update from my email

We will soon have a new page added to our website called witnessgaza.org. You
will be able to follow us as we journey to Gaza over the next two weeks. You
can watch our own 'video reports' twice a day, reports from the boats and from
Gaza. Everything on the page is connected to make it easier for you to access
TWITTER, Facebook, YouTube and FLICKR. Watch for it in the next day or so.

For the update on the boats, the Turkish passenger ship left yesterday from
Istanbul to the next port to pick up more passengers. The Irish/Malaysian ship,
the MV Rachel Corrie, is on her way to the Mediterranean. The Greek/Swedish
cargo ship, the passenger boat from the European Campaign and the Free Gaza
passenger boats are ready to leave Greece this week.

We will all meet in international waters off the coast of Gaza, turn and steam
into Gaza City port sometime between May 28 and June 1 depending on the
weather.

The Israelis are nervous.
The Palestinians from the occupied West Bank to Gaza to the diaspora are
ecstatic.
The internationals are determined.
The boats are ready.
The world waits.

Greta

0 comments

Press release 20 May 2010 from freegaza.org

Members of Swedish Parliament demand security for Ship to Gaza

On Wednesday, Helén Pettersson, Social Democratic member of the Swedish Parliament, submitted a written inquiry to Foreign Minister Carl Bildt, asking what measures the government intends to take in order to protect Ship to Gaza’s peaceful, lawful, humanitarian initiative. The reason for the inquiry is that Ship to Gaza and the Freedom Flotilla—the coalition in which the Swedish initiative will be included— has been threatened with military resistance from Israeli authorities and private individuals. The following is Petterson’s inquiry in its entirety:

“One and a half million Palestinians are living in isolation on the Gaza Strip, in pure misery. There is a shortage of food, medicine and other necessities, such as building materials to repair homes, schools and other buildings which were destroyed by the bombings during the war around Christmas in 2008. In order to address the situation, Ship to Gaza is planning to take the sea route to Gaza, bringing medicine, desalination plants, cement, etc. in order to help the people in need. Ship to Gaza is a politically and religiously independent, non-profit organization that is working to promote increased respect for human rights and general international law. Israel’s government has now threatened to stop Ship to Gaza and to use force if necessary. Does the Foreign Minister intend to protect this humanitarian initiative?”

As early as last week, Mehmet Kaplan of the Green Party of Sweden requested a meeting with the Foreign Minister, along with Ship to Gaza spokespersons Dror Feiler and Mattias Gardell, in order to discuss which security measures the Swedish government plans to take. Foreign Minister Carl Bildt has still not responded to any of the questions. As the convoy is setting sail this weekend, Ship to Gaza-Sweden wishes to emphasize how important a response from the government is regarding this matter. Especially since the Israeli media is reporting that the Swedish Ambassador to Israel has informed the Israeli government that she and the Swedish government intend to discourage Swedish citizens from participating in the Freedom Flotilla’s peaceful, lawful, humanitarian convoy. Meanwhile, the World Health Organization, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and several other human rights organizations have all condemned the blockade. Furthermore, the director of U.N. relief operations in Gaza, John Ging, welcomes initiatives such as Ship to Gaza, in order to break the blockade.

Ship to Gaza-Sweden
Contact:
Mattias Gardell: +46 703036666
Dror Feiler: +46 702855777

Free Gaza Movement

Contact:

Greta Berlin: +33 607374512

www.freegaza.org

0 comments

Update from viva Palestina

World-class speakers to attend the Summer University of Palestine!

On the 25th July the first session of the annual 'Summer University of Palestine' is due to begin in Lebanon.

This event is organised by the registered Lebanese charity Viva Palestine Arabia and will focus on Palestine. The week long intensive course will cover 'Past, Present and Future Palestine' on the history, geography and politics of the region.

A-list renowned world-class speakers such as: George Galloway, Ghada Karmi, Abdul Rahim Mourad, Dr Ali Fayad, Ziad Hafez, Reem Nimer, Vangelis Pissias, Dr Daud Abdullah ,Ma'un Bashour, Yvonne Ridley,Ramzy Baroud,Gabi Baramki, and Dr Azzam Tamimi amongst other leading speakers will be there! Will you?!

In addition to this residential educational event there will be visits to Palestinian refugee camps and we will also take you to view Baalbek, city of the sun and Fatima's gate.

This unforgettable experience is priced at $850 USD for 7 days/6 nights. This includes accommodation at the magnificent Lebanese International University, transfers, excursions, a full university syllabus and meals on the campus. You will also receive the official Viva Palestine Arabia T-shirt designed by Philosophy Football.

Spaces are limited! Register here to secure your place www.vivapalestinaarabia.org - Help us raise awareness of the siege of Gaza and also buy humanitarian aid to rebuild lives. Make a donation here: http://www.vivapalestinaarabia.org/en/donate

0 comments

FreeGaza update

PRESS RELEASE

Israel's Intimidation Tactics Won't Stop Us
First Ship Sets Sail for Gaza!

London – 14 May 2010 – At 22:45 local time tonight, the MV Rachel Corrie, a 1200-ton cargo ship, part of the eight-vessel Freedom Flotilla, set sail from Ireland on its way to the Mediterranean Sea. There, ships from Turkey and Greece will join her, then sail to Gaza.

This past week reports from Israel have indicated that the Israeli authorities will not allow the Freedom Flotillato reach Gaza with its cargo of much-needed reconstruction material, medical equipment, and school supplies. According to Israeli news sources, clear orders have been issued to prevent the ships from reaching Gaza, even if this necessitates military violence.

The Free Gaza Movement, which has launched eight other sea missions to Gaza, confirms that Israel has tried these kinds of threats and intimidation tactics before in order to try to stop the missions before they start. “They have not deterred us before and will not deter us now,” said one of the organizers.

Ship to Gaza -- Sweden, a Freedom Flotilla coalition partner, together with parliamentarian Mehmet Kaplan (Green Party) yesterday asked for an audience with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sweden, Carl Bildt, to discuss what measures the Swedish government and the European Union will take to protect the Freedom Flotilla’s peaceful, humanitarian voyage. Earlier this week during a meeting with the European Campaign to End the Siege on Gaza – another coalition partner, Turkish Prime Minister Tayyib Erdogan expressed his support for “breaking the oppressive siege on the Gaza Strip...which is at the top of Turkey’s list of priorities.“

Coalition partners, Ship to Gaza – Greece and the Turkish relief organization IHH, stressed that the ships, passengers, and cargo will be checked at each port of departure, making it clear that we constitute no security threat to Israel.

Israel’s threats to attack unarmed civilians aboard vessels carrying reconstruction aid are outrageous and indicative of the cruel and violent nature of Israel’s policies towards Gaza. The Freedom Flotilla is acting in line with universal principals of human rights and justice in defying a blockade identified as illegal by the UN and other humanitarian organizations. Palestinians in Gaza have a right to the thousands of basic supplies that Israel bans from entering, including cement and schoolbooks, as well as a right to access the outside world. The Freedom Flotilla coalition calls on all signatories to the Fourth Geneva Conventions to pressure Israel to adhere to its obligations under international humanitarian law, to end the lethal blockade on Gaza, and to refrain from attacking this peaceful convoy.

The Freedom Flotilla Coalition is comprised of: Free Gaza Movement (FG), European Campaign to End the Siege of Gaza (ECESG), Insani Yardim Vakfi (IHH), Ship to Gaza Greece, Ship to Gaza Sweden, and the International Committee to Lift the Siege on Gaza, with hundreds of groups and organizations around the world supporting the effort.

www.freegaza.org www.savegaza.eu www.ihh.org.tr
www.shiptogaza.gr www.shiptogaza.se

0 comments

Freegaza.org update

As we get ready to launch our cargo ship and Israel rattles its sabers threatening to violently stop our 8-boat flotilla, the 1.5 million Palestinians of Gaza cannot be forgotten. It is they who pay the price for the inaction of governments, particularly in the EU and the US.

According to the BCC and Amira Hass in columns last week, Israel allows only 81 items into Gaza for basic and bare necessity life. These items, many of them that have nothing to do with rebuilding a shattered infrastructure after Israel's brutal Operation Cast Lead at the beginning of 2009, are mostly 'added to the list' of imports because of pressure from Israeli merchants who make a great deal of money if their item gets on the approved list.

http://www.youtube.com/gazafriends#p/a/u/0/o2s_v-DHv0Y

Watch the video and look at the absurdity of banned items... chocolate, jam, sheets, pillows, and all rebuilding supplies. Taking these supplies into Gaza is exactly what the Freedom Flotilla intends to do.
Then watch the flotilla on our website, pressure your government officials to advocate for our safe passage, and continue to donate what you can for our fuel, captain and crew.

We want to thank everyone of you who have donated, advocated, written and called your representatives. This initiative has grown from a few supporters to thousands around the world. http://www.flickr.com/photos/freegaza

In the words Alice Walker, poet and author:

Goddess Speed your boat. You are doing the work of The Collective as it attempts to bring Comfort, Support and Abiding Love and Solidarity to Itself. What you demonstrate is what we all, deep in our hearts, can know: We are One People, existing in one Love. The Gazans are us, living in a beleaguered place too small for us, dangerous for us, deadly for us. Just as the air connects us, so does thisknowing wisdom of being one expression – human – of an infinitely creative Universe.

I send you my blessings, my prayers for your safety, and my love,
--
Greta Berlin
www.freegaza.org

0 comments

About

This is a diary born out of concerns of a never ending misery of Palestinian people trying to survive in conditions where they have no human dignity, no oppertunity to ordinary life, no daily life supplies, things that some of us don't think about much...A diary of 2 friends bonded with freedom, and looking for spreading the truth. [As my friend from Palestine is unavailable to write att the moment, I will try to cover the Palestinian view by copying news and interviewing my other Palestinian friends and asking them to write stories too] A gate to the land of Palestine, where freedom is a dream, and truth is hard to be seen. Help us to spread the truth by spreading this blog. Thank you for your support.

Diary about peace and freedom

Facebook Badge

update from my email

Press release 20 May 2010 from freegaza.org

Update from viva Palestina

World-class speakers to attend the Summer University of Palestine!

FreeGaza update

Freegaza.org update

About

Welcome

Blog lists where we are registered

Links about Palestine-Israel conflict

Video links

About Me

Links about Islam

Followers

Labels

Blog Archive