We're Almost Ready to Sail to Gaza
We're
almost ready. Our vessels are being loaded with construction materials,
specialized medical equipment, generators, pre-fab homes, water
filtration units, and school supplies for the children. Israel allows
only 81 items into Gaza, forcing the people to use tunnels to bring in
supplies, barely keeping their economy at subsistence level.
When asked why they refuse to allow supplies into Gaza, Israeli authorities stated, "If we disclose what is allowed in and why... it would damage our national security and harm foreign relations." BBC, May 3, 2010
Therefore,
we intend to open a sea route that will belong to the Palestinians.
Gaza is the only territory on the Mediterranean that has no right to
its sea, no right to fish more than a mile off its coast, no right to
send out its flowers, vegetables and fruit for trade to other nations.
Israel's cruel blockade has shut 1.5 million Palestinians into an
open-air prison, allowing only a trickle of aid through.
We
cannot stand by and watch the people slowly starve and lose hope. Since
our governments appear to be impotent, we civilians from around the
world are stepping up instead.
We
carry the hopes and dreams and prayers of thousands who have supported
us over these past ten months, and we take those well wishes with us to
the people of Gaza.
So
for the next few weeks as we finish loading supplies and passengers, we
will upload messages and well wishes like this one. Watch for them and
send your own wish to us. Become a part of this citizen's initiative by
joining our Newslist, TWITTER account, Facebook page and YouTube list,
all on the front page of our website.
Write to your representatives demanding they put Israel on notice for our safety and the safety of our cargo.
Then watch our journey from the live feed on our website at www.freegaza.org beginning soon.
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, It’s been nearly 30 years since I co-founded Common Dreams with my late wife, Lina Newhouser. We had the radical notion that journalism should serve the public good, not corporate profits. It was clear to us from the outset what it would take to build such a project. No paid advertisements. No corporate sponsors. No millionaire publisher telling us what to think or do. Many people said we wouldn't last a year, but we proved those doubters wrong. Together with a tremendous team of journalists and dedicated staff, we built an independent media outlet free from the constraints of profits and corporate control. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. Building Common Dreams was not easy. Our survival was never guaranteed. When you take on the most powerful forces—Wall Street greed, fossil fuel industry destruction, Big Tech lobbyists, and uber-rich oligarchs who have spent billions upon billions rigging the economy and democracy in their favor—the only bulwark you have is supporters who believe in your work. But here’s the urgent message from me today. It's never been this bad out there. And it's never been this hard to keep us going. At the very moment Common Dreams is most needed, the threats we face are intensifying. We need your support now more than ever. 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. When everyone does the little they can afford, we are strong. But if that support retreats or dries up, so do we. Will you donate now to make sure Common Dreams not only survives but thrives? —Craig Brown, Co-founder |
We're
almost ready. Our vessels are being loaded with construction materials,
specialized medical equipment, generators, pre-fab homes, water
filtration units, and school supplies for the children. Israel allows
only 81 items into Gaza, forcing the people to use tunnels to bring in
supplies, barely keeping their economy at subsistence level.
When asked why they refuse to allow supplies into Gaza, Israeli authorities stated, "If we disclose what is allowed in and why... it would damage our national security and harm foreign relations." BBC, May 3, 2010
Therefore,
we intend to open a sea route that will belong to the Palestinians.
Gaza is the only territory on the Mediterranean that has no right to
its sea, no right to fish more than a mile off its coast, no right to
send out its flowers, vegetables and fruit for trade to other nations.
Israel's cruel blockade has shut 1.5 million Palestinians into an
open-air prison, allowing only a trickle of aid through.
We
cannot stand by and watch the people slowly starve and lose hope. Since
our governments appear to be impotent, we civilians from around the
world are stepping up instead.
We
carry the hopes and dreams and prayers of thousands who have supported
us over these past ten months, and we take those well wishes with us to
the people of Gaza.
So
for the next few weeks as we finish loading supplies and passengers, we
will upload messages and well wishes like this one. Watch for them and
send your own wish to us. Become a part of this citizen's initiative by
joining our Newslist, TWITTER account, Facebook page and YouTube list,
all on the front page of our website.
Write to your representatives demanding they put Israel on notice for our safety and the safety of our cargo.
Then watch our journey from the live feed on our website at www.freegaza.org beginning soon.
We're
almost ready. Our vessels are being loaded with construction materials,
specialized medical equipment, generators, pre-fab homes, water
filtration units, and school supplies for the children. Israel allows
only 81 items into Gaza, forcing the people to use tunnels to bring in
supplies, barely keeping their economy at subsistence level.
When asked why they refuse to allow supplies into Gaza, Israeli authorities stated, "If we disclose what is allowed in and why... it would damage our national security and harm foreign relations." BBC, May 3, 2010
Therefore,
we intend to open a sea route that will belong to the Palestinians.
Gaza is the only territory on the Mediterranean that has no right to
its sea, no right to fish more than a mile off its coast, no right to
send out its flowers, vegetables and fruit for trade to other nations.
Israel's cruel blockade has shut 1.5 million Palestinians into an
open-air prison, allowing only a trickle of aid through.
We
cannot stand by and watch the people slowly starve and lose hope. Since
our governments appear to be impotent, we civilians from around the
world are stepping up instead.
We
carry the hopes and dreams and prayers of thousands who have supported
us over these past ten months, and we take those well wishes with us to
the people of Gaza.
So
for the next few weeks as we finish loading supplies and passengers, we
will upload messages and well wishes like this one. Watch for them and
send your own wish to us. Become a part of this citizen's initiative by
joining our Newslist, TWITTER account, Facebook page and YouTube list,
all on the front page of our website.
Write to your representatives demanding they put Israel on notice for our safety and the safety of our cargo.
Then watch our journey from the live feed on our website at www.freegaza.org beginning soon.