May 27, 2010
By the time you read this, we will be on the high seas of the Mediterranean (we hope the seas will not be too high).
Our
two U.S. flagged Free Gaza boats, will join two other passenger ships,
a 600 passenger ship from Turkey sponsored by the Turkish humanitarian
organization, Insani Yardim Vakfi (IHH) and a 50 passenger ship from
Athens sponsored by the European Campaign Against the Siege and the
Greek/Swedish Ships to Gaza campaign, to sail to the shores of Gaza to
break the Israeli naval blockade of the 1.5 million citizens in Gaza.
Four
cargo ships from Ireland, Greece, Algeria and Turkey, will carry a
total of 10,000 tons or 2 million pounds of construction materials for
the housing of 50,000 made homeless during the 22 day Israeli attack on
Gaza that killed 1440 Palestinians and wounded 5,000.
Many
of us would like to see our boat renamed "The Audacity of Hope" as that
is what we want to see from the Obama administration-- courage to
challenge the Israeli government on the siege of Gaza. It
would be a really brave, bold move as every U.S. presidential
administration since the formation of the State of Israeli in 1948 has
blindly given free-rein to Israel in whatever actions it wishes to
undertake no matter if the actions are a violation of international law. The
carte blanche given to Israel by the United States has been dangerous
for Israel's national security as well as for the national security of
the United States.
Probable reaction of Israeli Navy Ships-Bow shots, ramming or boarding
In
less than 48 hours, the Israeli Navy will probably fire U.S. made
ammunition and rockets in international waters over the bows of two
U.S. flagged boats and one Greek boat with U.S. citizens aboard as well
as citizens from 13 other countries and over the bows of the Turkish
600 passenger ship.
Ironically,
on one passenger ship will be Joe Meaders, a U.S. citizen who is a
survivor of the Israeli air and naval attack on a United States Navy
ship, the USS Liberty, in 1967 killed 34 U.S. sailors and wounded 173.
The Israeli government has never acknowledged, much less apologized
for, the deaths of these sailors, nor the destruction of the USS
Liberty.
According to Israeli media, the Israeli military is preparing for our arrival off the shores of Gaza. The
Israeli navy has been practicing its plan for preventing us from
docking in Gaza, a plan that probably includes demanding by radio that
the ships change course away from Gaza, firing weapons in front of the
ships, ramming the ships and sending well-armed boarding parties onto
the ships.
Israelis prepare a detention camp
As
our 8 ship flotilla prepares to depart Greece and Turkey to break the
Israeli naval blockade of Gaza, the Israeli military is preparing a
detention camp for the flotilla's 700 delegates from 20 countries who
are passengers on four of the ships.
Those
passengers include Hedy Epstein, an 85 year old holocaust survivor,
Parliamentarians from Germany and Ireland, two former diplomats from
the United States, a retired U.S. Army Colonel, authors, journalists,
activists, businesspersons and clergy.
Additionally,
the military has identified a warehouse in the Ashelod area, just over
Gaza's northern border that will be used to detain the 700 passengers
on the 8 ships.
Taking
a page from the New York City police who put over 1500 persons into a
filthy, unclean warehouse on a pier in New York City during the 2004
Republican convention, the Israeli government no doubt will make the
surroundings as difficult as possible for us.
The
Israeli government has extensive experience in warehousing dissent, as
over 10,000 Palestinians are in Israeli jails and prisons, including
juveniles who are arrested regularly in nighttime raids in villages of
the West Bank.
20
passengers on the May, 2009 Free Gaza boat trying to break the siege
were imprisoned for 10 days before they were deported from Israel. They
included Nobel Peace Laureate Mairead Maguire and former U.S.
Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney.
Wish
us luck as we challenge the Israeli, Egyptian, European Union and
United State's unlawful siege and collective punishment of 1.5 million
Palestinians in Gaza!
What will you do to help break the siege of Gaza?
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Ann Wright
Ann Wright is a 29 year US Army/Army Reserves veteran who retired as a Colonel and a former US diplomat who resigned in March 2003 in opposition to the war on Iraq. She served in Nicaragua, Grenada, Somalia, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Sierra Leone, Micronesia and Mongolia. In December 2001 she was on the small team that reopened the US Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan. She is the co-author of the book "Dissent: Voices of Conscience."
By the time you read this, we will be on the high seas of the Mediterranean (we hope the seas will not be too high).
Our
two U.S. flagged Free Gaza boats, will join two other passenger ships,
a 600 passenger ship from Turkey sponsored by the Turkish humanitarian
organization, Insani Yardim Vakfi (IHH) and a 50 passenger ship from
Athens sponsored by the European Campaign Against the Siege and the
Greek/Swedish Ships to Gaza campaign, to sail to the shores of Gaza to
break the Israeli naval blockade of the 1.5 million citizens in Gaza.
Four
cargo ships from Ireland, Greece, Algeria and Turkey, will carry a
total of 10,000 tons or 2 million pounds of construction materials for
the housing of 50,000 made homeless during the 22 day Israeli attack on
Gaza that killed 1440 Palestinians and wounded 5,000.
Many
of us would like to see our boat renamed "The Audacity of Hope" as that
is what we want to see from the Obama administration-- courage to
challenge the Israeli government on the siege of Gaza. It
would be a really brave, bold move as every U.S. presidential
administration since the formation of the State of Israeli in 1948 has
blindly given free-rein to Israel in whatever actions it wishes to
undertake no matter if the actions are a violation of international law. The
carte blanche given to Israel by the United States has been dangerous
for Israel's national security as well as for the national security of
the United States.
Probable reaction of Israeli Navy Ships-Bow shots, ramming or boarding
In
less than 48 hours, the Israeli Navy will probably fire U.S. made
ammunition and rockets in international waters over the bows of two
U.S. flagged boats and one Greek boat with U.S. citizens aboard as well
as citizens from 13 other countries and over the bows of the Turkish
600 passenger ship.
Ironically,
on one passenger ship will be Joe Meaders, a U.S. citizen who is a
survivor of the Israeli air and naval attack on a United States Navy
ship, the USS Liberty, in 1967 killed 34 U.S. sailors and wounded 173.
The Israeli government has never acknowledged, much less apologized
for, the deaths of these sailors, nor the destruction of the USS
Liberty.
According to Israeli media, the Israeli military is preparing for our arrival off the shores of Gaza. The
Israeli navy has been practicing its plan for preventing us from
docking in Gaza, a plan that probably includes demanding by radio that
the ships change course away from Gaza, firing weapons in front of the
ships, ramming the ships and sending well-armed boarding parties onto
the ships.
Israelis prepare a detention camp
As
our 8 ship flotilla prepares to depart Greece and Turkey to break the
Israeli naval blockade of Gaza, the Israeli military is preparing a
detention camp for the flotilla's 700 delegates from 20 countries who
are passengers on four of the ships.
Those
passengers include Hedy Epstein, an 85 year old holocaust survivor,
Parliamentarians from Germany and Ireland, two former diplomats from
the United States, a retired U.S. Army Colonel, authors, journalists,
activists, businesspersons and clergy.
Additionally,
the military has identified a warehouse in the Ashelod area, just over
Gaza's northern border that will be used to detain the 700 passengers
on the 8 ships.
Taking
a page from the New York City police who put over 1500 persons into a
filthy, unclean warehouse on a pier in New York City during the 2004
Republican convention, the Israeli government no doubt will make the
surroundings as difficult as possible for us.
The
Israeli government has extensive experience in warehousing dissent, as
over 10,000 Palestinians are in Israeli jails and prisons, including
juveniles who are arrested regularly in nighttime raids in villages of
the West Bank.
20
passengers on the May, 2009 Free Gaza boat trying to break the siege
were imprisoned for 10 days before they were deported from Israel. They
included Nobel Peace Laureate Mairead Maguire and former U.S.
Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney.
Wish
us luck as we challenge the Israeli, Egyptian, European Union and
United State's unlawful siege and collective punishment of 1.5 million
Palestinians in Gaza!
What will you do to help break the siege of Gaza?
Ann Wright
Ann Wright is a 29 year US Army/Army Reserves veteran who retired as a Colonel and a former US diplomat who resigned in March 2003 in opposition to the war on Iraq. She served in Nicaragua, Grenada, Somalia, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Sierra Leone, Micronesia and Mongolia. In December 2001 she was on the small team that reopened the US Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan. She is the co-author of the book "Dissent: Voices of Conscience."
By the time you read this, we will be on the high seas of the Mediterranean (we hope the seas will not be too high).
Our
two U.S. flagged Free Gaza boats, will join two other passenger ships,
a 600 passenger ship from Turkey sponsored by the Turkish humanitarian
organization, Insani Yardim Vakfi (IHH) and a 50 passenger ship from
Athens sponsored by the European Campaign Against the Siege and the
Greek/Swedish Ships to Gaza campaign, to sail to the shores of Gaza to
break the Israeli naval blockade of the 1.5 million citizens in Gaza.
Four
cargo ships from Ireland, Greece, Algeria and Turkey, will carry a
total of 10,000 tons or 2 million pounds of construction materials for
the housing of 50,000 made homeless during the 22 day Israeli attack on
Gaza that killed 1440 Palestinians and wounded 5,000.
Many
of us would like to see our boat renamed "The Audacity of Hope" as that
is what we want to see from the Obama administration-- courage to
challenge the Israeli government on the siege of Gaza. It
would be a really brave, bold move as every U.S. presidential
administration since the formation of the State of Israeli in 1948 has
blindly given free-rein to Israel in whatever actions it wishes to
undertake no matter if the actions are a violation of international law. The
carte blanche given to Israel by the United States has been dangerous
for Israel's national security as well as for the national security of
the United States.
Probable reaction of Israeli Navy Ships-Bow shots, ramming or boarding
In
less than 48 hours, the Israeli Navy will probably fire U.S. made
ammunition and rockets in international waters over the bows of two
U.S. flagged boats and one Greek boat with U.S. citizens aboard as well
as citizens from 13 other countries and over the bows of the Turkish
600 passenger ship.
Ironically,
on one passenger ship will be Joe Meaders, a U.S. citizen who is a
survivor of the Israeli air and naval attack on a United States Navy
ship, the USS Liberty, in 1967 killed 34 U.S. sailors and wounded 173.
The Israeli government has never acknowledged, much less apologized
for, the deaths of these sailors, nor the destruction of the USS
Liberty.
According to Israeli media, the Israeli military is preparing for our arrival off the shores of Gaza. The
Israeli navy has been practicing its plan for preventing us from
docking in Gaza, a plan that probably includes demanding by radio that
the ships change course away from Gaza, firing weapons in front of the
ships, ramming the ships and sending well-armed boarding parties onto
the ships.
Israelis prepare a detention camp
As
our 8 ship flotilla prepares to depart Greece and Turkey to break the
Israeli naval blockade of Gaza, the Israeli military is preparing a
detention camp for the flotilla's 700 delegates from 20 countries who
are passengers on four of the ships.
Those
passengers include Hedy Epstein, an 85 year old holocaust survivor,
Parliamentarians from Germany and Ireland, two former diplomats from
the United States, a retired U.S. Army Colonel, authors, journalists,
activists, businesspersons and clergy.
Additionally,
the military has identified a warehouse in the Ashelod area, just over
Gaza's northern border that will be used to detain the 700 passengers
on the 8 ships.
Taking
a page from the New York City police who put over 1500 persons into a
filthy, unclean warehouse on a pier in New York City during the 2004
Republican convention, the Israeli government no doubt will make the
surroundings as difficult as possible for us.
The
Israeli government has extensive experience in warehousing dissent, as
over 10,000 Palestinians are in Israeli jails and prisons, including
juveniles who are arrested regularly in nighttime raids in villages of
the West Bank.
20
passengers on the May, 2009 Free Gaza boat trying to break the siege
were imprisoned for 10 days before they were deported from Israel. They
included Nobel Peace Laureate Mairead Maguire and former U.S.
Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney.
Wish
us luck as we challenge the Israeli, Egyptian, European Union and
United State's unlawful siege and collective punishment of 1.5 million
Palestinians in Gaza!
What will you do to help break the siege of Gaza?
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