|
 |
||||
|
|
|||||
|
Visit Free Gaza.org for ongoing actions
September 5, 2008 Jeff Halper - End of an Odyssey "My only frustration with what was undoubtedly a successful operation was with the fact that Israelis just don't get it - and don't want to get it. The implications of our being the strong party and the fact that the Palestinians are the ones truly seeking peace are too threatening to their hegemony and self-perceived innocence. .... Though the operation was a complete success, the siege will only be genuinely broken if we keep up the movement in and out of Gaza. The boats are scheduled to return in 2-4 weeks and I am now working on getting a boat-load of Israelis. " [Jeff Halper is the founder of the Israeli Committee Against Home Demolitions and one of the activists on the Free Gaza ships.]
August 28, 2008 FREE GAZA & LIBERTY TO LEAVE FOR CYPRUS WITH PALESTINIANS ON-BOARD (GAZA CITY, 28 August 2008) - After having shattered the Israeli blockade of Gaza earlier this week, the Free Gaza and Liberty will depart Gaza for Cyprus at 2pm today. Several Palestinians who have previously been denied exit visas by Israel will join international human rights workers on the journey. Among the Palestinians leaving are Saed Mosleh, age 10, of Beit Hanoun, Gaza. Saed lost his leg due to an Israeli tank shell and is leaving Gaza with his father to seek medical treatment. Also on board are the Darwish family, who will finally be reunited with their relatives in Cyprus. “I can’t believe we’re finally able to leave for medical treatment,” said Khaled Mosleh, Saed’s father. “This is a miracle of God.” Nine international human rights workers will remain in Gaza to do longer-term monitoring and accompaniment, and one, Dr. Bill Dienst of Omak, Washington, will attempt to cross over into Israel later today via the Erez crossing. By freely traveling to Gaza, on Saturday, August 23rd, in two, small, wooden boats, the Free Gaza Movement forced the Israeli government to issue a fundamental policy change regarding their military and economic blockade of Gaza. The Israeli Ministry of Foreign affairs publicly announced that humanitarian and human rights missions to Gaza will no longer be stopped or threatened by Israel. With the end of the Israeli siege of Gaza, Palestinians should be free to exercise their rights without fear of being stopped or killed by the Israeli military. Yvonne Ridley, a journalist and member for the Free Gaza Movement, summed up her experience in Gaza by saying, “I missed the start of the Berlin Wall coming down by just a few days, but now I know how people felt when they tore down those first few bricks. This has been a huge victory of people over power.” Since the organizers of the Free Gaza Movement will not be entering Israeli territorial waters, and since they will request an inspection from both the Gaza Port Authority when they depart, and the Cypriot authorities upon their return, they expect no interference on the part of the Israeli authorities when they leave Gaza. By Israel’s own admission, it has no authority to inspect the boats or the passengers when they leave Gaza. With the collapse of the Israeli blockade, the Free Gaza Movement will quickly return to Gaza with another delegation, and they would like to encourage the United Nations, Arab League and international community to organize similar human rights and humanitarian efforts. The Free Gaza Movement will continue to work to ensure that safe passage between Gaza and the outside world will remain free and open. For More Information, Please Contact: (Gaza) Paul Larudee: +972 598 765 370 August 26, 2008 Stuart Littlewood hails the heroes of the Free Gaza movement whose boats, manned by volunteers – ordinary people of various nationalities and backgrounds – and funded by public donations succeeded in breaking through the illegal, medieval Israeli naval blockade of Gaza.
August 25, 2008 ON MONDAY MORNING, HUMAN RIGHTS WORKERS GO TO SEA TO FISH GAZA CITY, GAZA - Two days after the SS FREE GAZA and the SS LIBERTY arrived to a jubilant welcome in Gaza, 20 to 25 of the human rights watchers will go to sea with the fishermen in a show of support for their struggle to keep their industry productive.
August 23, 2008 AFP - Activist boats allowed into Gaza despite Israeli blockade GAZA CITY (AFP) — Two boats from Cyprus carrying 44 pro-Palestinian activists docked in the Gaza Strip on Saturday after Israel allowed them through its tight blockade of the Hamas-ruled territory. The boats set sail on Friday from the east Mediterranean island carrying activists from 17 countries, including Israel, determined to highlight the blockade of Gaza where the Islamist Hamas movement has ruled since June 2007. The boats sailed through choppy grey seas and into Gaza City's main port, where they were greeted by thousands of people waving Palestinian flags, many of them motoring around the harbour in boats. Other articles on the arrival in Gaza: Ma'an News: Haniyeh: Free Gaza ships a seige breaking success; vessels arrive safely in Gaza August 22, 2008 PNN - Abdo: Israeli forces open fire on Palestinian boats out to greet Free Gaza Ships Fadi Yacoub / PNN – According to the Free Gaza Movement there are now an estimated 200,000 Palestinians on the shores of Gaza waiting to greet the SS Free Gaza and SS Liberty. Their estimated arrival time is now between 5 and 7 pm, as relayed from Jeff Halper on one of the boats. Rami Abdo, Spokesperson of the People's Committee to Address the Siege on the Gaza Strip told PNN this afternoon that Israeli gunboats opened fire on the Palestinians who had sailed boats into the sea to receive the two “Break the Siege” boats, which had almost reached Palestinian territorial waters. They were forced to change course due to the presence of Israeli warships. Dozens of small boats are waiting in the waters near the coast along with thousands of Palestinians on the shores of Gaza. They are there to greet the "Break the Siege on Gaza" boats that are expected Saturday. “People came early this morning to applaud the arrival of the foreigners and Palestinians who are on the mission to bring attention to the situation,” Abdo told PNN early this afternoon.
August 2, 2008 ISM - Inaugurating The Free Gaza Movement Sailing to Gaza DESTINATION: GAZA PORT In August, unarmed Palestinians, Israelis and internationals will sail August 4, 2008 Jordan Time - One woman's crusade against injustice The first time I met Hedy Epstein was in August 2005 in the West Bank ...Hedy is currently in Cyprus preparing to embark on a sea voyage to Gaza August 5, 2008 Guardian (UK) - Tony Blair's sister-in-law on boat to Gaza! A group of activists including Tony Blair's sister-in-law Lauren Some 46 campaigners, among them several Britons, a Holocaust August 17, 2008 Israel may use force to halt boat trying to break Gaza siege Defense officials favor forcefully blocking two boats which a According to the Foreign Ministry, Israel is within its rights to
DONATE TO FREE GAZA |