[THS] Jewish Boat to Gaza sets sail from Cyprus

[The Harder Stuff in news and commentary]

http://jewishboattogaza.org/

Jewish Boat to Gaza sets sail from Cyprus

Press release: issued on the 26th September 2010
At crisis point in peace talks, Jews, Israelis call to lift the siege on Gaza, end the
occupation.

A boat carrying aid for Gaza’s population and organized by Jewish groups worldwide
has set sail from Cyprus today at 13:32 local time

The boat, Irene, is sailing under a British flag and is carrying ten passengers and
crew, including Jews from the US, the UK, Germany and Israel as well as an Israeli
journalist.

Passengers on the Jewish Boat to Gaza gather for a group photograph before their
departure. Photo by Vish Vishvanath/Metro

The boat’s cargo includes symbolic aid in the form of children’s toys and musical
instruments, textbooks, fishing nets for Gaza’s fishing communities and prosthetic
limbs for orthopaedic medical care in Gaza’s hospitals.

The receiving organization in Gaza is The Palestinian International Campaign to end
the siege on Gaza, directed by  Dr. Eyad Sarraj and Amjad Shawa, Director of PNGO

The boat will attempt to reach the coast of Gaza and unload its aid cargo in a
nonviolent, symbolic act of solidarity and protest – and call for the siege to be lifted to
enable free passage of goods and people to and from the Gaza Strip.

The boat sets sail. Photos by Vish Vishvanath/Metro

The boat will fly multicolored peace flags carrying the names of dozens of Jews who
have expressed their support for this action, as a symbol of the widespread support
for the boat by Jews worldwide.

Speaking from London, a member of the organizing group, Richard Kuper of Jews
for Justice for Palestinians, said today that the Jewish Boat to Gaza is a symbolic act
of protest against the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories and the siege of
Gaza, and a message of solidarity to Palestinians and Israelis who seek peace and
justice.

‘Israeli government policies are not supported by all Jews,’ said Kuper. ‘We call on all
governments and people around the world to speak and act against the occupation
and the siege.’

Regarding the threat of interception by the Israeli navy, Kuper said ‘This is a
nonviolent action. We aim to reach Gaza, but our activists will not engage in any
physical confrontation and will therefore not present the Israelis with any reason or
excuse to use physical force or assault them.’

Passenger Reuven Moskovitz. Photo by Vish Vishvanath

Passenger Reuven Moskovitz, 82, said that his life’s mission has been to turn foes into
friends. “We are two peoples, but we have one future”, he said.