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Last update - 00:00 01/07/2009
Activist on boat seized by IDF laments world apathy to Gaza
By Barak Ravid and Anshel Pfeffer, Haaretz Correspondents, and News Agencies
Tags: Israel News, Israel Navy, IDF 

One of the international activists who sought to sail to Gaza on Tuesday lamented the world's "apathy" to the plight of the Hamas-ruled territory shortly before the Israel Navy seized control of the vessel.

"We didn't come with guns and weapons, but with just humanitarian aid, in an attempt to break the siege of Gaza and to tell the apathetic world about what is happening in the Strip, especially after the last war," said Huwaida Araf in an interview with the Nazareth-based radio station Al-Shams.

She added: "I was born in the United States to a family of immigrants from the [Arab Israeli] village of Ma'ilia, and still have relatives in Israel, and I'm sure that everyone supports my step."
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The voyage's organizers, the Free Gaza Movement, said the vessel, renamed the Spirit of Humanity, left the Cypriot port of Larnaca on Monday bound for Gaza with three tons of medical supplies.

The activists were attempting to break a blockade of Gaza, imposed by Israel after the Islamic group Hamas took over the territory in a bloody 2007 coup.

Early Tuesday, the navy surrounded the vessel, which was also carrying humanitarian aid, and told the activists to turn back because of security risks in the area and the blockade, according to the IDF.

But the boat later entered Gaza's coastal waters, the IDF Spokespersons' Office said in a statement, after which a naval force boarded it.

No shots were fired during the boarding of the boat, and the crew was to be handed over to the appropriate authorities, the IDF said.

In the statement, the IDF Spokespersons' Unit added that it "would like to emphasize that any organization or country that wishes to transfer humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, can legally do so via the established crossings between Israel and the Gaza Strip with prior coordination."

The army said humanitarian goods found on board the boat would be transferred to the Gaza Strip, subject to authorization.

The 20 passengers include former U.S. Representative Cynthia McKinney, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Mairead Corrigan Maguire and other activists from Britain, Ireland, Bahrain and Jamaica.

The ship was flying a Greek flag, but no Greek citizens were aboard. The Greek government issued a statement saying it sent a message to Israel demanding that it release the ship, crew and passengers.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor said Israel was planning to
free the crew and passengers. "

Nobody wants to keep them here," he said. "They will be released as soon as they are checked."

The Free Gaza Movement has organized five boat trips to Gaza since August
2008, defying a blockade imposed by Israel when the militant group Hamas
seized control of the territory from its Palestinian rivals in June 2007.

Two other attempts were stopped by Israeli warships during Israel's three-week offensive against Hamas in the territory in December and January. Nobody on board was harmed.

Israel tightened a blockade on Gaza in 2007 after Hamas seized control of the territory, home to some 1.5 million people.


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      1.   "a Former US Congresswoman" 05:21  |  Lynn 30/06/09
      2.   They should be allowed to enter 05:24  |  judith 30/06/09
      3.   aid? or ego driven grand standing? 05:29  |  Baruch Gold 30/06/09
      4.   Israel Navy behaving like pirates... 05:50  |  Maureen Ann 30/06/09
      5.   Today`s Israel 06:40  |  Josh 30/06/09
      6.   Israel Must Be Proud 07:09  |  Muhammed 30/06/09
      7.   Haaretz, please STOP reporting hearsay. 07:16  |  Mirium Assadi 30/06/09
      8.   Haaretz, please STOP reporting hearsay. 07:16  |  Mirium Assadi 30/06/09
      9.   Israel navy 07:31  |  interested spectator 30/06/09
      10.   Let Them Eat Qassams 07:42  |  Yishai Kohen 30/06/09
      11.   Steppin` on the ole Crank 07:47  |  Mark of Lewiston 30/06/09
      12.   Let Them In! 08:15  |  RF 30/06/09
      13.   Let them eat pasta! 08:34  |  hala 30/06/09
      14.   To: interested spectator The Israeli 08:39  |  Chet 30/06/09
      15.   Bibi is PM now and not Olmert! 08:41  |  martin knopfman 30/06/09
      16.   Treat them accordingly 08:46  |  Paul 30/06/09
      17.   GOOD! THEY DON`T NEED IT ANYWAY 08:49  |  Nechama 30/06/09
      18.   Gaza does not need "aid boats"! 08:52  |  Lane 30/06/09
      19.   Fertilizer -- Rocket Fuel -- Cement -- Tunnels 09:05  |  Hoppy 30/06/09
      20.   Dont start a war 09:09  |  hoppy 30/06/09
      21.   To # 6 & 8 09:10  |  Daniel 30/06/09
      22.   Pasta 09:12  |  Hoppy 30/06/09
      23.   Food the sharks 09:31  |  maurice 30/06/09
      24.   Hoppy it is you who had better read up 09:35  |  Chet 30/06/09
      25.   Christians have freedom on worship in Gaza 10:10  |  Miggy 30/06/09
      26.   CHET Its you who needs to read up on ships flying false flags 10:33  |  PETER SM 30/06/09
      27.   CHET Israel is at war with Gaza by Hamas`s choice 10:38  |  PETER SM 30/06/09
      28.   Activists? 11:05  |  David Nigel Braham 30/06/09
      29.   You should call them "Pro-Terror Antisemites", not "Activists" 11:06  |  Jacob 30/06/09
      30.   When Shalit is released boats can bring in food ect. 11:13  |  sam 30/06/09
      31.   Israel`s image going from bad to worse to catastrophic 11:26  |  Danny 30/06/09
      32.   Israel has no right to stop boats going into Gaza. 11:31  |  Michael 30/06/09
      33.   Liberty 11:34  |  Hoppy 30/06/09
      34.   Shalit -- Food 11:39  |  Hoppy 30/06/09
      35.   Tiny Gaza is surrounded by enemies 11:56  |  Miggy 30/06/09
      36.   #26 PETER SM 12:05  |  BDS 30/06/09
      37.   MICHAEL Israel IS at war with Hamas the govt of Palestine. 12:06  |  PETER SM 30/06/09
      38.   MAUREEN N Pirates keep the ship and the cargo 12:09  |  PETER SM 30/06/09
      39.   PETER SM 37 recognises FREE PALESTINE! Hooray! 13:16  |  Michael 30/06/09
      40.   Michael UK really? 13:26  |  petra 30/06/09
      41.   Really Petra. 40. 13:57  |  Michael 30/06/09
      42.   Nobody cares what they are telling 14:02  |  Jean 30/06/09
      43.   Yegads, stop calling them "activists". They aren`t. 14:48  |  Yakir 30/06/09
      44.   Michael 15:02  |  Ben 30/06/09
      45.   Peter SM There 15:12  |  Chet 30/06/09
      46.   Peter SM 15:15  |  Chet 30/06/09
      47.   BDS Einstein worked for Israeli causes,including asking Nehru 15:32  |  PETER SM 30/06/09
      48.   MICHAEL Israel recognised repeatedly the concept of a Pal state 15:41  |  PETER SM 30/06/09
      49.   CHET the fact is that it COULD have been a false US flag 16:15  |  PETER SM 30/06/09
      50.   Another Publicity Stunt 16:40  |  Douglas Fireman 30/06/09
      51.   #4 moaning ann the maritime expert posts the usual 17:45  |  v hardman 30/06/09
      52.   Israel`s stupidity matches Israel`s aggression 17:45  |  Deborah 30/06/09
      53.   Ashdod? 17:50  |  un2here 30/06/09
      54.   Support from McKinney speaks for itself 17:53  |  Christopher 30/06/09
      55.   we have permited to many of these terror sympathiser cruises 18:14  |  zionist forever 30/06/09
      56.   #1 Yes Cupcake, Lynn, there are still 18:15  |  ballistic 30/06/09
      57.   Remember the "Exodus"? 18:15  |  Murray 30/06/09
      58.   More lies from Israel 18:17  |  Miggy 30/06/09
      59.   US Navy 18:44  |  Space 30/06/09
      60.   #35 Hamas blockaded by EGYPT 18:49  |  David 30/06/09
      61.   Kind of demure 18:55  |  Colin Wright 30/06/09
      62.   Gaza 18:58  |  Jack 30/06/09
      63.   Re Nechama #17 `Good! They don`t need it anyway` 18:59  |  Colin Wright 30/06/09
      64.   psm Concept is as far as it was meant to go 19:14  |  Zero tolerance. 30/06/09
      65.   #47 Paul Harris 19:19  |  Chris Linthwaite 30/06/09
      66.   All those who support the deliberate starvation of 1.5 million 19:23  |  Chris Linthwaite 30/06/09
      67.   No victor paul it is occupied and speaking of bills of lading 19:24  |  Labhras 30/06/09
      68.   Reuters Said Yesterday That The Ship Was Also Carrying Contraband 19:25  |  Jeff Northridge 30/06/09
      69.   Israeli Navy 20:06  |  fredyr 30/06/09
      70.   Israel`s PR is being handled by Madoff 20:12  |  Dave 30/06/09
      71.   Excellent! I fully support this move 20:17  |  Mike 30/06/09
      72.   No hunger in Gaza no shortage of drugs 20:18  |  Dan 30/06/09
      73.   The San Remo Manual (6/12/94) 20:19  |  Jeff Northridge 30/06/09
      74.   Israel proves it is STILL the occupying power over Gaza 20:27  |  binny 30/06/09
      75.   #38 PeterSM. and VHardmanPaulHarris. 20:29  |  Maureen Ann 30/06/09
      76.   Great job IDF. Mckinney is a joke, believe me. 20:29  |  4:20 30/06/09
      77.   Muhammed 20:51  |  Brad 30/06/09
      78.   Cynthia McKinney Rocks 21:09  |  Jim 30/06/09
      79.   Wonder what the IDF did with the humanitarian aid? 21:21  |  Silvienne 30/06/09
      80.   Please keep McKinney 21:23  |  M Zim 30/06/09
      81.   mercyful americans 21:31  |  patriot 30/06/09
      82.   #59 Maureen Anne -re "pillage" 21:44  |  Zelkha 30/06/09
      83.   #43Yakir 21:46  |  jennifer 30/06/09
      84.   A little perspective 21:47  |  Fred 30/06/09
      85.   #43Yakir 21:57  |  jennifer 30/06/09
      86.   #43Yakir 22:09  |  jennifer 30/06/09
      87.   Binny 22:12  |  Marc 30/06/09
      88.   Dan 22:13  |  jennifer 30/06/09
      89.   Miggy 22:14  |  Marc 30/06/09
      90.   Noted 22:22  |  ama 30/06/09
      91.   Trailing McKinney 22:26  |  Mark of Lewiston 30/06/09
      92.   security concerns 22:27  |  jon 30/06/09
      93.   Israeli actions constitute an act of war 22:34  |  Steve 30/06/09
      94.   Insomniac Moron-ann 4 & 59==We partially agree 22:58  |  Joe F. Moer 30/06/09
      95.   #32 23:06  |  John Q. Public 30/06/09
      96.   66: Steve`s writing constitutes an act of ignorance 23:13  |  David Teich 30/06/09
      97.   Fake activists are the garbage of humanity 23:39  |  bo jones 30/06/09
      98.   Haaretz censorship problem 23:40  |  Mark Lincoln 30/06/09
      99.   World apathy for Darfur, the Sudan 23:55  |  JO 30/06/09
      100.   another outrageous act of aggression 00:06  |  Dr. Simona Sharoni 01/07/09
      101.   Choseness has it`s limits 00:09  |  Cadavre 01/07/09
      102.   Not much reporting 00:12  |  American 01/07/09
      103.   Steve # 66 So What? 00:20  |  Jeff Northridge 01/07/09
      104.   gaza/ship 00:22  |  bob 01/07/09
      105.   Helping the TRUE 100% Semites of Palestine 00:40  |  Americano 01/07/09
      106.   The world is apathetic 01:00  |  judith 01/07/09
      107.   Another black mark for Israel 01:21  |  Janice 01/07/09
      108.   BDS EINSTEINS letter in support of the state of Israel to Nehru 01:42  |  PETER SM 01/07/09
      109.   Peter SM and false flags 01:44  |  Janice 01/07/09
      110.   BDS Eindteins letter in Support of Israel to Nehru 02:13  |  PETER SM 01/07/09
      111.   STEVE"boat later entered entered Gaza`s coastal waters" 02:19  |  PETER SM 01/07/09
      112.   World apathy 02:21  |  Arnold 01/07/09
      113.   MAUREEN N look up legitimate war booty 02:23  |  PETER SM 01/07/09
      114.   Activist 02:43  |  Rickshaw 01/07/09
      115.   Re: Israel`s stupidity matches Israel`s aggression 02:55  |  Stuart Rovin 01/07/09
      116.   Re: Tiny Gaza is surrounded by enemies 03:02  |  Stuart Rovin 01/07/09
      117.   BDS re- Peter SM 03:02  |  maoriboy 01/07/09
      118.   Hala/Chet Thanks 03:46  |  Bilbi 01/07/09
      119.   Michaels tinpot home-made missiles 03:57  |  Bilbi 01/07/09
      120.   Even Palestinians are created b`tselem elohim 04:10  |  Douglas Evans 01/07/09
      121.   Silly Silvienne is back 04:11  |  Bilbi 01/07/09
      122.   #66 - Beware of Greeks bearing gifts 06:20  |  Magpie 01/07/09
      123.   Israel Navy behaving like pirates...? No. 07:15  |  Mark Lincoln 01/07/09
      124.   CHET truth is US denied it had a ship in the area 08:19  |  PETER SM 01/07/09
      125.   BDS (HAARETZ Editors why wont y6u let this through 5th try!?) 09:26  |  PETER SM 01/07/09
      126.   # 73 Tiny Gaza is surrounded by enemies 10:22  |  Miggy 01/07/09
      127.   Israel`s now in the kidnapping and theft of toys business. 10:52  |  Ibrahim 01/07/09
      128.   Free Gaza Piracy 14:31  |  J Christos 01/07/09
      129.   JANICE The Liberty WAS flying a US flag but it does not mean it 15:51  |  PETER SM 01/07/09
      130.   Send Them Back Where They Came From 19:12  |  Douglas Fireman 01/07/09
      131.   Mr. Linthwaite, Friend or Foe? 20:29  |  Gaza Bar and Grill 01/07/09
      132.   Israel provides all that Gaza needs 21:11  |  Linda Carraway 01/07/09
      133.   Bravo Cnythia! 07:38  |  Syd Walker 03/07/09
      134.   29 Peter SM Put a sock in it! Israel has already admitted 06:13  |  lydia 05/07/09
      135.   129 Peter put a sock in it! Caught red handed, no wriggle room 06:40  |  lydia 05/07/09
      136.   125 Peter you are such a little liar 06:51  |  lydia 05/07/09
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