Iran aid ship to sail for Gaza this Sunday

by non-voter - SBU Wed Jun 23, 2010 20:45

Activists in Oakland California picketed a local dock where an Israeli ship was due to berth last Sunday ;
Oakland dockworkers affiliated with the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) refused to cross the picket line. An arbitrator upheld the legality of the workers' refusal to unload the ships.

"Our objective was to boycott this ship for 24 hours, and we succeeded in doing that,..............Our view is that the state of Israel can not engage in acts of piracy and kill people on the high seas and still think their cargo can go anywhere in the world,"" said Richard Becker, with the ANSWER Coalition, one of the groups that organized the protest.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/0...ernJl

Dockers in South Africa, Norway, Sweden and Malaysia have also said they will refuse to unload Israeli ships in the coming weeks.
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Other developments

------ Norway's military says it has canceled a special operations seminar because the Defense Ministry objected to the inclusion of an Israeli army officer in the program.

------- On Monday, the Turkish U-19 soccer team canceled its scheduled game against Israel after it received explicit instructions from the Turkish government to return to the country.

-------- The Swedish Football Association announced Tuesday that it will appeal to UEFA to cancel the scheduled appearance of Sweden's U-21 team for a game in Israel this week. Players training in Cyprus have "expressed reservations" about playing the Israeli team since the zionist outrage last month.

by non-voter - SBU Wed Jun 23, 2010 14:14

Members of an Israeli solidarity group called Boycott! have sent the following message to the Swedish dockworkers :

"Dear members of the dock workers union in Sweden,

We have heard of your decision to initiate a blockade against all Israeli transfers to and from Swedish harbors between the 23rd-29th of June, 2010. As Israeli citizens and residents, we are aware of the message these actions send to the Israeli society. Israelis who have so far lived in a bubble disassociated from the way they are perceived by the world outside will not be able to ignore this protest. For too long Israel has been treated by the outside world in a way that has allowed it to ignore international law in a most dangerous way, to both the Palestinians, to itself and citizens, and to the area as a whole. This continuous failure of the outside world to question Israeli policies has allowed Israelis to view the practices of its government as legitimate. Hopefully, actions such as yours, which profile Israel together with other non-democracies with fascist and racist agendas, will function as a wake-up call. Facts reported by a recent article in the Israeli paper Maariv give us hope that we are getting close to achieving just that.

We salute your move and hope that many other will follow your brave steps. We fully support your actions."

see:http://usacbi.wordpress.com/2010/06/23/boycott-supports...eden/

by non-voter - SBU Wed Jun 23, 2010 13:39

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman ,Ramin Mehmanparast, said arrangements were being negotiated with the Egyptian government to facilitate the delivery of the shipment of medical supplies and humanitarian aid to the impoverished people of Gaza. Yesterday Iranian Red Crescent official Abdulraouf Zada, said that the ships cargo comprises medicine, foodstuff, clothes for children, and toys .But Israels stridently islamophobic Chief of Staff ,Gabi Ashkenaz, insisted on referring to the aid as an "arms flow" that the zionist regime has a right and duty to inspect and prevent entering Gaza.

Meanwhile Jordans humanitarian Lifeline Committee said in a press conference on Tuesday that it was preparing a land convoy to Gaza.The committee said its convoy would leave on 12 July carrying " construction materials in addition to other badly needed items such as medical equipment, medication, baby milk powder and other relief material."

In an important development for the international solidarity movement , 1,500 members of the Swedish Port Workers Union began a boycott today at all Sweden's ports which handle more than 95% of the country's foreign trade to protest last months murder raid by Israeli commandos on the Mamara. The action is planned to end on June 29.

by Bazooka Joe Wed Jun 23, 2010 03:57

The Lebanese ships, the Julia and the Mariam are preparing to depart Lebanon for Gaza. They are heading to Cyprus first to contravene the Lebanese Government ban on ships "illegally attempting to enter an “Israeli-controlled port” (Gaza).

by opus diablos - the regressive hypocrite party Tue Jun 22, 2010 20:43

According to US military support site War On Terror its a routine changing of the naval guard.Also says there is a German frigate (FGS Hessen) along.Rattling the sabre.

by Ronoc Tue Jun 22, 2010 19:01

Largest warship in years to pass through Suez Canal... Read more here...

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/138164

by non-voter Tue Jun 22, 2010 18:03

On Monday, Israel demanded that the EU instruct its member states to prevent the organization of flotillas and to stop its citizens from working against Israeli interests. Also on Monday the American State Department issued a directive to US citizens warning them against joining any future aid flotillas .
Despite the zionist regimes warnings ,the aid movement is growing , with many hundreds of new volunteers signing up since the murders of the Turkish aid workers aboard the Mamara last month .A ship bound for the beseiged Palestinian port has already sailed from Lebanon as part of the growing international flotilla movement and is expected to reach Gaza by Sunday..