Attacked on high seas on way to Gaza by Israeli military

ISRAELI TAKEOVER OF FREEDOM BOATS VIOLENT AND DANGEROUS
Contrary to Israeli claims that the takeover of the two Freedom boats Tahrir and MV Saoirse by the Israeli navy was peaceful, organisers of this latest Freedom Wave to Gaza say it was aggressive and dangerous. The two boats were violently intercepted in international waters, says Michael Coleman, an Australian aboard the Tahrir, who is currently imprisoned in Israel.

Organisers in Sydney are outraged, saying Israeli forces water-cannoned, tasered, beat and shackled activists on the Canadian ship Tahrir who were seeking to challenge Israel’s illegal naval blockade of Gaza.

Dr Fintan Lane of the Irish boat MV Saoirse reportedly said: "The boats were corralled to such an extent that the two boats collided with each other and were damaged, with most of the damage happening to the MV Saoirse."

Michael Coleman was finally able to speak for just over a minute to his father John Coleman on Sunday after nearly 40 hours in Israeli detention. Michael told his father: "We were intercepted in international waters, illegally boarded by about 30 armed Israeli troops and forcibly taken to Israel against our expressed will. We were assaulted and thrown around. I had my arm twisted hard up my back. One activist was tasered."

"We have been hand-cuffed and shackled, sleep-deprived, with our watches impounded and the clock in the prison set to the wrong time. This is all designed to disorient and demoralise us. But our spirits are high. We are political prisoners, defending the rights of Palestinians. We have refused to sign any statement that we came illegally to Israel. We were headed for Gaza, not Israel. We were forcibly, violently and illegally taken to Israel against our will," he said.

Many goodwill messages for Michael have been received. Australian journalist, writer and film-maker, John Pilger wrote: "Be assured the great majority of humanity is with you in spirit; …All power to you."

Australian writer and journalist Antony Loewenstein wrote: "The silence of the political and media elites over both Michael's imprisonment and the suffering of the Gazan people proves how Zionist ideology has corrupted our democratic process."

Spokesperson Vivienne Porzsolt says: "We are calling for the immediate release of Michael and the other brave activists. The maltreatment of international peace activists is unacceptable but pales in comparison with the treatment of Palestinians by Israel. Just last week 9 Palestinians were killed and 2 more yesterday."

"Initiatives like the Freedom Waves would be unnecessary if Israel would finally end this illegal blockade. Western governments, including Australia, must hold Israel accountable for its defiance of international law," said Ms Porzsolt. “Israel’s impunity must stop.”

For more information, contact:
Vivienne Porzsolt 0411 366 295
Kate Ausburn 0423 914 543
James Godfrey 0424 340 630

Website: http://freegazaoz.org Email: freegazaaustralia@gmail.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GazaAustralia      Twitter: @GFFAusGroup
 

 Appeal from human rights activists kidnapped to Israel

Dear sisters and brothers, friends and loved ones,  I write to you from cell 9, block 59 Givon Prison near Ramla in Occupied Palestine. Although I was tasered during the assault on the Tahrir, and bruised during forcible removal dockside (I am limping slightly as a result) I am basically ok. We, Ehab, Michael, Karen from Tahrir, as well as Karen, Kit (US) and Jihan who we saw briefly this morning. We are most concerned about our Tahrir shipmate, Palestinian Majd Kayyal from Haifa, last seen by us at Ashdod being photographed and put in a police car.*

Although Michael and I (among others) were transported in handcuffs and leg shackles, let me stress that we are neither criminals nor illegal immigrants but rather political prisoners of the apartheid state of Israel. Four from the Tahrir are imprisoned with 12 Irish comrades from the Saoirse, who have more experience with such issues. The four of us, Ehab and I (Cdn), Michael (Aus) and Hassan (UK) have joined with the Irish in their political prisoners' committee in order to press our collective demands:

• association in the block - i.e. open cells
• adequate writing and reading material
• free communication with outside world - i.e. regular phone calls
• information about shipmate women held at same prison
We add one Tahrir-specific demand: that Israeli state recognize the professional status of Democracy Now journalist Jihan Hafiz in accordance with her credentials from the US government.

All political incarceration is unjust but let me stress that in duration and conditions, our situation pales in comparison to the plight of thousands of Palestinian political prisoners and to the open air prison of Gaza.

If you have energy to devote to solidarity actions in the coming days, please concentrate on them. We must get Tahrir back and hope Freedom Waves continue.
Free Majd Kayyal! Free all political prisoners! Free Gaza! Free Palestine!

Stay human, in love and struggle,

David

* Majd Kayyal was released, but it appears David the other political prisoners weren't told where he was taken.