Madison-Rafah Journal

Two veiled women wave to fellow Palestinians who boarded a boat off the coast of Gaza City (AFP)

AFP, 24 August 2008

GAZA CITY (AFP) — Two boats from Cyprus carrying 44 pro-Palestinian activists docked in the Gaza Strip on Saturday after Israel allowed them through its tight blockade of the Hamas-ruled territory.

The boats set sail on Friday from the east Mediterranean island carrying activists from 17 countries, including Israel, determined to highlight the blockade of Gaza where the Islamist Hamas movement has ruled since June 2007.

The boats sailed through choppy grey seas and into Gaza City's main port, where they were greeted by thousands of people waving Palestinian flags, many of them motoring around the harbour in boats.

Crowds lining the shore chanted "God is great!" and "No, no, to the siege!" as dozens of young men dived into the murky waters of the harbour and swam towards the flag-decked boats.

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THE FREE GAZA MOVEMENT, Aug-22-2008

Forty-six international human rights workers are now sailing to Gaza through international waters with one overriding goal: to break the Israeli siege that Israel has imposed on the civilian population of Gaza. Any action designed to harm civilians constitutes collective punishment (in the Palestinians’ case, for voting the “wrong” way) and is both illegal under international law and profoundly immoral. Our mission is to expose the illegality of Israel’s actions, and to break through the siege in order to express our solidarity with the suffering people of Gaza (and of the occupied Palestinian territory as a whole) and to create a free and regular channel between Gaza and the outside world.

Israel claims that since the “disengagement” in 2005 it no longer occupies Gaza. However, the International Committee of the Red Cross and other international human rights organizations reject this claim since Israel still exerts effective control over Gaza. As an Occupying Power, Israel has a responsibility for the well-being of the people of Gaza under the provisions of the 1949 Fourth Geneva Convention. Israel has abused its control and responsibilities by wrongfully obstructing vital supplies and humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza.

As Israel’s 41-year occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip defies international consensus, and because Israel has grossly violated its obligations, we do not recognize Israel’s right to stop us outside its own territorial waters, which we will not be approaching. To remove any “security” pretense that Israel may raise, we have had our boats inspected and certified by Cypriot authorities that they carry no arms or contraband of any kind. We have invited Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni to join us on our voyage and, in fact, the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs has itself told us the Israeli government “assume[s] that your intentions are good.”

We are human rights activists, invited to visit Gaza by our Palestinian partners, and each of us has vowed to do no violence, in either word or deed. If Israel chooses to forcibly stop and search our ships, we will not forcibly resist. Such a search will be under duress and with our formal protest. After such a search, we fully expect the Israeli navy to stand aside, as we continue peacefully to Gaza. If we are arrested and brought to Israel, we will protest and prosecute our kidnapping in the appropriate forums. It is our purpose to show the power that ordinary citizens of the world have when they organize together to stand against injustice. Let there be no doubt: the policies of repression against the civilian population of Gaza represent gross violations of human rights, international humanitarian law, and constitute war crimes. The goal of our voyage is to break the illegal siege on the people of Gaza as a step toward ending the Israeli occupation of Palestine.

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w w w . h a a r e t z . c o m
The Associated Press, 21 Aug 2008

LARNACA, Cyprus - Cyprus will allow two boats carrying members of a U.S.-based activist group to sail for Gaza in defiance of Israel's blockade of the Palestinian territory, authorities here said Wednesday.

The two wooden sailboats have passed a safety inspection, Cyprus' Merchant Shipping Director Serghios Serghiou said.

He said the boats have also been given safety certificates from Greece, where the vessels are registered.

We have not prohibited the departure of the boat, Serghiou told The Associated Press.

Protest organizer Paul Larudee said the boats - the 21-meter Free Gaza and 18-meter Liberty - will set sail around midnight tonight from Larnaca port for the estimated 30-hour trip.

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The SS Free Gaza at port in Crete, 10th August, 2008. (Photo: Free Gaza)

WorldNews.com, 20 Aug 2008

At 8:30 am Cyprus time, the Free Gaza and the Liberty rounded the last corner of this lovely island, escorted by the Cypriot Coast Guard, and pulled into the Northern side of the commercial port in Larnaca.

"We've been waiting a long time to unify our group, which has been split between Cyprus and Crete. We are excited to combine both groups who have worked so hard on this project and are so enthusiastic about setting out for Gaza. On the way in today, we had the Cypriot authorities escorting us. Now, it's time for the world to escort us to Gaza." Said Paul Larudee, one of the organizers.

After a thorough inspection of both boats, the port authority will let the 20 passengers from Cyprus on board to make final preparations, including a memorial service for the more than 5000 Palestinians who have lost their lives since September 2000 as well as the 34 sailors aboard the USS Liberty who were assassinated by Israel in 1967. They, like the Palestinians, will not be forgotten. That service should be on Thursday, August 21 just before the boats begin their final journey to Gaza.

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