spokesman, said, “The United Nations has no plans to use sea routes in Gaza, but will consider all legal options available to bring in assistance and commercial supplies.” Ging didn’t suggest using the sea route, he endorsed it. By endorsing it, he contributed to the flotilla’s symbolic legitimacy. By strengthening the ships’ symbolic legitimacy, Israel will look sillier and sillier when it makes its habitual threats against those amazing ships. Anyway, there are activists on those ships who will be quite willing to sail them into the Israeli bullets that will cross in front of their bows.
Press Release
April 3, 2010
Istanbul, Turkey – Following months of preparation, a coalition
bringing together a number of organizations and movements working to
break Israel’s illegal blockade on Gaza was announced yesterday in
Istanbul. The coalition, comprised of the Turkey-based IHH (Insani
Yardim Vakfi) organization, the European Campaign to End the Siege on
Gaza (ECESG), the Greek Ship to Gaza campaign, the Swedish Ship to
Gaza campaign and the Free Gaza Movement, will launch a flotilla of
ships laden with cargo, media, parliamentarians, celebrities and
activists to Gaza next month.
The flotilla will be composed of at least eight vessels, including
three cargo ships, and will set sail from European ports starting on
May 3, reaching the port of Gaza later in the month. Over 500
passengers from more than 20 countries will take part, and over 5,000
tons of cargo, including cement, prefabricated housing, other building
materials, medical equipment, and educational supplies will be
delivered to Palestinians in Gaza.
The Free Gaza Movement has been launching ships to Gaza since August
2008, partnering with organizations and activists around the world on
these missions. In December 2009, IHH led a land convoy to Gaza that
brought tons of humanitarian aid and other supplies. In January 2010
the European Campaign brought 50 parliamentarians to Gaza in
solidarity with the Palestinian people and to witness the devastation
wrought by Israel’s illegal policies. Ship to Gaza/Greece and Ship to
Gaza/Sweden meanwhile have had ongoing campaigns in their countries to
raise awareness and funds for this effort and for materials to be
brought to Gaza.
“Through this coalition, these organizations will be able to maximize
resources, experience and commitment to ending the illegal siege on
Gaza. Even as Israel continues its daily persecution of Palestinians,
we will use this action to wake the world’s consciousness about the
crimes committed against Palestinians,” said IHH President Bulent
Yildirim.
The coalition invites organizations and individuals from around the
world to join the effort by providing supplies for Gaza and
contributing financial support for the mission.
Contact:
Free Gaza Movement – Greta Berlin – +33607374512; http://www.freegaza.org
ECESG – Mazen Kahel – +33 1 46 81 12 92; http://www.savegaza.eu
IHH – Ahmet Emin Dag – +90 530 341 1934; http://www.ihh.org.tr
Ship to Gaza / Greece – Vangelis Pissias – +30 697 200 9339; http://www.shiptogaza.gr
Ship to Gaza / Sweden – Dror Feiler – +46702855777; http://www.shiptogaza.se
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