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Israel’s Attack On The Freedom for Gaza Flotilla
Publication date : 2010-06-16
June 15th, 2010 - During the night of Sunday, May 31st into the early hours of Monday, June 1st, 2010, the Israeli army attacked ships of the Freedom for Gaza flotilla, killing at least nine civilians and wounding many others. The international civilians on board the flotilla intended to deliver 10, 000 tonnes of humanitarian aid to Gaza which has been subjected to an illegal, immoral and inhuman blockade by Israel for more than three years now. According to Bruce Katz, president of PAJU, passengers aboard the flotilla, unarmed and non-violent, were victims of a “cold-blooded execution.” In effect, autopsies performed in Turkey have revealed victims hit by more than 30 bullets and shot from close range. Kevin Neish, a Canadian citizen aboard a ship, confirmed that he had been brutalized while in detention in Israel for three days.
Israel’s Attack On The Freedom for Gaza Flotilla
Press release- June 15th, 2010 - During the night of Sunday, May 31st into the early hours of Monday, June 1st, 2010, the Israeli army attacked ships of the Freedom for Gaza flotilla, killing at least nine civilians and wounding many others. The international civilians on board the flotilla intended to deliver 10, 000 tonnes of humanitarian aid to Gaza which has been subjected to an illegal, immoral and inhuman blockade by Israel for more than three years now. According to Bruce Katz, president of PAJU, passengers aboard the flotilla, unarmed and non-violent, were victims of a “cold-blooded execution.” In effect, autopsies performed in Turkey have revealed victims hit by more than 30 bullets and shot from close range. Kevin Neish, a Canadian citizen aboard a ship, confirmed that he had been brutalized while in detention in Israel for three days.
The Israeli army seized another ship on a humanitarian mission to Gaza, the Rachel Corrie, on Saturday, June 5th, 2010. Although this particular interception did not result in an attack on passengers, PAJU believes that both actions perpetrated by the Israeli army were deliberate acts meant to further dehumanize the population of Gaza and to attempt to break the international solidarity movement which supports the Palestinian struggle for self-determination against the occupation, colonization and blockade of the apartheid Israeli state.
Flagrant Violation of International Law: Re-establishing the Facts
The Israeli attack against the flotilla in international waters is a flagrant transgression of Articles 87 to 89 of the UN Convention on Maritime Law which refers to freedom of navigation on the high seas for all states, and the use of the high seas for peaceful purposes.
When an incident relating to a ship takes place in international waters, the right of law lies with the state represented by the flag flown by the ship in question, in this case, Turkey. Under international law, Israel’s attack is nothing less than a declaration of war against Turkey and by this very fact constitutes a war crime, unless it be confirmed by the State of Israel that it did not authorize the attack, in which case Israel must extradite those responsible for this attack to Turkey so that they can be tried for murder. As the attack took place in Turkish “territory,” Israel has no legitimate right to undertake its own investigation into the attack: the responsibility for the investigation lies wholly with Turkey. 1
The Canadian Government Complicit in War Crimes
Bruce Katz also stated that Canada’s silence concerning the Israeli attack, coming at the same time that the Prime Minister of Israel was meeting with the Canadian Prime Minister, proves that “the Harper government in its role as unconditional supporter of the racist Israeli regime, and apologist for the crimes of the State of Israel against the Palestinian people, is complicit in these same crimes.”
Other Flotillas Will Sail
PAJU wishes to express its support for the imminent departure of another aid-ship to Gaza, the Jewish Boat. PAJU announces its intention to join with other groups from Quebec and other parts of Canada as part of another flotilla to Gaza leaving from a point in Europe as soon as possible.
For more information:
Marie-Christine Ladouceur
Vice-President, PAJU
una_rubia8@hotmail.com
514-524-2433
1 The analysis of the event in terms of international law is summarized by Craig Murray, former British ambassador and expert on Maritime Law: http://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2010/05/the_legal_posit.html