The United National Antiwar Committee has called for the resignation of Secretary of State Clinton because of her statement saying that Israel could use violence against a humanitarian flotilla of boats, including one U.S. flagged ship that is trying to reach the Gaza Strip.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Secretary of State Clinton stated that in response to the humanitarian and totally peaceful mission of the Gaza Freedom Flotilla II, “the Israelis have the right to defend themselves”, implying they can violently attack the boats with U.S. government permission. She has given approval for an attack by a foreign power on a U.S. flagged boat carrying nearly 40 Americans who are on a completely legal and admirable mission. This is inexcusable and a total betrayal of her duty to protect law abiding American citizens.
The United National Antiwar Committee, which is a coalition whose last convention had nearly 800 participants, condemns Clinton’s statement, and calls for her resignation as Secretary of State. We call for a clear statement by the Obama Administration that it will not tolerate any Israeli interference in the Freedom Flotilla voyage to the Gaza Strip.
Washington has also threatened to use "material support to terrorism" laws against boat participants -- the same laws which have been used to criminalize the totally legal and peaceful antiwar, solidarity and humanitarian activities of the 23 FBI/grand jury targets in the Midwest, and hundreds of others, mostly Muslim/Arab/South Asian."
At a recent meeting of the UNAC leadership, the organization voted unanimously to support the Freedom Flotilla and called for major demonstrations in the event the boat was attacked.
The international flotilla last year was brutally attacked and the Turkish ship fired on from the air, with a cherry-picked video clip of the resulting panic presented to the world to justify nine deaths, one of a United States citizen, most of them execution-style killings.
The U.S. Boat to Gaza website is www.ustogaza.org
Infant mortality in the Gaza is four times higher than it is in Israel less than a mile away from some Palestinian towns, 65% of babies 9-12 months are anemic, and over 60% of Gazans are "food insecure."
Because of the security buffer zone imposed around Gaza as part of the blockade, as of June 2009, 46% of agricultural land is either inaccessible or out of production.
At various times, Israel has blocked wheelchairs, dry food items, and crayons, stationary, soccer balls, and musical instruments. International aid group Mercy Corps said it was blocked from sending 90 tons of macaroni and other foodstuffs. Tin cans have been banned in the past because the tin might be melted down and used to build weaponry or structures by Hamas, making it hard for Gazan farmers to preserve their vegetables.
According to the Failing Gaza report by Amnesty International and other organizations, cement, glass, steel, bitumen, wood, paint, doors, plastic pipes, metal pipes, metal reinforcement rods, aggregate, generators, high voltage cables and wooden telegraph poles are "high priority reconstruction materials currently with no or highly limited entry into Gaza through official crossings."
Israel will be acting contrary to international law if it boards or interferes with the ships. International law Professor Juan Soroeta says there is no legal basis for Israel to intercept ships and prevent them from delivering humanitarian supplies:
"Israel only has jurisdiction over its territorial waters of 12 nautical miles, and neither the waters off Gaza nor international waters are under its authority."
Israeli human rights organization Gisha, obtained an Israeli government document which says:
"A country has the right to decide that it chooses...to operate using 'economic warfare.'"
Please call your congressman, ask him to sign letter to insure flotilla safety.
http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/...
CONTACT CONGRESS 202-224-3121
http://www.contactingthecongress.org/
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