Israel Warns Foreign Journalists: Joining Gaza Flotilla Is Illegal

[Keith Millea]

Published on Sunday, June 26, 2011 by Haaretz (Israel)

Israel Warns Foreign Journalists: Joining Gaza Flotilla Is Illegal

Letter from head of Israel's Government Press Office warns that taking part in convoy of boats sailing to Gaza could result in being barred from Israel for 10 years.

Israel's Government Press Office issued a letter Sunday to foreign journalists, warning them that participating in the upcoming flotilla sailing to Gaza is illegal under Israeli law, and could result in anyone who joins the convoy being barred from Israel for up to 10 years.

A ship flying the French flag, "Dignité - Al Karama", sails off the coast of the French Mediterranean island of Corsica on June 25 to join the new pro-Palestinian aid flotilla. (AFP/Murielle Kasprzak)

The letter, signed by GPO director Oren Helman, states that the flotilla "is a dangerous provocation that is being organized by western and Islamic extremist elements to aid Hamas."

Helman asks editors to inform journalists that the Israel Defense Forces have been ordered to stop the convoy of ships from reaching Gaza, given that "The flotilla intends to knowingly violate the blockade that has been declared legally and is in accordance with all treaties and international law."


Furthermore, the letter says, "participation in the flotilla is an intentional violation of Israeli law and is liable to lead to participants being denied entry into the State of Israel for ten years, to the impoundment of their equipment and to additional sanctions."

Haaretz correspondent Amira Hass will be joining the flotilla, along with several dozen other journalists and several hundred activists from some 20 countries. Also joining the flotilla will be American writer Alice Walker, despite an American advisory that doing so could be a violation of U.S. law.

In May 2010, the Israel Navy boarded six boats that comprised a similar aiming to break the Israeli naval blockade on the Strip; nine activists on board were killed during the ensuing violence.

© Copyright 2011 Haaretz

http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2011/06/26

[Ed Jewett]

State Dept Threatens Prison for US Participants in Gaza Aid Flotilla

Posted on June 25, 2011 by willyloman
by Jason Ditz, Antiwar @
http://news.antiwar.com/2011/06/24/state...-flotilla/

While this hasn't resulted in European nations or others stopping humanitarian groups from moving forward with the aid, it has shifted the Obama Administration's position from opposition to open threats.

Now, the US State Department is not only railing against the flotilla as "irresponsible" but is threatening criminal charges against American participants, claiming that the attempt to deliver aid to Gaza amounts to "conspiring to deliver material support" to Hamas and could lead to lengthy prison sentences.

Gaza aid ships have often had a solid American contingent, and an American was among those killed when Israeli troops attacked the Mavi Marmara for attempting to deliver wheelchairs to the strip. Though the administration apparently believes it can invoke terror charges, it is unclear how eager they would be to actually test such a move in open court.

http://willyloman.wordpress.com/2011/06/...-flotilla/

***

Anti-Flotilla video fraud linked to PM Netanyahu's office, official Israeli hasbara agents

http://maxblumenthal.com/2011/06/anti-fl...ra-agents/

[Ed Jewett]

WAR AND POLITICS FROM A LEFT-CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE:
WILL THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION ARREST ALICE WALKER?


U.S. officials are now threatening jail time for those who sail on the Freedom Flotilla II to Gaza. "We underscore that delivering or attempting or conspiring to deliver material support or other resources to or for the benefit of a designated foreign terrorist organization, such as Hamas, could violate U.S. civil and criminal statutes and could lead to fines and incarceration," said State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland in a Reuters story dated yesterday.

We also have Hilary Clinton quoted by CNN as asserting that passengers on the flotilla will be guilty of creating "a situation in which the Israelis have the right to defend themselves," a statement basically giving the Israelis a green light to use violence.

Were the mainstream media doing their jobs, it perhaps would have been pointed out to readers that one of the most vital functions of any government is to protect its citizens from attack by a foreign power. But of course neither Reuters nor CNN go there in their respective reportsreports which in essence detail American officials exhibiting a complete reversal of priorities. For consider: here we have U.S. citizens being threatened by officials of their own government, officials who at the same time have issued statements defending the foreign power that poses a very real danger to their lives. Presumably only in Zionist-controlled America could such a situation come about.



Alice Walker over the years as an author and human rights champion


All of this brings about an interesting possible scenario. One of the ships making up the flotilla is the American vessel named "The Audacity of Hope," and among its passengers is to be one of our country's most prominent authorsAlice Walker. Born in 1944 in Georgia to a sharecropper family, Walker is an African-American writer who explores themes of racism and patriarchy in both her fiction and poetry. Her most well known work is perhaps The Color Purple, which tells the story of a young African-American girl growing up in rural Georgia. In the early 1960s, while attending Spelman College in Atlanta, Walker met Martin Luther King Jr. and became active in the Civil Rights Movement, participating in the 1963 March on Washington, one of the pivotal moments in the movement's history in which King delivered his famous "I Have a Dream" speech.

What price will Walker, who is now 67 years old, pay for sailing with the Freedom Flotilla? Assuming she survives the boarding and hijacking of her ship by the Israeli military, what legal entanglements will she face? Will she be forced to hire an attorney to represent her in an American or possibly Israeli court? Such would be embarrassing for the Obama administration, to say the least, but Obama has already undergone humiliations a-plenty at the hands of the Israelis and perhaps would not be too averse to stomaching one more. But the humiliation will be all the greater considering that The Audacity of Hope's cargo will consist of nothing more than letters of support written by Americans to the people of Gaza. As Walker humorously points out , should Israel attack the ship, "it will be as if they attacked the mailman." A letter addressed to Obama and signed by 27 of the ship's passengers, including Walker, clearly states the vessel's peaceful intent and specifies its cargo:

In addition to 36 passengers, 4 crew, and 10 members of the press, our boat will carry thousands of letters of support and friendship from people throughout the U.S. to the women, children and men of Gaza. There will be no weapons of any sort on board. We will carry no goods of any kind for delivery in Gaza. Our mission is from American civil society to the civil society of Gaza. We do not serve the agenda of any political leadership, government or group. We are engaged solely in non-violent action in support of the Palestinian people and their human rights.


At least one member of Congress, Senator Mark Kirk of Illinois, has called for the U.S. military to support Israel in the event of an attack upon the flotilla. Should the U.S. do so, or even if it only stands by and watches as Israel carries out such an aggression, Obama will have managed to officially kill "the audacity of hope," as it were.

http://leftwing-christian.net/2011/06/25/w...er.aspx?ref=rss

[Keith Millea]

Published on Tuesday, June 28, 2011 by Al-Jazeera-English

Gaza Flotilla Ship 'Sabotaged by Divers'

Activists say Swedish ship due to join attempt to break Israel's blockade of Gaza has been damaged in Greek port.

by Dahr Jamail

A Swedish ship due to join an upcoming Gaza-bound aid flotilla has been sabotaged in the Greek port of Piraeus, organisers say.

Ten ships bound for Gaza are expected to set sail from Greece in the coming days. (Photo: Ship to Gaza Sweden)

In a statement, they said "hostile divers had destroyed the propeller house and cut the propeller shaft" of the vessel Juliano on Monday.
The ship is part of the 10-vessel Freedom Flotilla II that is expected to set sail from Greece and elsewhere for the Gaza Strip in the coming days in a bid to break Israel's blockade of the Palestinian territory.
About 350 pro-Palestinian activists from 22 countries are likely to participate.
Israel insists the latest flotilla is a "dangerous provocation" and has vowed to intercept it.

Determined organisers
Organisers of the flotilla, however, remain defiant and said the Juliano would be ready to sail within one or two days after being repaired. They said they had documented the sabotage with their own camera-equipped divers.
"We are sad that people are doing such things but we are determined to continue to Gaza," Dror Feiler, one of the organisers, told Al Jazeera from aboard the Juliano.
"We will not be frightened by Israel, and we are going to continue. Our friends from all around the world are with us, and we are all going to Gaza."
Mattias Gardell, a spokesperson for Ship to Gaza Sweden, also condemned the act of sabotage.

"It's one thing for a foreign power to press the Greek government to delay our voyage with red tape. It is quite another thing for enemy agents to operate on Greek territory.
"It is high time for the international community to put their foot down and say: Enough!"

Israeli allegation
Israeli newspaper Haaretz quoted seniorIsraeli officials as saying that "radical elements" among the flotilla activists had stated an intention to "spill the blood of Israeli soldiers".

According to Tel Aviv daily Yedioth Aharonoth, military sources said participants of the flotilla were planning to pour chemicals, such as sulfur, on Israeli soldiers.
But according to activist Feiler, the goal of the flotilla is to "come in peace" to Gaza.

"We are shocked by the Israeli actions, and their propaganda that we have weapons and acid and are going to attack Israeli soldiers, when we are all dedicated to peace," Feiler said. "We will not throw objects or attack them in any way."

The flotilla comes a year after another aid shipment was intercepted by Israeli commandos. At least nine activists were killed when commandos stormed Mavi Marmara, the Turkish-owned lead aid ship.

Besides the Juliano - named after Juliano Mer-Khamis, the Arab-Israeli actor, director and political activist who was shot dead in the West Bank town of Jenin in April - boats from Greece, France, Italy and Spain are also among those joining Freedom Flotilla II. Two cargo vessels will carry medicines, a fully equipped ambulance car, and cement.

A number of journalists are among those taking part in the bid to break Israel's five-year naval blockade on the Gaza Strip, which is home to 1.5 million Palestinians.
Ban Ki-moon, the United Nations secretary-general, and several international leaders have urged the flotilla not to set sail, and the US has warned its nationals not to join the attempt to break the embargo.

The border has remained largely shut since June 2006, when Israel imposed a tight blockade on the coastal territory after Palestinian fighters snatched Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, who is still being held.

The UN has called the blockade illegal and repeatedly demanded it be lifted. A ban on civilian goods and foodstuffs was eased last year but many restrictions remain in place.

© 2011 Al-Jazeera-English

http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2011/06/28-4

[Mark Stapleton]

It will be interesting to see if the Zionist pychopaths go on a bloodthirsty rampage this time, considering there are prominent American citizens on this flotilla. We'll see.

As for the US State Department, they've been under Zionist control for years. Hilary Clinton is a Zionist piece of shit and Ban Ki-Moon is a gutless glove puppet.

I'm not writing off President Obama. The man might have balls after all. I hope so.

[Keith Millea]

Greece seems to be on a selling spree.They want to sell their public institutions,a few nice islands,and to top it off,they just sold their soul to the US and Israel.......

Published on Saturday, July 2, 2011 by Al Jazeera

Greece Arrests Captain of US Gaza-Bound Boat

Officers detain captain of US ship bound for Gaza over ship's 'seaworthiness' and for jeopardizing passengers' safety.




The captain of a US ship bound for Gaza has been arrested by Greek authorities for a felony after being brought before a prosecutor, activists have told Al Jazeera.
The boat, which is part of a Freedom Flotilla aiming to break Israel's blockage of the Palestinian territory, set sail on Friday from the Greek port of Perama was towed back to shore by the Greek coast guard.

Jane Hirschmann, a member of "Jews Say No!" and national organizer for the boat, dubbed The Audacity of Hope, said the captain was being held in police custody and is due to appear in court on Tuesday.

Greece's coast guard said Saturday the captain of the "Audacity of Hope" faces charges of trying to leave port without permission and of endangering the lives of the boat's passengers.

Adam Shapiro, an International Flotilla committee organizer, speaking from Athens, told Al Jazeera: "The captain has been charged with a felony. Initially it [the charge] was a misdemeanor, but it has been upgraded to a felony."
The US boat is one of nine vessels carrying several hundred activists attempting to deliver aid to Gaza.

"The ship itself is currently in a naval compound, where it is being detained," Shapiro said.
"This is totally a political maneuver, nothing illegal about his mission. This has been orchestrated by the Israeli government and probably the US government," Hirschmann said.

"We are being tied up in all types of administrative deals."
Some of the passengers on the US ship have remained on board in solidarity with the jailed captain, Shapiro said.

On June 24, an anonymous complaint was filed against the ship's "seaworthiness". The Israel Law Center (Shurat HaDin), took responsibility for the complaint in the Israeli media.

The Greek government put out a statement on Friday confirming that the Greek coast guard had enforced a decision by civil defence authorities to prevent all flotilla vessels from leaving Greek ports.
Greece's Civil Protection Ministry said coast guard authorities had been ordered to take "all appropriate measures'' to implement the ban.
"By orders of the Hellenic Coast Guard Head Quarters to all local Hellenic Coast Guard Authorities, all appropriate measures are taken for the implementation of the said decision," the statement on the website of the Greek embassy in Washington said.

"We [the International Flotilla committee] however will continue to challenge this [the Greek ban] and we are challenging it this weekend politically.
"We have people working in the political scene here in Greece to put pressure. We are working on the legal options and we intend to sail still to Gaza," Shapiro said.
Activists accuse Israel of damaging two other ships docked in Turkey and Greece that are part of a flotilla attempting to reach the Palestinian territory with humanitarian aid.

Yigal Palmor, Israel's foreign ministry spokesperson, on Saturday, dismissed the sabotage charges as "ridiculous," calling them "sad conspiracy theories."

'Low morale'
Some journalists and activists on board the Italian-Dutch ship the Stefano Chiarim, which also plans to take part in the flotilla, decided to leave on Saturday, while others were considering plans to protest against the Greek decision.

"Morale is low, really low. It is hard when plans keep changing all the time," Ewa Jasiewicz, a coordinator with the Free Gaza movement on board the boat, told Al Jazeera.

Some of the activists have been on the ship, which is docked at a port on the Greek island of Corfu, for over a week and are now planning abandon the group to "attend to their daily lives," said Khaled Turaani, a leading activist on the boat.
Turaani said he understood why some of the activists had taken the decision to abandon the group.

"It is not out of lack of commitment. They need to return to pressing issues related to their work," he said.
"This is not defeat. If every single activist would leave this morning, I believe the Freedom Flotilla has already served its purpose; namely, to expose the reality of the blockade on Gaza."
On Saturday, Turaani briefed the thinning group of activists about their options following the Greek blockade.

Turaani said there might still be a possibility to set sail with permission from the Greek authorities if the group changes the destination of the flotilla to the Egyptian port town of Al-Arish, near the Gaza border.
"Diverting the flotilla to Gaza in international waters is then a possibility," Turaani said.

"The Greeks are doing the bidding of the Israelis, but they should not also start diving into our conscience, and preemptively decide on what we might do."
The activists on Corfu have now decided to wait until Tuesday in hopes of a Greek reversal of their decision to block to the flotilla.
The remaining activists are discussing holding a protest on the ship without actually leaving the port.
"If they try to stop us we will show some civil disobedience," Turaani said.

Hamas denounces Greece
Hamas, the Palestinian movement which controls Gaza, denounced Greece on Friday for intercepting The Audacity of Hope.

In a statement issued by its political leadership in Damascus, Hamas described the action as "inhumane" and said Greece had played into Israeli hands.
"This is inhumane action, is contrary to international regulations and norms," it said in a statement.
"Barring this aid from reaching the Gaza Strip is done as a result of pressure imposed by the Zionist occupiers [Israel]."
Hamas also called on the EU parliament and human rights organizations "to put pressure on the Greek government" to allow the flotilla to set sail to Gaza.

© 2011 Al Jazeera

http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2011/07/02-3