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TechnoratiCynthia McKinney Relief Boat Hit by Israeli Ship
A boat carrying international activists, including former Georgia congresswoman Cynthia McKinney, and medical supplies to the embattled Gaza Strip sailed back into a Lebanese port on Tuesday after being turned back and damaged by the Israeli navy, organizers of the trip said.
![[Lebanese fishermen cheer as the vessel SS Dignity arrives at Tyre, Lebanon, on Tuesday after being turned back and damaged by the Israeli navy, according to organizers of the trip. (Mohammed Zaatari / AP)]](http://www.commondreams.org/files/article_images/ssdignity.JPG "ssdignity.JPG")
The crowds on the docks in the Lebanese port city of Tyre were jubilant and cheering as they welcomed the vessel.
The boat, which set off from Cyprus Monday wanted to make a statement and deliver medical supplies to embattled Gaza. The trip's organizers said the boat was clearly in international waters, 90 miles off the coast of Gaza, at the time of its close encounter with the Israeli navy.
"Our boat was rammed three times, twice in the front and one on the side," McKinney told CNN Tuesday morning. "Our mission was a peaceful mission. Our mission was thwarted by the aggressiveness of the Israeli military."
Yigal Palmor, a spokesman for Israel's Foreign Ministry, denied there had been any shooting although the two ships had made "physical contact."
Palmor said there was no response to a radio warning to the Dignity, and the vessel then tried to out-maneuver the Israeli patrol boat, leading to the collision.
Cyprus state radio said the Cypriot government would seek explanations from Israel over the incident.
McKinney called on President-elect Obama to address the Gaza crisis, saying the weapons being used by Israel were supplied by the United States.
McKinney denied that the incident was an accident. "What the Israelis are saying is outright disinformation," she said. "What happened to us last night was a direct threat to our mission, but not our cause."
Palmor called those allegations "absurd."
"There is no intention on the part of the Israeli navy to ram anybody," Palmor said.
In a press release, the Free Gaza movement stated, "Contrary to international maritime law, the Israelis are actively preventing the Dignity from approaching Gaza or finding safe haven in either Egypt or Lebanon. Instead, the Israeli navy is demanding that the Dignity return to Cyprus - despite the fact that the ship does not carry enough fuel to do so."
McKinney is a high-profile member of a boatload of activists that set sail Monday from Cyprus to deliver medicine to war-torn Gaza.
McKinney, who ran as the Green Party candidate for president, sees the voyage as a humanitarian mission, said her father, former Georgia state Rep. Billy McKinney.
"Her mother did not want her to go," he said, referring to concerns at home for her safety. "But I think that certain people have missions in life and you can't deter them."
The activists, organized by the Free Gaza Group, said their 66-foot yacht called "SS Dignity" would defy an Israeli blockade of Gaza and ferry 16 activists and three tons of Cypriot-donated supplies. The supplies are intended to help treat the wounded from Israeli bombings against targets in Gaza, in retaliation for rocket fire aimed at civilians in southern Israeli towns.
Israel's aerial bombardment of the Gaza Strip continued for a third day on Monday. By Monday, the death toll rose to 364, with some 1,400 reported wounded, according to Palestinian medical officials.
McKinney had sent an e-mail days ago to friends and supporters saying she intended to go to Gaza, said Hugh Esco, a Decatur resident who ran her presidential campaign Web site.
"She has stood with people all over this planet against oppression," said Esco.
McKinney said she will petition President-elect Barack Obama to speak out against the attacks on Gaza.
The Free Gaza group has made five deliveries of aid by boat to Gaza since August, defying a blockade imposed by Israel when Hamas won control of the territory in June 2007. Organizers say they are aware they may be stopped this time.
"I don't know if she'll get off the boat," her father said. "I hope she gets back safely."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
65 Comments so far
Show AllIt is time to make all Pro-Israel people the world over accountable for the war crimes. In every country they reside within, Israel still comers first. This is at all our expense. Let us expel and ostracize them.
I am very glad that I voted Cynthia McKinney -- a real progressive and anti-imperialist -- for president! More and more people are now becoming aware that Obama is just another puppet of the Neocons. Join the Green Party and help oppose this new, bought-off regime, which seeks to continue Bush's policies.
http://www.gp.org/
It is good to see one American with some guts! How 'bout you Barack Obama?
Israel has become what they accuse Hamas of being. A terrorist state.
I got this in an e-mail from "The Palestine Chronicle" today:
"The Palestine Chronicle is making available the list below, simply as a start up tool to those who need help finding alternative news, commentary and all sorts of information regarding the situation in Gaza. It's not meant to suggest that these are the only available resources, and we apologize if we have missed some obvious choices. In fact, we are sure that we have. Nonetheless, we hope that the list below will help you find more information that you cannot locate in your local or national media."
The Palestine Chronicle
www.palestinechronicle.com
The Electronic Intifada
www.electronicintifada.net
The AlternativeInformationCenter
www.alternativenews.org
InternationalMiddle EastMediaCenter
www.imemc.org
Stop the Wall
www.stopthewall.org
Islam Online
www.islamonline.net
Press TV
www.presstv.ir
CounterPunch
www.counterpunch.org
Free Gaza
www.freegaza.org
AMIN
www.amin.org
Palestinian News Agency WAFA
http://english.wafa.ps
Al Ahram Weekly
http://weekly.ahram.org.eg
BitterLemons
www.bitterlemons.org
Palestine Think Tank
www.palestinethinktank.com
Friends of Al Aqsa
www.aqsa.org.uk
Palestine Information Center
www.palestine-info.co.uk/en
MIFTAH
www.miftah.org
Palestine Solidarity Campaign
www.palestinecampaign.org
PalestineCenter for Human Rights
http://www.pchrgaza.org
Znet
www.zmag.org/znet
IndyMedia
www.indymedia.org
Haaretz
http://www.haaretz.com
YouTube Aljazeera Channel Arabic
www.youtube.com/user/aljazeerachannel?ob=4
YouTube Aljazeera Channel English
www.youtube.com/user/AlJazeeraEnglish
HELP GAZA - Charities
KinderUSA
http://www.kinderusa.org
American Near East Refugee Aid (ANERA)
http://www.anera.org
Friends of UNRWA
http://www.friendsunrwa.org
Christian Aid
http://www.christianaid.org.uk
Islamic Relief
http://www.islamic-relief.com
Terrorism is defined as the use of violence or the threat of violence against civilians (non-combatants) for political ends. This attack on the Dignity would seem to meet that definition.
--
Dan Clore
Smygo: News & Views for Anarchists & Activists:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/smygo
Eyrie of the Arch-Anarch:
http://www.nolanchart.com/author341.html
Excellent point!
"Mike Denver December 30th, 2008 10:20 pm
If McKinney wants to help out let her go thru a Arab country like Egypt with a convoy of 18 wheelers, NOT with a 30 boat from Cyprus.She is grandstanding for the MSM."
That's a BS, cockamamie view. What difference does it really make, whether she joins the FreeGaza.org 'Dignity' or any other FG boat crew, or "a convoy of 18 wheelers" entering from Egypt? The purpose of the boat and crew was to bring aid, and it doesn't matter how the aid arrives, as long as it does, and it didn't; was deliberately prevented, just like "a convoy of 18 wheelers" also would be. I haven't read or heard of any such convoy making way to Gaza, let alone making it into Gaza.
Either way, the people joining the sea-going or land-going convoy would know that every effort would be made to try to prevent success for the convoy mission.
Instead of bitching, Mike Denver should do as he preaches, but it'd surely be too much to ask, eh?!
If McKinney wants to help out let her go thru a Arab country like Egypt with a convoy of 18 wheelers, NOT with a 30 boat from Cyprus.She is grandstanding for the MSM.
Not easy to do that way. they would have to first import all the material thru Egypt customs (which in and of itself is difficult, pay import duties, grease a few palms, have appropriate transit visas for the crew, hire a convoy of 18-wheelers and then pay export duties to Egypt customs and risk being stopped at the Raffa crossing indefinitely.
OTOH loading goods on a ship as cargo encounters none of these nationally-specific legal issues since cargo is not "imported" until it is unloaded at its final PoC. that is why world trade is conducted by cargo ships.
You are certainly correct that the 30ft boat is not as effective volume-wise, ideally they should be using a 300 ft container ship.
Does anyone know if it is true, and if so a link, that Israel has nukes pre-planted in assorted spots around the U.S.
Yes that is entirely accurate. A link existed until about 3 years ago but is not accesible any more. Google cached pages seem to have been removed as well.
According to the now 'missing' page the devices have been placed under private residences in major US urban areas. The original page also showed probable fallout patterns by using prevailing winds.
The devices have been smuggled into the US in parts and then assembled at the point of storage.
Advanced shielding developed by israeli sceintists prevents US radiation detection teams to locate them.
I guess our only choice is to provide financial aid to Israel and hope for the best...
chameleon, Israel completely controls access to all 'Palestinian' areas. They let in who they want to and have denied entry to tourists, Canadian politicians and piano tuners from the US as well as Palestinians themselves.
I assume that video coverage of this illegal use of force is missing because the incident occurred at night.
Far more Palestinians are killed and/or imprisoned than Israelis but mainstream media and our politicians tell us that those crazy Arabs are the terrorists and that we must support poor Israel. In the current Israeli offensive the ratio of deaths is about 200 to 1. For more history on this debacle go to the Israel chapter in the book Amoral America, free download.
www.amoralamerica.info
Quote:
“During the last seven years, 14 Israelis have been killed by mostly homemade rockets fired from the Gaza Strip, while more than 5,000 Palestinians were killed by Israel with some of the most advanced US-supplied armaments in the world. And while no rockets are fired from the West Bank, 45 Palestinians have died there at Israel's hands this year alone. The issue is of course not just the vast disparity in weapons and power, but that one side is the occupier, the other the occupied.”
Seumas Milne
The Guardian, Tuesday 30 December 2008
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/dec/30/israel-and-the-palestinians-middle-east
Also remember that while the Zionsits complain about the alleged kidnapping of Shilat ONE PERSON, well over 10000 Palestinians sit in Israeli prisons many of them kidnapped from The Gaza Strip, the West bank and Lebanon and the vast majority never having had trials.
Remember the USS Liberty and the the Israeli treachery that was visited upon her!
I am sickened that US tax dollars subsidize the Israeli war machine. We have blood on our hands.
Israel is totally abusing its relationship with us
"Abusing" is the wrong word choice. "Taking advantage of" is by far more correct, just as it did with Lebanon in 2006.
God Bless Cynthia McKinney. This is Israel's sequel to the USS Liberty.
And what about Egypt? They have been discriminating against Palestinians for 30 years. Israel, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Europe, US, etc ... are entirely responsible for the plight of the Palestinians. Please stop being dishonest and let's hold all these nations accountable.
Terrance Mitchell
Redfield, South Dakota
No one should take responsibility for the problems that are created by Israel's crimes except for Israel. Zionist extremists like yourself need to stop advocating for Israel avoiding responsibility for it's despicable land grabs and war crimes it;s disgusting and wrong. Go peddle your pre fab Zionist talking points somewhere else no one here is buying it.
Did you get the call on MEGAPHONE too Terrance?
I definately condemn Israel for it's brutal acts against the Palestinians, but Egypt has been colluding with Israel. Egypt has arrested anti-Israeli demonstrators, shot at Gazans, pretty much sealed the Gaza Egyptian border. Yes Israel should be condemned, I agree, but please please don't let enablers like Egypt and Saudi Arabia off the hook.
But consider this, say Egypt takes care of all or even most of the Palestinians problems, then Israel can claim that their oppressive blockade is not in fact oppression at all, and the radical "greater Israelites" will start to chime in, see how well that works, why don't we just move all the Palestinians to Egypt since they like it so well there? I say no, that these problems are CAUSED by Israel and that therefore Israel is responsible for dealing with their consequences and shouldn't get way with palming it off on Egypt.
Thanks for your reply. I'm not palming it off on Egypt or mitigating Israel's brutality; but again Egypt is Israel's partner in crime as long as they seal off the Gaza strip and shoot at Palestinians. Mubarak even went to defend their reprehensible role by accusing those who question Egypt as political opportunists. Israel is horrible to be sure, but enabling Israeli aggression won't help the Palestinians. BTW there have been demonstrations against the Egyptian embassies in some Arab and other countries, so there are Arabs that are obviously hip to Egypt's collusion with Israel.
Thank you wt for trying to knock some sense into hootowl. It's so sad that we have to be called zionist just for bringing up the truth that Egypt is just as guilty as Israel. In fact, Egypt has one of the worst human rights abuse records and Israel wouldn't be where it is today without backdoor backstabbing from the US, EU, and the corrupt leaders of the neighboring Arab nations.
Terrance Mitchell
Redfield, South Dakota
I agree, they are all enablers of Israeli aggression.
I believe Israel compared palestinians to cockroaches.
I think comparing any human to a cockroach is a great insult to cockroaches.
After 9 11 Benjamin Netanyahu's first comments were that this was good for Israel.
But since then Israel has seen a divestment movement, former presidents attacking it, Harvard reports on the lobby.
This sort of action against Israel was unthinkable ten years ago.
Even Mel Gibson's drunken rant about jews starting all the wars in the world--he said it as Israel was bombing Lebanon because of two captured soldiers(to trade for the thousands that israel routinely captures).
Israel doesnt have the clout or sympathy it once did.
Their favorite president is Bush.
That is chilling. The Hutus in Rwanda also called their opponents "cockroaches".
The point is:aid must get through. Israel has no right to attack in international waters, no right to attack civilians....not much different from "big brother" USA military in Iraq...(and the US issues hollow "stop" signals to Israel. I hope McKinney's appeal to Barack Obama is well publicized. DemocracyNow covered the incident this morning. www.democracynow.org in headlines, with comment from McKinney.
The right to attack in international waters derives from the ship "providing material aid to terrorists." I believe that under US law that is sufficient to incarcerate Cynthia McKinney and all her colleagues without right to any trial.
Cynthia McKinney has risked her life to help those in needs. Obviously it makes Koolaid drinkers like yourself froth at the mouth.
Are you advocating for imprisoning people delivering medicine without a trial, REALLY!!!!???? If that is the case then don't cry any crocodile tears if I compare you to a Nazi then buddy, OK? Of course Zionist supporters like yourself aren't evil sick twisted racists who get off on being bullies and human suffering, how could I ever think that?
Golly, in your eyes taking humnitarian aid to the million and a half people imprisoned in Gaza, such as doctors and medical supplies, is "providing material aid to terrorists." Do you know many children who can be considered terrorists. You are one sick definitely delusional, Prof.
Peggy
I get two conflicting pictures in my mind: one is Obama wearing a skullcap when he visited Israel last year. The other is Cynthia speaking out for the Palestinians.
Give me the Cynthia image anytime! Thank god, someone in America has integrity and courage and can recognize injustice and actually speaks out against Israel.
Why don't you guys and gals make Cynthia the President?
www.dangerouscreation.com
Cynthia and the rest of the third party candidates are playing with a stacked deck, just ask Mike Gravel whom I have known for a long time or Nader, Paul ect. It just will not happen. What we have in America, is the sheeple insanity: voting for the same duopoly over and over and expecting a different result! It is like going to a kangaroo, court with unjust judges and expecting justice to prevail!
"Why don't you guys and gals make Cynthia the President?"
Many of us would love too, DC, but super intelligent, legally-skilled Cynthia has a bad case of integrity, has a bad habit of finding out the truth and telling the truth, and also she really cares for people and seems to want to put the needs of and services to the majority of people first on her agenda.
Great woman; marvelous human being who walks her talk.
Unfortunately within the political/economic/media cabals controlling the United States of America, Cynthia McKinney is only a prime candidate for getting her wings severely clipped any which way they can whenever they can.
An ideal ticket to me would be Dennis Kucinich/Cynthia McKinney, but that is the stuff that dreams are made of ... someday ... maybe ...
/cm
Cee Miracles wrote: "Unfortunately within the political/economic/media cabals controlling the United States of America, Cynthia McKinney is only a prime candidate for getting her wings severely clipped any which way they can whenever they can."
Thank you for writing that, because it cannot be emphasized enough.
It is commendable to vote for third party candidates, but anyone who thinks we are going to eventually vote a truly progressive third party candidate into the presidency is living under an illusion. The corportocracy that rules our nation (read Chris Hedges on this, and John Perkins) will NEVER allow a Nader or McKinney to become president, much less live through a full term.
A revolution via voting is not going to happen. The sooner progressives realize that, the sooner we can go about organizing a revolutionary movement that will effect real change.
Never say never. The people can change from supporting the elites to supporting themselves. What's stopping them? They are looking into principles as embodied in the Green party platform. Watch out, here they come!
malcolm martin,
Excellent analysis of the brutal forces of capitalism. May its end come sooner than later and let rise a "socialist" model that seriously acts for the long term well-being of humanity and retroactively enforces justice against war criminals - irregardless of who commits them.
...What Goes Around Comes Around
Compare the bravery of Cynthia McKinney to the cowardice of Barack Obama!! BRAVO, Cynthia!
I wish there were some way to get medical supplies to the wounded, the maimed, the hurting people of Palestine.
Cynthia is a woman, but she has more courage than Obama. She should have been voted in instead of him.
Don't forget to reform Congress. Spread the word so more people in more places can reform their misreps where you and I can't. In time, our president will be a hell of a lot better. Until then, you simply can't expect Obama to go very far.
Terrance Mitchell
Redfield, South Dakota
I'm sure that the following humanitarian relief boats will be accompanied by
Russian or Iranian warships to prevent another Israeli pirate attack like this one.
Maybe the surviving crew of the USS Liberty will lend a hand.
It would be nice if relief boats were protected from Israeli attack.
USS Liberty
http://whatreallyhappened.com/WRHARTICLES/ussliberty.html
Let's not beat around the bush here and call this what it is . A good publicity stunt. If the activists wanted to get help to Gaza they could have gone by land.
whever comes up with these operations knows very well how they are going to end. The news media gets some coverage of the 'zionist opressors' and gets to sell some newspapers and air time.
Just look at the video coverage. The only thing you see is dead children. I was 'surprised' todat to read an article here on CD about a 35 year old victim. Judging by the images you's think the only ones targeted are kids.
Could have gone by land and been stopped at an Isralis checkpoint you mean? What good does that do? That Zionist talking point you just spouted doesn't even make any sense. Does shilling for crimes against humanity make you Zionist supporters proud of yourselves or does it secretly fill you full of shame of self loathing? Denying medical supplies to sick and dying people, disgusting! What Israel learned from the Nazis is how to build a "better" Warsaw ghetto.
not sure if this is accurate.. but there was a specific reason for choosng the boat route rather than land route. I think it had to do very specifically with trying to assure that this was not arab sympathizer-aid or possible militant/military support.. by sailing from cyprus.. through international water.. it was very clear that this was an international, peace oriented undertaking.. and that they could not be considered to be violating anyone's sovereignty.. including palestinian. cyprus. international territory, directly to palestinian waters.
I believe 2 or 3 prior relief supply boats have gotten through. not sure why this one would suddenly be different. I also suspect that this has something to do with the israeli's desire to get in " last licks" with an absolute free hand/ no ramifications.. whilst pres lame duck is still in the oval office. the next guy.. might not be quite so accommodating.. although that prospect is looking less hopeful every day...
is there a PR capacity to it.. could be.. not ruling that out. but if that was the case.. they would have been broadcasting via cell phone, ipod, and ever conceivable wireless transmitting device, directly to the world.. each and every step of the trip.. particularly once they encountered israeli interference..
just my thoughts:)
So, there is a problem with someone trying to bring publicity to a genocidal occupation and blockade which causes death to hundreds of civilians?
Gee, it is so terrible that the video coverage only presents dead children - don't they know it upsets our breakfasts? They should at least show some footage of dead adults - that would make the bombing acceptable.
It's not really what most people understand by publicity. The boat incident was a well organized psy op and whoever came up with it did a pretty good job. No losses of life on either side but a really bad PR blow to the 'zionist opressors'.
The media coverage is typical sensationalism. I bet a lot of the targets hit were legtimate Hamas strongholds but that doesn't really make for a good read around the breakfast table.
The boat incident was not a psy-op activists have been boating supplies into Gaza for at least months if not years, the only "psy-ops" going on is whoever called a bunch of Zionist shills SUDDENLY to CD to defend Israel's crimes against humanity. I notice you all are spouting exactly the same scripted talking point like zombies. Did you get them from this book perhaps?
http://www.middle-east-info.org/take/wujshasbara.pdf
Thanks to our Palestinian poet for the tip off on the ZIonists reading material.
Do you think that the "March on Selma" was a publicity stunt? The rabid segregationists did.
Are you a complete moron? This is a publicity stunt? And how do you provide supply by land when Israel has even prevented the UN organization from sending aid?
Either you are a buffoon or just a bloody racist that promotes this genocide.
wow... do you talk to your mother the same way?
aid is getting there. not enough obviously but land routes are the safest bet. unless you wanna make a statement of course.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/meast/12/29/gaza.humanitarian/index.html?eref=ib_topstories
Are you using talking points strategies from the Hasbara book? Answer the question and tell the truth now...
Most of the time Israel does not let aid through. But once in awhile it lets aid through as a PR move.
Or should I say, once in awhile Israel lets aid through as "a well organized psy op".
Ding, ding, ding, notice how the Zionists well scripted talking points fall flat here? I think they are used to dealing with people who aren't as informed as we are.
Israel is in so much denial, that if a mushroom cloud appeared above the capital, they still won't understand why. International law means nothing to Israel, with the US veto power in the UN. Billions in aid, ect. Only the people of Israel can stop this mess.
Silence is Consent.
We americans must do our part, too. We have to start demanding no aid for "Israel". No vetoes in the U.N. STOP THE PESSIMISM AND ALWAYS TRY!!!!
They are fortunate that the IDF didn't mistake them for the USS Liberty. But the good news is that finally a US paper reported this violation of international law, which is not the first violation by Israel. Was not in the LA Times this morning.
"TYRE, Lebanon (AFP) – An Israeli naval vessel collided on Tuesday with a boat carrying activists and medical supplies that was trying to break the blockade of Gaza, forcing it to head to port in Lebanon.
Passengers on board the the 20-metre (66-foot) Dignity said the Israeli patrol boat rammed their vessel, but Israel insisted the two boats collided as the Israeli navy was trying to contact its captain."
NOTE THAT: The 'Dignity' was struck on it's PORT BOW. For any non-sailing readers - this can ONLY mean that the Dignity was struck with the Israeli boat's STARBORD BOW. ALL vessels must yeild to all other vessels on their Starboard Bow (even Israeli vessels) - International Laws of the Sea. No Jewish weasel words can change the evidence based fact that the Israeli naval vessel was in the wrong for both 'accidental' and deliberate ramming. I would call the multiple deliberate ramming of a private boat by a military vessel an act of attempted murder. Both the U.S. and it's client state should be brought to justice for this.
Thanks the more clear concrete evidence we have of Israel's murderous intent the better.
did anyone who was on the boat get actual footage of events? with several reporters on hand- you'd think someone would have been recording this...
Here's a link that I've watched.
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRghMmgQ1kA
Peggy
http://edition.cnn.com/video/#/video/world/2008/12/29/penhaul.gaza.bpr.boat.cnn
That's all I could find.