by Israel Hayom Staff and Reuters
Israeli Navy intercepts Marianne of Gothenburg, orders it to sail to Ashdod port • Three other boats in flotilla turn back to ports of origin • PM Benjamin Netanyahu: Israel is the only democracy that defends itself in accordance with international law.
An Israeli naval battle ship
sails in the Mediterranean sea back to Ashdod port in Israel, Monday
|
Photo credit: AP  |
The Israeli Navy intercepted a boat leading a flotilla of pro-Palestinian activists to the Gaza Strip early Monday.
The Marianne of Gothenburg was boarded by
naval commandos and ordered to sail to Ashdod port in southern Israel.
The three other boats in the flotilla turned back toward their ports of
origin and were not intercepted by the Israeli Navy.
"After exhausting all diplomatic channels, the
Israeli government ordered the Israeli Navy to redirect a vessel in
order to prevent a breach of the naval blockade of the Gaza Strip," an
Israel Defense Forces statement said. "In accordance with international
law, the Israeli Navy advised the vessel several times to change course.
Following their refusal, forces visited and searched the vessel in
international waters in order to prevent the intended breach of the
maritime blockade of the Gaza Strip. The forces have reported that use
of force was unnecessary, and that the process was uneventful. The
vessel is currently being escorted to Ashdod port and is expected to
arrive within 12-24 hours."
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu congratulated the Israeli Navy on thwarting a breach of the naval blockade of Gaza.
"I would like to commend the sailors and
commanders of the Israel Navy for their determined and efficient action
in detaining the passengers on the ship that tried to reach the Gaza
coast in contravention of the law," Netanyahu said.
"This flotilla is nothing but a demonstration
of hypocrisy and lies that is only assisting the Hamas terrorist
organization and ignores all of the horrors in our region. Preventing
entry by sea was done in accordance with international law and even
received backing from a committee of the U.N. secretary-general.
"Israel is the only democracy that defends
itself in accordance with international law. We are not prepared to
accept the entry of war material to the terrorist organizations in Gaza
as has been done by sea in the past. Just last year, we foiled an
attempt to smuggle by sea hundreds of weapons that were destined for use
in attacks against Israel's citizens.
"There is no siege on Gaza. Israel assists in
transferring goods and humanitarian equipment to Gaza -- approximately
800 trucks a day that have recently brought into Gaza more than 1.6
million tons of goods. Moreover, Israel assists in hundreds of
humanitarian projects, through international organizations, including
the building of clinics and hospitals.
"Israel is a state that seeks peace and acts
in accordance with international law so that the residents of Gaza might
have safe lives and their children may grow up in peace and quiet."
Pro-Palestinian activists said flotilla
participants included around 50 people from 17 countries, including
Israeli Arab MK Basel Ghattas (Joint Arab List). The activists said the
flotilla had set sail on June 27 with a cargo of solar panels intended
to "help alleviate the serious problem of electricity in Gaza, as well
as medical equipment" for the Hamas-controlled coastal enclave, home to
1.7 million Palestinians.
On Sunday night, Israel published a letter to the activists on board the flotilla.
"Welcome to Israel," the letter said. "You
seem to have gotten lost. Perhaps you meant to sail to a place not far
from here -- Syria, where [President Bashar] Assad's army is
slaughtering its people every day, and is supported by the murderous
Iranian regime.
"Here in Israel we face a reality in which
terrorist organizations like Hamas try to kill innocent civilians. We
defend our citizens against these attempts in accordance with
international law.
"Despite this, Israel transports goods and
humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip -- up to 800 trucks a day. In the
past year we enabled the entry of over 1.6 million tons of products, an
average of one ton per person in the Gaza Strip. By the way, these
supplies are equivalent to 500,000 boats like the one you came in on
today.
"Israel provides assistance to hundreds of
humanitarian projects through international organizations, including the
building of clinics and hospitals.
"However, we will not allow the terrorist
organizations to transfer weapons into the Gaza Strip by sea. Only one
year ago, we thwarted an attempt to smuggle hundreds of weapons into the
Gaza Strip by ship. These weapons were meant to target innocent Israeli
civilians.
"There is no siege on the Gaza Strip, and you
are welcome to transfer any humanitarian supplies for the Gaza Strip
through Israel.
"Barring the entrance of boats and ships into
the Gaza Strip is in accordance with international law, and was even
backed by a committee commissioned by the United Nations
secretary-general.
"If you were truly concerned about human
rights, you would not be sailing in support of a terrorist regime which
summarily executes citizens in the Gaza Strip, and uses children as
human shields.
"If you were to travel around in Israel, you
would see for yourself that the only stable democracy in the Middle East
guarantees equality for all its citizens and freedom of worship for
members of all religions; it is a country that upholds international law
so that its people can live in safety and its children grow up in peace
and quiet."
Meanwhile, the Knesset House Committee will meet on
Tuesday to weigh sanctions against Ghattas for his participation in the
flotilla. Likud MK David Bitan, the committee's chairman, plans to have
the committee vote on stripping Ghattas of his diplomatic passport and
limiting his ability to travel as punishment for his participation in
the flotilla.
Israel Hayom Staff and Reuters
Source: http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_article.php?id=26515
Copyright - Original materials copyright (c) by the authors.
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