GAZA BOUND IRISH BOAT SABOTAGED AS ISRAEL CONTINUES ITS REIGN OF TERROR

[link to desertpeace.wordpress.com]

GAZA BOUND IRISH BOAT SABOTAGED AS ISRAEL CONTINUES ITS REIGN OF TERROR
June 30, 2011 at 08:48 (Activism, Gaza, Humanitarian Aid Flotilla, Ireland, Israel, Palestine, zionist harassment)



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Still another boat bound for Gaza was sabotaged last night,undoubtedly by thugs working for the Israeli government. Activists are sure that Israel is to blame for causing damage to Irish ship ‘Saoirse’ (Gaelic for freedom), which was slated to carry some 20 activists. The damage, if gone undetected, could have resulted in the loss of many lives.
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A report by Amira Hass can be read HERE
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Another report regarding this criminal act will be posted later this morning after a press conference is held by the activists involved. A demonstration is also being organised for later today.
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Following is a report from Britain’s Morning Star …
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No credence to Israel’s claims
Israel’s hysterical overreaction to the Freedom Flotilla 2 Stay Human initiative has not intimidated hundreds of brave people who are determined to challenge Tel Aviv’s illegal siege of Gaza.

They are gathering on a number of boats in several European ports ready to take humanitarian aid to the beleaguered Palestinian people.

The amount of aid that they intend to deliver to Gaza will not affect the level of Palestinian deprivation significantly, but it will be of crucial importance.

The presence of campaigners from organisations in around 20 countries will remind the Palestinian people that they are neither alone nor forgotten.

And the international publicity generated by the flotilla and how Israel reacts to it will fuel ever-growing numbers of humanity to take up the Palestinian cause.

Israel relied on the iron fist in May 2010, sending in its elite commandos to assault the Turkish aid vessel Mavi Marmara, opening fire as they abseiled onto the ship from their helicopters.

Not content with killing nine supporters of the Turkish IHH aid organisation, the Israeli forces beat and robbed other peaceful campaigners.

They also enforced a news blackout before putting out their own doctored film coverage, complete with obligatory anti-semitic comments, including references to nazi death camps, said to have been uttered by the pro-Palestinian activists.

Israel’s refusal to return film recordings and mobile phones is eloquent testament to the reality of what took place.

The Netanyahu government’s dirty tricks department has been at it again, trying to misrepresent the mission and the motives of those taking part.

Freedom Flotilla 2 Stay Human has conducted non-violence resistance lessons for participants and insisted that there should be no violent responses to any assault on their vessels.

However, Israel has tried to ratchet up tension by claiming to have “intelligence assets” inside the flotilla who have identified individuals intent on using “chemicals” against Israeli troops.

However, not too much credence should be given to these claims in light of Israel’s record last year and the bizarre claims this week by “US gay rights activist” Marc Pax, who said that he had been denied a place on the flotilla because of his sexuality and to have then discovered that Hamas is behind it.

Marc Pax is actually Guy Seeman, who works as an intern in Netanyahu’s office, although, needless to say, his actions were “without authorisation and without approval.”

The same goes for the Israeli government’s threat to confiscate journalists’ equipment and ban them from Israel for 10 years if they accompany the flotilla.

Only when the Foreign Press Association in Jerusalem condemned this “chilling message” as raising questions about Israel’s commitment to freedom of the press did Netanyahu surface to deny that this was government policy.

It probably isn’t official government policy to sabotage the propeller shaft of a boat in Piraeus harbour taking Greek, Swedish and Norwegian passengers to Gaza, but it happened.

The US boat Audacity of Hope was also delayed after Israeli legal group Shurat HaDin told the Greek authorities that the boat wasn’t seaworthy, necessitating a time-consuming inspection.

But ships are already sailing towards Gaza, including the Irish vessel Saoirse, and two French boats.

The only European Union member state officially backing the flotilla is Ireland, but every country has a responsibility to protect its own citizens and defend international law during this forthcoming challenge to Israel’s lawlessness