The Jerusalem Post reports that Israel plans to prevent the Free Gaza terror supporters from reaching Gaza.
Israel plans to interdict a boatfull of far-left wing protesters if it crosses into Israeli territorial waters on its way to Gaza to “break” Israel’s blockade, senior government officials said Monday.
The Free Gaza movement is planning to set sail Tuesday from Cyprus to Gaza, for the second such demonstration since August. Israel, eager to avoid a well-publicized incident on the high seas and believing the protesters were just seeking a provocation, allowed the protesters in two boats to make their way to Gaza then, but has no plans to tolerate a repeat performance this time, the officials said.
The officials said the decision to stop the boat was made last month at the “highest governmental levels,” just prior to plans by the protesters to set sail on what would have been their second protest voyage. That trip was scuttled at the last minute.
Among the 26 passengers expected on board the boat this time are five physicians, 1976 Nobel Peace Prize winner Mairead Maguire, who has been involved in the protests at Nil’in, MK Jamal Zahalka (Balad) and Palestinian Legislative Council member Mustafa Barghouti.
“This second trip is just one of many we intend to organize over the next year,” said American volunteer Greta Berlin. “We have lawyers, members of parliament and other professionals already on our passenger lists for upcoming voyages.” The group said it would be carrying medicines.
Israeli officials said the decision to interdict the ship was taken because in August the group “exploited” the fact it was not barred from Gaza and demonstrated in Gaza on behalf of Hamas and were used by Hamas for propaganda purposes.
The source said if the group was going to create a provocation against Israel regardless of whether they are stopped on the high seas or allowed into Gaza, Israel might as well stop them before they can reach shore.
Israel made clear in August, when it did allow in the first two boats, that this was not a blanket policy, but rather that it would evaluate each incident separately.
As I argued last time, Israel should allow them in. Clearly, the Free Gaza tools are trying to paint the narrative of palestinians under siege at the hands of the oppressive Zionist occupiers. While this is not the case, not allowing them in could appear to reinforce this idea to the casual observer.
In fact, I think the very reasons why Israel decided to prevent their entry into Gaza could be used as a rationale for allowing their entry.
The fact they “demonstrated in Gaza on behalf of Hamas and were used by Hamas for propaganda purposes” last time could be made to work in our favor. Instead of exerting so much effort preventing them from entering Gaza, we should be disseminating information about Hamas’ agenda (including the number of terror attacks they have planned or perpetrated, numbers of casualties, and names of victims), along with the photos and footage of these so-called “peace activists” meeting, eating and smiling with their Hamas hosts. At the same time, we should point out why Free Gaza and Hamas are such likely bedfellows: While the Free Gaza folk claim their mission is to end the so-called “siege” of Gaza, their mission statement gives away their real agenda:
May 2008 marks the 60-year anniversary of the Nakba, “the catastrophe”, when the overwhelming majority of Palestinians were forcibly evicted from their ancestral homeland to create the state of Israel. In contravention of International law, human rights, and basic principles of morality, Israel continues to deny these refugees and their descendants their right to return home. Israel has neither acknowledged nor attempted to amend this historic injustice that gave birth to the Jewish state. Instead, more than 5 million Palestinian refugees languish in refugee camps, while their homes, farms, and properties are inhabited by Jewish immigrants who arrived in Palestine from around the globe.
The historic illegal appropriation of Palestinian land, home and heritage is at the heart of the Middle East conflict. It has given rise to the largest ongoing refugee population in the world. It paved the way for subsequent land theft in 1967, and the ongoing ethnic cleansing that has squeezed Palestinians in the West Bank into ghettos and bantustans surrounded by 27-foot walls, sniper towers, and military guards. It has created the open-air prison of Gaza with an impoverished and overcrowded population of 1.4 million inhabitants.
This tragic event has dispossessed and disinherited Palestinians all over the world; and a destitute population of refugees with only their memories of Palestine, crumbling property deeds, and an undaunted will to return.
In other words, Free Gaza want an end to the Jewish state of Israel, whose establishment they see as a catastrophe. Which makes them aligned with Hamas.
Other measures we should take include disseminating photos and footage of these terror-supporters in well-stocked supermarkets and at lavish feasts (like we saw last time), which will also help counter the narrative these people are trying to force on the public.
Of course, everything I have said until now is predicated on the assumption that the people on board will not have weapons or anything else to compromise our security. And if they do, we should let the world know also about that.
Update: Another reason to allow them in – it will cost them even more money. Given their debt seems to be spiralling out of control (they seem to know be $380,000 out of pocket, compared to $300,000 a month ago).
