by shergald
Fri Jun 4th, 2010 at 04:49:32 PM EST
Lawrence of Cyberia graciously provided an obituary on the nine Turkish peace activists who died on the Mavi Marmara, the lead ship in the Gaza Freedom Flotilla. They were all Turkish citizens. In retrospect, one can only imagine how they, like others aboard the flotilla, were affected by the Gaza massacre of December 2008, when Israel killed 1,400 Palestinians, especially the more than 300 children who died. The pictures were heartbreaking.
We all saw those pictures. Yet only a few of us, like those who died on the Mavi Marmara were inspired enough to act. So these now dead activists joined an humanitarian aid convoy. They ended up dying for their principles. In the terminology of Islam, they died martyrs.
by shergald
Tue Jun 1st, 2010 at 11:09:12 AM EST
It ain't over til' it's over, and from what is being reported this morning, it ain't. The Irish ship that was to be part of the Gaza Freedom Flotilla, apparently, for technical reasons, never left port in the southern Mediterranean with the other ships.
But it is on its way now, and another confrontation with the Israeli Navy in international waters is likely, given the stupidity that just led to the massacre of peace activistis on the Mavi Marmara, the Turkish IHH humanitarian ship.
The ship is named after Rachel Corrie, a 23-year-old human rights activist, who was killed in 2003 by an Israel Defense Forces bulldozer while attempting to block the demolition of a house in Rafah. The ship was purchased by the Free Gaza Movement.
by shergald
Sun May 30th, 2010 at 10:18:45 AM EST
UPDATE: It was report by Al Jezeera that at least 10 activists were killed as Israel Navy opens fire on Gaza aid flotilla.
Over 60 additionally were wounded after the convoy sailing for Gaza Strip ignored Israel's order to turn back, Turkish news reported. IDF confirms two commandos also wounded.
The flotilla was in international waters at the time.
See comments below for more elaboration.
LAST UPDATE FOR THE NIGHT Yahoo Reporting:
Israeli ships stalk pro-Palestinian aid flotilla
HAIFA, Israel – Israeli warships stalked a flotilla carrying hundreds of pro-Palestinian activists, including a Nobel laureate and a Holocaust survivor heading for the
Gaza Strip on Monday, edging closer to a naval showdown on the high seas.
Huwaida Arraf, one of the organizers, said the six-ship flotilla began the journey from international waters off the coast of Cyprus on Sunday afternoon after two days of delays. She said they expected to reach Gaza, about 250 miles (400 kilometers) away, on Monday afternoon, and that two more ships would follow in "a second wave."
The flotilla was "fully prepared for the different scenarios" that might arise, and organizers were hopeful that Israeli authorities would "do what's right" and not stop the convoy, she said.
"We fully intend to go to Gaza regardless of any intimidation or threats of violence against us," she said. "They are going to have to forcefully stop us."
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/ml_israel_palestinians
UPDATE: 31st May 10 3 AM Gaza
Gaza TV News:
The Flotilla has now changed course and is sailing due west, further into International waters.
The Israeli war ships have pulled back, and are out of range at present. There is indication that the convoy will then head for Gaza in the morning.
URL: http://ipad.io/KI8 OR http://www.ipadio.com/phlogs/Gaza_TVNews/
UPDATE: Tweets, 7:30 EST
about 8 minutes ago another OK signal from the #Flotilla, they are at Latitude:32.98883 Longitude:33.54669
about 37 minutes ago italian translation of @freegazaorg at @freegazaroma, see also http://witnessgaza.com/it
about 40 minutes ago when twitting about the Flotilla, please use the #Flotilla tag to increase its visibility. #Flotilla
about 54 minutes ago OK signal from Challenger 2 (see http://witnessgaza.com), they are going ahead. #Flotilla
about 2 hours ago Call to the world from the people on the boats. This flotilla is bringing supplies the people of Gaza and are being met by military force
UPDATE: Gush Shalom Coalition against the siege in Gaza
Urgent message:
A demonstration supporting the break the siege flotilla will be held tomorrow, Monday, 31.5.10 at 4:00 pm in front of the Ashdod port, Gate No. 1.
We will be leaving from Levinski garden in Tel Aviv, at 3 pm. We will be using private cars, a bus will be called if necessary. Those who can bring a private car are requested to come to the pick up location to help with transportation.
The humanitarian flotilla is predicted to arrive at the Gaza shore at noon. We expect the ships to be taken over and to be towed in Ashdod port. We will be there to express our solidarity with the flotilla. And will call to break the siege and open the gates of Gaza.
Registration: Ya'acov 050-5733276, 09-7670801. E-mail: manor12@zahav.net.il
UPDATE: The IHH ship Livestream is up showing passengers in life jackets after three Israeli ships confronted the flotilla 78 miles out at sea in international waters. Israel's block of electronic traffic was apparently overcome by rerouting. This is obviously an act of attempted piracy.
WATCH HERE: http://www.ihh.org.tr/canliyayin/en
Email from one ship:
KEVIN OVENDEN REPORT'S LIVE FROM THE GAZA FLOTILLA!
At 22:41pm tonight, preparations aboard the Mavi Marmara are extensive. We are 90 miles away from land - 22 miles further than the Israeli decided 68 mile exclusion zone - but are being approached by an Israeli vessel.
Triage is set up and various strategies implemented to resist seizure. The Israeli media is reporting that Israel will deploy a very large naval force. Far from minimising violence, this is an illegal aggressive move which will make it more likely.
We are broadcasting live from the ship. Calm and organisation overcome the fear that Israel is trying to instill.
Viva Palestina and all aboard are prepared.
We are calling on everyone to contact various political leaders to ask them to do everything in their power to ensure the safety of these brave people, and to stand up and add their voice in support of this humanitarian flotilla.
Full details of how they can contact these political figures can be found through following this link: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Gaza-TV-News/119275738102852?v=app_2347471856#!/pages/Gaza-TV-News/119275738102852?v=app_2347471856
There you will find email addresses, and template letters to use. Full instructions are provided, and we ask that you follow these and show your support for everyone involved.
This is a very serious situation, and we are calling on everyone to play their part in helping ensure their safety, and that the aid reaches Gaza without difficulty.
END
---------------------
Alice Howard
Viva Palestina UK
Tel: +447889726777
Email: alice@vivapalestina.org
Website: http://www.vivapalestina.org/
Sign up to the Viva Palestina Mailing List http://www.vivapalestina.org/alert.htm
Viva Palestina, helping to make the positive steps in breaking the siege of Gaza!
Keep posted on developments.
12 PM: Israeli war ships surrounded the Flotilla about 45 minutes ago. They have been told that they either be towed into Israel, or be boarded. This is a serious threat. The Flotilla is 90 from Gaza in international waters.
Original TEXT:
On Sunday, at 9AM EST (4PM Cypress), the flotilla finally left for Gaza.
Slide show from the Challenger 1 (one of the small passenger boats), Mediterranean Sea, 30th May 2010, in the morning prior to departure.
There is livestreaming from the IHH Turkish passenger ship, now en route to Gaza, as shown here:
Click here for the LIVESTREAM: http://www.ihh.org.tr/canliyayin/en
(UPDATE: It is night now on the sea.
Here is another livestream from the Greek-Swedish ship, which is running older video, presumably until day break.
http://digitalship.shiptogaza.gr/2010/05/1600.html
Link to the livestream from the IHH Turkish ship may be temporarily broken. There was some earlier expressed fears that Israel may attempt to block these connections, in order to interfere with footage of events when the convoy reaches Gaza. I will replace the link if it does not revive.)
by shergald
Thu May 27th, 2010 at 11:44:23 AM EST
The Gaza Freedom Flotilla is on its way to Gaza. It consists of nine boats including three cargo vessels carrying tons of humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza, and 700 passengers, dignitaries, government officials, and just plain old peace activists, a lot of them. 350 Turks from IHH, the world based Turkish humanitarian society, have joined the convoy.
Paul Woodward on Mondoweiss reported this disappointing news yesterday.
...Paul McGeough, who's on the Flotilla covering it for the Sydney Morning Herald and who reported the possibility, was just told by the chairwoman of the Free Gaza Movement that Noam Chomsky is not on board.
Drats. Well, just who is on board? And what other news organizations are covering the flotilla? That's not certain. But here is Turkish prime minister Ergodan speaking about the Gaza humanitarian situation. In response, Israel is now accusing Turkey of attempts to recreate the Ottoman Empire through its support of the Free Gaza Flotilla.
by shergald
Wed May 26th, 2010 at 02:04:10 PM EST
'We have met the enemy and they are us' goes the famous Pogo line, and it seems applicable today to who it is that is impeding Middle East peace. Us. Israel is running US foreign policy in the Middle East, obviously, and that policy is pure right wing Likud, which, all pretenses aside, is against the emergence of a Palestinian state.
It has become a broken record. Israel claims that its "security needs" come first, and then harp on the usual red herrings, Hezbollah, Hamas, and Iran, ignoring entirely the crux of the security issue: the continuation of the occupation and colonization of Palestine.
by shergald
Sat May 15th, 2010 at 09:52:29 AM EST
A few days after the UNRWA Gaza Director John Ging called for relief ships to be sent to Gaza, a report came from London that the MV Rachel Corrie, a 1200-ton cargo ship, part of an eight-vessel Freedom Flotilla, set sail from Ireland on its way to the Mediterranean Sea. There, the Rachel Corrie will be joined by ships from Turkey and Greece and other countries, and then sail to Gaza. A Swedish ship may also join in.
Here is what the Free Gaza Movement, which organized the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, is all about:
by shergald
Thu May 13th, 2010 at 01:17:19 PM EST
or, quoting the original title, The Pro-Israel Crowd's Sins of Omission. It means the same thing.
Being unable to nullify or contradict Judge Goldstone's UN Report on Gaza, the next best thing: kill the messenger or in this case, vilify the judge is Israel's next propaganda effort, in spite of the empirical facts upon which the UN Report was based.
Sasha Polakow-Suransky posted about the latest effort by proIsrael propagandists to hang Richard Goldstone, the judge who issued the UN Report that accused Israel of committing war crimes in Gaza during its massacre of over 1,400 Palestinians, including 300 children, which began in December, 2008.
by shergald
Tue Apr 27th, 2010 at 02:03:04 PM EST
Really? Don't expect anything to come from it (the original title ended, West Bank shootings).
Reuters (not carried by the American press) reporting:
Israel's army chief has reprimanded two senior officers over the killing of four Palestinians in two separate shooting incidents in the West Bank last month, the military said on Tuesday. Lieutenant-General Gabi Ashkenazi determined after military investigations of the incidents that commanders and soldiers could have behaved differently to avoid the killings.
In the first incident, two teenagers were shot dead in the village of Iraq Burin on March 20 as troops moved in to protect Jewish settlers from Palestinians protesting against Israeli settlement policy.
A day later, soldiers near the village of Awarta fatally shot two Palestinian youngsters who they believed were trying to kill them, a military statement said.
