[PAA-Discuss] U.S. Boat to Gaza Responds to State Dept. Warning

Fri Jun 24 13:46:58 EDT 2011

Bart, I think all they are bringing is letters, notes, etc. from US (maybe
other) citizens to help the Gazans feel they are not alone. But we are
disgusting murders and killers of democracy. So many possibilities for doing
good and building a humane, sustainable world are being and have been lost!
Lee

  _____  

From: discuss-bounces at paa-tx.org [mailto:discuss-bounces at paa-tx.org] On
Behalf Of Bart Boyce
Sent: Friday, June 24, 2011 6:49 AM
To: nojustice nopeace; PAA; HCGP discussion; Code Pink;
members at houstontruth.org
Cc: Kamal Khalil; Adam Wolfson; Kris and Ron Graham; sahar abdusa; David
Swanson; Mahmoud Aburizeq; Ester King; Cindy Sheehan; Medea Benjamin; Ann
Wright
Subject: [PAA-Discuss] U.S. Boat to Gaza Responds to State Dept. Warning

What do we , as a nation, stand for anymore ?

Murdering our fellow human beings ?
Supporting an apartheid, genocidal state ?
We will allow drone bomblings and ethnic cleansing,
   but refuse to protect our citizens that would bring
       food, medicine, toys for children and
          letters of love and support to 1.6 Million oppressed Gazans?

I read this first thing this morning ........ and am just too numbed to
weep.
America ...... how far we have fallen ......

--- On Fri, 6/24/11, U.S. BOAT TO GAZA <ustogaza at gmail.com> wrote:

From: U.S. BOAT TO GAZA <ustogaza at gmail.com>
Subject: U.S. Boat to Gaza Responds to State Dept. Warning
To: bartboyce at sbcglobal.net
Date: Friday, June 24, 2011, 6:26 AM

 boat logo <http://ih.constantcontact.com/fs010/1103566746262/img/2.jpg>

State Department Officials Have an Obligation to Speak Out Against Israeli
Threats to Attack U.S. Boat to Gaza 

Athens, June 24, 2011 - U.S. peace activists preparing to set sail on the
U.S. Boat
<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=wumi8ydab&et=1106199228868&s=3770&e=001JUJDT5
UlVtZzdWvqcNsS7WgtYz2VzOHmzbnmp24eL91kLf3NvEUEgCDyB09wtUkurY4Cm4pyEtHSmpwrQm
QTsS8mnvRHI9Nb2FrvGuM9eWSb9n4GQDzrmXhiN2OTdyYsj5Nl9qEj1oNzgD81mF8roeFAV4CgGD
pPHjw2wlvrWxc=> to Gaza, The Audacity of Hope, expressed profound
disappointment over a statement issued by the U.S. State Department on
Wednesday, June 22, 2011. Instead of calling on the Israeli government to
let a flotilla of unarmed civilians sail to Gaza, the United States
government is pressuring its own citizens to refrain from legal acts. 

On Wednesday, the State Department sent out a "travel advisory" urging
Americans not to participate in the Gaza Freedom Flotilla. According to the
statement, U.S. citizens are advised against traveling to Gaza by any means,
including via sea, noting that previous attempts to enter Gaza by sea "have
been stopped by Israeli naval vessels and resulted in the injury, death,
arrest, and deportation of U.S. citizens." 

"Apparently, the State Department subscribes to the view that Israel's
anticipated violence against unarmed protesters is an immutable act of
nature," said Hagit Borer, a professor of Linguistics at the University of
Southern California and a passenger on the U.S. boat. "This is a remarkable
attitude, coming from a government that provides the Israeli government with
billions of dollars in military aid and routinely uses its veto to protect
the Israeli government from censure of its occupation policies by the UN
Security Council." 

Passengers on the boat noted that the U.S. State Department has a legal
obligation to act to protect U.S. citizens when they are traveling abroad.
"So far, U.S. government officials have failed to use their influence to
discourage Israeli authorities from ordering a physical assault on us," said
Just Foreign Policy policy director Robert Naiman, another passenger on the
U.S. boat. "Of course, State Department officials have an obligation to
speak out against threats to attack us. It is deeply disappointing that they
have so far failed to do so." 

Below is a copy of a letter
<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=wumi8ydab&et=1106199228868&s=3770&e=001JUJDT5
UlVtZe9TVC-I7uTpcIqEOHwKeMPbESGUcfFPCQo_syXTCeWXYhUfY0QrTme71A69nvP8X1k1EMrR
4ehTPaNi3ZLGlwne-JqMDU3brySGnhgqfOuAnwXEGgoh7ucsFuaJbE_6ZQ30PV7LbDV90a2x8VPb
r4dyLmyU0cf7E=>  the passengers
<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=wumi8ydab&et=1106199228868&s=3770&e=001JUJDT5
UlVtYsJqT9QD3WRyws-g20Xm-aehpTFKNE5Mk-8RckP_zs7ZythVe5omjhtgFVJXwHdS9SB0QSFM
aoLuKtxKGx22naGpFD8P1EmsVX_t9Ab6xCb7brvF47n54j7TTZZbS4pz7vrhlW9rL_Jo3Xdu8dUB
di2mKjHe-IDaQ=>  of The Audacity of Hope sent of June 14, 2011 to President
Obama, Secretary of State Hilary Clinton and other high-ranking government
officials. There has yet to be a response to the letter. 

### 

14 June 2011 

The President
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500 

Dear Mr. Obama: 

We are writing to inform you that 50 unarmed Americans will soon be sailing
in a U.S. flagged ship called The Audacity of Hope as part of an
international flotilla to Gaza. 

Our peaceful demonstration will challenge Israel's blockade of Gaza, which
has effectively imprisoned 1.6 million civilians, almost half of whom are
under the age of 16. The blockade has impoverished the people of Gaza,
deprived them of needed materials and supplies to rebuild their lives after
the Israeli attack of late 2008 - early 2009, impeded those who are ill or
infirm from seeking outside medical aid, and prevented students from seeking
education outside of Gaza. 45% of the working age population is unemployed. 

In addition to 36 passengers, 4 crew, and 10 members of the press, our boat
will carry thousands of letters of support and friendship from people
throughout the U.S. to the women, children and men of Gaza. There will be no
weapons of any sort on board. We will carry no goods of any kind for
delivery in Gaza. Our mission is from American civil society to the civil
society of Gaza. We do not serve the agenda of any political leadership,
government or group. We are engaged solely in non-violent action in support
of the Palestinian people and their human rights. 

In our country's great tradition of citizen activists taking nonviolent
action to stand up to injustice, we sail in the hope that our voyage will
show the people in Gaza that they are not alone, and that it will call
attention to the morally and legally indefensible collective punishment of a
population of civilians. 

Mr. President, you have noted the unsustainability of the Gaza blockade. And
your administration has spoken boldly in support of peaceful demonstrations
throughout this "Arab Spring." 

As U.S. citizens we expect our country and its leaders to help ensure the
Flotilla's safe passage to Gaza - as our country should support our
humanitarian demand that the Gaza blockade be lifted. This should begin by
notifying the Israeli government in clear and certain terms that it may not
physically interfere with the upcoming Flotilla of which the U.S. boat-The
Audacity of Hope -- is part. We-authors, builders, firefighters, lawyers,
social workers, retirees, Holocaust survivors, former government employees
and more-expect no less from our President and your administration. 

Our boat will sail from the eastern Mediterranean in the last week of June.
We shall be grateful to you for acting promptly and decisively to uphold the
rights of civilians to safe passage on the seas. 

Sincerely,
The passengers of The Audacity of Hope 

Nic Abramson, Johnny Barber, Medea Benjamin, Greta Berlin, Hagit Borer,
Regina Carey, Gale Courey Toensing, Erin DeRamus, Linda Durham, Debra Ellis,
Hedy Epstein, Steve Fake, Ridgely Fuller, Megan Horan,Kathy Kelly, Kit
Kittredge, Libor Koznar, Melissa Lane, G. Kaleo Larson, Richard Levy,
Richard Lopez, Ken Mayers, Ray McGovern, Gail Miller, Carol Murry, Robert
Naiman, Henry Norr, Ann Petter, Gabe Schivone, Kathy Sheetz, Max Suchan,
Brad Taylor, Len Tsou, Alice Walker, Paki Wieland, Ann Wright 

cc: 

The Honorable Ban Ki-moon, U.N. Secretary General
The Honorable Hillary Clinton, Secretary of State
The Honorable Jeffrey Feltman, Assistant Secretary of State
The Honorable Susan E. Rice, Permanent U.S. Representative to the United
Nations
The Honorable James B. Cunningham, U.S. Ambassador to Israel
The Honorable John F. Kerry, Chairman U.S. Senate Foreign Relations
Committee
The Honorable Richard G. Lugar, Ranking Member U.S. Senate Foreign Relations
Committee
The Honorable Robert P. Casey, Chairman Subcommittee on Near Eastern and
South and Central Asian Affairs
The Honorable James E. Rish, Ranking Member Subcommittee on Near Eastern and
South and Central Asian Affairs
The Honorable Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Chairman U.S. House Committee on Foreign
Affairs
The Honorable Howard L. Berman, Ranking Member U.S. House Committee on
Foreign Affairs
The Honorable Steve Chabot, Chairman Subcommittee on Middle East and South
Asia
The Honorable Gary L. Ackerman, Ranking Member Subcommittee on Middle East
and South Asia 

--- 

For regular updates follow the US Boat to Gaza on Twitter:
http://twitter.com/usboattogaza
<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=wumi8ydab&et=1106199228868&s=3770&e=001JUJDT5
UlVtY1vmO1SvU8wkdWJpUCMboCyQSWNEhTW8ETVcl-G-rUfryDG1_uoASXCOu1QVtN-1q4988dIP
_RxbjF3k0vUdDGi29QL46yS5ViNjnimfl15P2U2OsvGUZPRWQyBBSGo1gaI9W1bOPSDLddZgpvvV
zPKsiL15X30as=>  and visit the US Boat to
<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=wumi8ydab&et=1106199228868&s=3770&e=001JUJDT5
UlVtZ-NBucg5dbst1zcz06uS0d07K-xsmP8kPWotAale1WgYjZDZ7PvoV4k_Cxhzqdyib3uUMIIp
-C7IyyTnrbtWw7piMrA5VxmkYL-PHMho10Wlpy65JoalfHb40z-HwN_DF2tTyS3ZsV8zpuDYVd1q
5g9RTSNdPqQjg=> Gaza website. 

GET ON BOARD THE U.S. TO GAZA CAMPAIGN

VISIT WWW.USTOGAZA.ORG
<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=wumi8ydab&et=1106199228868&s=3770&e=001JUJDT5
UlVtYXiVbl9VYQ5gCFCt73vszKxNkAOcl52Y3gDGe2IByvDstzdBByTte5I8ky5rLB6RThQdFyDl
xq2du2ICk8Z2rz4vq7FyXzS6g=> 

TO ENDORSE AND CONTRIBUTE

Thank you for your support

Please distribute widely

<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=wumi8ydab&et=1106199228868&s=3770&e=001JUJDT5
UlVtavU_tVgPvQQ_BRofCqbwr0pzd0Yy7zMkPA41B8MtMsAhhBWblpOsF0SYjwr5kiHt4ZIeEgdA
z_1y_AjrM6vq4K3OmwLQf9uF78FzL5SwAceY_mMm87QYSI> Find us on Facebook
<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=wumi8ydab&et=1106199228868&s=3770&e=001JUJDT5
UlVtaOwBSJTZcDfU5bqg3SKdRsZjqZk5CXayFsyAxoVwKmws7XdBiZvaUJ4xEB_V2IAQG97iIpme
QWlmeJecVvwXVJTaTNvie3aos_O1vRIfO67VBI2slZyL_w> Follow us on Twitter
<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=wumi8ydab&et=1106199228868&s=3770&e=001JUJDT5
UlVtagTWhsAXOGAhmRQUUNjCan1rp2vYyjroC5jQan0R8zWV6wMDOyrkRvN9vqgMbBzmHrsnNiDO
yzMCWVbGEecb7cHt1tnJ1Z3s-HIwe4_xImLfqyRWT7x87BBuvszpCkFK0=> View our videos
on YouTube 

Forward
<http://ui.constantcontact.com/sa/fwtf.jsp?llr=wumi8ydab&m=1103566746262&ea=
bartboyce%40sbcglobal.net&a=1106199228868> email

<http://visitor.constantcontact.com/do?p=un&mse=001Re2XAHrK4vnDLZdqpWiM7A7V2
62MvsoN&t=001Syp6sTbuwAT0IHUakSjh7g%3D%3D&llr=wumi8ydab>
<http://www.constantcontact.com/index.jsp?cc=news09>  	
This email was sent to bartboyce at sbcglobal.net by ustogaza at gmail.com
<http://us.mc830.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=ustogaza@gmail.com>  |   
Update Profile/Email
<http://visitor.constantcontact.com/do?p=oo&mse=001Re2XAHrK4vnDLZdqpWiM7A7V2
62MvsoN&t=001Syp6sTbuwAT0IHUakSjh7g%3D%3D&llr=wumi8ydab> Address | Instant
removal with SafeUnsubscribe
<http://visitor.constantcontact.com/do?p=un&mse=001Re2XAHrK4vnDLZdqpWiM7A7V2
62MvsoN&t=001Syp6sTbuwAT0IHUakSjh7g%3D%3D&llr=wumi8ydab> T | Privacy
<http://ui.constantcontact.com/roving/CCPrivacyPolicy.jsp> Policy.
US TO GAZA | PO Box 373 | Bearsville | NY | 12409

<http://r20.rs6.net/on.jsp?llr=wumi8ydab&t=1106199228868.0.1103566746262.377
0&ts=S0628&o=http://ui.constantcontact.com/images/p1x1.gif> 

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://paa-tx.org/pipermail/discuss_paa-tx.org/attachments/20110624/eee71ca1/attachment.htm>