Dear Members and Friends of MRSCP,
Here is a special request regarding the upcoming Freedom Flotilla 2, the second effort to break the siege of Gaza by sea which will be heading to Gaza in the next few days. This time, there is a U.S. Boat, The Audacity of Hope, participating in the Flotilla.
Please read through this alert and consider taking the action requested. And be sure to watch the news; latest reports are that the flotilla will depart from Greece this coming Tuesday.
Links to more news and background information, including Alice Walkers recent CNN piece Why Im Sailing to Gaza, are below.
As always, thanks for your support.
Barb O.
Skip to Action:
1. Help Deliver our Petition to Hillary
2. Change your Facebook/Twitter profile picture to our “Audacity of Hope” icon
Passengers on the U.S. boat to Gaza, the Audacity of Hopeincluding Just Foreign Policys Policy Director Robert Naimanhave arrived in Greece and will soon set sail to Gaza.
Six members of CongressReps. Kucinich, Farr, Clay, Filner, Holmes Norton and Leehave sent a letter to Secretary Clinton asking her to “work with the Israeli government to ensure the safety of the U.S. citizens on board the U.S. Boat to Gaza.
Their concern is warranted. Even though an Israeli naval officer has admitted that he does not believe the flotilla is carrying any weapons, Israeli officials have threatened to use force against the unarmed passengers. In their most recent travel warning, the State Department noted that previous attempts to enter Gaza by sea have been stopped by Israeli naval vessels and resulted in the injury, death, arrest, and deportation of U.S. citizens. But U.S. officials have failed to call for the protection of U.S. passengers aboard such ships.
The passengers of the Audacity of Hope need your support to help ensure their safety. Here are two ways you can help:
1. Help Deliver our Petition to Hillary
Over 2,500 individuals have signed our petition to Secretary Clinton to urge the Israeli government to ensure the safety of the U.S. peace activists aboard the Audacity of Hope. Will you help deliver the petition to Secretary Clinton via Twitter, Facebook, or the State Departments comment page?
Step 1: Copy Sample Text for Comment
Heres some sample text for your comment. Edit and revise at will!
Madame Secretary, Will you urge Israel to ensure safe passage for the U.S. citizens aboard the U.S. Boat to Gaza, the Audacity of Hope? Over 2,500 U.S. citizens request that you speak out for the safety of Gaza-bound U.S. peace activists: http://bit.ly/losg7i
Step 2: Go to the State Departments Facebook page
To post a comment, you must “like” the State Departments Public Relations page. You can always “like” the page to post your comment and then “unlike” the page afterward.
Step 3: Show your support for the U.S. Boat by changing your profile picture
Right-click and press Save Image As in order to download this icon to your computer.
This is a simple yet powerful way to show your support for the flotillas mission to end the Israeli blockade. Simply follow these instructions:
- Download the icon to your computer by right-clicking on the image to the right and selecting Save Image As
- Go to your profile picture settings in your profile editor
- Click the Browse button to upload the icon.
- Browse your computer for the downloaded icon. If you didnt change the name of the file when you saved it, it should be called usboat-icon.jpg
- Under the picture, click on Edit Thumbnail
- Click on Scale to Fit and press Save
And youre done!
Step 1: Post a Status Update on Twitter
Simply click here or copy and paste the following message on Twitter:
@StateDept 2500 citizens petition you to urge #Israel to give safe passage to those aboard US boat to #Gaza http://bit.ly/losg7i #flotilla
Step 2: Show your support for the U.S. Boat by changing your profile picture
Right-click and press Save Image As in order to download this icon to your computer.
This is a simple yet powerful way to show your support for the flotillas mission to end the Israeli blockade. Simply follow these instructions:
- Download the icon to your computer by right-clicking on the image to the right and selecting Save Image As
- Go to your Twitter profile settings
- The first setting is for your profile picture. Click the Browse button to upload the icon.
- Browse your computer for the downloaded icon. If you didnt change the name of the file when you saved it, it should be called usboat-icon.jpg
- Scroll to the bottom of the page and click Save
And youre done!
State Department Comment Page
Step 1: Copy Sample Text for Comment
Heres some sample text for your comment. Edit and revise at will!
Madame Secretary,
Will you urge Israel to ensure safe passage for the U.S. citizens aboard the U.S. Boat to Gaza, the Audacity of Hope? Over 2,500 U.S. citizens request that you speak out for the safety of Gaza-bound U.S. peace activists:
http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/act/audacityofhope/hillarypetition
Thank you.
Step 2: Go to the State Departments Comment Page
Clicking the link below will bring you to the State Departments comment page. Just fill out the form, paste the sample text above, make whatever edits you wish, and submit the form.
2. Show your support for the U.S. Boat by changing your profile picture
This is a simple yet powerful way to show your support for the flotillas mission to end the Israeli blockade. Simply follow these instructions:
Right-click and press Save Image As in order to download this icon to your computer.
- Download the icon to your computer by right-clicking on the image to the right and selecting Save Image As
- Go to your profile picture settings in your profile editor
- Click the Browse button to upload the icon.
- Browse your computer for the downloaded icon. If you didnt change the name of the file when you saved it, it should be called usboat-icon.jpg
- Under the picture, click on Edit Thumbnail
- Click on Scale to Fit and press Save
And youre done!
- Download the icon to your computer by right-clicking on the image to the right and selecting Save Image As
- Go to your Twitter profile settings
- The first setting is for your profile picture. Click the Browse button to upload the icon.
- Browse your computer for the downloaded icon. If you didnt change the name of the file when you saved it, it should be called usboat-icon.jpg
- Scroll to the bottom of the page and click Save
And youre done!
References:
1) Six Members of Congress Call on Clinton to help ensure the safety of the U.S. citizens on board the U.S. Boat to Gaza, http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/node/949
2) Letter from a Naive Peace Activist to an Israeli Naval Officer, Robert Naiman, Huffington Post, 06/22/11, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-naiman/gaza-blockade-flotilla_b_882689.html
3) State Department Travel Warning: If You Try to Sail to Gaza, Israel May Kill You, Ali Ghraib, Think Progress Blog, 06/22/11, http://thinkprogress.org/security/2011/06/22/251355/state-travel-warning-israel/
4) State Department Officials Have an Obligation to Speak Out Against Israeli Threats to Attack U.S. Boat to Gaza, Press Release, U.S. Boat to Gaza, 06/25/11, http://ustogaza.org/latest/state-department-officials-have-an-obligation-to-speak-out-against-israeli-threats-to-attack-u-s-boat-to-gaza/
5) Alice Walker: Why Im Sailing to Gaza, Alice Walker, CNN On-line, 06/21/11, http://articles.cnn.com/2011-06-21/opinion/alice.walker.gaza_1_muslim-child-gaza-gandhi?_s=PM:OPINION
6) Robert Naiman, Huffington Post Blog: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-naiman
7) For Gaza, but not Against Israel, Esther Cepeda, Chicago Sun-Times, 06/19/11, http://www.jpost.com/Israel/Article.aspx?id=190629
8) JFP Policy Director to Board Gaza Flotilla, Available by Satellite Phone, Press Release, Just Foreign Policy, 06/20/11, http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/pressreleases/gazaflotilla
9) Gaza jobless rate at 45%, five years after full blockade imposed, Reuters, June 14 2011, http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jun/14/un-unrwa-report-blockade-gaza-unemployment