Israel captures peace activists en route to Gaza
Published: June 30, 2009
Updated 4 months ago
Activists included Nobel laureate Mairead Maguire, former Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney
A group of 21 peace activists sailing to Palestine were intercepted and arrested by Israeli authorities on Tuesday as they attempted to bring food and medical supplies to the war-torn city of Gaza. Israel said it plans to deport most of the people involved, including former U.S. Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney and Mairead Maguire, a Nobel laureate.
The group insists they were not in Israeli waters. In a media advisory, the arrests were characterized as kidnapping.
“This is an outrageous violation of international law against us,” said McKinney in a press release issued by the Free Gaza Movement. “Our boat was not in Israeli waters, and we were on a human rights mission to the Gaza Strip. President Obama just told Israel to let in humanitarian and reconstruction supplies, and that’s exactly what we tried to do.”
“Any organization or country that wishes to transfer humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip can legally do so via the established crossings between Israel and the Gaza Strip with prior coordination,” the Israeli military told CNN.
The IDF said the boat was given warnings to avoid Palestinian waters, but it proceeded anyway. Two of the group’s humanitarian missions to Gaza were halted by the Israeli military in 2008, though five others have been successful, the activists said.
Huwaida Arraf, a chair of the Free Gaza Movement and co-coordinator for the humanitarian mission, condemned the intervention even before Israeli forces took him into custody.
“No one could possibly believe that our small boat constitutes any sort of threat to Israel,” he said in a release. “We carry medical and reconstruction supplies, and children’s toys. Our passengers include a Nobel peace prize laureate and a former U.S. congressperson. Our boat was searched and received a security clearance by Cypriot Port Authorities before we departed, and at no time did we ever approach Israeli waters.”
Arraf called the intervention a “premeditated attack” and “a clear violation of international law.”
Israeli publication Y-Net reported that “immigration police arrived at Ashdod police and performed a search of the activists’ belongings. The detainees will then be transferred to the Immigration Administration in Holon. The police will take their fingerprints, and then send them to Ben Gurion Airport, where each one will face a hearing before the Interior Ministry before being deported.”
Mairead Maguire, who won the Nobel prize for her work in northern Ireland, is no stranger to confrontations with Israeli military. Following an international conference, she and other peace activists gathered in the West Bank village of Bilin, only to be confronted by IDF forces. Maguire was shot in the leg by a rubber bullet and her compatriots suffered tear gas inhalation.
On her Web site, Peace People, Maguire published a recent letter to President Barack Obama which describes her view of the Palestinian people’s plight.
“To visit Palestine is to walk with a people whose lives are being made unbearable by Israeli Policies of ethnic cleansing,” she wrote. “Each year when I visit I ask myself ‘how can the Palestinians bear so much suffering and still have hope?’ The Philosopher Karl Jung says ‘Go into your grief for there your soul will grow’. Being privileged to walk alongside the Palestinian people, one sees so much soul.”
She adds: “I appeal to you President Obama, to change USA Policies and stop supporting through military aid, etc, [Israel's] occupation of Palestine, and to move immediately to help lift the siege of Gaza and say to Israel ‘enough is enough.’ [...] Love and hope gives us all courage and belief that peace and freedom is possible.”
The full press release from the Free Gaza Movement follows.
####
[23 miles off the coast of Gaza, 15:30pm] - Today Israeli Occupation Forces attacked and boarded the Free Gaza Movement boat, the SPIRIT OF HUMANITY, abducting 21 human rights workers from 11 countries, including Noble laureate Mairead Maguire and former U.S. Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney (see below for a complete list of passengers). The passengers and crew are being forcibly dragged toward Israel.
“This is an outrageous violation of international law against us. Our boat was not in Israeli waters, and we were on a human rights mission to the Gaza Strip,” said Cynthia McKinney, a former U.S. Congresswoman and presidential candidate. “President Obama just told Israel to let in humanitarian and reconstruction supplies, and that’s exactly what we tried to do. We’re asking the international community to demand our release so we can resume our journey.”
According to an International Committee of the Red Cross report released yesterday, the Palestinians living in Gaza are “trapped in despair.” Thousands of Gazans whose homes were destroyed earlier during Israel’s December/January massacre are still without shelter despite pledges of almost $4.5 billion in aid, because Israel refuses to allow cement and other building material into the Gaza Strip. The report also notes that hospitals are struggling to meet the needs of their patients due to Israel’s disruption of medical supplies.
“The aid we were carrying is a symbol of hope for the people of Gaza, hope that the sea route would open for them, and they would be able to transport their own materials to begin to reconstruct the schools, hospitals and thousands of homes destroyed during the onslaught of “Cast Lead”. Our mission is a gesture to the people of Gaza that we stand by them and that they are not alone” said fellow passenger Mairead Maguire, winner of a Noble Peace Prize for her work in Northern Ireland.
Just before being kidnapped by Israel, Huwaida Arraf, Free Gaza Movement chairperson and delegation co-coordinator on this voyage, stated that: “No one could possibly believe that our small boat constitutes any sort of threat to Israel. We carry medical and reconstruction supplies, and children’s toys. Our passengers include a Nobel peace prize laureate and a former U.S. congressperson. Our boat was searched and received a security clearance by Cypriot Port Authorities before we departed, and at no time did we ever approach Israeli waters.”
Arraf continued, “Israel’s deliberate and premeditated attack on our unarmed boat is a clear violation of international law and we demand our immediate and unconditional release.”
###
WHAT YOU CAN DO!
CONTACT the Israeli Ministry of Justice
tel: +972 2646 6666 or +972 2646 6340
fax: +972 2646 6357
CONTACT the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs
tel: +972 2530 3111
fax: +972 2530 3367
CONTACT Mark Regev in the Prime Minister’s office at:
tel: +972 5 0620 3264 or +972 2670 5354
mark.regev@it.pmo.gov.il
CONTACT the International Committee of the Red Cross to ask for their assistance in establishing the wellbeing of the kidnapped human rights workers and help in securing their immediate release!
Red Cross Israel
tel: +972 3524 5286
fax: +972 3527 0370
tel_aviv.tel@icrc.org
Red Cross Switzerland:
tel: +41 22 730 3443
fax: +41 22 734 8280
Red Cross USA:
tel: +1 212 599 6021
fax: +1 212 599 6009
###
Kidnapped Passengers from the Spirit of Humanity include:
Khalad Abdelkader, Bahrain
Khalad is an engineer representing the Islamic Charitable Association of Bahrain.
Othman Abufalah, Jordan
Othman is a world-renowned journalist with al-Jazeera TV.
Khaled Al-Shenoo, Bahrain
Khaled is a lecturer with the University of Bahrain.
Mansour Al-Abi, Yemen
Mansour is a cameraman with Al-Jazeera TV.
Fatima Al-Attawi, Bahrain
Fatima is a relief worker and community activist from Bahrain.
Juhaina Alqaed, Bahrain
Juhaina is a journalist & human rights activist.
Huwaida Arraf, US
Huwaida is the Chair of the Free Gaza Movement and delegation co-coordinator for this voyage.
Ishmahil Blagrove, UK
Ishmahil is a Jamaican-born journalist, documentary film maker and founder of the Rice & Peas film production company. His documentaries focus on international struggles for social justice.
Kaltham Ghloom, Bahrain
Kaltham is a community activist.
Derek Graham, Ireland
Derek Graham is an electrician, Free Gaza organizer, and first mate aboard the Spirit of Humanity.
Alex Harrison, UK
Alex is a solidarity worker from Britain. She is traveling to Gaza to do long-term human rights monitoring.
Denis Healey, UK
Denis is Captain of the Spirit of Humanity. This will be his fifth voyage to Gaza.
Fathi Jaouadi, UK
Fathi is a British journalist, Free Gaza organizer, and delegation co-coordinator for this voyage.
Mairead Maguire, Ireland
Mairead is a Nobel laureate and renowned peace activist.
Lubna Masarwa, Palestine/Israel
Lubna is a Palestinian human rights activist and Free Gaza organizer.
Theresa McDermott, Scotland
Theresa is a solidarity worker from Scotland. She is traveling to Gaza to do long-term human rights monitoring.
Cynthia McKinney, US
Cynthia McKinney is an outspoken advocate for human rights and social justice issues, as well as a former U.S. congressperson and presidential candidate.
Adnan Mormesh, UK
Adnan is a solidarity worker from Britain. He is traveling to Gaza to do long-term human rights monitoring.
Adam Qvist, Denmark
Adam is a solidarity worker from Denmark. He is traveling to Gaza to do human rights monitoring.
Adam Shapiro, US
Adam is an American documentary film maker and human rights activist.
Kathy Sheetz, US
Kathy is a nurse and film maker, traveling to Gaza to do human rights monitoring.
47 comments
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If Israel had blown the ship out of the water and killed everyone on board, do you the USA would do a goddamn thing?
Uh, no..
Cynthia McKinney’s balls are so big, she makes Obama look like a gay crack smoking eunuch. You go girl!
Here are the facts:
1) Peace boat carrying human rights activists and politicians, along with several tons of civilian aid
2) In international waters
3) Sailing to Gaza, an occupied territory
Israel stopped a peaceful civilian ship in international waters, arrested those on board (in international waters), and now plans to “deport” them…from international waters. So if I sail out 100 miles off the coast of Washington, D.C., Israel can “arrest” me and then “deport” me….presumably from Israel.
The state of Israel will die a fiery death. No one will care.
Israel gone by 2025.
Ahh, this has been the root cause of all the pogroms.
Israel doesn’t want to live in peace with anyone.
Look at the contempt they treat the US with. We fund and arm then, yet THEY view US like parasites and lesser beings.
Their haughty attitude insures there will be future pogroms.
From where I sit, they will be well deserved.
Israel is doing what it was created to do. To keep war going and peace at bay.
I have had my fill of their tactics. These people came of peace and hope. Israel respects no one. Not even sitting Presidents and Secretaries of State.
Time to cut the cord with this entity.
Ask yourself: Why was this stupid boat and its humanitarian cargo so gosh damned important to Israel?
Occam’s Razor is a beautiful, but terrible, horribly painful, thing to behold.
This is because it cuts both ways with equal ease.
How do you feel about the answer? Can you accept it, or will you hide in partisan rhetoric and 15 second sound bytes?
Blind hate and misrepresentations of history of anti-arab xenophobia?
The choice is yours..
You have the rest of your life ahead of you! If you want to spend your time bullshitting yourself, I guess that’s your right.
June 8, 1967 USS Liberty attacked by these thugs that place the Star of David on their war machines. To them it was a “friendly fire” mistake.
Fuck you.
The nazis never lost, they just moved.
War is Peace
alansmithee
Well, the minstrel show in the white house and the republican ol’ “white cracker” club sit around in their cribs and play with their rubber duckies while McKinney puts her life on the line. Yes, more parties in 2012, split the votes and MAYBE a “real” SOCIALIST CAPITALIST” will finally win. By the way, the “terrorists” are the fucking Israeli’s, don’t let that Star Of David on their war machines fool you.
The U.S./Israeli alliance from Hell hasn’t even begun to show the world what its capable of.
Don’t worry, she’s in good hands. After all, Israel is a defender of democracy and more importantly our ally
(Oh LORD, have mercy on her.)
panskeptic:
As always, ad nauseum, any criticism of Israel is “anti-semitic”….yawn. “Wolf, wolf” cried the boy for the thousandth time…but no one was listening any more.
Facts are, (which you deftly ignore), the ship was in international waters.
And Israel ignored international laws. Par for the course for this criminal nation.
As always, this nation, Israel, formed by terrorist organizations adept at using explosives to target civilians , demonstrates well a tiger never loses it’s stripes.
Your label of “Jew-Haters” for those bringing aid to the victims of Israel’s WAR CRIMES again makes one wonder why George H.W. Bush demanded the U.N. remove Zionism from the Terrorist Organization list. Well, not really “wonder.”
So, if Israel were gone from the mythical “Holy Land” tomorrow, “Hamas would still be killing Fatah…just like Sunni vs. Shia, Taliban vs Al-Queda”…and we should give a fuck…WHY?
That would be THEIR problem, no skin off my nose, Chumley.
Now go back and rewrite your childish diatribe. Megaphone is disappointed in you.
And now we have another Barney Franks (Al Franken) in the Senate that will go along with anything AIPAC, Obama and Israel wants. We might as well just take our flag down and put theirs up, and no I do not hate Jews, I hate Zionism. You can twist that around anyway you want to make me out a racist but it’s not true. The real racists are the ones that think they are separate from everyone else and even have names for those that are not ”them”, gentiles. Crying anti-Semitism doesn’t cut it anymore. It’s just a protection racket to hide their true identities and agendas. Israel has the opportunity to become the greatest humanitarian nation in the world but they choose to be the most warlike and the most aggressive as this article and many others testifies to, and America is right behind them. The Zionists are hiding behind the Jews for protection and even the Jews are getting sick of it. Google jewsagainstzionism The Zionists even hide in this country in the form of Neo-Cons and Neo-Liberals pushing their anti-gun Bills and anti-hate crime Bills. They want to destroy the Bill of Rights and are because it stands in their way. It’s time for the truth to come out. It is time.
Israel does whatever it wants to do, whenever it wants to do it, and it cries “Anti-Semitism” if reasonable people challenge its hegemony. That’s what’s getting old, sir…this isn’t about Cynthia McKinney, and it isn’t about anti-Semitism. It’s about an arrogant country doing whatever it feels like doing. Sort of like the U.S.A. in Iraq, if you want an apt comparison.
Att: doctim11
You are one of the problems. You obviously ignore the genocide of the pals and think anyone who questions Israel is bashing Jews. Get over the victim crap. The Holocaust card is the only thing left to cling to and that’s getting very old considering you have created your own Warsaw Ghetto.
PS asshole, A Lot is TWO WORDS you retard.
I voted for Cynthia McKinney and proud. She is the one of the few who have integrity. In fact I’m going to start to donate to the cause to free the Pals.
Genocide is mass murder idiot, not what Israel is doing. Inflammatory remarks likening the middle east to the holocaust are red herrings and, evidently, the best you can do. Might as well throw your money away, you threw your vote away too.
Unfortunately, since the last “ceasefire” Israel has been shelled over 200 times from Gaza. Weapons & missiles continue to be smuggled into Gaza from Egypt and yes, by boat, to be used against Israel. Since 2000, they’ve been shelled over 7000 times.
Hamas has a long record of hiding behind hospitals, schools, UN outposts etc. and shelling Israel from those spots. Gd forbid the Israelis shoot back; they’re attacking civilians. Meanwhile, Hamas has no compunction about attacking civilians.
The anti-semitic tone of many of these posts sickens me. I’m not shedding any tears over Cynthia McKinney. What next, lemonade for the Taliban after a hard day of shelling girl’s schools?
What is the guarantee that the “aid” they’re allegedly bringing is going exclusively to non-combatants? Hamas continues to claim that armed fighters are “civilians” when it comes to casualties. And what is the guarantee that they’re not smuggling in arms?
Interestingly the latest poll of Palestinians show that they prefer Fatah to Hamas but in Gaza anyway, they’re stuck with Hamas for the time being.
I question Ms. McKinney’s motives & bona fides as well as those of her cohorts. Unlike Gilad Shalit, she’ll be free to go her way shortly.
How many Israeli’s were KILLED by the “shelling” ?
(p.s. Hamas’ rockets, and “shells” are fireworks from China that are commonly sold at North American roadside’s during the 4th of July.)
2008 Dead Israelis = 7
2008 Dead Palestinians-= 1500
Please notice the lack of response to my query. It is hard to defend the indefensible.
Yeah shelled……… with 4th of July bottle rockets!!!! Your lies don’t fool anyone anymore.
doctim11
Israelis are NOT Jews, their Zionist. When you get this driven into your head maybe….shit, just stick an ice pick thru your upper eye and give yourself a lobotomy like everybody else in your trailer park.
The megaphone brigade does goofy shit like call themselves “doctor” like doctim. Some type of psiop that only works on the rubes. Gotta give em credit for creativity.
Watch this debate between As’ad Abukhalil (the Angry Arab) and Akiva Tor (the Douchebag Zionist):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kd0_GHEoqnQ
The GIYUS tards that are posting the pro-Israel comments above remind me of this pathetic wretch as he gets body slammed again and again by As’ad.
Israel is a dead entity. zionists refuse to open the e-mail that announces their demise. 2025 approaches sooner than scheduled.
Ooh, FIY, my trailer park is in the Judean hills in a settlement.
Since when is it legal that Israel gets to “give permission” for passage in International waters?
Never mind.
Hey, fools! There is no such country as Palestine. Never was. The Arabs who live in areas of the former British Mandate, Palestine, are stateless and not citizens of any country. This is a problem, yes. But do not confuse the actions of Arabs who have no state with a State like Israel or Jordan or Lebanon. Israel is still the “caretaker” in charge of the territories. Without Israel, the Arab population would have nothing as their fellow Arab brethren refuse to help in any meaningful way. So, when McKinney and her fellow shipmates entered waters off the Gaza coast, they were in Israeli waters, not International waters. They could have shipped in the aid to Gaza in legitimate ways, but decided to confront the Israeli Navy and cause issues with Israeli police. McKinney’s intentions are self-serving as she is a narcissistic publicity hound and needs to be in the press. The Palestine Authority only has authority within Gaza and the West Bank. Israel still has the overarching authority in the region, and the UN has agreed to this arrangement. One day soon, the stateless Arabs in the Mandate territories, will have a separate State, but it still needs to be worked out.
She was trying to bring the media spotlight on Israels official apartheid and war crimes. This is important because 1500 men women and children were killed with American bullets and bombed by American war planes. If Israel did it’s own dirty work many Americans would be less emotional about it. (including the global war on fake ass terrorists)
It’s OK when Hamas blows up Israelis, but not the other way around. I see. This is the Arab mentality, twisted, warped, deceitful and diabolically murderous. I think the Palis need to calm down and start thinking about their future, not about Israel or how to kill more Jews. It hasn’t worked out too well for them, but like any insane person, they keep doing the same thing expecting a different outcome. Maybe it is time for the Arabs to grow up and start acting like a proud people as opposed to victims and pathetic losers.
Without Israel, the Arab population would have nothing as their fellow Arab brethren refuse to help in any meaningful way.
Hahaha. I can’t believe you fricken wrote this.
Without Israel, THE PALESTINIANS WOULD STILL HAVE THEIR LAND AND THEY WOULDN’T NEED ANY HELP FROM THEIR ARAB BRETHREN.
But then, this is typical of zionists. The fact that Israel still exists today has nothing to do with any brains and talent the Israelis might have (if any it’s very limited…limited to occupation and new ways of killing people) but has everything to do with the largesse the stupid zionists and Christian fundies that send billions of dollars to Israel every year.
Israel is nothing without American welfare.
Israel gone by 2025.
Spoken like a true Arab nut case.
How many Jews were killed? what is the relevance of that question? and why just Jews? don’t you give a da** about Arab civilians? Christian civilians?
Oh, if Jews aren’t killed that’s a huge disappointment to you?
I really don’t understand the relevance of that question.
Official Right Wing Israeli responses to valid criticism:
1) You are anti-semitic
2) Terrorists launched 7000 rockets at us! (make no mention of lack of casualties)
3) What would you do? (implies there is a problem requiring action)
4) Do not respond to questions but ask a question instead.
5) Deny it. (you CAN fool some people some of the time)
So now they’re going to deport Ms. McKinney? The last article I saw on this story the filthy nasty Israeli terrorist scum were claiming they weren’t even holding her! It’s way past time for sanctions against those dirtbags!!
>abraham
Without Israel, the Arab population would have nothing as their fellow Arab brethren refuse to help in any meaningful way.
Hahaha. I can’t believe you fricken wrote this.
Without Israel, THE PALESTINIANS WOULD STILL HAVE THEIR LAND AND THEY WOULDN’T NEED ANY HELP FROM THEIR ARAB BRETHREN.<
The Arabs who live in the territories are stateless. Some Arabs stayed in Israel during and after the 1948 war of Independence, started by Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq and Syria in an attempt to destroy the young Israeli nation. Israel won that war. So, those Arabs who stayed in Israel have a much better life, hold office in the Knesset, have jobs and enjoy the benefits of all Israeli citizens. The refugees who were forced to flee certain areas of Israel and those who fled at the urging of the attacking Arab countries, have not been so fortunate. I am all for a Palestinian State, although some could argue that Jordan is that state, as its population is 85 percent Palestinian Arab decent. Remember, what is now Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq and Syria were part of the Ottoman Empire or Palestinian Territory. These countries along with Israel are recent inventions in the scheme of things. Local Arabs held no real land deeds as the land was owned by the Turks until Britain gained control of the territory after WWI. The lands were divided among selected Monarchies, like the Hussein family who gained control of Jordan and Lebanon. There were Arab land squatters and Bedouins who farmed the land and may have rented land from absentee land owners. But any land obtained by Israel was rightfully purchased or obtained through Eminent Domain rules. If any Arab had legitimate ownership, they were compensated. This entire notion of Israel stealing Arab land is a propagandists lie and any educated person realizes that fact.
Wow, such hate from so many people. Well, here is mine to add. Frankly I hope they keep her and charge her as a terrorist. She terrorized Georgia as a so-called congresswoman and now she is performing terrorist acts against an ally of the United States by assisting a country who is full of and run by islamic terrorists. These are the terrorists that will be responsible for, if not yours, then the deaths of your children and grandchildren in the long run.
I agree, Airihannah…
What they were taking to Gaza has been sent to Gaza, and the people on the boat, who violated protocols for deliveries to Gaza, were not “kidnapped,” but apprehended for immigration violations, and upon being checked at Ben Gurion airport, will be deported.
There have to be more productive ways to help with the needs of the people in Gaza than to create media events for U.S. individuals to get a charge out of feeling they’re causing a storm…well they ARE, but they hurt things rather than help.
i’m anti semitic and proud of it
bobsyeruncle
You fucking air head. Gives us your take on the USS Liberty from your “angle.”
Does your psych ward nurse know you are using the computer again? Get back into the straight jacket, Abe.