Posted on 07/07/2011 11:45:10 AM PDT by mojito
The flotilla to the Gaza Strip seemed to come to an official end on Thursday after organizers decided to send more than half of the activists in Athens home as they consider their options in face of Greece’s continued refusal to let the ships sail to the Gaza Strip.
Huwaida Arraf, one of the leaders of the Free Gaza Movement behind the flotilla, told The Jerusalem Post that most of the activists had been sent home to engage in education and advocacy.
A few dozen activists have remained behind in Athens to continue fighting for the release of the ships, a sharp drop from the 350 who arrived there in late June.
“It does not make sense to keep people waiting as we get the boats released and those people went home to do advocacy which is better than waiting here,” Arraf said by phone from Athens.
The US-flagged ship Audacity of Hope gave up on waiting for Greek approval late Wednesday night and almost all of the 50 activists who had signed up for the sail had left back for the US on Thursday. Arraf said that a team from each of the ships would remain in Greece to continue efforts to secure their release.
(Excerpt) Read more at jpost.com ...
Much as I enjoyed the complete ineptitude of these leftist hacks, it would have been nice if the Israeli navy had sent a couple of these flotilla vessels to the bottom of the Mediterreanean.
Nah, I love the fact that they failed spectacularly all on their very own. They can’t blame the Joooos this time, though I’m sure they’ll try, mightily.
Code for “they’re all out of weed”....
Who knew the Greeks would be so effective.
With all those people around those boats, a propeller was still sheared off and no one knew who did it.
Makes one think before getting on a boat, traveling a couple of hundred miles on the high seas.
Well, you know the only thing about the Greek economy that works, other than tourism, is their shipping industry, and I guess they take that pretty seriously and won’t let a bunch of leftist idiots and terrorists mess things up.
Kudos to them.
It seems like the “Audacity” lacks tenacity.
The Israeli equivalent of our Navy Seals.
LOL! Fn Jew-hating buffoons! Make the bastards swim home.
from the hippie website:
delusional to the end......
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July 6th Update from the U.S. Boat to Gaza
The presence of the U.S. Boat to Gaza in Athens is winding down. For more than 2 weeks the 37 passengers (someone was added at the last moment), 4 crew members and about 12 people in the support team there worked hard to make sure our boat - The Audacity of Hope - could sail as part of the international Freedom Flotilla 2 to Gaza. The Greek government’s willingness to serve as the enforcer of Israeli’s naval blockade of Gaza made it impossible for this journey to happen.
But the creative and determined spirit of this team of committed activists could not be stopped or silenced. They worked tirelessly to make the point in countless ways: they attempted to set sail knowing it might lead to a confrontation with the Greek authorities, they stood by the boat’s captain when he was arrested and jailed for several days, several people held a hunger strike for a few days, everyone marched and rallied with other flotilla activists and with the people of Athens in their own struggle for economic justice, and incredible energy went into getting the word out to people throughout this country and around the world as the work with the media continued through it all.
...READ MORE>>>
July 4th Update
We want to give you all a quick round up of several items related to the U.S. Boat to Gaza and the flotilla. But first....
Given the tremendous obstacles placed in the way of the flotilla we should not for a moment think this work has been in vain. Just the opposite. We have called greater attention to the urgent need to end the Israeli blockade and siege of Gaza, as well as the overall occupation of the Palestinian Territories. The lengths to which the Israeli government has gone to stop the boats only expose the real story: they are determined to hold on to their repressive, inhuman and illegal policies at any cost. Israel has outsourced its naval blockade of Gaza to Greece.
We cannot for one moment forget that the flotilla project is about our solidarity with the people of Gaza. Changing the Israeli policies and stopping the support they get from the U.S. government requires the strongest movement we can possibly build!
Here’s the latest news we have:
...READ MORE>>>
Action Alert Update
Update - 8:00 pm NYC,
The 8 people listed below were detained. They were released a few minutes ago. They were not arrested.
July 3, 2011 - 6 pm NY time
Just got word from Athens: the 8 people who were fasting in front of the U.S. Embassy have been arrested. They are Ken Mayers, Carol Murry, Medea Benjamin, Paki Wieland, Ray McGovern, Brad Taylor, Kit Kitteridge and Kathy Kelly. We will not have any more news until the morning.
In the meantime, let’s keep the pressure on Washington. They need to pressure the Greek government to release our captain, our boat and now these 8 people as well! Let them sail to Gaza!!!
Somebody ping Chode——Ha Ha-—The Rats take it up the wazoo again.
More like the 'Porosity of Dopes'.
Hope may float but Dope needs rope. Exit, stage LEFT.....
Too bad. I wished they'd stayed in Greece.
Well, the Greek did enter into a security arrangement with Israel rather recently.
Greeks, rather...
Betcha a bunch a IDF Seal and Ranger types are saying, “RATS!!!”
Maybe Israel knew who’s wheels to Greece. Capiche?
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