MV Rachel Corrie heading for Gaza: Flotilla rejects Israeli intimidation

national | rights, freedoms and repression | news report

Saturday May 15, 2010 01:50

by Fintan Lane - Freedom Flotilla (and IPSC)

087 1258325

The MV Rachel Corrie, a 1200-ton cargo ship, part of the eight-vessel Freedom Flotilla, is on its way from Ireland to the Mediterranean Sea. There, ships from Turkey and Greece will join her, then sail to Gaza.

The MV Rachel Corrie, which is now on its way to Gaza

In the past week, reports from Israel have indicated that the Israeli authorities will not allow the Freedom Flotilla to reach Gaza with its cargo of much-needed reconstruction material, medical equipment, and school supplies. According to Israeli news sources, clear orders have been issued to prevent the ships from reaching Gaza, even if this necessitates military violence.

The Free Gaza Movement, which has launched eight other sea missions to Gaza, confirms that Israel has tried these kinds of threats and intimidation tactics before in order to try to stop the missions before they start. “They have not deterred us before and will not deter us now,” said one of the organizers.

Ship to Gaza -- Sweden, a Freedom Flotilla coalition partner, together with parliamentarian Mehmet Kaplan (Green Party) yesterday asked for an audience with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sweden, Carl Bildt, to discuss what measures the Swedish government and the European Union will take to protect the Freedom Flotilla’s peaceful, humanitarian voyage. Earlier this week during a meeting with the European Campaign to End the Siege on Gaza – another coalition partner, Turkish Prime Minister Tayyib Erdogan expressed his support for “breaking the oppressive siege on the Gaza Strip...which is at the top of Turkey’s list of priorities.“

Coalition partners, Ship to Gaza – Greece and the Turkish relief organization IHH, stressed that the ships, passengers, and cargo will be checked at each port of departure, making it clear that we constitute no security threat to Israel.

Israel’s threats to attack unarmed civilians aboard vessels carrying reconstruction aid are outrageous and indicative of the cruel and violent nature of Israel’s policies towards Gaza. The Freedom Flotilla is acting in line with universal principals of human rights and justice in defying a blockade identified as illegal by the UN and other humanitarian organizations. Palestinians in Gaza have a right to the thousands of basic supplies that Israel bans from entering, including cement and schoolbooks, as well as a right to access the outside world. The Freedom Flotilla coalition calls on all signatories to the Fourth Geneva Conventions to pressure Israel to adhere to its obligations under international humanitarian law, to end the lethal blockade on Gaza, and to refrain from attacking this peaceful convoy.

The Freedom Flotilla Coalition is comprised of: Free Gaza Movement (FG), European Campaign to End the Siege of Gaza (ECESG), Insani Yardim Vakfi (IHH), Ship to Gaza Greece, Ship to Gaza Sweden, and the International Committee to Lift the Siege on Gaza, with hundreds of groups and organizations around the world supporting the effort.
www.freegaza.org www.savegaza.eu www.ihh.org.tr
www.shiptogaza.gr www.shiptogaza.se

For interviews and/or further information on the MV Rachel Corrie and the Freedom Flotilla, phone:

Caoimhe Butterly: 087 6114553

Niamh Moloughney: 085 7747257

Fintan Lane: 087 1258325

Named in memory of Rachel Corrie, who was murdered by the Israeli army

www.freegaza.org

'Freedom Flotilla': the name taken by the fleet heading for Gaza

Final cargo is loaded last Wednesday

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Comments (10 of 10)

Bon Voyage and best of luck!

by FSB!

Sat May 15, 2010 02:37

I wish you all on the MV Rachel Corrie and the other ships in the Freedom Flotilla the very best as you attempt to break that iniquitous siege of Gaza. The imposition of collective punishment on a population is a crime agaist humanity, and I wholeheartedly support your attempt to break this criminal blockade. Beir bua, and may you all return home safely to us with your mission completed successfully!
Free Gaza!

Best of Luck

by oOjimOo

Sat May 15, 2010 23:34

Best of luck to the crew of MV Rachel Corrie and all the other ships in the Freedom Flotilla!

Not a lot going through the crosiings into Gaza from Israel ?

by Sean Og

Sun May 16, 2010 01:55

Monthly summary of the Gaza crossings for April, 2010

2,414 truckloads (66,642 tons) of goods were transferred to the Gaza Strip.

5,742,607 liters of heavy-duty diesel for the Gaza power station
393,296 liters for transportation,
as well as 64,684 liters of gasoline
and 3,659 tons of cooking gas were delivered.

- 1,792 Gaza residents entered Israel for medical reasons

and for other humanitarian reasons via the Erez Crossing.

How much can the boat take ?

Sean Og's post

by shergald

Sun May 16, 2010 14:16

Link to your figures would be appreciated.

Do you know what the basic requirements for the subsistence of 1.5 million people are?

Do you have a list of items not permitted by Israel into Gaza?

Did any of the tonnage you quoted include building materials?

Gaza

Sun May 16, 2010 19:20

NO NO NO - do you ?

Will let you know unless some one else on Indymedia does

but the tunnels are still working any way

so the materials for rockets and

I read "Quality Street " chocs are still getting through that way

One Source of information re supplies to Gaza

Sun May 16, 2010 23:27

http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Government/Communiques/2009/I...9.htm

Figures are extrapolated from the above weekly issues.

But can you check it out too ?

If you look you can find answers

Mon May 17, 2010 00:29

JPost.com Middle East

30 tons of building material to enter Gaza

By HERB KEINON
16/05/2010 23:48

Israel allows shipment following a special request by French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

In response to a special request by French President Nicolas Sarkozy, Israel allowed some 30 tons of building material into the Gaza Strip last Thursday to help rebuild a hospital damaged in the fighting there in 2009.

Israel has been extremely reluctant to let concrete and building materials into the region since the end of Operation Cast Lead in January 2009 because of the concern it would be diverted by Hamas to rebuild factories manufacturing Kassam rockets.

The French, however, have been very persistent in seeking permission to reconstruct the intensive care unit in the Al Quds hospital in Gaza, and last November, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner signed an agreement to allocate some two million euro for the project.

In rare words of praise for Israeli actions connected to the Gaza Strip, the French Foreign Ministry issued a statement Friday “welcoming” the passage of the trucks carrying the material, and saying that this would be the first of a number of convoys bringing in the material.

The communiqué mentioned that Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu agreed to the project to refurbish the hospital at the specific request of Sarkozy.

Israeli officials said they were confident of French assurances and the safeguards in place to ensure that the construction material makes its way to the hospital, and is not diverted elsewhere.

Only after the French leaned on them to show some humanity

by hb

Mon May 17, 2010 02:04

so essentially the racist Israelis very inhumanely withheld vital building supplies for more than one YEAR and 4 months after they destroyed the place?

What a bunch of utter scum those racist Israelis are.

collective punishment is a crime against international Law - just another of the long list of War Crimes and Crimes against Humanity to add to the charge sheet for when the racist entity finally implodes under the weight of it's own internal divisions and War Crimes trials finally begin - oooohhhh the excitement, I can hardly wait!

Israel Bars Noam Chomsky at border of Jordan

by Chomsky Barred

Mon May 17, 2010 09:56

Israel Bars Noam Chomsky at border of Jordan

http://palestinenote.com/cs/blogs/news/archive/2010/05/....aspx

Elvis Costello Cancels Concerts in Israel

by Costello Cancels

Wed May 19, 2010 00:28

Elvis Costello Cancels in Israel

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2010/may/18/elvis-coste...certs

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