'Israel's Intimidation Tactics Won't Stop Us': First Ship Sets Sail for Gaza!

More brave people set sail with relief for Gaza, knowing Israel will probably react violently.

(DUBLIN) - 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.

This 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.

Salem-News.com will keep you apprised as the vessel nears its destination; we have friends aboard and expect plenty of information to come forth. The fact that Israel's violence is predicted, in our opinion, makes any violence toward these peaceful people all the more criminal.

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.

The world will be watching Israel closely as the effort to deliver relief supplies, is an act to offset the systematic caging and elimination of the Palestinian people.

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.

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Vic May 19, 2010 7:05 am (Pacific time)

Wouldnt it be nice to see these ships escorted by an US destroyer? For decades, our "leaders" wring their hands and talk about "trying to convince" Israel to stop doing this or that, all the time sending billions to a "state" so small that ELEVEN Israels would fit within the state of Oregon. We have plenty of power to reign in Israel, but our bought and paid for politicians are traitors and will sacrifice America if necessary to keep the cash rolling in. Wyden and Merkley are Oregon's traitors.

Jeff Kaye~ May 17, 2010 8:56 am (Pacific time)

What a story. Amen, S-N! Tim's putting out the truth, like nobody else will. This is courage. I stand beside you brave protectors of these long-suffering people who did nothing wrong to be shot at continually, imprisoned and evicted from their homeland. I wish I could go on that boat. I believe that these Zionist monsters will in fact perpetrate violence upon the boat's peaceful missionaries... damning themselves to Hell forever.

gp May 17, 2010 4:40 am (Pacific time)

It is just a little thing but remember, Starbucks supports the settlements. This means that you may think of buying a thermos elsewhere and bringing your own coffee to work. Not a bad idea anyhow. Check out the boycott list, it may surprise you to learn that it is more than a few large corporations that you are currently supporting with your billfold.

Yossi May 17, 2010 12:15 am (Pacific time)

Hey Yossi, you're treading on hallowed ground, you will never insult Rachel Corrie here you classless jerk. And, there is NOTHING they can do to avoid Israel's violence, because your country's military has a fairly evil leader and direction. So bye bye Yossi comment, flushed like a damned turd. Keep your propaganda BS genocide supporting misguided self far from here if you can't even fake having respect for other human beings. Rachel Corrie was a thousand times the person you are on your best day, I don't have to know you to know that, because you are too damned stupid to see what is happening right in front of you. Am I pissed, oh Hell yes I'm pissed, and every single Israeli who supports the retarded zionist racist genocidal politics that eliminate Palestinians from the face of the earth aren't one damned bit better than the Nazi's of WWII, even far f&cking worse in fact, because this is the modern world, not that half of the military barbarians in your stolen country live that way, but this is the modern world and there is no damned excuse. Anyone reading this, you must please watch Alison Weir and Occupation 101 and learn what Israel is doing to your country and to the people who live around it. It isn't like a slight problem, or a new one, and the extremely well produced documentary makes everything become perfectly clear. Israel is a dangerous, rogue terrorist racist state, nation or whatever the Hell it is. None of the above really, because it is stolen, and it needs to be given back, everything to the 1947 borders, and all those settlements can be occupied by Palestinians who can then stay there for ten years and never have to pay for it, like the Israelis. We of course, the lame sucker punched Americans, pay for your evil and greedy settlements anyway, maybe we should just come and toss those religious fantatic weirdos out ourselves. Maybe if the people aboard the Rachel Corrie are abused, we will start that movement. Take down the walls,

TAKE DOWN THE WALLS!!!

LONG LIVE PALESTINE!!!!

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