| Author | Message | | Jefferson Davis | | Posted: Thu Jul 31, 2008 2:47 am Post subject: Group will test Israel's Gaza blockade USS Liberty namesake |
| The Jewish Telegraphic News Agency refers to the "USS Liberty" as an American battleship. Who is kidding who here? Even the Arab reports of this story got it right. It was bombed and torpedoed and every semi-knowledgeable Israeli knows what the USS liberty is. It's badge of honor for them.
Group will test Israel's Gaza blockade
Published: 07/30/2008 JTA http://www.jta.org/cgi-bin/iowa/breaking/109705.html
The international organization "Free Gaza" will test Israel's blockade of the Hamas-controlled area by sailing to the Gaza port.
The group announced its plan to try to sail to Gaza and test the Israeli claim that Gaza is free, at a news conference in Athens Tuesday.
According to Dr. Paul Larudel, one of the organizers of the trip, “Israel claims that Gaza is no longer occupied, yet Israeli forces control Gaza by land, sea and air. We’ll enter Gaza from international waters at the invitation of Palestinian NGO’s but without Israeli authorization, thereby recognizing Palestinian control over its borders.”
The trip will begin on Aug. 1 from Piraeus and will stop at various Greek islands, leaving from Cyprus on Aug. 5 for Gaza. One ship, the Free Gaza, will carry 26 passengers. A second ship, carrying 18 passengers, is called Liberty in honor of the American battleship U.S.S. Liberty that was accidentally bombed by Israel in the 1967 Six Day War, leaving 34 American sailors dead and 180 wounded. Both will fly Greek flags.
According to the organizers the two ships will enter through the territorial waters of Gaza, bypassing Egyptian and Israeli waters, a route that has not been used since 1967.
The 44 passengers from 17 nations include an Israeli, Jeff Halper of the Israeli Committee Against House Demolition; an 81-year-old Catholic nun, Ann Montgomery; an 84-year-old Holocaust survivor, Hedy Epstein; and members of various Christian, Jewish and Muslim religious organizations.
Once in Gaza, if they are not stopped by the Israeli authorities, they will deliver a number of hearing aids to deaf Palestinian children.
The organization is going to Gaza at the invitation of various Palestinian political organizations, Palestinian NGOs and the Palestinian National Authority Minister of Youth and Sport Dr. Bassem Naim, and is endorsed by several pro-Palestinian organizations, as well as Nobel Peace Prize laureates Mairead Maquire and Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu . | |  | | Jefferson Davis | | Posted: Sat Aug 09, 2008 3:41 am Post subject: |
| SS Free Gaza & SS Free Liberty on next leg of voyage to Palestine
Rosie Perkins | 08.08.2008 20:40 | Palestine
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2008/08/08/18524152.php
SS Free Gaza and SS Liberty leave Cyprus and plan to arrive in Chania, Crete, Saturday, 9 August.
Nicosia/Lefkosia, Cyprus, August 7:. The Free Gaza Movement announced today that their boats, destined to break the Israelis' siege of Gaza, will arrive in Chania, Crete, on Saturday, August 9.
Human rights activists Lauren Booth, journalist, (sister in law of former British Prime Minister Tony Blair), Huwaida Arraf (a Palestinian-American residing in Ramallah, Palestine), and Jeff Halper (an Israeli Jew who was nominated for the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize for opposing demolitions of Palestinian homes) will be on board.
"This will be the first time that our two boats will be publicly displayed and photographers are welcome to come, take photos and post their images." said Paul Larudee, on board the boats sailing toward Chania.
The Free Gaza Movement is endorsed by an impressive array of international groups and personalities including South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Former Prime Minister of Lebanon Dr. Salim Al-Hoss. For additional information, www.freegaza.org
We are a week late, but we are more determined than ever to go to Gaza. By now, almost half of the people are on board or traveling to the boats, and those of us left in Cyprus are finishing up our training, working on banners and trying to control our impatience. When we called the people of Gaza to tell them we would arrive a week late, their reply was, "Don't worry. We know you are coming. And we are waiting," a testament to their confidence that 40 Internationals, two small boats, and tremendous media attention can somehow defeat the Israeli Navy.
Some of the survivors of the USS Liberty (bombed by Israeli in 1967) have written to us and asked us to be on one of their programs tomorrow night. They wrote this request of us:
What is the possibility of you and the crew of the SS Liberty throwing 34 long stemmed roses into the sea as a memorial to the 34 Americans who were killed aboard the USS LIberty? We will pay for the roses or whatever else you have in mind. I guarantee you our newspaper American Free Press will give a HUGE spread in the paper for it. The survivors of the LIberty and their familes would be eternally grateful to you and your ship mates for this gesture as no one has ever done anything like this before.
Another wrote:
I am one of the survivors of the USS Liberty. A very tired man who woke up somewhat when I heard of the
SS Liberty. I was the petty officer in charge of the body recovery and identification, and I remember it almost like it was yesterday.
May God Be With You
So, when we leave Cyprus next week, we hope to have a ceremony for all of those Americans killed by the Israelis on board the ship in 1967.
The media attention has been intense in Europe, people calling constantly asking for interviews. If you GOOGLE Free Gaza, Cyprus, you will see dozens of stories about us and the boats and the response from here. So many angels have stepped in to help, from offering us their homes, feeding us, and driving us around to media appointments. One man called us today and told us that he would loan us the money to cover our expenses for the boats and the equipment, because, "You are making history."
http://www.FreeGaza.org
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2008/08/08/18524152.php | | | | Alpha | | Posted: Sat Aug 09, 2008 3:22 pm Post subject: |
| From: "mark glenn"
This Saturday, August 9, 2008 The Liberty Hour Radio program will be interviewing the crew of the 'SS Liberty,' a ship named after the same USS Liberty attacked by Israel in 1967. This brave civilian crew of peace and human rights activists is attempting to break through Israel's blockade of Gaza in order to bring desperately-needed medical supplies to the Palestinians living under the siege.
The program can be heard live by going to www.republicbroadcasting.org and clicking on the 'listen live' option. It is a live call-in radio program featuring USS Liberty survivor Phil Tourney and cub reporter for American Free Press Newspaper Mark Glenn. Callers are welcome. The program airs at 11 am eastern time.
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