Carpe Freedom Flotilla

Today Israel continued to act with impunity. Once again Israel violated international law with impunity. Today Israel once again “intercepted” civilian boats and “detained” dozens of people from more than fifty boats. Last month Israel Israel did the same to similar boats, the same to dozens more boats and people last summer, and have done the same many times in the previous decades.

The Freedom Flotilla organizes a coalition of international boats and people that set sail to break the illegal seize of Gaza. Several flotillas have been launched since Israel implemented a full blockade of Gaza in 2007. All the efforts by civilians to break the seize of Gaza have failed since 2008. Countries have never even tried, and seem to accept and approve of the blockade that controls all people and goods allowed into Gaza, and prevents dangerous objects like wheelchairs and pencils from entering Gaza.

It is for that reason that international civilians from around the world have been increasingly gathering to sail together to provide the basic goods to Gaza that countries of the world have chosen to not provide.

Last month dozens of boats were attacked by Israel while in waters off of Greece. Dozens of the civilians on boats from around the world ended up in Greece, beaten badly enough to end up in the hospital. Today the boats were “intercepted” again in international water near Cyprus.

Israel has no right under international law, the law of the seas, or the Geneva conventions to attack civilians boats. It also has no right to attack civilian, and also has no right to maintain the seize of Gaza.

Unfortunately, this will continue until Israel has been held accountable for violation of international law and it becomes clear that piracy at sea, and the “interception” of civilian boats is has consequences for people that do it.