Meet the Amalthea on its way to Gaza
And here we go again.The Amalthea, under Libyan sponsorship, left the Greek port of Lavrio on Saturday on its way to
Defense Minister Ehud Barak said Saturday evening that the Libyan aid ship trying to reach Gaza, in violation of an Israeli naval blockade, was an "unnecessary provocation."Read the whole thing. More here.
"It would be better if it didn't happen at all," the defense minister added, stressing that "cargo can be transferred to Gaza via the Ashdod port following inspection, but we won't allow weapons, ammunition and warfare materials to enter Gaza."
Earlier Saturday, Palestinian Legislative Council member Jamal Al-Khudari and Israeli Arab MK Ahmed Tibi told the Palestinian news agency Ma'an that the Libyan aid ship will head to Gaza's port and will not be diverted. This after Israel's Foreign Ministry had announced earlier that the ship's crew, though originally bound for Gaza, had agreed to dock in Egypt's El Arish port instead to avoid violating Israel's blockade.
According to the ministry, the change in destination was agreed to by the ship's captain following talks between Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman and his Greek and Moldavian counterparts.
Al-Khudari, head of the Popular Committee Against the Siege, told Ma'an that he had been in constant contact with the organizers of the ship, who are expected to bring 2,000 tons of humanitarian aid to Gaza.
A spokesman at the Greek Foreign Ministry said the ship would head for El Arish. An official from ACA Shipping, which owns the ship, told Reuters ahead of the ship's departure that "the ship will leave in a few minutes for Gaza. If they don't let us reach there [Gaza] we will head to El Arish harbor in Egypt."
The ship - named the "Amalthia" - set sail Saturday from the Greek port of Lavrio with 12 crew and 15 activists and supporters on board, and about 2,000 tons of humanitarian aid supplied by the Gadhafi International Charity and Development Association, headed by Saif Al-Islam Gaddafi, the second-born son of the Libyan leader Muammar Gadhafi.
Tibi, of Israel's Ra'am Ta'al party, confirmed that the ship had set sail and would arrive in Gaza some 40 hours after the departure. The Israeli Arab MK had told Israel Radio earlier that "sailing to Gaza is a political and humane act. I don't know what Israel will do, because it has vowed to stop the ship, but Gaza remains the destination."
"Sailing [the aid ship] is a form of passive resistance, which is preferable to any other form of resistance," Tibi added.
Israel Radio's 4:00 pm (Sunday) news reports that the boat is heading to Gaza.
On Saturday, EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton expressed 'concern' over possible violence in connection with a new 'humanitarian aid' ship.
"I am concerned about reports of further ships carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza. I would like to call on all of those involved to exercise calm and restraint at this particular juncture," said Ashton in a statement.What could go wrong?
She noted that the EU is working with its international partners and the parties to bring about an end to the Israeli policy of closure in Gaza that would allow the people to get on with their ordinary lives.
"An escalation of tensions and unnecessary confrontations should be avoided, " added the statement.
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 3:55 PM
3 Comments:
Pump 4 inch shells into its engines and let it sink slowly.
It's so simple.
I second shy guy. This is war!
Shy Guy, agreed. But the Stupid Jews are too dense and politically correct to order their navy to do what every other country's navy would do in the face of repeated provocations.
Israel's appeasement of the world has neither bought its goodwill or secured understanding from it for the necessity of maintaining its naval blockade.
What could go wrong indeed
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