The Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), an international coalition composed of civil society groups demanding an end to the illegal and inhumane blockade of Gaza, recently sent fishing materials to Palestinian fishers in Gaza. In cooperation with several Palestinian and international organisations, the FFC has responded to the increasingly desperate plight of fishers in Gaza who are unable to feed their families due to restrictions on fishing imposed by the Israeli occupiers. Materials distributed in the ports of Gaza and Deir Balah include:

• fishing nets – two types (Shanshoulah and Monefel, 2×3 and 2×1.5cm respectively), sufficient for 140 fishers.
• fishing suits – sufficient for 79 fishers’use.
• Marine boat lighting – 342 distributed, for over 200 fishers to use.

Although the FFC’s primary goals are political rather than humanitarian, we recognize the dire circumstances of the over 2 million Palestinians living in Gaza and the importance of supporting its fishers and their work in feeding their communities. This is why our current campaign focuses on Solidarity with Gaza Fishers and helps bring the stories of Palestinian fishers in Gaza to the world.

The FFC is making plans to sail again as soon as possible to challenge the destructive and criminal blockade. Updates on our sailing will be released on our website, as well as via Facebook and Twitter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This story was initially published in theovercast.ca

https://theovercast.ca/local-activist-shares-grim-story-of-her-efforts-to-help-palestinian-farmers/

Marilyn Porter is on the steering committee of the Canadian Boat to Gaza.

 

BY CHAD PELLEY ON APRIL 5, 2017

Sociology Professor Emerita Marilyn Porter recently returned from a trip to Israel, where she was the sole Canadian on a team of 45 people experiencing, firsthand, how the Israeli government is harassing and displacing Palestinian farmers.  

The farmers live in an area that is supposedly under Palestinian control, yet they’re constantly subject to harassment and displacement by Israeli forces. They’re even required to have permits to move from one village to another, drive on certain roads, farm, etc.

The Israeli Wall has made matters worse. The Wall is over 700 kilometres long, and it isolates thousands of Palestinians, making it difficult for them to engage economically and socially with their community.

As Marilyn explains, “The Wall dominates the Palestinian landscape, splitting many communities in two. In their day-to-day lives Palestinians are forced to travel many extra miles to farm their land or visit their relatives.”

Porter and her team were there to help families plant olive tree saplings.  Olive trees are vital to Palestinian farmers, but these farmers are regularly confronted by the Israeli army, who threaten to (or do) confiscate property. It’s something Porter witnessed firsthand.

She says that Palestinian farmers whose land is close to the Wall, or close to illegal Israeli settlements suffer the most. According to the UN, 80% have seen a decrease in their yields since 2015.

In the Bethlehem area alone in 2014 (latest UN figures), “85% of the land had been taken over by the Israeli government for settlement expansion ‘nature reserves’ or military zones, and 70 Palestinian residential areas have outstanding eviction orders.”

She has witnessed the grim struggle of Palestinian farmers herself. Israeli settlers uprooted her efforts right before her eyes, destroying the hundreds of olive trees her team planted, a mere day after they were set in soil.

“The day before the Israeli settlers uprooted our trees,” she says, “they had stood around in threatening ways, and then summoned the Israeli security forces to drive us off the farmer’s land.” They were heavily armed.

Later that night, they uprooted and destroyed hundreds of olive trees. “We were advised by the local NGO we were working with that there was no recourse and, indeed, that it might be hazardous for our farmer to even report the attack.”

The UN documents attacks by settlers on Palestinians, and their land. It is on record that more than half of Palestinians (54%) have suffered physical attacks or attacks on their property last year.

“Fully armed soldiers — many of them very young — are everywhere and can, and do, demand to see papers and permits at any point. This happened one day when we were working. Our farmer had all the permits necessary, including for us to be helping him, but we were still driven off by a group of armed soldiers and had to stop our work.”

Porter has been committed for years to the plight of Palestinians “in their struggle to establish an economically and socially stable state, free of harassment and control.”

Porter was in Israel as part of the The Joint Advocacy Initiative’s  Keep Hope Alive olive planting initiative. You can catch her speaking about her experience tonight at 7 pm, at Memorial University (Room A-1043). The talk is titled, “The Olive Tree Campaign: How Palestinians Resist the Israeli Wall.”

Originally published in the Lower Island NEWS at

https://lowerislandnews.files.wordpress.com/2016/12/blog-lower-island-news-issue-4-december-2016.pdf

The Women’s Boat to Gaza had three objectives: 

1. To bring HOPE to the people of Gaza, to let them know that there are people in the world who care, that they are not forgot- ten and to support their incredible spirit of resilience. 

2. To break Israel’s Illegal Blockade of Gaza. 

3. To focus the eyes of the world on the desperate situation of the people of Gaza. 

According to a UN study, Gaza will be uninhabitable by 2020. For many it is al- ready uninhabitable. Large numbers of people are dependent on humanitarian aid for survival and many children su er from malnutrition 

Why is this? 

During the strangling 10-year blockade, Israel has waged three long bombing wars on Gaza with thousands dead: 

– Targeting infrastructure; water treat- ment, sewage treatment and electrical gen- eration. 

– Targeting homes, schools, hospitals, and places of worship. 

– There is a limited supply of medicines and little or no access to specialized medi- cal care. 

– 80,000 people are still homeless as a result of the bombing in 2014. 

– Fishers are regularly attacked by the Israeli military. 

– Crops are destroyed at the time of har- vest. 

– More and more farmland is taken for the Israeli determined “bu er zone”. 

 

– Water is not t for human consump- tion. 

– Only 5% of water is safe to drink; chil- dren are getting kidney disease and colon cancer. 

– Raw sewage ows into the sea and, during winter storms, it ows in some streets. The water table is being contami- nated with raw sewage. 

Jaldia Abubakra (from Gaza but living in Spain for 30 years) and Maite Mompo, seasoned Rainbow Warrior sailor and writer 

– Electricity is available only sporadi- cally. 

– 40% of the people are unemployed in- cluding 70% of youth. 

– Gaza is essentially a large open air prison where people are trapped, with no escape and no place to hide. 

None of the above are natural develop- ments; Gaza is deliberately being “de-de- veloped” and destroyed in the false name of “security”. 

Why should we care? Why, in a world with so many human rights issues, do we focus on Palestinians in Gaza? We might be better to ask, “Why do our government and our tax dollars support this inhumane situation?” 

According to Je Halper, founder of the: Israeli Committee Against House Demoli- tions (ICAHD), the Palestinians of Gaza, and of the Occupied/Colonized Territories, are used as human test subjects (guinea pigs) for the latest in military technology, equipment and techniques of subjugation and control. This important information is detailed in Je Halper’s book War Against the People: Israel, the Palestinians and Global Paci cation 

Was the Women’s Boat to Gaza a suc- cess? YES; the idea of women’s boats challenging the Israeli blockade had great popular appeal. 

Although the AMAL 11 was unable to sail due to technical di culties (much to our disappointment!) and the ZATOUNA, with 13 women from 13 countries, was hijacked by the Israeli Navy in International waters before reaching the shores of Gaza, the campaign had amazing media coverage which helped break the media silence sur- rounding the Israeli blockade. 

In fact, the Women’s Boat to Gaza re- ceived international media attention – ex- cept in the US and Canada. Newfoundland was the exception with good CBC and newspaper coverage. Perhaps they were able to identify with the people of Gaza. . 

Our work will continue until the bloade is broken; soon we will be planning the next campaign and we will be in touch when plans begin to take shape. 

Details of the sailing and more me- dia articles can be seen here: http://can- adaboatgaza.org/2016.10/19/international- media-coverage/ 

So what more can we do?
We can join others from around the world to work for justice using Boycott, Di- vestment and Sanctions/BDS to put eco- nomic pressure on Israel to end the Occu- pation which is a Colonial Settler project. 

Israeli’s like Yonatan Shapira, and jour- nalist Yudith Ilany with Israel Social TV say that international pressure is essential for bringing an end to the Occupation. Israe- lis who support justice cannot achieve this alone, they need our support to break the il- legal blockade of Gaza and to bring an end to the Occupation and the Colonial Settler project. 

The following words spoken by Chris Hedges in a Rally in New York in August 2014 speak for me and many others: 

“Peace in the Promised Land will come when we force, through boycotts, di- vestments and sanctions, the powerful to end the blockade of Gaza and to deny the instruments of death to Israel. But it is up to us. 

“We are all that stands between the Palestinians and obliteration…. 

“The road to justice will be long and hard. But there is no turning back, for we are no longer driven by a vision of su ering but possessed by it. We hear the cries from Gaza. We carry these cries within us…. 

“We will not rest until there is comfort and justice for the oppressed. We will not rest until the children of Gaza have their childhood returned to them. We will not rest until the people of Gaza, no longer imprisoned, live in a free and independent Palestine.” 

 

 

Canada

Aug 14, 2016  – London social worker joins latest bid, the Women's Boat, to cross Israeli sea blockade of Gaza

5 octobre 2016 – Le «bateau des femmes» intercepté près côtes de Gaza

6 octobre 2016 – Israël intercepte le «bateau des femmes» en route vers Gaza

September 10, 2016 – Marilyn Porter heading to Gaza on mission of solidarity

September 17, 2016 – Women’s Boat to Gaza – Sometimes significant stories begin in our city.

September 24, 2016 – Safe waters for the Women’s Boat to Gaza

September 10, 2016 – Sailing for freedom and solidarity – Why I am sailing on the Women’s Boat to Gaza.

September 13, 2016 – A Canadian explains why she’s joining the Women’s Boat to Gaza

Oct 5 2016 – Women's Boat to Gaza reported attacked just miles from Gaza

One of the two Women's Boats to Gaza left France en route to Gaza

Oct 13, 2016 – Interview: Canadian activist on the Women's Boats to Gaza demands blockade to be lifted

Oct 12, 2016 – Women's Boats to Gaza: Interview with activist Wendy Goldsmith

Women's Boat to Gaza sends SOS before being boarded by Israeli Navy

Mar 9, 2016 – Women's Boat to Gaza to set sail in mid-September

Mar 9 2016 – Women in solidarity with Palestine: The Women's Boat to Gaza

Sept 20, 2016 – Eva Manly: The people of Palestine are not forgotten

 

The following is reposted from the Women's Boat to Gaza Website

Thank you to everyone that made media outlets around the world pay attention to the Women’s Boat to Gaza. 

Below is a sample of the media coverage that this latest project of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition has achieved. We continue to process the enormous number of articles across the many countries represented in the campaign. Coverage is grouped in date order, under campaign stages, and then by country, as each participant returned home.

Your supportive online activities and conversations have helped and continue to help amplify Palestinian voices to break the blockade of silence surrounding the illegal Israeli blockade of the Palestinian people of Gaza.

 

12/10/16 – Women’s Boat to Gaza: 13 Activists Detained by Israel, Weeks After U.S. OKs $38B in Military Aid (Democracy Now Video)

6/10/16 – AJ+ Video about the Women’s Boat to Gaza 

6/10/16 – Pink Floyd reunion: David Gilmour, Roger Waters to perform live in Palestine soon?

 

Reactions and Returning Home (by Country)

South Africa

8/10/16 – Sea of support for Gaza activist

8/10/16 – South African Olympian returns home after Gaza protest

 

New Zealand/Aotearoa

8/10/16 – Marama Davidson back home after Gaza protest

8/10/16 – Hobart boat captain Madeleine Habib detained during Gaza protest returns home 

7/10/16 – Hobart sailor Madeleine Habib set to be deported over Gaza mission

 

Australia

18/10/16 – ‘It’s hard to engage military against a little ray of hope’: Gaza protesters fight back with dignity – and tea 

8/10/16 – Hobart boat captain Madeleline Habib detained during Gaza protest return home

8/10/16 – Hobart protester Madeleine Habib returns from Women’s Boat to Gaza trip 

7/10/16 – Tasmanian activist held by Israeli army

7/10/16 – Pink Floyd ‘reunites’ in support of pro-Palestinian sailing mission as activists expected to be deported

7/10/16 – Israelis stop boat, Australian skipper outside Gaza (Vietnamese)

6/10/16 – Israel intercepts boat seeking to break Gaza blockade

 

Barcelona – Departure (12-19 September)

12/9/16 – La Flota de la Llibertat prepara al Port Vell un nou viatge a Gaza / BTV

12/9/16 – Una flotilla de dones per trencar una dècada de bloqueig a Gaza / La Directa

12/9/16 – Mujeres Rumbo a Gaza desafiará el bloqueo israelí / Diagonal

13/9/16 – Las mujeres que lucharon por la liberación de Palestina / eldiario.es

13/9/16 – Ada Colau assisteix a l’acomiadament de la flota solidària ‘Dones rumb a Gaza’ / Ajuntament de Barcelona

13/9/16 – Una nova flotilla salpa avui de Barcelona amb l’objectiu de trencar el blocatge de Gaza / Vilaweb

13/9/16 – Todas somos Mujeres Rumbo a Gaza / eldiarioes

14/9/16 – La flotilla ‘Mujeres rumbo a Gaza’ zarpa de Barcelona para denunciar el bloqueo israelí / El Periódico

14/9/16 – Un grup de dones navega cap a Gaza per denunciar l’ocupació palestina / TV3

14/9/16 – Salpen de Barcelona els dos vaixells de Dones Rumb a Gaza per denunciar el bloqueig d’Israel / Lliure i millor

14/9/16 – Women’s Boat to Gaza (Radio 2SER Australia)

14/9/16 – Nova flotilla contra el blocatge de Gaza / El Triangle

14/9/16 – La Flota de la Llibertat salpa rumb a Gaza des del Port Vell / BTV

14/9/16 – La flotilla ‘Mujeres rumbo a Gaza’ zarpa de Barcelona para denunciar el bloqueo israelí / El Periódico

14/9/16 – Una flotilla de dones salpa cap a Gaza per denunciar el bloqueig israelià / Diari Ara

15/9/16 – Dues embarcacions amb una vintena de dones salpen del port de Barcelona cap Gaza / Llibertat.cat

15/9/16 – Una nova flotilla salpa cap a Gaza des de Barcelona / El Pais

15/9/16 – Uhintifada emisión especial: Las mujeres navegan ya rumbo a Gaza / Hala Bedi – UhIntifada

17/9/16 – Dones cap a Gaza: dos vaixells amb tripulació femenina salpen de Barcelona / Catalunya Ràdio – Solidaris

 

Ajaccio – First Stop (20-22 September)

20/9/16 – Gazatíes apoyan a la flotilla de mujeres contra bloqueo israelí / HispanTV 

21/9/16 – Ships with all-women crews set sail for Gaza, hoping to break blockade

 

Messina – Second Stop (24 September – 1 October)

25/9/16 – Interview with Malin Bjork MEP 

1/10/16 – Entrevista a Sandra Barrilaro, participante en el Zaytouna-Oliva

 

Messina to Gaza – The Voyage and Israeli Attack (2-8 October)

7/10/16 – Hobart Madeleine Habib set to be deported over Gaza mission

7/10/16 – Tasmanian activist held by Israeli army

7/10/16 – Zaytouna-Oliva Women to be ‘deported’ / Details Emerge about the Capture 

7/10/16 – Hobart sailor Madeline Habib set to be deported over Gaza mission

7/10/16 – Hobart sailor Madeleine Habib set to be deported over Gaza mission

6/10/16 – Pink Floyd ‘reunites’ in support of pro-Palestinian sailing mission as activists expected to be deported 

6/10/16 – Israel detains female pro-Palestine activist boat captained by Hobart woman 

6/10/16 – Australian – captained vessel detained on rout to Gaza 

6/10/16 – Womens boat to Gaza with Malaysian doctor on board stopped by israeli forces/

6/10/16 – Pink Floyd reunion David Gilmour Roger Waters perform live Palestine soon 

6/10/16 – NZ Green MP on ship intercepted by Israel 

6/10/16 – Australian-captained vessel detained en route to Gaza 

6/10/16 – Nobel laureate Mairead Maguire: Israeli navy detention is kidnap 

6/10/16 – Israelis stop boat, Australian skipper outside Gaza (Mandarin)

5/10/16 – Gaza’s women flotilla ‘challenging Israel’s blockade’ 

5/10/16 – Israel sends female naval cadets to stop women’s boat headed to Gaza [Correction – Male and female members of the Israeli Occupation Forces attacked, boarded and forced our boat from International Waters to Ashdod]

5/10/16 – Israel intercepts boat seeking to break Gaza blockade

5/10/16 – Israeli Military Blocks Female Flotilla From Reaching Gaza

5/10/16 – Samira Duwaifia and the Women’s Boat to Gaza mission

5/10/16 – All-women aid flotilla nears blockaded Gaza Strip

5/10/16 – Israel intercepts Women’s Boat to Gaza

5/10/16 – Anderson outraged after Women’s Boat to Gaza intercepted

5/10/16 – Crew of all-women Freedom Flotilla heading to Gaza reportedly detained by Israeli forces

5/10/16 – Israel stops Women’s Boat to Gaza

5/10/16 – All-women aid ship set to reach Gaza Strip

5/10/16 – Israeli navy board and seize Gaza flotilla, redirect it to Ashdod port

5/10/16 – Israel intercepts boat seeking to break Gaza blockade

5/10/16 – Israel takes over women’s boat to Gaza

5/10/16 – ‘We don’t know where our friends are,’ says Women’s Boat to Gaza after Israel’s navy commandeers ship

5/10/16 – Activists’ plea for Norway to stop Israeli attack on flotilla

3/10/16 – Palestinians thank the Women’s Boat to Gaza Video

3/10/16 – Pelayaran 13 Wanita ke Gaza | Women’s Boat to Gaza Video (Malaysia)

 

In addition, you can access a range of other media reports via these hash tags that we have used during the mission:

#womentogaza

#letfflotillasail

#SOSWomenFlotilla

#welcomeLeighAnn

Women's Boat to Gaza: 13 Activists Detained by Israel, Weeks After US Approves $38 Billion in Military Aid