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I just sent Congress the truth about the Gaza Freedom Flotilla

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Dear Friend,

“Flotilla” is a buzzword throughout our country this week.  There are a lot of stories going around about the Free Gaza Flotilla and I thought you might appreciate this great info I just received from Ret. Col. Ann Wright and an organization she belongs to, CODEPINK.  If you’d like to send it to your congressperson, you can do so at www.codepink.org/freedomflotilla.

The flotilla was filled with people just like you and me who finally decided it was time to risk life and limb to take a stand, to break through the siege, and we can thank them for it.  They are not enemies of the state and rather deserve our respect and honor.   Here's what one flotilla delegate, Ret. Col. Ann Wright, wrote to me:

"The murder of nine persons, the piracy in international waters, the kidnapping of 700 persons, taking us to Israel against our will, imprisoning us for 36 hours and stealing all our possessions (computers, cameras, cellphones and luggage) by the Israeli military forces left me aghast.  While it was a frightening and harrowing experience, I knew, as did the wife of one of the men killed aboard the ship, that we were doing the right thing."  
   
On May 30, 2010, the Israeli Navy and Air Force prevented the Gaza Freedom Flotilla from breaking the Israeli blockade and delivering 10,000 pounds of humanitarian aid to the residents of Gaza.  However, Israel did not just hold the ships, but opened fire upon the activists aboard the Mavi Marmara, which resulted in nine deaths, including the death of one 19 year old man with dual citizenship in the US and Turkey, who was shot in the head four times.  Israel detained all foreign aid workers (over 700 from nearly 50 countries) who were on the remaining five ships.  The United Nations is now calling for an international investigation to discover what really happened, a move Israel is stalling.  The Flotilla incident serves as a tragic reminder of the suffering occurring in Gaza.

The Flotilla Incident and International Maritime Law

* As the Flotilla was in international water, Israel had no right to board the ship under the UN Convention on the Laws of the Seas of 1982.  Article 88 of the convention states: “The high seas shall be reserved for peaceful purposes.”

* Israel’s reaction amounted to an unlawful interference in the enforcement jurisdiction of the "flag-States" (countries of registration) of those vessels.

* Under Article 3 of the Rome Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Maritime Navigation of 1988, it is an international crime for any person to seize or exercise control over a ship by force, and a crime to injure or kill any person in the process.

* By storming ships exercising their lawful right to navigate international waters, killing and injuring dozens of civilians on the high seas, and abducting hundreds of civilians, Israel has clearly demonstrated its disregard for international law and its engagement in aggression.

* Thus there is no legitimate claim to self defense that Israel can make in the incident.

* The incident has been condemned by leaders throughout the world. Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa labeled the assault a “terrorist act.” French President Nicolas Sarkozy condemned the disproportionate use of force and addressed his condolences to the families of the victims. European Union High Representative Catherine Ashton called the blockade of Gaza “unacceptable and politically counterproductive.” Greek Deputy Foreign Minister Dimitris Droutsas said, "There is no excuse. The level of violence cannot be excused.”

The Gaza Crisis

* For more than three years, Israel has imposed a land, sea, and air blockade on the Gaza Strip, denying its approximately 1.5 million residents adequate access to food, clean water, electricity, medical supplies and other human necessities, including school notebooks, cement, chocolate, and toys.

* The current blockade, administered by Israel and Egypt is illegal. Under the San Remo Manual on Armed Conflicts at Sea under paragraph 102, a blockade is illegal if it is “[damaging] to the civilian population.”

* The blockade severely limits the amount of food, construction supplies (which prevents rebuilding destroyed buildings and continuing development), and even school supplies like pens, notebooks, and textbooks.

* Operation Cast Lead, an Israeli military campaign against Gaza, began on December 27, 2008.  During the 22 days, about 1,400 civilians were killed in Gaza, including over 400 children.  Israel violated several international war laws including the use of drones on civilians (killing 29), killing 11 civilians holding white flags, and the use of white phosphorous in densely populated areas.  Only one Israeli soldier has been punished (getting 7 months in jail for stealing a civilian’s credit card).

The U.S. and Israel

* The US has acknowledged that the siege of Gaza is “untenable”.  The siege must end to create a doorway to peace in the region.

* Israel’s acts of aggression against the Gaza Freedom Flotilla and its illegal blockade of the Palestinian Gaza Strip would not be possible without military and diplomatic support of the United States.

* Israeli is the largest recipient of U.S. military aid.  Former President Bush initiated $30 billion over the next decade to aid Israel’s military.

* Israel uses these billions of dollars to purchase U.S. military technology, such as fighter jets, helicopters, and radar systems, the same war weapons that were used to assault the flotilla.

* During the Bush Administration, Israel killed more than 3,000 innocent Palestinians, according to Israeli human rights organization, B’Tselem.  According to U.S. law, countries that commit human rights abuses with U.S. aid are to be sanctioned and aid is to be cut off.  The Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (P.L. 87-195) says, “No assistance may be provided… to the government of any country which engages in a consistent pattern of gross violations of internationally recognized human rights.”

The U.N. and Israel

* The U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has called for an international investigation into the Flotilla incident; however, Israel rejects the idea.

* The U.N. Security Council has withheld outwardly criticizing Israel on Flotilla and past conflicts due to the U.S.’ veto power.

What Can You Do?

* Join Nobel Peace Laureates Nelson Mandela, Aung San Suu Kyi, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and former President Jimmy Carter in condemning Israel’s actions, calling for a lift on the Gaza blockade, and urging the U.S., the U.N., and Israel to conduct an impartial investigation of Flotilla to get the full truth.

* Go to www.codepink.org and www.gazafreedommarch.org to learn about local events to raise awareness about Gaza.

Sources

Full list of items banned by blockade

http://gisha.org/UserFiles/File/HiddenMessages/ItemsGazaStrip060510.pdf

New Israeli Tack Needed on Gaza, U.S. Officials Say by Ethan Bronner

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/03/world/middleeast/03policy.html?emc=eta1

Lying about the Gaza Flotilla Disaster by MJ Rosenberg

http://politicalcorrection.org/fpmatters/201006020003

Resource sheet and news compendium http://endtheoccupation.org/article.php?id=2658

News compendium

http://gazafreedommarch.org/cms/en/flotilla/news.aspx

“Israel’s security cannot come at any price” by Ben Saul  http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/stories/s2915343.htm

“Israel: Full, Impartial Investigation of Flotilla Killings Essential” by Human Rights Watch

http://www.hrw.org/en/middle-eastn-africa/israel-and-occupied-territories

Ret. Col. Ann Wright interviewed by Laura Flanders on GRITtv

http://www.grittv.org/2010/06/08/ann-wright-pirates-and-pr/

Witness Gaza

http://witnessgaza.com/

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