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<font size=3><br>
</font>From the Free Gaza Movement: <br>
<dl>
<dd>(This is the sixth boat that the Free Gaza movement has sent to Gaza
... in a symbolic effort to end the seige of Gaza. These are small
boats, and they do not cross into Israeli waters at all. This
Israeli attack on the boat, which occured in international waters, cannot
be described as 'self defence' by any stretch of delusional
imagination. CNN has report on this--it helps that one CNN reporter
is on board-- :
<a href="http://edition.cnn.com/video/#/video/world/2008/12/29/penhaul.gaza.bpr.boat.cnn">
http://edition.cnn.com/video/#/video/world/2008/12/29/penhaul.gaza.bpr.boat.cnn</a>
)<br><br>
<dd>===============================================<br>
<dd>URGENT! Israeli Navy Attacking Civilian Mercy Ship! TAKE ACTION
IMMEDIATELY!<br><br>
<dd>The Dignity, a Free Gaza boat on a mission of mercy to besieged Gaza,
is being attacked by the Israeli Navy in international waters. The
Dignity has been surrounded by at least half-a-dozen Israeli warships.
They are firing live ammunition around the Dignity, and one of the
warships has rammed the civilian craft causing an unknown amount of
damage. Contrary to international maritime law, the Israelis are actively
preventing the Dignity from approaching Gaza or finding safe haven in
either Egypt or Lebanon. Instead, the Israeli navy is demanding that the
Dignity return to Cyprus - despite the fact that the ship does not carry
enough fuel to do so. Fortunately, no one aboard the ship has yet been
seriously injured. <br><br>
<dd>There are 15 civilian passengers representing 11 different countries
(see below for a complete list). At approximately 5am (UST), well out in
international waters, Israeli warships began surrounding the Dignity,
threatening the ship. At 6:45am (UST) we were able to establish brief
contact with the crew and were told that the ship had been rammed by the
Israeli Navy in international waters, and that the Israelis were
preventing the ship from finding safe harbor. We heard heavy gunfire in
the background before all contact was lost with the Dignity.<br>
<dd> <br>
<dd>It is urgent that you TAKE IMMEDIATE ACTION!<br><br>
<dd>CALL the Israeli Government and demand that it immediately STOP
attacking the Dignity and endangering the lives of its
passengers!<br><br>
<dd>CALL Mark Regev in the Prime Minister's office at:<br>
<dd>+972 2670 5354 or +972 5062 3264<br>
<dd><a href="mailto:mark.regev@it.pmo.gov.il">mark.regev@it.pmo.gov.il</a>
<br><br>
<dd>CALL Shlomo Dror in the Ministry of Defence at:<br>
<dd>+972 33697 5339 or +972 50629 8148<br>
<dd><a href="mailto:mediasar@mod.gov.il">mediasar@mod.gov.il</a><br><br>
<br>
<dd>BACKGROUND INFORMATION<br>
<dd>The Dignity departed from Larnaca Port in Cyprus at 7pm (UST) on
Monday 29 December, bound for war-devastated Gaza with a cargo of over 3
tons of desperately needed medical supplies donated by the people of
Cyprus. At our request, the ship was searched by Cypriot Port authorities
prior to departure, to certify that there was nothing
"threatening" aboard - only emergency medical
supplies.<br><br>
<dd>TAKE ACTION IMMEDIATELY TO STOP THE ISRAELI NAVY FROM ENDANGERING THE
DIGNITY AND ITS PASSENGERS!<br><br>
<dd>Civilians aboard the Dignity being threatened by the Israeli
military:<br><br>
<dd>(UK) Denis Healey, Captain<br>
<dd>Captain of the Dignity, Denis has been involved with boats for 45
years, beginning with small fishing boats in Portsmouth. He learned to
sail while at school and has been part of the sea ever since. He's a
certified yachtmaster and has also worked on heavy marine equipment from
yachts to large dredgers. This is his fourth trip to Gaza.<br><br>
<dd>(Greece) Nikolas Bolos, First Mate<br>
<dd>Nikolas is a chemical engineer and human rights activist. He has
served as a crewmember on several Free Gaza voyages, including the first
one in August.<br><br>
<dd>(Jordan) Othman Abu Falah<br>
<dd>Othman is a senior producer with Al-Jazeera Television. He will
remain in Gaza to report on the ongoing military onslaught.<br><br>
<dd>(Australia) Renee Bowyer<br>
<dd>Renee is a schoolteacher and human rights activist. She will remain
in Gaza to do human rights monitoring and reporting.<br><br>
<dd>(Ireland) Caoimhe Butterly<br>
<dd>Caoimhe is a reknowned human rights activist and Gaza Coordinator for
the Free Gaza Movement. She will be remaining in Gaza to do human rights
monitoring, assist with relief efforts, and work on project development
with Free Gaza.<br><br>
<dd>(Cyprus) Ekaterini Christodulou<br>
<dd>Ekaterini is a well-known and respected freelance journalist in
Cyprus. She is traveling to Gaza to report on the conflict.<br><br>
<dd>(Sudan) Sami El-Haj<br>
<dd>Sami is a former detainee at Guantanamo Bay, and head of the human
rights section at Al-Jazeera Television. He will remain in Gaza to report
on the ongoing military onslaught.<br><br>
<dd>(UK) Dr. David Halpin<br>
<dd>Dr. Halpin is an experienced orthopaedic surgeon, medical professor,
and ship's captain. He has organized humanitarian relief efforts in Gaza
on several occasions with the Dove and Dolphin. He is traveling to Gaza
to volunteer in hospitals and clinics.<br><br>
<dd>(Germany) Dr. Mohamed Issa<br>
<dd>Dr. Issa is a pediatric surgeon from Germany. He is traveling to Gaza
to volunteer in hospitals and clinics.<br><br>
<dd>(UK/Tunisia) Fathi Jaouadi<br>
<dd>Fathi is a television producer and human rights activist. He will
remain in Gaza to do human rights monitoring and reporting.<br><br>
<dd>(USA) Cynthia McKinney<br>
<dd>Cynthia is a former U.S. Congresswoman from Georgia, and the 2008
Green Party presidential candidate. She is traveling to Gaza to assess
the ongoing conflict. <br><br>
<dd>(Cyprus) Martha Paisi<br>
<dd>Martha is a senior research fellow and experienced human rights
activist. She is traveling to Gaza to do human rights work and to assist
with humanitarian relief efforts. <br><br>
<dd>(UK) Karl Penhaul<br>
<dd>Karl Penhaul is a video correspondent for CNN, based out of Bogotá,
Colombia. Appointed to this position in February 2004, he covers breaking
news around the world utilizing CNN's new laptop-based 'Digital
Newsgathering' system. He is traveling to Gaza to report on the ongoing
conflict.<br><br>
<dd>(Iraq) Thaer Shaker<br>
<dd>Thaer is a cameraman with Al-Jazeera television. He will remain in
Gaza to report on the ongoing military onslaught.<br><br>
<dd>(Cyprus) Dr. Elena Theoharous, MP<br>
<dd>Dr. Theoharous is a surgeon and a Member of the Cypriot Parliament.
She is traveling to Gaza to assess the ongoing conflict, assist with
humanitarian relief efforts, and volunteer in hospitals. <br><br>
<br><br>
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