Ann Wright: Gaza Freedom Flotilla and Save Jeju Island, interviewed by Cindy Sheehan

Image by Cau Napoli via Flickr

Updated: added the transcript Sept. 15, 2011

by Cindy Sheehan
Featured Writer
Dandelion Salad
Cindy Sheehan’s Soapbox Blog
Cindy Sheehan’s Soapbox
Sept. 4, 2011

This Sunday (September 4), Cindy welcomes good friend of peace and of Cindy Sheehan’s Soapbox, the notable woman of conscience, Ann Wright. Ms. Wright won’t steer you wrong! On this show she will talk about the recent Gaza Freedom Flotilla which she was a leader on the American boat and her recent trip to Jeju Island in South Korea where the Korean occupants are making a courageous stand against a US Naval base being built there.

Free Gaza Movement Supports Call for Military Embargo on Israel

Dandelion Salad

Freegaza
July 9, 2011

Image by Cau Napoli via Flickr

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(London, 9 July 2011) – The Free Gaza Movement welcomes, endorses, and supports the Palestinian Boycott National Committee (BNC) call for an immediate and comprehensive military embargo on Israel.

Freedom Flotilla II, and Israel’s attempts to thwart it through outrageous acts of intimidation, lies, threats of violence, and sabotage, has reminded the world that the criminal blockade on the Gaza Strip is still in force, depriving Palestinian civilians of their basic rights.

Huwaida Arraf: Breaking the Blockade

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AlternateFocus on Jul 6, 2011

Image via Wikipedia

The International Solidarity Movement (ISM) is a Palestinian led movement committed to solving issues between Israel and Palestine. Huwaida Arraf is one of the co-founders of the group and was filmed giving a speech at San Diego State University. During her speech, Huwaida talks about the history of the Palestinian people and the ISM’s role in trying to aid them. Also mentioned in her speech is the ISM’s attempts in sending aid to Gaza by boat. In one of their more recent voyages the group sent a ‘flotilla’ of ships to gaza that was intercepted by the Israeli Navy. During the interception civilians were shot and killed on one of the ISM’s boats which lead to an investigation by the United Nations.

Report from Greece on U.S. Gaza Aid Flotilla + Obama Admin Warns of Fines and Incarceration for Gaza Aid Flotilla

Dandelion Salad

Image via Wikipedia

ThisBoyTV on Jun 27, 2011

Up to 50 Americans are set to sail from a Greek port on a U.S.-flagged ship that is part of an international flotilla carrying humanitarian aid and letters of support for Gaza’s 1.5 million Palestinian residents.

From Afghans to Gazans: Why can’t we touch your face? + Freedom Flotilla 2 prepares for Launch

Hakim
Guest Writer
Dandelion Salad
http://ourjourneytosmile.com
June 26, 2011

Afghan Youth Peace Volunteers flew kites
for the people of Gaza
photo by Hakim

Dear friends,

The approximately 1000 ordinary people sailing with the Gaza Freedom Flotilla II ought to stop us in our ordinary tracks at least for a moment.

Why are ordinary people doing this for others not related to them?

Why are ordinary people supporting these freedom sailors?

Why are a few governments against this non-violent human solidarity?

Israel’s murderous violence by Eric Ruder + Trapped in Gaza

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by Eric Ruder
SocialistWorker.org
June 8, 2011

Image by Nicole Salazar via Flickr

Eric Ruder reports on the latest Israeli assault on unarmed protesters as the spirit of the Arab Spring spreads through Palestine and beyond.

ISRAELI TROOPS killed 23 unarmed demonstrators and wounded 350 more on the border with Syria June 5 as the protesters marched on the fortified fence separating Syria from the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.

Israel Responds to Flotilla Pressure by “Allowing More Crumbs” into Gaza + Israel kills protesters on Syrian Border

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by Freegaza
June 5, 2011

Image via Wikipedia

Aid Does Not Equal Freedom

For Immediate Release

Contact: Adam Shapiro, +30-694-781-5798, adamsop@gmail.com
Huwaida Arraf, +30-694-781-5798, huwaida.arraf@gmail.com
Greta Berlin, +33 607 374 512, Iristulip@gmail.com

Israel’s announcement today that it is “allowing between 210 and 220” trucks into Gaza with humanitarian aid is a direct response to the pressure that the upcoming Freedom Flotilla II is creating.

Israel’s Operational Plan to Attack the Freedom Flotilla to Gaza by Michel Chossudovsky

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Image by Zingaro. I am a gipsy too. via Flickr

by Michel Chossudovsky
Global Research
May 31, 2011

Israel is involved in advanced preparations to attack the Freedom Flotilla to Gaza. The commando attack is scheduled to take place in international waters. A detailed operational plan to be implemented by the Israeli navy has been set in motion. The use of force is explicitly contemplated:

Michael Chossudovsky: Egypt allows docking of Freedom Flotilla

Image by Zingaro. I am a gipsy too. via Flickr

Dandelion Salad

PressTVGlobalNews on May 24, 2011

The freedom flotilla aid ship MVFinch has received approval to dock in an Egyptian port giving further encouragement for the opening of borders into Gaza.

Press TV talks with Michael Chossudovsky, Director for the Center of Research on Globalization in Montreal who is in touch with the ship and is very optimistic about humanitarian materials getting through due to the actions taken by Egyptian authorities.

How Israel planned Flotilla attack

http://dandelionsalad.wordpress.com/

http://therealnews.com

TheRealNews — June 04, 2010

As the MV Rachel Corrie, the last boat in the Free Gaza Movement’s Flotilla, is scheduled to reach the Gaza shores on Saturday, Israel continues to react to its attack on Monday morning. Protests have been taking place throughout Israel and the occupied Palestinian Territories. In the meantime, The Real News’ Lia Tarachansky investigates how Israel prepared for the Flotilla attack, and how the media repeatedly portrayed a connection between the activists and terrorism. After the attack, Israel went on the offensive to prove there was indeed a connection to terrorism. The IDF published a press release saying the activists on board the Mavi Marmara ship that was the site of at least 9 deaths on Monday morning were actually al Qaeda mercenaries. When Tarachansky and journalist Max Blumenthaul questioned the IDF for evidence of this allegation, the IDF said it didn’t have any and changed the title of the press release to “attackers of the IDF soldiers found without identification papers.”

Sabotage on the High Sea by Greta Berlin

http://dandelionsalad.wordpress.com/

by Greta Berlin
Freegaza
03 June 2010

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Cyprus, June 4, 2010) On Tuesday,, Colonel Itzik Tourgeman told the Knesset Defense and Foreign Affairs Committee on Tuesday that two more ships are on their way to try and break the naval blockade of Gaza. The head of research in the operations division said, “The ships have not reached their target as of today because covert action was taken against them.” http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/Flash.aspx/187299

We had suspicions about our two boats, Challenger 1 and 2 and their mechanical problems as they sailed toward the flotilla, but we were not going to say anything unless we could prove it. Turns out we didn’t have to prove it. Israeli mouthpieces did.

IDF Boarding Gaza Aid Flotilla + Norman Finkelstein & Huwaida Arraf: Israel’s Attack + Richard Falk: “Shameful Thing” in Gaza

http://dandelionsalad.wordpress.com/

Hovhanness83 — June 01, 2010

31.05.2010

Adam Shapiro: Expose Israel’s policy to the world + Eyewitness and victim recounts Israeli flotilla attack + Captain recounts Israeli attack

http://www.buzzflash.net/story.php?id=1101176

http://dandelionsalad.wordpress.com/

RTAmerica

June 01, 2010 — The purpose of the Free Gaza Freedom Flotilla was to break the Israeli blockade that has been imposed on Gaza, a form of collective punishment of 1.5 million Palestinians who are trying to survive at this point. Adam Shapiro in New York is a board member of the Free Gaza movement, one of the groups that coordinated the Freedom Flotilla. His wife Huwaida Arraf is the chairperson of the Free Gaza movement and is on the flotilla.

Global Condemnation of Israeli Armed Attack on Gaza-Bound Freedom Flotilla

http://dandelionsalad.wordpress.com/

Democracy Now!
June 1, 2010

Global Condemnation of Israeli Armed Attack on Gaza-Bound Freedom Flotilla: At Least 10 Dead, Hundreds Remain in Detention

It was early Monday morning as Israeli soldiers stormed the Gaza-bound international aid convoy called the Freedom Flotilla in international waters about forty miles off the coast of Gaza. The six ships had nearly 700 international activists on board and 10,000 tons of humanitarian aid. They were aiming to break the three-year-long siege of the Gaza Strip. Israeli commandos landed on the lead ship in the convoy, the Turkish Mavi Marmara, which had about 600 activists on board. At least ten and as many as nineteen civilians on board the ship have been reported to have died in the attack. Israeli troops proceeded to seize the Mavi Marmara and the five other ships and take them to the port of Ashdod. Hundreds of activists are being detained in an Israeli prison, and nearly fifty others have been deported. The United Nations Security Council has condemned the attack and called for the immediate release of the ships and the civilians held by Israel and called for an impartial investigation. All the permanent members of the Security Council except for the United States explicitly called for Israel’s three-year blockade of the Gaza Strip to be lifted. Turkey has compared Israel’s actions to state terrorism. We speak to Adam Shapiro, Amira Hass, Ali Abunimah and Richard Falk. [includes rush transcript]

Israel detains Gaza flotilla passengers + Aid Activists Being Arrested After Israeli Attack

http://dandelionsalad.wordpress.com/

AlJazeeraEnglish

June 01, 2010 — A day after the Israeli raid on the aid flotilla bound for Gaza, nearly 500 passengers remain locked up in an Israeli jail, at least 9 bodies are lying in a morgue, and dozens of wounded activists are getting treated in hospitals.