Madam, – Many years ago, as a young naive rugby-mad student, I attempted to argue all the “muddy-the-waters” points currently being offered by the pro-raid apologists. At the time I was arguing against sanctions on South Africa. I pointed out that there were many other parts of the world where human rights violations occurred; that we shouldn’t be seen to be supporting terrorists; that the white South Africans had a right to defend themselves and their property. I argued further that sport should not be brought into the political arena.
The only difference between my misguided utterances then and the pro-raid apologists now is that I was naive. They are anything but. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – Desmond FitzGerald (June 2nd) is withering in his scorn for those who fail to recognise Israel’s right to sanction Gaza. He also implies double standards, that “none of the people involved have ever attempted to bring aid to people in Burma or Zimbabwe”.
The world-view from capitalistic Canary Wharf obviously differs from bourgeois Muswell Hill. Here we envisage problems for an aid flotilla reaching land-locked Zimbabwe. We also see a difference between intervening in the internal politics of sovereign nations (however reprehensible their regimes), and aiding a besieged people which has democratic and elected local government (however much we query its policies). – Yours, etc,
Madam, – Israel’s action in the early hours of Monday morning has demonstrated, once again, that it acts with impunity.
Its hijacking of boats carrying much-needed humanitarian aid to Gaza in international waters and the killing of at least nine civilians and injuring of many others is reprehensible. These civilians were on a humanitarian mission bringing medical, building and school supplies to the population of Gaza which has been under a devastating siege for over three years.
This action has come about because, for far too long, Israel has been given immunity by the international community for a host for earlier crimes, including the killing of over 1,400 Palestinians, over 400 of them women and children in its military assault on Gaza in December 2008-January 2009 and the three-year blockade on Gaza, which constitutes collective punishment contrary to Article 33 of the 4th Geneva Convention.
The blockade has made the living conditions of the 1.5 million Palestinians there “inhumane and utterly unacceptable” (to use the words of the Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin after his recent visit).
The crimes continue: on June 1st, Israel continued its onslaught on the Palestinian people – killing three people in an air strike on the northern Gaza Strip near the town of Beit Lahiya while the attention of the world was focused on the international prisoners.
The time has long since passed for the international community to stand up and declare that it will not tolerate Israel as an accepted partner in the diplomatic community.
Let this renewed international attention on the acts of the Israeli state focus our minds on the central issues – the continuing blockade of Gaza and the occupation of all Palestinian territory.
We call on the Israeli government to immediately end the siege on Gaza. Towards this end and in response to current events, we further call on the Irish Government to: 1. Ensure the MV Rachel Corrie and its crew has a safe, unhindered passage as it proceeds on its journey to challenge the illegal Israeli blockade of Gaza, 2. Take a lead in demanding that the EU suspend its Association Agreement with Israel, which affords it preferential trading rights with the EU. The time for words is over. The time for action is now. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – It is time to give up the pretence that the aim of the Gaza flotilla was primarily to deliver aid to starving Gazans. Food, in fact, is plentiful in Gaza and Israel allows thousands of tons of food, medical supplies and other humanitarian supplies to be legally transported to Gaza every day.
The clear intent of the flotilla is to challenge Israel’s authority to prevent the unregulated flow of materials into Gaza. The lie that this is solely a humanitarian effort is obvious when we see that the leaders of the illegal attempt to break the blockade refused Israel’s offer to allow the boats to unload their cargo peacefully in the port of Ashdod. Israel agreed, after inspection to ensure that the cargo did not include weapons, to allow the aid materials to be escorted into Gaza under the direct supervision of the flotilla’s leaders.
This offer was flatly rejected, because the ultimate goal is not to deliver aid but to challenge Israel’s right to prevent weapons from entering Gaza.
If Israel were to yield to the pressure of the flotilla’s anti-Israel promoters there would be no restraints on the massive importation of missiles and other deadly materials into Gaza’s terrorist, Hamas-controlled state. Hamas has already rained thousands of rockets on Israeli civilian populations and openly brags about its goal to destroy Israel.
When the so-called “international community” turns on Israel and demands that it give up its right to defend itself, it loses all credibility and reveals its complete lack of credibility as an honest intermediary. Israel has to do what is right and defend its own people, regardless of the chorus of hypocritical pressure. – Yours, etc,