#FreedomWaves - Two boats on way to Gaza: Lend your support

Two boats from the Freedom Flotilla II are in international waters he Mediterranean Sea and heading to Gaza. The vessels were part of  the effort last summer that was thwarted when Greece refused to allow the ships to leave Athens, have left port and are now in international waters.

One boat, the Saoirse from Ireland, includes parliamentarians among its passengers. The other, the Tahrir, carries representatives from Canada, the United States, Australia, and Palestine.  The U.S. representative on the Tahrir, Kit Kittredge, had been a passenger on the U.S. Boat to Gaza's "The Audacity of Hope," which was held up in  Athens in July. A journalist from Democracy Now is on the Tahrir also. Civil society organizations in Gaza await their arrival, and look forward to the delivery of letters collected from thousands of U.S. supporters in the To Gaza With Love campaign.  

TAKE ACTION

We need your help to make this mission a success. Please take these actions immediately.

1. Check these websites for updates:  www.ustogaza.org; www.irishshiptogaza.org; and www.tahrir.ca; watch  or listen to Democracy Now for live coverage from the Tahrir; look for Twitter hashtag #Freedomwaves.
2. Spread the word far and wide – send this alert to your contacts.
3. Call the State Department  and the White House and demand they take immediate action to ensure the safe passage of these boats and to put an end to the siege of Gaza.

State Department - Secretary of State Hillary Clinton 202.647.5291

White House - 202-456-1414

Email President Obama

Here are some talking points or suggested messaging: 

Gaza has been under siege since mid-2006, depriving 1.6 million people of their liberty and basic human rights.  Although the siege has been condemned by the United Nations, the Red Cross, and many national governments, nothing has been done to ease the plight of these civilians. Civil society has had to act where governments would not. Two ships with 27 passengers from 5 countries are sailing to Gaza to confront the Israeli naval blockade, and to bring medical supplies and letters of support. 

As Americans we insist that our government (which sends Israel $3 billion in military aid every year), demands that Israel ensures the ships’ safe passage and ends its illegal blockade of Gaza. The siege is collective punishment, which is against international law.