PRESS RELEASE: ISRAEL ATTACKS JUSTICE BOAT; KIDNAPS HUMAN RIGHTS WORKERS; CONFISCATES MEDICINE, TOYS AND OLIVE TREES 30 June 2009 For more information contact:
Caoimhe Butterly (Arabic/English/Spanish):
[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
"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
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
CONTACT the Israeli Ministry of Foreign
Affairs
CONTACT Mark Regev in the Prime Minister's
office at:
CONTACT the International Committee of
the Red Cross to ask for
Red Cross Israel
Red Cross Switzerland:
Red Cross USA:
Kidnapped Passengers from the Spirit
of Humanity include:
Khalad Abdelkader, Bahrain
Othman Abufalah, Jordan
Khaled Al-Shenoo, Bahrain
Mansour Al-Abi, Yemen
Fatima Al-Attawi, Bahrain
Juhaina Alqaed, Bahrain
Huwaida Arraf, US
Ishmahil Blagrove, UK
Kaltham Ghloom, Bahrain
Derek Graham, Ireland
Alex Harrison, UK
Denis Healey, UK
Fathi Jaouadi, UK
Mairead Maguire, Ireland
Lubna Masarwa, Palestine/Israel
Theresa McDermott, Scotland
Cynthia McKinney, US
Adnan Mormesh, UK
Adam Qvist, Denmark
Adam Shapiro, US
Kathy Sheetz, US
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