Israel Block Aid to Gaza

Hon. Cynthia McKinney

They Denied Us So They Wouldn’t Have to Ram Us

The Israelis are hopping mad.  And they’re flexing their muscles in all the ugly places.  They can’t ram us again without sparking an international uproar, so they’re trying to stop us from leaving the port at all.  The Limasol, Cyprus Port Authority which controls the port of Larnaca also, sent their inspector to Larnaca with a letter saying that the boat failed inspection, only thing, the letter was written BEFORE he even arrived in Larnaca to do the inspection!  Reuters is doing the story at this very moment saying that we were prevented from leaving due to Cypriot authorities.  We just learned from a Cyprus government source that pressure is being applied by Israel to deny us departure credentials.  It appears, then, that Israel is putting us into contortions because they don’t want us to take cement into Gaza.  After white phosphorus, depleted uranium, DIME, cluster bombs, F16s, death, destruction, and mayhem.  All of *this* over a few bags of cement.  Can you believe???

1.  Read the Haaretz article here, showing Israeli concern about us taking cement to Gaza
2.  Hear the interview with Don Debar on the contortions we’re being put through by Cyprus Port Authority
3.  Read the Reuters article here (interesting that the story broke in Israel and not Cyprus!!)
4.  Individuals have already started to contact the Cyprus UN Mission and their DC Embassy to inquire why they are arbitrarily not allowing the Spirit of Humanity and the Free Gaza to set sail.

1.  Here is the Ha’aretz article:

2.  Hear Greta Berlin and I explain what is happening with the purposeful delay of our departure

http://www.livestream.com/wbaix

3.  Read the Reuters article:

 12:54 25Jun09 -Cyprus halts aid boats bound for Gaza Strip

    LARNACA, Cyprus, June 25 (Reuters) – Cyprus stopped two

boats planning to carry aid to the Gaza Strip in defiance of an

Israeli blockade from leaving port on Thursday, officials said.

   The U.S.-based Free Gaza Movement had been planning to take

33 activists to Gaza with medical supplies and cement, a

material that Israel does not allow into the Palestinian

territory devastated by a short war that ended early this year.

   The Free Gaza Movement started sending regular aid voyages

from Cyprus to Gaza in August 2008, but one of its boats was

involved in a collision with an Israeli vessel in December, and

was turned back on another mission in January.

   Cypriot shipping officials cited inspection requirements for

stopping the two vessels, a small ferry and a sailing boat, from

leaving port two hours before their scheduled departure.

   Both vessels had travelled to Gaza before.

   “One of the ships was only recently registered in Cyprus and

under Cyprus law it has to undergo inspection before being given

permission to sail,” said Serghios Serghiou, head of Cyprus’s

Department of Merchant Shipping. “(The second) … did not apply

for any inspections before sailing.”

   Israel tightened a blockade on Gaza in 2007 after the

Islamist group Hamas took control of the enclave, a tiny sliver

of territory home to some 1.5 million people. 

   Israel bans imports of cement, steel or other building

supplies to Gaza, saying militants could use them for military

purposes. One of the vessels was to carry 15 tonnes of cement.

   Israeli forces bombed then invaded Gaza in late December

2008 with a declared aim of ending cross-border rocket attacks

from the Hamas-ruled territory. 

   The war damaged infrastructure and hurt an economy already

hobbled by years of isolation.

 (Writing by Michele Kambas, editing by Lin Noueihed)

   ((michele.kambas@thomsonreuters.com; 357 22469607; Reuters

messaging michele.kambas.reuters.com@reuters.net))

 Keywords: PALESTINIANS ISRAEL/ACTIVISTS

Thursday, 25 June 2009 12:54:02

RTRS [nLO676773 ] {C}

ENDS
We are determined to depart, if not today, then tomorrow.

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