Organizers in Istanbul, Dublin and undoubtedly dozens of other places are preparing to launch the next major flotilla intended to break the Israeli siege of Gaza. I had to laugh to myself when after watching this succinct statement by Dr. Fintan Lane of Irish Ship to Gaza, 'up next' on the youtube screen came 'The power of Israeli naval forces'. Always eager to be well-informed about Israeli naval power, imagine my disappointment to get this: an error has occurred for which there is no solution please try again later. A clever anonymous sabotage message or just karmic payback?Though i don't normally like the bleeding heart 'poor people of Gaza' videos, this one from the Flotilla resonated strongly. i couldn't help but be reminded of the day i left the West Bank in 2007, headed for the airport in Tel Aviv. A trip which should have taken a little over an hour ended up taking over3, but that wasn't unusual and not exactly the issue. We could not find a way out, even my university's normally super cool driver was showing signs of panic. Soldiers at two wall crossings wouldn't let us pass (NB: i was in an Israeli registered taxi); soldiers at checkpoints inside the West Bank wouldn't let us through.... i have to say that for a final send-off (i'd been working there for 2 years), the psychological impact was powerful: Want to live with our enemies? Fine. Stay there. No one gets out of the cage.
Whether this next flotilla will make it in remains to be seen. i certainly wish them safe passage and serenity of spirit once the Israelis nab them, which is sure to happen. Even if they are allowed to sail into Gaza City, the IDF is never going to let those boats sail back out. All those flotilla folks will find themselves stuck in one cage or another - a small detention cell in Haifa or the big cell that is Gaza.
No comments:
Post a Comment