Ett skepp...
Jag fick just ett email om en fredlig aktion som syftar till att bryta isoleringen av Gaza. Från Cypern kommer två båtar att avsegla med sikte på Gaza. Då jag gillar fredliga manifestationer kan jag bara önska dem lycka till! Då jag också är av den åsikten att det aldrig är ens fel att två bråkar noterar jag att de inte nämnt kassamrakerter mot Sderot osv i detta mail... Men den pragmatiska sidan i mig hoppas ändå att denna manifestation lyckas över förväntan och att alla då lär sig att det är exakt så här man ska bedriva motståndet mot ockupationen - i TV, tidningar, med ORD, ord och åter ord. INTE med sprängningar och raketer! Bon Voyage!
One Step Closer:
Getting Ready to Sail to Gaza
Aug 1, 2008
Greetings from Cyprus! Our official training begins today, as we move one step closer to breaking the siege of Gaza. What may have seemed at one point a distant and somewhat exotic dream has become a solid reality. In just a few days we will begin sailing the SS Free Gaza and the SS Liberty across the Mediterranean to Occupied Palestine. And though there are still challenges ahead - things are falling into place, and there are some truly amazing people here making this happen.
Among our group is Monir Deeb, a husband, father, businessman, and human rights activist from Los Angeles, California. Though he is also an American, Monir was born in Gaza City. As a Palestinian he is putting himself at great risk by sailing with us. We're thankful for his bravery. His enthusiasm and wisdom have become invaluable to this project. Among our group is Hedy Epstein, a human rights activist from St. Louis, Missouri, and a survivor of the Nazi Holocaust. Her sunny smile and gentle demeanor are a source of constant strength to us all. When she was asked in an interview about why an 83-year-old grandmother would want to sail on this mission, she replied, "There are no guarantees in life. Perhaps no one should put herself in a situation that's dangerous. But my participation is a small contribution that I can make compared to the sufferings that the Palestinians endure every single day. And, if by doing this, we can tell the world what is happening there, then it's worth going.
For those of you reading this - the spirit here in Cyprus is obviously high. More than 50 people have come here from around the globe; young and old, professionals and students, women and men, land crew or boat passengers, film-makers and media, old friends and new ones. Lauren Booth (a journalist, and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair's sister-in-law), has asked to join us on board. She arrives in Cyprus shortly. All of us understand that we may be risking our lives, but we are prepared to do so for this cause - our attempt to release, even slightly and temporarily, the 1.5 million men, women and children living in Gaza from the open-air prison that has been forced on them by the total Israeli blockade.
On July 29, 2008, we held our first press conference in Athens, Greece and announced that passengers, crew and journalists were beginning to arrive in Cyprus. The conference room was packed with media, local supporters, and even a member of the Greek Parliament who came to support our efforts. Two of our organizers, Dr. Paul Larudee and Greta Berlin, both from California, talked about the project, and described what we hope to accomplish through our voyage - an end to the siege of Gaza, and an end to the collective punishment of the Palestinian people.
Since the press conference, the Free Gaza Movement has been inundated with questions from the media. Many more individuals and organizations have asked to be included in this project as endorsers, and we are truly grateful for the outpouring of international support that is accompanying our efforts. And so here we are in our base camp, shuttling people from the airport, tracing lost baggage, attending meetings, going through nonviolence training, making shopping lists, cooking, cleaning, and taking care of all the mundane tasks that come along with an action as large as Free Gaza has become.
Already CNN, Reuters, Dutch TV, Al Jazeera, BBC, The Independent, The Times, The Scotsman, and the local Cyprus press are either working on stories or pressing to be on board, trying to fill the six positions we have available for the media.
The Israeli authorities - no doubt on to us a while ago - have been putting out deliberate disinformation. Israeli newspapers have published articles that have their journalists asking follow-up questions for the authorities - are you really taking three European government officials? Is it really an ICAHD/ISM organised event? Where are the ships leaving from? Is this really going ahead? The answer is "YES!" We are most definitely going ahead. In a few days we will leave Cyprus bound for Gaza. But our voyage will not end when we reach Occupied Palestine. Our voyage is but one step on a long journey toward peace and justice for our battered world. Will you join us on that journey?
In Love and Hope,
The Free Gaza Movement
Cyprus to Gaza
Det är väl OK om de kommer IN i Gaza. Men vem säger att de kan komma UT igen??
G. Tikotzinsky,
Jag gissar att i det här fallet är det nog svårare att komma in än ut. För nog skulle det väl vara lite besvärligt att ha en drös reportrar och fredsaktivister instängda i Gaza?
Inga problem alls, Israel har aldrig hindrat reportrar och fredsaktivister att resa dit. Det är snarare palestinierna som har för vana att kidnappa BBC-reportrar.
Intressant i sammanhanget är att PLO försökte sig på samma stunt 1988 med en gammal rostig skorva som knappast skulle klara seglatsen från Cypern till Israel. För säkerhets skull råkade båten ut för en liten "olycka" i hamn (i Cypern) och reportrarna drog en kollektiv lättnadens suck.