Freedom Flotilla Boat to Gaza, Al-Awda, hijacked by Israeli occupation forces
Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network – July 29, 2018
The motor vessel Al Awda (The Return), traveling in international waters towards Palestinian waters, 49 nautical miles from the port in Gaza City, has been contacted by the Israeli Occupation Forces navy and warned. The Israeli navy claims our ship is breaking international law and threatens that they will use “any measures necessary” to stop us. In fact, the only “necessary measures” would be to end the blockade of Gaza and restore freedom of movement for all Palestinians. At last news from on board, Al Awda maintains her course towards Gaza, where the crew and participants hope to arrive this evening around 21:00 local time.
A number of warships have appeared, so an attack, boarding and capture appear to be imminent, and we anticipate that all communications with the vessel will be lost shortly.
Al Awda is sailing under a Norwegian flag, carrying 22 people and a cargo of medical supplies, including #Gauze4Gaza. Passengers and crew on board are from 16 nations, including human rights supporters, journalists and crew, along with €13,000 worth of urgently needed medical supplies. The boat itself, a former fishing vessel from Norway, is a gift to Palestinian fishers in Gaza.
Four boats left Scandinavia in mid-May and have since stopped in 28 ports building support for a ‘Just Future for Palestine’, that demands Israel end its ongoing breaches of international law and the twelve-year blockade of Gaza, thereby enabling the only closed port in the Mediterranean to open and for people to have their right to freedom of movement.
Al Awda is being followed by the Swedish-flagged yacht, Freedom, which is also carrying medical supplies along with people from a number of nations. We anticipate that it will reach a similar area where the IOF attacked Al Awda within the next two days. Two smaller sailing boats that traveled from Scandinavia and sailed through the canal system in Netherlands, Belgium and France visiting inland ports, participated in the mission until Palermo.
“The Freedom Flotilla Coalition calls on the Norwegian Government, the national governments of those aboard Al Awda and the Freedom, other national governments, and relevant international organizations to act immediately” said Torstein Dahle of Ship to Gaza Norway, part of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition. “The international community must assume its responsibilities and demand that Israeli authorities ensure the safety of those on board, the speedy delivery of our gifts to the Palestinian people in Gaza, an end to the illegal blockade of Gaza, and to stop impeding our legal right of innocent passage to Gaza to deliver our gift of much-needed medical supplies”.
More information about the ‘Right to a Just Future for Palestine’ flotilla and the FFC:
Web: https://jfp.freedomflotilla.org/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FreedomFlotillaCoalition Twitter: @gazafflotilla
For US citizens, please call the US Department of State and demand that the State of Israel be held accountable for piracy–and demand that the medical supplies for Gaza on Al Awda be sent from Ashdod harbor to Gaza as provided by international law.
Call/email/tweet for release of US participant Joe Meadors
Mike Pompeo, Secretary of State
Tel: +1 202 647 4000 (ask for Israel & Palestine desk, and American Citizen Services, and/or Operations Center
Email: pompeom@state.gov
Website: http://state.gov
Twitter: @SecPompeo
Also call:
US Embassy in Israel
U.S. Embassy Jerusalem
14 David Flusser
Jerusalem 9378322, Israel
Phone: 02-630-4000 (ask for Ambassador, American Citizen Services and/or Duty Officer)
@usembassyjlm
Branch Office Tel Aviv
71 HaYarkon Street
Tel Aviv 6343229, Israel
Phone: 03-519-7575 (ask for Ambassador, American Citizen Services and/or Duty Officer)
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The Real Story of How Israel Was Created [Stolen]
By ALISON WEIR | October 11, 2011
To better understand the Palestinian bid for membership in the United Nations, it is important to understand the original 1947 UN action on Israel-Palestine.
The common representation of Israel’s birth is that the UN created Israel, that the world was in favor of this move, and that the US governmental establishment supported it. All these assumptions are demonstrably incorrect.
In reality, while the UN General Assembly recommended the creation of a Jewish state in part of Palestine, that recommendation was non-binding and never implemented by the Security Council.
Second, the General Assembly passed that recommendation only after Israel proponents threatened and bribed numerous countries in order to gain a required two-thirds of votes.
Third, the US administration supported the recommendation out of domestic electoral considerations, and took this position over the strenuous objections of the State Department, the CIA, and the Pentagon.
The passage of the General Assembly recommendation sparked increased violence in the region. Over the following months the armed wing of the pro-Israel movement, which had long been preparing for war, perpetrated a series of massacres and expulsions throughout Palestine, implementing a plan to clear the way for a majority-Jewish state.
It was this armed aggression, and the ethnic cleansing of at least three-quarters of a million indigenous Palestinians, that created the Jewish state on land that had been 95 per cent non-Jewish prior to Zionist immigration and that even after years of immigration remained 70 per cent non-Jewish. And despite the shallow patina of legality its partisans extracted from the General Assembly, Israel was born over the opposition of American experts and of governments around the world, who opposed it on both pragmatic and moral grounds.
Let us look at the specifics. … continue
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Goddam Zionists — but one cannot expect else from an ideology and its adherents mired in psychosis and criminality–and given full impunity. Militant/political Zionism is the rotten seed from which all of this extends and flows and metastasizes….
(I’m puzzled by “…release of US participant Joe Meadors.” Has Joe been singled out for “special treatment” by the Zios?)
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US authorities have a special responsibility toward US citizens in custody of foreign entities. His release, having been seized in a brazen act of piracy, should normally be a priority for them.
Their failure will expose the power relations involved.
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I wrote a zinger this morning to Pompeo’s above-offered e-mail address (I don’t do twitter): “POMPEO: Put paid, goddammit, to the criminal psychosis of the Zionist entity so-called Israel. Perform your responsibility for due diligence as SECSTATE of the United States of America, not as agent/enabler of the Zionist entity so-called Israel! Here is the news you must act upon:
Palestine Is Still THE Issue!
Robert H. Stiver
( ) Street
( ) City, state
( tel.) (e-mail) ”
Lot of good this is going to do the Awda members and the people of Gaza. I’ll follow up by phone tomorrow morning.
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I admire your optimism. But, people like Pompeo only listen to their(Pay)masters. He’s as rotten as the rest of America’s political elite. 10 out of 10 for trying though.
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Brian, I didn’t intend to, and I don’t think I did, express any “optimism.” I’m far too jaded and cynical (and old) for that. Perhaps you meant “activism,” to which I’ll plead guilty.
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“Cynical and old”?…..I’m in that club too…..Nothing is, as it seems….
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I just called the 1-202 number at 9 AM here, presumed 3 PM WashDC. Took me two calls to access a live body, but “Sacha”…hmmm, talked with me. I asked her if my message of yesterday to Pompeo was “in action” by him or sent to her Palestine-Israel desk for action; she couldn’t answer. I went on at length that my information is that the lead boat Awda is now in Zio custody and its passengers/crew removed forcibly and jailed — with the exception of two Israeli Jews, who were released (I mentioned, with sincerity, “God bless them”). I told Sacha that, as a US citizen, I am particularly concerned and angered that, to the best of my knowledge, two Americans are among those jailed and that I want “my” state dept. to assure their safety and get them released. Sacha said “Yes, we take the interests of American citizens very seriously”…my rejoinder: “I haven’t gotten that impression starting with the act of piracy committed by Israel in May 2010 when the Mavi Marmara was attacked in international waters, 10 passengers murdered, 54 wounded, a personal friend, US citizen, jailed and her possessions stolen….” Sacha finally said that she is taking calls like mine, recording information passed to her, and forwarding results to “consular” officials in Israel. At that point, I didn’t beat on her any further (or figuratively grab her pussy); I’ll probably call her again tomorrow if additional info/news surfaces. (Oh — I do recall telling Sacha along the way that the Awda sailors are not those who should be in jail; the Zionist scofflaws who committed piracy on the high seas are those who should be in jail; also that I have been informed that the boarding/invading thugs used tasers and that blood was observed on the deck of the Awda.)
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Ahh, now I see why Joe Meadors is called out specifically. But isn’t Ann Wright in the same US-citizen category? It’s been my understanding that she is one of the Awda sailors…
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Don’t expect the Government of the USA to stand up against Israel in relation to this freedom flotilla. The USA Government didn’t even come to the Aid of THEIR OWN U.S. Navy ship, USS Liberty when it was attacked by Israel.
The USA is powerless when it comes to standing up to Israel……It is unbelievable, the power Israel holds over “The Most Powerful Nation on Earth”
“I want to tell you something very clear; Don’t worry about American pressure on Israel. We, the Jewish people control America, and the Americans know it”……..Ariel Sharon. Oct 3 2001(very soon after the Israeli attack on NYC “9/11”)
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