SAN DIEGO (Press Release)– The American-flagged ship, The Audacity of Hope, is part of an international flotilla organized to violate Israel’s legal blockade of the Gaza Strip, allegedly to deliver humanitarian aid. StandWithUs condemns the flotilla as a hypocritical and dangerous publicity stunt, and joins international leaders who have urged the flotilla organizers to send goods to Gaza through approved official entry points.
“The flotilla is not designed to deliver aid to Gaza, but to demonize Israel, “says Audrey Jacobs, San Diego Regional Director of StandWithUs, an international Israel education and advocacy organization. “The International Red Cross and the European Commission have repeatedly confirmed there is no humanitarian crisis in Gaza.”
Israel, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and U.S. officials have all urged the flotilla organizers to cancel their plans and stressed that there is no need for a flotilla, as aid can be delivered to Gaza through official entry points in Israel and Egypt. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton warned last Thursday that the flotilla could be dangerous if it forced Israel to exercise
its right to self-defense. “We think it’s not helpful for there to be flotillas that try to provoke actions by entering Israeli waters and creating a situation in which the Israelis have the right to defend themselves.”
“The flotilla organizers are violating the legal naval blockade of Gaza to try to bait Israel into responding militarily and look like an aggressor,” says Roz Rothstein, CEO of StandWithUs. “The blockade is a legal measure to prevent Hamas and other terrorist groups in Gaza from freely importing weapons for their ongoing war against Israel. In the past five years, Hamas fired over 10,000 rockets into Israeli communities. Israel has repeatedly offered to deliver humanitarian aid through proper entry points after officially inspecting them for weapons. The flotilla organizers have refused to comply.”
Israel and international organizations like the United Nations transport 6,000 tons of food, fuel, materials, and other supplies
into Gaza daily through official channels. The May 2010 flotilla refused to comply with these protocols. When Israel tried to enforce the naval blockade, Turkish terrorists aboard one of the ships attacked Israeli personnel with knives, metal bars, and guns. Nine of the Turkish terrorists were killed.
In contrast, in June 2011, the European convoy ” Miles of Smiles 3” arrived at the Israel/Egypt Rafah land crossing, and members of its 10 European human rights organizations transferred 30 tons of medical supplies, ambulances, baby goods, and wheelchairs into Gaza. There was no disruption because the organizers were focused on delivering supplies, not delegitimizing Israel by provoking a violent confrontation.
“The flotilla is anti peace. It is trying to give aid and support to Hamas, an internationally identified terrorist organization dedicated to the murder of Jews and the obliteration of Israel. How can supporting such dangerous groups help promote
peace or help the moderate Palestinians who want peace? We hope that activists in the future will avoid destructive and dangerous publicity stunts like the flotilla and instead participate in projects that promote peaceful coexistence and truly help all the people in the region,” says Jacobs.
Founded in 2001, StandWithUs is an international Israel education and advocacy organization committed to supporting people around the world who want to educate others about Israel. StandWithUs works on college campuses and in communities, libraries, the media, and churches through brochures, speakers, conferences, missions to Israel, and extensive online resources.
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Preceding provided by StandWithUs, which now has 14 offices and chapters throughout theU.S. and in the UK and Israel. Go to www.standwithus.com for more on StandWithUs’ programs and resources. Go to www.flotillafacts.com for more information on the flotilla.