Press Release – Nov 2nd

Irish and Canadian ships challenge Israel’s illegal blockade with Freedom Waves to Gaza

Responding to an urgent call for international solidarity from 46 civil society organisations in Gaza, an Irish ship MV Saoirse and a Canadian ship Tahrir have successfully reached international waters in the Mediterranean Sea on a mission dubbed Freedom Waves to Gaza. The boats, two civilian vessels carrying 27 passengers from nine countries, are currently en route to Gaza, Palestine. They will sail from international waters directly to Gaza, and will not pass through Israeli territorial waters.

This is the 11th attempt to break the siege of Gaza via the sea, with five missions arriving safely in Gaza between August and December 2008. The remaining six were violently intercepted by Israel. In May 2010, Israel attacked passengers participating in the first Freedom Flotilla in international waters, killing nine civilians and injuring over 50. Israel’s actions were widely condemned and led to protests around the world. Efforts to bring a second flotilla to Gaza were thwarted by the government of Greece last July following pressure by Israel and Western governments. The Irish vessel, MV Saoirse, was sabotaged while in port in Turkey when its propeller shaft was gouged in a manner almost identical to damage suffered by the Swedish ship. The Irish ship has since been repaired, with funds raised via small donations from Irish citizens in all of the 32 counties. In total, the Irish Ship to Gaza campaign has raised over €140,000 for its mission, a clear sign of the depth of support among ordinary Irish people for the beleaguered people of Gaza.

Throughout the week Palestinian activists in the West Bank and inside Israel will be organizing solidarity actions with the Freedom Waves to Gaza, including a presence outside the UN compound and rallies across West Bank towns. Israel has intensified its aerial bombardments on Gaza in the last few days, killing at least nine people, underlining the need for international solidarity initiatives such as this one.

“The Freedom Waves to Gaza emerged from the Freedom Flotilla initiatives,” says Irish Ship to Gaza organiser Fintan Lane from on board the MV Saoirse. “While the Freedom Waves to Gaza will be delivering some much-needed medicines, our primary goal is to help free Palestinians from their inhumane isolation in what is in effect an open air prison.”

Also on board in this civil society to civil society initiative are delegates from Canada, Australia, the US, Greece, Palestine, Poland and Egypt. “We have just entered international waters and hope to reach the shores of Gaza in a couple of days. The only obstacles in our way are Israel’s military, but international public opinion is behind this effort, and so is civil society in Gaza.”

“The Palestinians living in Gaza want solidarity – not charity. They have made it clear to the world that their primary demand is for freedom. While humanitarian aid is helpful, Palestinians are still prisoners with no freedom of movement,” adds Ehab Lotayef, the Canadian boat organizer. “Israel’s illegal blockade prevents not only imports into Gaza, but exports as well. And the blockade prevents Palestinians from moving freely between Gaza and the West Bank, in violation of fundamental human rights.”

The Freedom Waves to Gaza Initiative is a non-violent, civil society movement the primary aim of which is to end the Israeli blockade of Gaza. Bios of delegates are available at http://irishshiptogaza.org/

There will also be various media outlets reporting on developments aboard the Tahrir, including Al Jazeera and Democracy Now.

A press conference will be held in Dublin on November 3rd at 11.30am. Details to follow.

Go n-éirí leat agus fanacht sábháilte! Saoirse don Phailistín!

thepalestineyoudontknow:

- Prisoners are held in the approximately 30 detention centers (21 prisons, 5 detention, 4 interrogation centers, and at least 1 secret interrogation facility) located within the 1967 borders of Israel.
 -The figures of Palestinian detainees vary between sources. ICRC is following-up on roughly 10,500 prison-ers (October 2008); whereas Addameer, who get their data from HaMoked, who in turn get their data from the Israeli Prison Service, estimate that there are 9,493 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. 
- Out of the 9,493 – 750 are administrative detainees, 349 are aged 18 and under, and 75 are female. Israel also detains 47 Palestinian parliamentarians. According to the Israeli Government 70% of prisoners have “blood on their hands”. The political make-up of prisoners is: 44% Fatah, 26% Hamas, 14% Islamic Jihad, 5% Popular Front, 1% Democratic Front, and 10% are undefined.

source

jtem:

Heaven forbid I should dispute such an epic work — perish the thought — but why are you dragging the United States into this, and since when has “Fight” become a euphemism for “Blow Yourself Up”?

You only hurt your own cause when you insult the intelligence of the people you hope to…

… You’ve went on a complete tangent. The OP wasn’t saying that the Americans were the origins of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, they were simply making an unjust comparison on a global scale. But either way, there’s little point in arguing with somebody whose going to ultimately resort to dismissing anybody’s point of view if they’re younger than them.

But “you don’t understand imperialism”, don’t make me laugh lol.

seanmacdiarmada:

jtem:

Heaven forbid I should dispute such an epic work — perish the thought — but why are you dragging the United States into this, and since when has “Fight” become a euphemism for “Blow Yourself Up”?

You only hurt your own cause when you insult the intelligence of the people you hope to reach….

And, please, you even put “America” in the tags. 

As long as the Palestinians looks to others to do their bidding they will never have their own nation.

Almost confused as to this response, I have to admit.
I’m not sure why you want OP to explain why they’re “dragging the United States into this” - it’s the #1 example of this turning state soldiers into heroes and has a history of imperialism (and in the case of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, supporting such).

A lot more interested in the ‘blow yourself up’ slur though. Aside from the obvious comments I could make about often desperate guerilla warfare tactics (whether I support them or not) employed against an occupying force which is militarily superior, I think it says a lot that you automatically equated it with ‘blowing yourself up’ - I’m pretty sure OP was referring to fighting back with stones, guns and rockets.

Equatable to “blowing yourself up”.
Jtem, one minute you sympathise with the Irish against occupation and injustice by a foreign government and sympathise with their right to an armed struggle, and the next you trivialise the Palestinian people who do the same thing as the Irish in this sense. Suicide bombings, which btw are not overly common especially in comparison to other tactics like armed attacks or, god help us all, the stone throwing, so I don’t know why you’re picking on that… Irish people blew themselves up when setting off bombs to kill British military occupiers as well…