UPDATE BELOW: Audacity Invites Media to Inspect Boat and Passengers, “We’re Sulfur-Free and Ready to Sail”
You are in a tough and pretty conservative crowd when you go to Military.com, but even there the flavor of comments to this story is "Senator Mark please report to The Mental Health Ward." The Buzzflash "News Alert" is even better: "Republican Senator Mark Kirk Urges Pentagon to Commit Terrorist Acts Against US Citizens in Latest Gaza Aid Effort."
Illinois, what in the world are ya'll doing up there? This guy is a senator?
Military Times reports:
In a report drafted following a visit to Israel in early June, Sen. Mark Kirk, R-Ill., says the United States should "make available all necessary special operations and naval support to the Israeli Navy to effectively disable flotilla vessels before they can pose a threat to Israeli coastal security or put Israeli lives at risk."
The following is a letter to Senator Kirk from three of his Illinois consituents, including Kathy Kelly and Kossack Robert Naiman, who are passengers on the aid boat to Gaza now docked in Greece.
June 29th, 2011
Dear Senator Kirk,
We are Illinois residents writing to you from Athens, Greece. Just before leaving the United States, we wrote to inform your office about our intent to sail on "The Audacity of Hope," as part of the US Boat to Gaza project. In our letters, we explained why we were traveling to Gaza. We told you of our previous experiences living among Palestinians who lack access to basic necessities, such as clean water, because of the blockade.
Referring to Gaza as the world's largest open-air prison, we mentioned how hard it has been for people to rebuild after previous lethal assaults, especially the Operation Cast Lead attack which ended, after 23 days, on January 18, 2009. According to B'tselem, the foremost Israeli Human Rights Organization, Operation Cast Lead caused the deaths of 1,389 Palestinians in Gaza. Of those, 344 were children. Of the 13 Israelis who were killed, four were soldiers killed by friendly fire.
Knowing that you and your staff care deeply about the consequences of unemployment, poor education and dangerously limited health care delivery, we pointed out related statistics affecting people in Gaza where 45% of the population is unemployed and hospital administrators are sounding the alarm because they are running out of crucial medicines. Half of Gaza's 1.6 million people are under age 18.
As you've recently noted, a flotilla of ships plans to arrive in Gaza. Our ship will carry 3,000 letters addressed to Gazan children and families. Other boats are carrying humanitarian assistance.
Greek authorities have been checking into various complaints which have stalled the flotilla's progress. In our case, a complaint was lodged by the Israel Law Center, located in Tel Aviv, suggesting that our boat is not seaworthy. Two of the boats have been sabotaged while docked in the harbor, causing further delays.
A website, www.military.com, reports that you said the United States should "make available all necessary special operations and naval support to the Israeli Navy to effectively disable flotilla vessels before they can pose a threat to Israeli coastal security or put Israeli lives at risk."
You have an unusual opportunity to demonstrate thoughtful reconsideration of your earlier decision. Op-ed pieces have appeared in Israel's Haaretz newspaper, encouraging the Israeli government to let the flotilla pass.
"There is nearly nothing which more effectively delegitimizes Israel - and makes Israel look more like an uncaring blockhead state - than does the siege of Gaza," wrote Bradley Burston, Senior Editor of Haaretz and a former Israeli Defense Force medic. "The siege benefits Hamas in a thousand ways and Israel in none. But there is one thing that does the work of delegitimization even better: attacking civilians in order to protect the siege. Enter the 21st century. Before it's too late. You're not young commandos anymore... Do your nation a favor - act your age. The flotilla is not a terrorist fleet. It is not an arms shipment. The flotilla is, however, a statement about Israel, a judgment of its policies, and, in the end, the verdict will come directly from you."
Senator Kirk, we are your constituents. It's not too late for you to acknowledge that your earlier call for military action against us jeopardizes our safety and to reverse your claim which insinuates that we are dangerous people. We write with utmost respect for our collective responsibility to secure a better world, breaking the irrational cycle of military aggression and upholding basic human rights of all people.
Sincerely,
Max Suchan, Chicago IL
Kathy Kelly, Chicago IL
Robert Naiman, Champaign-Urbana
Infant mortality in the Gaza is four times higher than it is in Israel less than a mile away from some Palestinian towns, 65% of babies 9-12 months are anemic, and over 60% of Gazans are "food insecure."
Because of the security buffer zone imposed around Gaza as part of the blockade, as of June 2009, 46% of agricultural land is either inaccessible or out of production.
At various times, Israel has blocked wheelchairs, dry food items, and crayons, stationary, soccer balls, and musical instruments. International aid group Mercy Corps said it was blocked from sending 90 tons of macaroni and other foodstuffs. Tin cans have been banned in the past because the tin might be melted down and used to build weaponry or structures by Hamas, making it hard for Gazan farmers to preserve their vegetables.
According to the Failing Gaza report by Amnesty International and other organizations, cement, glass, steel, bitumen, wood, paint, doors, plastic pipes, metal pipes, metal reinforcement rods, aggregate, generators, high voltage cables and wooden telegraph poles are "high priority reconstruction materials currently with no or highly limited entry into Gaza through official crossings."
Israel will be acting contrary to international law if it boards or interferes with the ships. International law Professor Juan Soroeta says there is no legal basis for Israel to intercept ships and prevent them from delivering humanitarian supplies:
"Israel only has jurisdiction over its territorial waters of 12 nautical miles, and neither the waters off Gaza nor international waters are under its authority."
Israeli human rights organization Gisha, obtained an Israeli government document which says:
"A country has the right to decide that it chooses...to operate using 'economic warfare.'"
Senator Mark Kirk contact:
Phone: 202-224-2854
Fax: 202-228-4611
Please call your congressman, ask him to sign letter to insure flotilla safety.
http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/...
CONTACT CONGRESS 202-224-3121
http://www.contactingthecongress.org/
Audacity of Hope participants
UPDATE:
Audacity Invites Media to Inspect Boat and Passengers
“We’re Sulfur-Free and Ready to Sail”
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Athens: Donna Nevel, +30-694-266-3852;
New York: Leslie Cagan, 347-581-1782
Twitter @USBoatToGaza
Passengers on the U.S. Boat to Gaza, The Audacity of Hope, invite Greek and international media to inspect The Audacity of Hope at 3 pm Athens time on Thursday, June 30, in the town of Perama (next to Piraeus), 42 Democratis.
The entire boat will be open for view, photography, and video. The captain, crew, and passengers on the boat will be available for interviews and inspection. The cargo of the ship – 3,000 letters from Americans to the people of Gaza – will also be available for view, photographs, and video. Everything that will be on the boat when it sets sail, including food and passengers’ personal medications for use during their voyage, will be available for inspection....MORE