19 aug 2016
When two dozen women sail from Barcelona on September 14, mounting the latest international challenge to Israel's naval blockade of the Palestinian Gaza Strip, their boats -- the Amal, or "hope," and Zaytouna, or "olive" -- will confront a seemingly intractable impasse.
"There is no freedom of transport or travel owing to the closure of cross points and borders, which led to the death of a score of patients [from Gaza] who were unable to receive their treatment abroad," Samar Al-Dreamly, media coordinator for Gaza's Women's Affairs Center and editorial secretary of its Al-Ghaidaa magazine, told Truthout.
The closure, she said, "also caused countless students to lose opportunities to continue their education abroad."
The Gaza Strip, a small, 141-square mile Palestinian enclave, lies at the southwestern corner of Israel, bordered by it on two sides and facing its navy, which patrols the Mediterranean Sea offshore, on a third.
Only a modest pedestrian walkway at Rafah, connected to Egypt and frequently closed by its military-installed, Israel-allied government, lies outside the immediate regulation of Israel, which otherwise dominates the territory through control of its airspace, banking and telecommunications systems, building permits, customs and tax policies, electromagnetic spectrum, passports, and population registry, among countless other aspects of daily life.
Israel's web of restrictions on Gaza, alternately called the blockade, the closure or the siege, includes hundreds of laws, military regulations and state policies adopted over decades, many exclusive to the Gaza Strip but some also applying to both the West Bank and Israel itself.
One of its most significant components, the naval blockade, dates to Israel's June 1967 occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, which ended the international maritime traffic that had once thrived in a bustling Gaza seaport.
It is Israel's tight grip on Palestinians' use of their own sea, enforced by the gunboats and warships of a world-class navy, which the Women's Boat to Gaza (WBG) will confront.
"The blockade of Gaza is invisible in mainstream media all around the word, mainly because of wars and crises in the Middle East, but also because journalists and lots of people are tired of the so-called conflict, which in reality is an ongoing war of harassment against Palestinians in Gaza," Gerd von der Lippe, who will be traveling on the Women's Boat to Gaza, told Truthout.
Von der Lippe is a feminist activist and sports sociologist, as well as a former sprinting champion, from Telemark, Norway.
She added that she joined the Women's Boat to Gaza in solidarity with Palestinian women. "I want to contribute in order for them not to lose hope," she said.
The Blockade Persists
The Women's Boat to Gaza follows various efforts to challenge the closure. During each of Israel's three military offensives against the Gaza Strip -- in 2009, 2012 and 2014 -- Palestinians have pressed to end it as a term of ceasefires.
Other international activists have sailed to Gaza as well, starting with small boats launched by the Free Gaza Movement in 2008 and including three large Freedom Flotillas in 2010, 2011 and 2015. Israeli naval commandos raided the 2010 Flotilla on May 31, killing nine Turkish activists and one Turkish-American on board the MV Mavi Marmara, and injuring dozens.
Facing withering criticism, Israel modified its restrictions on imports to the Gaza Strip in July 2010, allowing basic consumer goods like fabric, paper and toys through its checkpoints for the first time in years. Other elements of the closure remained intact.
Many Palestinians hoped talks to end an ensuing rift between Israel and Turkey would lift the blockade, as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan repeatedly promised. But when protracted negotiations ended with a reconciliation agreement on June 26, nothing had changed but an Israeli agreement to allow increased Turkish aid into Gaza.
"Like other agreements, the Turkish agreement did not bring any real change to the current situation of the siege on Gaza," Al-Dreamly said. "People in Gaza have stopped believing or trusting any political attempts, initiatives or agreements, since there is no positive outcome reflected upon their lives."
Few Women's Boat to Gaza participants see the Israel-Turkey deal more favorably.
"As we read the reports, it is clear that the blockade has not been lifted," Wendy Goldsmith of Ontario, Canada, told Truthout. "The Turkish government is complying with Israel's demand to use so-called 'proper channels' using 'proper checkpoints' to deliver aid."
Goldsmith, a social worker and spokeswoman for the Canadian Boat to Gaza, part of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition coordinating the project, will also sail on the boat.
"We will not ask the oppressor for permission to reach the shores of Gaza," she said. "Our goal is clear. We will continue to sail until the blockade is totally and unconditionally lifted."
The Spread of Despair in Gaza
Turkey's planned infusion of aid can do little to resolve two of Gaza's most pressing crises. Israel's devastating 2014 military operation not only killed over 2,200 Palestinians but also damaged or destroyed 18,000 homes. Seventy-five thousand remain displaced, with reconstruction hobbled by both shortfalls in pledged international donations and Israeli restrictions on the import of cement and other necessary building materials.
After devastating much of Gaza's economic infrastructure, Israel banned both the much needed industrial imports and all but token exports. Since the start of 2016, it has allowed 69,684 truckloads of imports, but only 472 truckloads of exports and a further 108 for transfer to the West Bank. With few means of economic development, unemployment has ballooned to 41 percent, one of the world's highest rates. Among younger Palestinians, it is even higher.
"Despair has spread among most Gazans, especially the youth who are suffering from the unemployment, which has affected 75 percent," Al-Dreamly said.
With few signs of improvement in Gaza, most of which still consists of rubble from Israeli shells and airstrikes, further conflict seems inevitable.
As the Women's Boat to Gaza sails into troubled waters, its participants face clear dangers. Beside the bloodshed on board the Mavi Marmara in 2010, Israel has met other efforts to challenge its blockade with obstructions, such as ramming attacks on boats and capture at sea.
"It took us months to repair her and sail her down to Gaza to break the siege," Charlie Andreasson told Truthout about the Estelle, a Swedish vessel that attempted to sail to Gaza in 2012. "But the Israelis wanted otherwise and boarded us in international waters, used Tasers, interrogated us and then threw us behind bars."
Andreasson, an "able seaman" from Gothenburg, Sweden, also sailed on the Marianne, the lead ship of the third Freedom Flotilla in 2015. He also lived in the Gaza Strip for a year in 2014 and 2015.
"The Israeli jailers' primary goal seemed to be to humiliate, isolate and disempower us, so prisoner solidarity and visible nonviolent resistance was crucial," Kevin Neish, a retired marine engineer in Victoria, British Columbia told Truthout.
Neish, who was captured by Israeli forces on both the Mavi Marmara and the Marianne, likewise lived in Gaza between the two voyages.
Standing in Solidarity
Women's Boat to Gaza participants face the threats of violence, detention and deportation with clear, if varied, reasons for their risks.
"I am a playwright," Naomi Wallace told Truthout. "It's both my duty and inspiration to engage with and attempt to expose systems that diminish us, like occupation, racism and brutality."
Wallace, a native of Prospect, Kentucky, has addressed Palestine in three of her plays and worked on other issues including Cuba, facing brief detention by the Department of Homeland Security after openly defying the United States ban on travel to the island in 2007.
"Our taxes arm Israel," she said. "Our government has been supporting the occupation for decades now."
Others found inspiration to participate by viewing their country's history in a different light.
"Irish people coming out of their own experience of violent conflict can identify with the suffering of the people of Gaza living under Israeli siege and occupation," Mairead Maguire, a peace activist from Belfast, told Truthout.
Maguire won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1976 for her efforts to achieve justice in Northern Ireland.
"The [Women's Boat to Gaza] is important to be in solidarity with the people of Gaza and let them know the world stands with them in their struggle for the freedom and rights of Gaza and all the Palestinian people," she said.
In Gaza, Al-Dreamly thinks the boat has already achieved much of its purpose.
"The mere idea of the flotilla raises Gazans' spirits because they feel that people are standing with and for them," she said. "They do not only feel their suffering, but also want to help them."
"There is no freedom of transport or travel owing to the closure of cross points and borders, which led to the death of a score of patients [from Gaza] who were unable to receive their treatment abroad," Samar Al-Dreamly, media coordinator for Gaza's Women's Affairs Center and editorial secretary of its Al-Ghaidaa magazine, told Truthout.
The closure, she said, "also caused countless students to lose opportunities to continue their education abroad."
The Gaza Strip, a small, 141-square mile Palestinian enclave, lies at the southwestern corner of Israel, bordered by it on two sides and facing its navy, which patrols the Mediterranean Sea offshore, on a third.
Only a modest pedestrian walkway at Rafah, connected to Egypt and frequently closed by its military-installed, Israel-allied government, lies outside the immediate regulation of Israel, which otherwise dominates the territory through control of its airspace, banking and telecommunications systems, building permits, customs and tax policies, electromagnetic spectrum, passports, and population registry, among countless other aspects of daily life.
Israel's web of restrictions on Gaza, alternately called the blockade, the closure or the siege, includes hundreds of laws, military regulations and state policies adopted over decades, many exclusive to the Gaza Strip but some also applying to both the West Bank and Israel itself.
One of its most significant components, the naval blockade, dates to Israel's June 1967 occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, which ended the international maritime traffic that had once thrived in a bustling Gaza seaport.
It is Israel's tight grip on Palestinians' use of their own sea, enforced by the gunboats and warships of a world-class navy, which the Women's Boat to Gaza (WBG) will confront.
"The blockade of Gaza is invisible in mainstream media all around the word, mainly because of wars and crises in the Middle East, but also because journalists and lots of people are tired of the so-called conflict, which in reality is an ongoing war of harassment against Palestinians in Gaza," Gerd von der Lippe, who will be traveling on the Women's Boat to Gaza, told Truthout.
Von der Lippe is a feminist activist and sports sociologist, as well as a former sprinting champion, from Telemark, Norway.
She added that she joined the Women's Boat to Gaza in solidarity with Palestinian women. "I want to contribute in order for them not to lose hope," she said.
The Blockade Persists
The Women's Boat to Gaza follows various efforts to challenge the closure. During each of Israel's three military offensives against the Gaza Strip -- in 2009, 2012 and 2014 -- Palestinians have pressed to end it as a term of ceasefires.
Other international activists have sailed to Gaza as well, starting with small boats launched by the Free Gaza Movement in 2008 and including three large Freedom Flotillas in 2010, 2011 and 2015. Israeli naval commandos raided the 2010 Flotilla on May 31, killing nine Turkish activists and one Turkish-American on board the MV Mavi Marmara, and injuring dozens.
Facing withering criticism, Israel modified its restrictions on imports to the Gaza Strip in July 2010, allowing basic consumer goods like fabric, paper and toys through its checkpoints for the first time in years. Other elements of the closure remained intact.
Many Palestinians hoped talks to end an ensuing rift between Israel and Turkey would lift the blockade, as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan repeatedly promised. But when protracted negotiations ended with a reconciliation agreement on June 26, nothing had changed but an Israeli agreement to allow increased Turkish aid into Gaza.
"Like other agreements, the Turkish agreement did not bring any real change to the current situation of the siege on Gaza," Al-Dreamly said. "People in Gaza have stopped believing or trusting any political attempts, initiatives or agreements, since there is no positive outcome reflected upon their lives."
Few Women's Boat to Gaza participants see the Israel-Turkey deal more favorably.
"As we read the reports, it is clear that the blockade has not been lifted," Wendy Goldsmith of Ontario, Canada, told Truthout. "The Turkish government is complying with Israel's demand to use so-called 'proper channels' using 'proper checkpoints' to deliver aid."
Goldsmith, a social worker and spokeswoman for the Canadian Boat to Gaza, part of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition coordinating the project, will also sail on the boat.
"We will not ask the oppressor for permission to reach the shores of Gaza," she said. "Our goal is clear. We will continue to sail until the blockade is totally and unconditionally lifted."
The Spread of Despair in Gaza
Turkey's planned infusion of aid can do little to resolve two of Gaza's most pressing crises. Israel's devastating 2014 military operation not only killed over 2,200 Palestinians but also damaged or destroyed 18,000 homes. Seventy-five thousand remain displaced, with reconstruction hobbled by both shortfalls in pledged international donations and Israeli restrictions on the import of cement and other necessary building materials.
After devastating much of Gaza's economic infrastructure, Israel banned both the much needed industrial imports and all but token exports. Since the start of 2016, it has allowed 69,684 truckloads of imports, but only 472 truckloads of exports and a further 108 for transfer to the West Bank. With few means of economic development, unemployment has ballooned to 41 percent, one of the world's highest rates. Among younger Palestinians, it is even higher.
"Despair has spread among most Gazans, especially the youth who are suffering from the unemployment, which has affected 75 percent," Al-Dreamly said.
With few signs of improvement in Gaza, most of which still consists of rubble from Israeli shells and airstrikes, further conflict seems inevitable.
As the Women's Boat to Gaza sails into troubled waters, its participants face clear dangers. Beside the bloodshed on board the Mavi Marmara in 2010, Israel has met other efforts to challenge its blockade with obstructions, such as ramming attacks on boats and capture at sea.
"It took us months to repair her and sail her down to Gaza to break the siege," Charlie Andreasson told Truthout about the Estelle, a Swedish vessel that attempted to sail to Gaza in 2012. "But the Israelis wanted otherwise and boarded us in international waters, used Tasers, interrogated us and then threw us behind bars."
Andreasson, an "able seaman" from Gothenburg, Sweden, also sailed on the Marianne, the lead ship of the third Freedom Flotilla in 2015. He also lived in the Gaza Strip for a year in 2014 and 2015.
"The Israeli jailers' primary goal seemed to be to humiliate, isolate and disempower us, so prisoner solidarity and visible nonviolent resistance was crucial," Kevin Neish, a retired marine engineer in Victoria, British Columbia told Truthout.
Neish, who was captured by Israeli forces on both the Mavi Marmara and the Marianne, likewise lived in Gaza between the two voyages.
Standing in Solidarity
Women's Boat to Gaza participants face the threats of violence, detention and deportation with clear, if varied, reasons for their risks.
"I am a playwright," Naomi Wallace told Truthout. "It's both my duty and inspiration to engage with and attempt to expose systems that diminish us, like occupation, racism and brutality."
Wallace, a native of Prospect, Kentucky, has addressed Palestine in three of her plays and worked on other issues including Cuba, facing brief detention by the Department of Homeland Security after openly defying the United States ban on travel to the island in 2007.
"Our taxes arm Israel," she said. "Our government has been supporting the occupation for decades now."
Others found inspiration to participate by viewing their country's history in a different light.
"Irish people coming out of their own experience of violent conflict can identify with the suffering of the people of Gaza living under Israeli siege and occupation," Mairead Maguire, a peace activist from Belfast, told Truthout.
Maguire won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1976 for her efforts to achieve justice in Northern Ireland.
"The [Women's Boat to Gaza] is important to be in solidarity with the people of Gaza and let them know the world stands with them in their struggle for the freedom and rights of Gaza and all the Palestinian people," she said.
In Gaza, Al-Dreamly thinks the boat has already achieved much of its purpose.
"The mere idea of the flotilla raises Gazans' spirits because they feel that people are standing with and for them," she said. "They do not only feel their suffering, but also want to help them."
7 aug 2016
Head of Miles of Smiles aid convoys Isam Yousef has expected that around 24 female activists are likely to be aboard the boats, "Amal and Zaytouna," slated to set sail for the besieged Gaza Strip next month.
In press remarks on Sunday, Yousef called for necessarily initiating popular events in support of the women's boats to Gaza under the slogan "Break the siege with your hands."
He also called for supporting these renewed efforts to break the siege financially, spiritually and politically. The Gaza-bound boats will leave Barcelona in Spain on September 14, with an all-woman crews on board in order to challenge and break the illegal and inhuman Israeli blockade.
On September 12, 13 and 14, there will be various events in the Port of Barcelona related to the departure of the boats to Gaza.
In press remarks on Sunday, Yousef called for necessarily initiating popular events in support of the women's boats to Gaza under the slogan "Break the siege with your hands."
He also called for supporting these renewed efforts to break the siege financially, spiritually and politically. The Gaza-bound boats will leave Barcelona in Spain on September 14, with an all-woman crews on board in order to challenge and break the illegal and inhuman Israeli blockade.
On September 12, 13 and 14, there will be various events in the Port of Barcelona related to the departure of the boats to Gaza.
23 june 2016
The Women’s Boat to Gaza, a campaign of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition conducted its meetings, over the past weekend, to discuss and further plans to set sail towards Gaza in mid-September, with all women delegates and crew. In doing so, we raise the issue of the ongoing illegal blockade of Gaza. Shabnam Mayet, Human Rights Advocate of South Africa says, “The Israeli occupation consistently both violates International Law and disregards UN Resolutions with impunity.”
Confirmed delegates who will be on the Flotilla include; Nobel Laureate (1976) and peace activist from Northern Ireland, Mairead Maguire and Green Party New Zealand Member of Parliament Marama Davidson. Further delegates will be announced in the coming weeks.
One of the important goals of our mission is to highlight the devastating effects of the brutal blockade on the Palestinian people living in Gaza. We will emphasize in particular the struggle of women, and their many roles within the resistance. Women in Gaza often fill the role of caring for and sustaining life, they are actively involved in community development and nation building. It is important to make their voices heard, even more so during periods of extreme injustice.
We also wish to acknowledge the anniversary of the massacre on the Mavi Marmara in 2010, when 10 non-violent activists were murdered by the Israeli Navy, an illegal act in international waters that continues to go unpunished. However, this brutal attack is nothing compared to the daily violence inflicted on Gaza with while the world remains silent.
A United Nations report states that Gaza will be uninhabitable by 2020. Homes, schools and hospitals have been destroyed. 97% of water is not drinkable and electricity is reduced to a few hours per day. “Our project, supported by many women’s groups in Gaza and by civil society around the world, seeks to bring a message of solidarity and hope. In order to change this horrifying prediction the siege must be immediately lifted” says Ellen Huttu Hansson, spokesperson for Ship to Gaza Sweden.
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition has asked for the support of members of the European Parliament for the Women’s Boat to Gaza and will seek assurances from all governments that they will protect and not obstruct its peaceful mission of solidarity to the besieged Palestinian people of Gaza.
Confirmed delegates who will be on the Flotilla include; Nobel Laureate (1976) and peace activist from Northern Ireland, Mairead Maguire and Green Party New Zealand Member of Parliament Marama Davidson. Further delegates will be announced in the coming weeks.
One of the important goals of our mission is to highlight the devastating effects of the brutal blockade on the Palestinian people living in Gaza. We will emphasize in particular the struggle of women, and their many roles within the resistance. Women in Gaza often fill the role of caring for and sustaining life, they are actively involved in community development and nation building. It is important to make their voices heard, even more so during periods of extreme injustice.
We also wish to acknowledge the anniversary of the massacre on the Mavi Marmara in 2010, when 10 non-violent activists were murdered by the Israeli Navy, an illegal act in international waters that continues to go unpunished. However, this brutal attack is nothing compared to the daily violence inflicted on Gaza with while the world remains silent.
A United Nations report states that Gaza will be uninhabitable by 2020. Homes, schools and hospitals have been destroyed. 97% of water is not drinkable and electricity is reduced to a few hours per day. “Our project, supported by many women’s groups in Gaza and by civil society around the world, seeks to bring a message of solidarity and hope. In order to change this horrifying prediction the siege must be immediately lifted” says Ellen Huttu Hansson, spokesperson for Ship to Gaza Sweden.
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition has asked for the support of members of the European Parliament for the Women’s Boat to Gaza and will seek assurances from all governments that they will protect and not obstruct its peaceful mission of solidarity to the besieged Palestinian people of Gaza.
3 june 2016
Dozens of the wounded and the disabled due to the Israeli repeated aggression on Gaza Strip staged a sit-in on Thursday in protest against the Israeli siege and to welcome the women solidarity boats expected to arrive in September.
The participants of the event which was held by Miles of Smiles at Gaza harbor raised posters and slogans welcoming the solidarity boats and calling for lifting the siege and giving the wounded their rights in full especially the right of treatment.
The sit-inners called on international institutions to intervene and oblige Israeli occupation to lift the siege on Gaza, open the crossings, and allow the Gazans to establish a harbor and an airport.
They also asked for providing them with health treatment stressing that they are in critical need for conducting surgeries overseas which they cannot do because of the continuous siege.
The participants of the event which was held by Miles of Smiles at Gaza harbor raised posters and slogans welcoming the solidarity boats and calling for lifting the siege and giving the wounded their rights in full especially the right of treatment.
The sit-inners called on international institutions to intervene and oblige Israeli occupation to lift the siege on Gaza, open the crossings, and allow the Gazans to establish a harbor and an airport.
They also asked for providing them with health treatment stressing that they are in critical need for conducting surgeries overseas which they cannot do because of the continuous siege.
29 may 2016
The world campaign for the support of women boats to Gaza declared May 31 as the world solidarity day with Gaza in commemoration of the sixth anniversary of the Israeli attack on Mavi Marmara solidarity ship.
In a press statement on Saturday, Dr. Issam Yousuf, head of the world popular committee for the support of Gaza, called for massive action to end the Israeli siege on Gaza Strip.
He asked the international community to protect the women boats heading to Gaza and guarantee their arrival to the Strip with no objection or interception by Israeli navy.
He also urged for adopting the Palestinian demands of establishing a harbor in Gaza and providing the floating power plant. He called on Egypt to open Rafah border crossing and to establish a commercial zone with Gaza Strip.
Yousuf said, "The siege is a massive punishment and a crime against humanity in Palestine", and called for tabling the Israeli crimes at the international courts in order to prosecute Israeli army and political leaders.
In a press statement on Saturday, Dr. Issam Yousuf, head of the world popular committee for the support of Gaza, called for massive action to end the Israeli siege on Gaza Strip.
He asked the international community to protect the women boats heading to Gaza and guarantee their arrival to the Strip with no objection or interception by Israeli navy.
He also urged for adopting the Palestinian demands of establishing a harbor in Gaza and providing the floating power plant. He called on Egypt to open Rafah border crossing and to establish a commercial zone with Gaza Strip.
Yousuf said, "The siege is a massive punishment and a crime against humanity in Palestine", and called for tabling the Israeli crimes at the international courts in order to prosecute Israeli army and political leaders.
25 may 2016
A series of pro-Palestine campaigns is expected to be held by non-governmental organizations across the European continent to push for lifting the Israeli siege on Gaza.
A consortium of relief and human rights institutions and activists announced their intent to hold pro-Palestine events following the launch of the Global Campaign to Support Women’s Boat to Gaza on May 19.
Chairman of the Global Popular Committee to Support Gaza, Essam Youssef, said the campaign aims at raising the world’s awareness of the tragedy endured by Palestinians in the blockaded Gaza Strip due to the tough and illegal Israeli siege imposed for 10 years.
Marine parades, popular festivals, exhibitions, and forums are expected to be held all the way through the campaign.
Chairman of the International Committee to Lift the Siege on Gaza, Zaher Birawi, also said the campaign aims at breaking the Israeli blockade so as to alleviate Gazans’ agony and restore their right to live in dignity and move freely.
Two women's boats are to be sent to the besieged Gaza Strip in a move acclaimed by several feminist organizations across the globe, including the Women’s Affairs Center (Gaza), de Politika Feminesta Forum (Spain), and Women's Front (Norway).
A consortium of relief and human rights institutions and activists announced their intent to hold pro-Palestine events following the launch of the Global Campaign to Support Women’s Boat to Gaza on May 19.
Chairman of the Global Popular Committee to Support Gaza, Essam Youssef, said the campaign aims at raising the world’s awareness of the tragedy endured by Palestinians in the blockaded Gaza Strip due to the tough and illegal Israeli siege imposed for 10 years.
Marine parades, popular festivals, exhibitions, and forums are expected to be held all the way through the campaign.
Chairman of the International Committee to Lift the Siege on Gaza, Zaher Birawi, also said the campaign aims at breaking the Israeli blockade so as to alleviate Gazans’ agony and restore their right to live in dignity and move freely.
Two women's boats are to be sent to the besieged Gaza Strip in a move acclaimed by several feminist organizations across the globe, including the Women’s Affairs Center (Gaza), de Politika Feminesta Forum (Spain), and Women's Front (Norway).
20 may 2016
The international committee for breaking the siege and supporting Palestine has announced the launch of a global campaign to patronize the efforts being made by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition to send women's boats to the Gaza Strip next September.
Head of the anti-siege committee Zaher al-Birawi said on Thursday that the campaign would include events and activities to be organized in Gaza and other cities around the world.
"The people of Gaza deserve from everyone every possible effort to alleviate their suffering, provide them with the means to live a decent life and enable them to move and travel from and to Gaza freely," Birawi underscored.
Head of the anti-siege committee Zaher al-Birawi said on Thursday that the campaign would include events and activities to be organized in Gaza and other cities around the world.
"The people of Gaza deserve from everyone every possible effort to alleviate their suffering, provide them with the means to live a decent life and enable them to move and travel from and to Gaza freely," Birawi underscored.
13 may 2016
"Amal-Hope" and "Zaytouna-Oliva" are the names of two women's boats to be sent by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition to the besieged Gaza Strip in mid-September.
"This month, in celebration of Mother's Day, we concluded our worldwide call to name the boats that will sail to Gaza. Amal-Hope and Zaytouna-Oliva (submitted by Anam el-Jabali, US and David Heap, Canada) will sail to Gaza in mid-September," the coalition announced recently on its website.
"Both women’s names represent many languages. Amal symbolizes the hope that we will bring to the shores of Gaza and Zaytouna symbolizes the mighty olive, the tree of life in Palestinian agriculture," it added.
In this regard, head of Miles of Smiles anti-siege campaigns Isam Yousef hailed the coalition for giving the boats names that "bring hope for Gaza despite its suffering and confirm the Palestinians' right to their land and trees, and their right to get their freedom and establish their state."
Yousef urged the Palestinians in Gaza to support this new anti-siege campaign spiritually, financially and politically.
"This month, in celebration of Mother's Day, we concluded our worldwide call to name the boats that will sail to Gaza. Amal-Hope and Zaytouna-Oliva (submitted by Anam el-Jabali, US and David Heap, Canada) will sail to Gaza in mid-September," the coalition announced recently on its website.
"Both women’s names represent many languages. Amal symbolizes the hope that we will bring to the shores of Gaza and Zaytouna symbolizes the mighty olive, the tree of life in Palestinian agriculture," it added.
In this regard, head of Miles of Smiles anti-siege campaigns Isam Yousef hailed the coalition for giving the boats names that "bring hope for Gaza despite its suffering and confirm the Palestinians' right to their land and trees, and their right to get their freedom and establish their state."
Yousef urged the Palestinians in Gaza to support this new anti-siege campaign spiritually, financially and politically.
8 mar 2016
The National Anti-Siege and Reconstruction Movement Commission has expressed its appreciation for the efforts being made by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) to launch a Women’s Boat to Gaza (WBG) campaign.
In a press release, the commission said that this campaign would be an important addition to all endeavors aimed at breaking the Israeli naval blockade on Gaza and supporting the Palestinian people's right to have a seaport.
The FFC has chosen March 8th, which marks International Women’s Day, to announce the launch of their WBG campaign.
The anti-siege women-only boat will set sail for Gaza in mid-September and dock at a number of Mediterranean ports during its voyage to besieged Gaza. The boat will carry aboard notable women from all over the world.
In a press release, the commission said that this campaign would be an important addition to all endeavors aimed at breaking the Israeli naval blockade on Gaza and supporting the Palestinian people's right to have a seaport.
The FFC has chosen March 8th, which marks International Women’s Day, to announce the launch of their WBG campaign.
The anti-siege women-only boat will set sail for Gaza in mid-September and dock at a number of Mediterranean ports during its voyage to besieged Gaza. The boat will carry aboard notable women from all over the world.
1 mar 2016
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition has announced that a women's boat to Gaza is expected to set sail for the Strip soon in order to break the blockade on the coastal territory and express solidarity with the Palestinian people in their struggle against the Israeli occupation.
In an interview with the Palestinian newspaper al-Quds on Monday, Dr. Essam Youssef, the head of the Popular International Committee to support the Gaza Strip, said the flotilla is not only aimed at breaking the siege but also at bringing hope to the Palestinian people with the support of civil society institutions, women's organizations and international activists.
"In order to achieve these goals, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition has decided to launch a popular campaign with the participation of activists from all around the world that will challenge the siege on Gaza and draw the world's attention to Palestinians’ plight in general and to Gazans' plight in particular," Youssef added.
He hailed the activism and steadfastness maintained by Palestinian women throughout the national liberation struggle. Several groups have tried to pop in the Gaza Strip to lift the tough Israeli blockade imposed since 2006.
The Free Gaza Movement, a coalition of human rights activists and pro-Palestinian groups formed to challenge the Israeli-Egyptian blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip, had sailed humanitarian aid ships to Gaza. The first sailing took place in early August 2008.
In an interview with the Palestinian newspaper al-Quds on Monday, Dr. Essam Youssef, the head of the Popular International Committee to support the Gaza Strip, said the flotilla is not only aimed at breaking the siege but also at bringing hope to the Palestinian people with the support of civil society institutions, women's organizations and international activists.
"In order to achieve these goals, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition has decided to launch a popular campaign with the participation of activists from all around the world that will challenge the siege on Gaza and draw the world's attention to Palestinians’ plight in general and to Gazans' plight in particular," Youssef added.
He hailed the activism and steadfastness maintained by Palestinian women throughout the national liberation struggle. Several groups have tried to pop in the Gaza Strip to lift the tough Israeli blockade imposed since 2006.
The Free Gaza Movement, a coalition of human rights activists and pro-Palestinian groups formed to challenge the Israeli-Egyptian blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip, had sailed humanitarian aid ships to Gaza. The first sailing took place in early August 2008.
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