While the Libyan vessel carrying 3,000 tons of medical and food aid to the Gaza Strip was turned back by Israeli forces on Tuesday, others are prepared to land at the Gaza Port over the weekend.
From Ma'an:
On Friday a ship sailing from Qatar is scheduled to make landfall in Gaza. On Saturday, a ship sailing from Haifa, in northern Israel, will reach Gaza carrying five tons of humanitarian aid, including medicine, said Al-Khudari, who is the leader of the Popular Committee Against the Siege of Gaza.
Other boats challenging the Israeli siege will set sail from various points over the next few months:
"On 18 December the Islamic Parliamentary Union will dispatch a ship from Larnaca, Cyprus. Two days later, Jordanian activists will send a boat from the Red Sea port of Aqaba.
A Yemeni vessel will set sail in January."
Good luck to all these brave and honourable souls.
3 comments:
The whole Palestinian/Israel thing is just so horrible I don't know what to think. I feel the same way about Katrina.
I would like to hear an intelligent argument on why Israel is permitted to occupy Palestine and why Palestine cannot get seaport access. I have never heard one. I tried to talk to a Palestinian on a few occasions and I get the same response "you would never understand" (meaning: I won't discuss this with you)
The standard answer is that it's all about Israeli security. Plain and simple really. The blockade of Gaza (Land, Air and Sea) as well as the construction of the Wall (Land and water resources), are all for the security of Israel. Otherwise, these impoverished people will throw every Israeli into the Sea.
That is the short form Israeli answer. No, it doesn't make sense does it? That's because so much of this has been presented out of context - historically as well as when dealing with 'facts on the ground' and the inherent nature of political and religious Zionism.
If you are interested, I'd recommend reading Finkelstein's Rise and Fall of Palestine or Image and Reality of the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict - both very good, pragmatic and with context on every level. What is left out of the narrative that we in North America especially have not been told, will be filled in by Norman's careful analysis.
In the end though, people must learn that being critical of a nation doesn't equate to hatred of all within her borders. The use of the term anti-semite when questioning the behaviour of various Israeli Administrations towards those under her occupation will end up being the downfall for Israel's PR team. When people keep hearing 'wolf' being called, and no wolf comes - well you get the picture. I think this is beginning to happen now.
There is simply no excuse for the barbaric seige on the innocents of Gaza. Period.
hey maggie:
I had heard this one, and yes wouldn't it be nice to have a rational discussion about the Palestinian/Israeli conflict?
Did you notice that Israel had moved on the Hebron Settlers?
How soon before they are back at "home" in the land they stole.
I figure it was some kind of pr move to take the heat off of the humitarian crisis in Palestine.
btw: rbn has an excellent interview again with steve lendman and ramzy baroud (spelling?)
a good listen
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