Public political Support for The “A Ship to Gaza” Initiative

In the following days an intense “battle” may evolve in the sea of east Mediterranean. The Freedom Fortila, consist by 9 ships and around 700 activists, men and women, Christians, Muslims and Jews from various countries, will have to face Israeli navy- forces and a state that claims has prepared camps to jail them all. We do believe that the effort of the international solidarity mission to break the Siege in Gaza Strip and deliver the humanitarian-help, deserves our political and ethical support. Despite the unbelievable silence from international media, despite the cynicism and deep crisis of our times, the 700 activists and their support group behind, represent the long struggle of a humanity that tries to put justice and solidarity as our main and fruitful value. They are our voice, we will become their shield. Every time an unethical frontier breaks it is a step for mankind. Efforts like “A Ship to Gaza” Help Humanity to move.

Please send the signatures at http://www.shiptogaza.gr/ or, if the site has "problems" (...) do reply to this message.

The European “Freedom Flotilla” will have a surprise waiting when it reaches Israel’s southern waters this weekend.

Israel advocacy non-profit StandWithUs plans to greet the European convoy with its own demonstration at sea.

The organization expects the flotilla of European left-wing activists to reach Israeli waters this weekend, although their arrival has been delayed.

A fleet of privately owned Israeli boats will leave the Ashdod and Herzliya marinas in hopes of surprising the European activists Friday at 1 p.m.

The counter flotilla ships will be covered in “Free Gaza from Hamas” banners and boat owners will wear blood stained tee shirts, representing Hamas’s terror record. The demonstration will be funded by StandWithUs and individual donors.

The organization described their “Free Gaza from Hamas” flotilla as a “counter PR stunt.”

“What the other anti-Israel flotilla is doing is ignoring human rights abuses and focusing on a fake situation,” Michael Dickson, StandWithUs Israel Director, told The Jerusalem Post Thursday.

Dickson believes the European flotilla cares more about hurting Israel than helping the Palestinians in Gaza.

Lior Meyer, a StandWithUs Project Manager planning the counter flotilla, hopes their demonstration will show that Gaza is under Hamas siege, rather than Israeli occupation.

“I hope they’re not expecting anything. When someone’s surprised by the truth it’s only a good thing,” Meyer said, claiming that few people know the nature of Hamas’s control.
Dickson said that the European activists’ aid could have reached Gaza in one day instead of one week if they weren’t interested in making a publicity statement.

“I think that the key thing is that this is not some fare minded mission coming in that cares for peace. Their flotilla is driven by hate rather than peace. They don’t really care about the victims who live under Hamas in Gaza and the south of Israel,”

As of Thursday afternoon, five individuals volunteered their boats. Dickson predicted more individuals would join their flotilla.

“If the activists had done their homework instead of believing Hamas propaganda, they would also have found out that their assistance isn’t needed. There is no humanitarian crisis in Gaza,” Dickson said.

Darlene Wallach - 408-294-5781, darlene@freegaza.org
Donna Wallach - 408-569-6608, donna@freegaza.org

After tremendous pressure from the Greek Cypriots, reneging on their agreement with us http://www.cyprus-mail.com/cyprus/cyprus-stops-mps-joining-gaza-flotilla/20100529, we were forced to take our MPs and activists to Famagustayesterday, on the Turkish/Cypriot side of Cyprus. We spent all day going from one port to the next, surrounded by helicopters and police. Clearly our deal with Cyprus officials had fallen through, and we ended up being pawns in a political soap opera. The Cypriot members of Parliament, the ones who had worked so hard to get us permission to leave, were outraged. The Greek Parliament members finally told us to go to the North. If they could, they would. The Cypriot government said they made their decision because, "The Republic of Cyprus is fighting for its survival" but it didn't bow to pressure from Israel. As they said this, they bowed their heads.

We made a deal with the Cypriot government that we would board our high-profile passengers and members of Parliament from Cyprus. We would board with no media coverage. We would not bring our boats into Cyprus. We would take small boats out to our own ships and board past the 12-mile territorial limit.

Authorities mandated that we couldn't even do that, essentially telling us that, even if we board small boats anywhere in GreekCyprus from any port, we could not travel outside their territorial limits to go to Gaza. Twenty-seven people were supposed to board, including 9 Cypriots and two Greeks. None of them could come with us as we went North.

Then our two passenger boats mysteriously had mechanical problems at the same time, 3:30 pm. Challenger 2 was able to get 14 delivered to the IHH ship, then limped into the harbor in Limassol after being harassed by Cypriot helicoptershttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjGoe3Gi-ns&feature=player_embedded, essentially forbidding us to bring our wounded boat into port.

Our other boat, Challenger 1 headed toward Famagusta with 16 passengers. It, too, was wounded, something wrong with the steering.

By the time we were jerked around yesterday. We had started at 7:00 am. By 10:00 pm, we had nowhere to board, and our boats were out of commission.

But we all have Gaza fever, and no one was giving up.

It has taken us all day to find someone on the Turkish side to ferry some of our passengers out to the flotilla who have been patiently waiting five hours away from Cyprus. At 6:00 pm, 20 of our passengers left for the flotilla, and the Swedish MP and the three German MPs are on board. Hedy is not, and we are heartsick that, once again, she will not be able to go to Gaza.

The flotilla leaves for Gaza early in the morning and should arrive tomorrow afternoon. We have persevered... Al Samoud.
--
Greta Berlin, Co-Founder
+357 99 18 72 75
witnessgaza.com
www.freegaza.org

I can't believe the incredible pressure being directed towards the relief convoy.
Harretz is reporting a boycott of Turkey and the paper flotilla of 'Free Gaza' ( against or from their own duly elected, non-Israeli stooge Fatah )from Hamas, public display of hypocrisy, is simply pathetic in its open, state paranoia and duplicity.
I really wonder why this breach of the siege, even if it is a token of the required aid, is so fearful to the leadership in Is Real.
I think they are terrified to let outside observers inside the hell they have created there.