Global IssuesMIDEAST: Jailed Activists Get Little Help
As 18 international activists remain in an Israeli prison following the take-over of two Gaza-bound aid ships late last week, the activists have condemned their respective governments for failing to apply pressure on Israel to release the detainees and to respect international law.
'We’re not only calling on the Irish government to hold Israel accountable to international law, with respect to what’s happened over the past couple days, the illegal seizure of boats in international waters, (but also to) hold Israel accountable to international law in its continued, illegal blockade of the Gaza Strip,' Irish Ship to Gaza Coordinator Laurence Davis told IPS over the phone.
'Speaking about the Irish boat, all 14 of the Irish citizens are still being held in Givon prison in Israel. We currently have no release date, and no release time for any of the detainees,' Davis said.
Dubbed ‘Freedom Waves’, the latest attempt to break Israel’s maritime blockade of the Gaza Strip saw 27 individuals set off from a Turkish port on Nov. 2 in two boats — a Canadian vessel, The Tahrir, and an Irish ship, the Saoirse — with over 30,000 dollars worth of medical supplies.
Israeli navy commandos commandeered the ships in international waters, some 50 kilometres from the Gaza coast, and re-routed them to the Israeli port Ashdod on Nov. 4. As of midday Wednesday, only six individuals had been released from Israeli custody, while 18 remained in prison.
According to a press statement released by the Canadian Boat to Gaza movement, an Israeli judge told the activists Tuesday that they could be held in detention for two months without charge or trial, unless they sign a document stating that they 'voluntarily and illegally' entered Israel.
Wendy Goldsmith, an organiser with the Canadian Boat to Gaza, told IPS that while the activists’ lawyers in Israel were still trying to determine the validity of this threat, activists in Canada have been pressuring their government to secure the release of all the detainees.
'I’m completely disgusted,' Goldsmith said. 'We’ve actually called for (Canadian foreign affairs minister) John Baird’s resignation because his office has done nothing as Canadian citizens are kidnapped in international waters, forcibly detained and denied their rights.'
On Nov. 2, Baird issued a statement in hope of dissuading Canadians from participating in the flotilla. 'I strongly urge those wishing to deliver humanitarian goods to the Gaza Strip to do so through established channels. Unauthorised efforts to deliver aid are provocative and, ultimately, unhelpful to the people of Gaza,' he said.
'Canada recognises Israel’s legitimate security concerns and its right to protect itself and its residents from attacks by Hamas and other terrorist groups, including by preventing the smuggling of weapons,' Baird added.
According to Goldsmith, the Canadian government’s silence about Israel’s take-over of the Gaza-bound boats reflects the attitude of most Western states, which never condemn Israeli aggression and intransigence.
'It really seems that Israel is running all Western, so-called democracies. The UK, Ireland, the U.S., Canada, and Australia are all behaving similarly. They’re not standing up against this injustice. Who’s running the show?' Goldsmith said.
The ‘Freedom Waves’ convoy is part of the Free Gaza movement, which attempts to draw attention to and challenge the Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip. It was the second attempt by activists in the past year to bring aid and supplies to the coastal Palestinian territory.
In June, several boats were blocked from leaving Greek ports, while Israeli forces intercepted those that did manage to leave before they could reach Gaza. In 2009, nine Turkish activists were killed and many others injured when Israeli navy commandos took over the Mavi Marmara ship.
According to Irish Ship to Gaza Coordinator Laurence Davis, despite these setbacks, activists will continue to challenge the Israeli blockade by sending more ships towards Gaza in the coming months.
'This isn’t a once-off event. This will continue, again and again and again. There will be more boats from other countries and these won’t stop until the blockade ends,' Davis told IPS.
'This is not just about the abducted Irish or other citizens. It is about the purpose of their journey to begin with, which is to show solidarity with the people of Palestine who are suffering under an illegal, unjust, inhuman blockade which is causing on a daily basis dire human suffering.'
© Inter Press Service (2011) — All Rights ReservedOriginal source: Inter Press Service