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Gaza Freedom Flotilla Update

Published by jalbertini on June 26th, 2011 in Public Events, Social Justice, Take Action!.

PLANS FOR a Hilo VIGIL this week if Israel attacks the Gaza Freedom Flotilla II – Stay Human.

If the US boat due to join the flotilla gets out of Greece this week (Israel with its burgeoning economy is putting extensive pressure on the defaulting Greek government to prohibit the boats from leaving Greek ports) and comes under Israeli attack, please come that day to the US Post Office/Federal Bldg in downtown Hilo  4-5PM pm for a vigil.

There may not be time for an email reminder / alert, so please …if you hear the news T, W, Th, or Fri…just head to the Hilo downtown Post Office if you are available. You can sign up for email updates on the Flotilla at US Boat to Gaza website.

Some possible signs are: Hold Israel accountable to the law; Freedom Flotilla is Legal, Israel’s siege is not; Protect the Gaza Freedom Flotilla; Israel, let those people go and Ann and Carol in our hearts; (these are the 2 Hawaii state residents on the US boat the Audacity of Hope, see below* (Ann Wright and Carol Murry both have joined the weekly Hilo Peace Vigil,); .

Below are some legal opinions on the illegality of Israel’s siege of Gaza that renders Israel’s blockade and hence interception of flotilla boats illegal. The first and last are short.

·         SHORT explanation on illegality of siege and blockade by Hastings College of Law Professor George Bisharat http://www.thejerusalemfund.org/ht/display/ContentDetails/i/13281/pid/895

·         Longer opinion from the Center of Constitutional Rights http://www.ccrjustice.org/files/Center%20for%20Constitutional%20Rights%20Legal%20Analysis%20September%202010.pdf

·         And one from Lawyers for Palestinian Human Rights The Attack on the Gaza Freedom Flotilla and International Law http://www.lphr.org.uk/FlotilliaIL_QA/LPHR_FlotilliaIL_QA.pdf

·         Maritime boundaries expert Ambassador Craig Murray says boats have a right to sail

Posted at my blog workforjusticenow.com

The State Department would not say whether Israel’s blockade of Gaza’s denizens was legal (or not)  http://mondoweiss.net/2011/06/reporters-hector-state-is-the-blockade-legal-what-right-does-israel-have-to-defend-itself-from-humanitarian-aid.html

Rep. Dennis Kucinich and five other courageous Congresspersons appealed last week to Secretary Clinton  http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/node/949

“Flotilla passengers, like the Freedom Riders of a half-century ago, want to bring international attention to illegal government actions and unjust treatment of human beings….The Freedom Flotilla riders want to end an unjust system that deprives Palestinians of their human rights, respect and freedom of travel.

“Fifty years ago, government officials in the American south called the actions of those on the buses challenging segregation of facilities in the south ‘provocative’ http://mondoweiss.net/2011/05/gaza-flotilla-is-the-freedom-ride-of-this-era.html

Please take a glance at the photos and short bios of all the passengers. A large number of the passengers are Jewish, and more than half are women (including octagenarian Holocaust survivor Hedy Epstein and Pulitzer winning author Alice Walker)  Two passengers are Israeli-American (one is the boat’s captain, a decorated IDF pilot)  http://ustogaza.org/passengers-on-the-audacity-of-hope/

Videos as to why some are sailing at http://ustogaza.org/latest/us-boat-to-gaza-passengers-explain-why-theyre-going/

Free (for a limited time) downloadable book about the Gaza Freedom Flotillas

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/69293

You’ll have to create an account at Smashwords, and it may or may not be clear, then you just click buy link and then pay $0.00 for the free download, which is being offered in honor of this current flotilla. You can purchase it at a later date!

I hope a vigil isn’t needed, but thanks in advance if it is

(PS — if you’ve not yet done so, please sign these two online appeals, one to Pres Obama http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/1439/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=3956 and one to Secy Clinton http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/act/audacityofhope/hillarypetition
to protect the flotilla passengers)

And if you’re inclined, make a few calls:

President Obama: 202 456 1111

State Department: 202 647 4000

The toll free number to the Congressional Switchboard: 1 866 338-1015

The phone number for the Congressional switchboard is 202-224-3121

***
“Unless the Palestinian narrative is finally understood and acknowledged by Israelis and their American supporters, there will never be peace in the Holy Land.”
Julian Schnabel and Harvey Weinstein, writing in the Daily Beast about their film Miral
“some of the atrocities committed by the erstwhile apartheid regime in South Africa pale in comparison to those committed against the Palestinians” Willie Madisha, former Pres. of the Congress of South African Trade Unions
“Our freedom is incomplete without the freedom of the Palestinians.” Nelson Mandela

—
Jim Albertini

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