Israel Matzav

Vigilantes on the High Seas?

A group of ships laden with contraband for Gaza is heading toward Israel's coastline in a bid to break the 'blockade' on Gaza sometime next week. But this time, they won't just be confronted by the IDF. A group of Israeli civilians is set to send fifteen ships out to sea in a bid to confront the terror-sympathizers and to compete with them for media attention.

The foreign ships making their way to Gaza are sponsored in large part by Turkey. The ships aim to defy Israel's control of waters off the Gaza coast by entering the Hamas-controlled region without Israeli approval. Turkish Prime Minister Reccep Tayyip Erdogan is hoping to win support in the Arab world at Israel's expense, Freiman said, and the Israeli ships will draw attention to this fact.

Israeli activists will also remind the approaching foreign ships that Hamas bears responsibility for the fact that ships cannot enter and exit Gaza freely. Hamas refuses to release Israeli prisoner Gilad Shalit, Freiman said, and is thus to blame for the situation in Gaza.

The goal is to get Israel's point of view into the media, both in Israel and abroad, he explained.

Freiman said he could not give precise details of the planned confrontation at sea, but further details would be released as the date of the expedition approaches. Currently, activists are attempting to time things just right in order to meet the foreign boats at sea before they reach Gaza waters.

Hmmm.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 12:24 AM