Israel Appeals to UN to Halt Gaza-Bound Ship
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Israel's ambassador to the United Nations, Ron Prosor
Israel asked the United Nations to stop a Swedish-owned ship carrying human rights activists from attempting to break Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza
Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Ron Prosor, called the ship Estelle a “provocation” that “raises tensions and could easily spark a serious escalation of the conflict.”
“I want to stress that Israel is not interested in confrontation but remains determined to enforce its naval blockade of the Gaza Strip — and will take all lawful actions to this end,” Prosor wrote in a letter delivered Tuesday to U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
Part of the Freedom Flotilla movement, the Estelle reportedly is carrying humanitarian aid such as cement, basketballs and musical instruments. The small vessel began its journey in Sweden and toured Europe, including Finland, France and Spain, before arriving earlier this month in the Gulf of Naples. It is due to arrive in Gaza’s territorial waters early next week.
The boat, flying the Finnish flag, is also carrying at least 17 activists from Canada, Norway, Sweden, Israel and the United States. Members of parliament of four European countries reportedly boarded the vessel at sea near Greece on Tuesday, according to the Swedish newspaper Helsingin Sanomat, which said there are now some 30 activists.
Israel imposed the blockade in 2007 after the terrorist group Hamas took control of the Gaza Strip. It says the sanctions are to prevent weapons and other terror material from being smuggled in to Gaza,
The Freedom Flotilla’s first attempt to break the blockade ended in the deaths of nine Turkish activists after Israeli Navy commandos on May 31, 2010 boarded the Mavi Marmara, which claimed to be carrying humanitarian aid, after warning the ship not to sail into waters near the Gaza Strip in circumvention of Israel’s naval blockade.
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This time arrest everyone, imprison them confiscate the ship.
like this
Helsingin Sanomat is the main FINNISH NEWSPAPER, not Swedish. The captain is Finnish and in the crew there are Finns as well. The ship was made in Finland 90 years ago..
Suomen lipun alla purjehtiva Estelle-alus jatkaa matkaansa kohti Gazaa Israelin varoituksista huolimatta. Purjealus seilaa paraikaa Kreikan saariston eteläpuolella kohti Kreetaa. Tuulista riippuen alus saapunee Gazaan viikon kuluessa. Aluksen pursimiehen Wellu Koiviston mukaan tunnelma laivalla on hyvä ja purjehdussää erinomainen.
Why does Israel appeal to the anti-Semitic UN? Israel has the wherewithal to deal with the problem!
U are right but if Israel did then Israel would be punished. The UN hates Israel and is dying to get any reason at all to further attack Israel. That's why Israel has no real choice but beg for help…
Your first two sentences are correct–but the last is in error; Israel begging those who are anti-Semites–is not and will never be the answer! Israel needs to do what is right and to hell with those who hate. Israel will not be destroyed–but all the nations who hate Israel will be destroyed.
Maybe the best idea is to sink the boat, but let its entire crew swim back home. To sink that boat is good for the environment, is the old one, and for its steel the best resting place is the bottom of the sea. The crew are sailers, use to boats and are fantastic good swimers. Let them swim back to their respective lands. Ensure only that not any sharks can catch them and eat. As all sharks in the sea are pure israeli spies, the entire world know this unique israeli secret, Israeli government must whisle to shark the order 'Not bite on the swiming home israel-haters', to convinst the sharks not to harm them this very time. This I think would work just fine and it is a very humanely act as well. It's just a suggestion…