SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
The Estelle enters the Israeli southern port of Ashdod on October 20 after being intercepted by the Israeli navy in international waters as it tried to reach the Gaza Strip. (Agence-France Presse)
Israeli Forces Used 'Electro Torture' in Boat Raid: Activists
Oct 22, 2012
Activists from the Gaza-bound ship that was intercepted by Israeli forces over the weekend now claim that Israeli soldiers used excessive force including the use of tasers when they stormed the ship.
"They used electric shocker devices to the extent of what we call 'electro torture' on some of the activists," lawyer Gaby Lasky told Agence-France Presse, adding that at least one of them is an MP.
Israeli army spokeswoman Avital Leibovich denied the use of "violence" by Israeli soldiers during the operation.
Among the pro-Palestinian activists on the ship were five parliamentarians from Spain, Sweden, Norway and Greece, and a former Canadian lawmaker, Jim Manly.
Those on the ship, the Estelle, were bringing humanitarian aid and supplies to Gaza residents, with the intent of breaking Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip.
After Israeli forces took control of the ship on Saturday, it was lead to port in Ashdod, Israel, where the activists were arrested.
21 of the activists are being held at Givon prison in Ramle, near Tel Aviv, and will likely be deported.
Several others waived their right to a hearing and have already been deported, or are in the process.
Three of the activists on board were Israeli nationals and will now be tried on charges of incitement, of knowingly aiding an enemy and of violating a legal order.
"We call on the U.S. to use its influence with the Israeli government to ensure the Estelle passengers and crew are treated with dignity, that their rights as non-violent protesters are respected and that they all be released immediately," said Jane Hirschmann, organizer of the U.S. Boat to Gaza.
"I should say that every time Israel stops a boat, that's another blow to its diminishing legitimacy and another element of support, both to the those who are resisting internally and to those who are opposing the policies outside, and sooner or later the wave will sweep over the barriers," Noam Chomsky, who was visiting Gaza, told a news conference at Gaza port.
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, The U.S. is on a fast track to authoritarianism like nothing I've ever seen. Meanwhile, corporate news outlets are utterly capitulating to Trump, twisting their coverage to avoid drawing his ire while lining up to stuff cash in his pockets. That's why I believe that Common Dreams is doing the best and most consequential reporting that we've ever done. Our small but mighty team is a progressive reporting powerhouse, covering the news every day that the corporate media never will. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. And to ignite change for the common good. Now here's the key piece that I want all our readers to understand: None of this would be possible without your financial support. That's not just some fundraising cliche. It's the absolute and literal truth. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. Will you donate now to help power the nonprofit, independent reporting of Common Dreams? Thank you for being a vital member of our community. Together, we can keep independent journalism alive when it’s needed most. - Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Activists from the Gaza-bound ship that was intercepted by Israeli forces over the weekend now claim that Israeli soldiers used excessive force including the use of tasers when they stormed the ship.
"They used electric shocker devices to the extent of what we call 'electro torture' on some of the activists," lawyer Gaby Lasky told Agence-France Presse, adding that at least one of them is an MP.
Israeli army spokeswoman Avital Leibovich denied the use of "violence" by Israeli soldiers during the operation.
Among the pro-Palestinian activists on the ship were five parliamentarians from Spain, Sweden, Norway and Greece, and a former Canadian lawmaker, Jim Manly.
Those on the ship, the Estelle, were bringing humanitarian aid and supplies to Gaza residents, with the intent of breaking Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip.
After Israeli forces took control of the ship on Saturday, it was lead to port in Ashdod, Israel, where the activists were arrested.
21 of the activists are being held at Givon prison in Ramle, near Tel Aviv, and will likely be deported.
Several others waived their right to a hearing and have already been deported, or are in the process.
Three of the activists on board were Israeli nationals and will now be tried on charges of incitement, of knowingly aiding an enemy and of violating a legal order.
"We call on the U.S. to use its influence with the Israeli government to ensure the Estelle passengers and crew are treated with dignity, that their rights as non-violent protesters are respected and that they all be released immediately," said Jane Hirschmann, organizer of the U.S. Boat to Gaza.
"I should say that every time Israel stops a boat, that's another blow to its diminishing legitimacy and another element of support, both to the those who are resisting internally and to those who are opposing the policies outside, and sooner or later the wave will sweep over the barriers," Noam Chomsky, who was visiting Gaza, told a news conference at Gaza port.
Activists from the Gaza-bound ship that was intercepted by Israeli forces over the weekend now claim that Israeli soldiers used excessive force including the use of tasers when they stormed the ship.
"They used electric shocker devices to the extent of what we call 'electro torture' on some of the activists," lawyer Gaby Lasky told Agence-France Presse, adding that at least one of them is an MP.
Israeli army spokeswoman Avital Leibovich denied the use of "violence" by Israeli soldiers during the operation.
Among the pro-Palestinian activists on the ship were five parliamentarians from Spain, Sweden, Norway and Greece, and a former Canadian lawmaker, Jim Manly.
Those on the ship, the Estelle, were bringing humanitarian aid and supplies to Gaza residents, with the intent of breaking Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip.
After Israeli forces took control of the ship on Saturday, it was lead to port in Ashdod, Israel, where the activists were arrested.
21 of the activists are being held at Givon prison in Ramle, near Tel Aviv, and will likely be deported.
Several others waived their right to a hearing and have already been deported, or are in the process.
Three of the activists on board were Israeli nationals and will now be tried on charges of incitement, of knowingly aiding an enemy and of violating a legal order.
"We call on the U.S. to use its influence with the Israeli government to ensure the Estelle passengers and crew are treated with dignity, that their rights as non-violent protesters are respected and that they all be released immediately," said Jane Hirschmann, organizer of the U.S. Boat to Gaza.
"I should say that every time Israel stops a boat, that's another blow to its diminishing legitimacy and another element of support, both to the those who are resisting internally and to those who are opposing the policies outside, and sooner or later the wave will sweep over the barriers," Noam Chomsky, who was visiting Gaza, told a news conference at Gaza port.
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.