The fabove video is the last footage taken onboard the Spirit Of Humanity before its voyage to bring humanitarian aid to Gaza was prematurely halted by Isreali special forces. It shows the atmosphere inside the cabin as the crew try to negotiate with the Isreali ship via radio.
Below: July 9, 2009
Roseanne Barr Interviews Cynthia Mckinney – Part 2
Cynthia “this one lady stood up
…
she said (of dignity) ” it starts with truth,
because,
you can’t get justice without truth,
you can’t get peace without justice,
and you can’t get dignity without peace”
Cynthia McKinney, former U.S. Congresswoman and the 2008 Green Party presidential candidate.
Adam Shapiro, documentary filmmaker, human rights activist and Palestinian rights activist. Adam was a co-founder of the ISM in Palestine. He was filming the voyage of the Arion for the Free Gaza Movement last week.
AMY GOODMAN: Former Congress member Cynthia McKinney arrived back in the United States Tuesday following her deportation from Israel. McKinney was one of 21 activists seized by the Israeli military in international waters last week as they tried to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza. Also aboard the Free Gaza boat was Nobel Peace Prize laureate Mairead Maguire. Last week’s trip was the Free Gaza movement’s first since it aborted an attempt in January after the Israeli navy threatened to shoot the civilian passengers on board. That sailing had come just weeks after an Israeli Navy vessel deliberately rammed another of its boats, almost forcing it to sink. Cynthia McKinney joins us now in Washington D.C. We are joined here at the Firehouse by Adam Shapiro. He was filming the Free Gaza trip last week. He is a Palestinian human rights activist and co-founder of the International Solidarity Movement. Both former Congress member McKinney and Adam were detained for the past week and just deported back to the United States.
Cynthia McKinney why did you go? What happened to you in the Israeli jail?
CYNTHIA McKINNEY: I went because there’s a gross injustice being carried out everyday. This is my second attempt to get into Gaza with the Free Gaza organization. And for the two times I attempted to get in, two times I have been thwarted by the Israeli military. The cause is the human rights of the Palestinian people. The world saw the operation Cast Lead where the United States supplied white phosphorus, depleted uranium, cluster bombs, DIME weapons, were rained down on the defenseless people of Gaza. Of course, we desperately wanted to get in to take humanitarian relief supplies. And both times I have tried to go with Free Gaza, they’ve been thwarted—we have been supported thwarted by the Israeli military.
AMY GOODMAN: Now were you on one of the boats that was rammed?
CYNTHIA McKINNEY: I was on the Dignity. And yes it was rammed in international waters…
AMY GOODMAN: When was this?
CYNTHIA McKINNEY: ..This was in December, just a day or so after the outbreak of Operation Cast Lead. I was contacted by Free Gaza and asked to go within 24 hours and I said, yes, I would go.
AMY GOODMAN: I wanted to play a comment made last week by Israeli government spokesperson Mark Regev who dismissed the humanitarian mission of the Free Gaza Movement.
MARK REGEV: Israel every day is allowing humanitarian support to reach the people of Gaza. Food stuffs, medicines, energy and so forth. This boat was not about that. This boat was about political activists who have been apologists for the Hamas regime who have nothing whatsoever to say about Hamas’s brutal treatment of the people of Gaza.
AMY GOODMAN: Former Congress member McKinney, your response?
CYNTHIA McKINNEY: Well, clearly, we just had a visit to Gaza by President Carter, Former President Carter. Basically, he acknowledged that with the complete and utter devastation that the people of Gaza experienced at the hands of weapons that were supplied to Israel by the United States, he said that unfortunately the Palestinians are treated worse than human beings. I challenge the Israelis to respond to what President Carter had to say.
AMY GOODMAN: Former Congress member McKinney, tell us about the jail. Were you able to reach the Obama administration while you were there?
CYNTHIA McKINNEY: Well, the jail was very interesting. In fact, the first most interesting thing I witnessed was the seemingly endless stream of people of color who are being processed as we were being processed. And on my cell block, there were women from Africa and Asia who thought they were going to Israel because Israel was the Holy Land. And many of them, not all of them, but many of them had United Nations refugee status. They have been certified by UNHCR as refugees, but what they were told as they faced the threats and intimidation from the police is that the United Nations is not in Israel.
AMY GOODMAN: Adam Shapiro, you are Palestinian rights activist long known for this. You were on the boat. You were roughed up, you were filming when the Israeli military came on board. Describe what happened.
ADAM SHAPIRO: Well, they boarded us, four zodiac ships as well as eight naval warships, they surrounded our boat and can immediately towards the wheel house where I was along with the captain and one other crew member. I was documenting the whole trip and filming as they boarded the ship. Two soldiers came after me immediately, recognizing I think that they don’t want any footage of what was happening and they don’t want the world to know how they behave. I tried to keep the camera as long as I could. But I was pummeled repeatedly in the back and arms and choked and eventually they got the camera out of my hands. They have since taken all of our tapes, all of our flashcards and all of that, so we don’t have a record to show the world of what happened on board. The rest of the time we were detained in one room of the ship as we spent the better part of six hours navigating back to an Israeli port where we were processed and ultimately jailed.
AMY GOODMAN: There was another Al-Jazeera reporter on board as well ?
ADAM SHAPIRO: There was an Al-Jazeera reporter and cameramen. They lost all of their footage and camera as well.
AMY GOODMAN: Their computer was taken?
ADAM SHAPIRO: Yes, it was taken, completely reformatted and erased. And so again, we don’t seem to have a record to show the world what happened.
AMY GOODMAN: Your response to Israeli Spokesperson Regev?
ADAM SHAPIRO: Well Mark Regev is known for his colorful descriptions of how great life is in Gaza as far as Israel is concerned. However, all of the reporting, including the most recent International Committee for the Red Cross, shows the number of trucks Israel is allowing into Gaza is completely insufficient for what is needed. And so yes, it is true, he can say Israel allows foodstuffs and medicines to get in, but two trucks a day or 20 trucks a day is far inferior to what is needed. And we have seen, since the international outcry following January’s attack has subsided the number of trucks Israel has allowed in has decreased. And so, what we are saying, Free Gaza is a humanitarian effort to bring in the kinds of medicines and foods that are needed. But the Free Gaza movement is also a political organization in the sense we are human rights organization, And human rights for Palestinians is inherently political. And we are challenging Israel politically too, and this week I think has been a success for those of us who are fighting for Palestinian rights. We were not able to get into Gaza but we have shown the world the true colors of the Israeli occupation, and the double standard by which the United States and other countries are dealing with Israel.
AMY GOODMAN: Former Congress member McKinney, we only have ten seconds. But, you’ve just been deported. What are your plans right now?
CYNTHIA McKINNEY: Well, I would like to see the children of Gaza have the coloring books and crayons that we had on board with us. I would like to see the houses that have been destroyed rebuilt. I would like to see the lives rebuilt for the people of Gaza and I would like to see the people of Palestine have, and enjoy their human rights.
AMY GOODMAN: Do you think president Obama is headed in that direction?
CYNTHIA McKINNEY: I think you can probably answer that as well as we can, because while we were in detention, the Foreign Ministry of Ireland made protests and asked the government of Israel to release its nationals, several Members of Parliament
AMY GOODMAN: …We have 5 seconds….
CYNTHIA McKINNEY: from the United Kingdom…
AMY GOODMAN: … 5 seconds….
CYNTHIA McKINNEY: …also wanted to censure Israel. Nothing from the United States.
AMY GOODMAN: Cynthia McKinney, Adam Shapiro, Thank you so much. I’m Amy Goodman. Thanks for joining us.
An American hero, she gave her life working towards a day when we
stop paying for shooting children to terrorize whole other peoples for others’ interests.
The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) condemns
the Israeli naval commandeering of a ship carrying humanitarian
supplies to the besieged territory of Gaza. Please sign this online petition @:
Here is the message that we are going to append:
On June 30th, 2009, the Israeli navy attacked, boarded, and captured the humanitarian aid ship,
the SPIRIT OF HUMANITY while it was in international waters, heading toward the Port of Gaza.
The Isreali navy kidnapped the SPIRIT OF HUMANITY’s 21 crew and passengers, including former
U.S. Congresswoman, Cynthia McKinney and Irish Nobel Peace Laurate, Mairead Maguire.
Please take action to call for the release of these brave humanitarian aid workers who were trying to
deliver medical supplies, humanitarian aid, and children’s toys to the people of Gaza who are
still suffering from the consequences of Israel’s deadly assault in December 2008/January 2009.
Some of the sites below allow comments, they are marked COMMENTS, please do, as much as possible.
Please also consider signing up for social bookmarking sites and clicking the buttons that allow one
to post to Digg.com and other such sites, where you can also share your comments.
We just received a report that Cynthia refused to sign a deportation order which
contained a statement that she violated the Israeli blockade.
The US Embassy said that Israeli law requires that inmates who refuse to sign a
deportation must be kept in jail for 3 days before they are sent away.
By this measure, It will be Sunday before we know when and if she will leave Israel.
Don DeBar
July 2, at 1:33am
Cynthia McKinney was able to get a call out to a colleague, Don Debar,
she sends a message that she is fine, keep calling, faxing and emailing.
Keep protesting, too! She is being held at the Ramle Prison in Israel…
she has seen an attorney today provided by Free Gaza.
She had no information on any of the 21 being released.
Mairead Maguire is possibly being held or detained somewhere else.
FREE the FREE GAZA 21!
Demand that Israel return the ship along with the DANGEROUS CARGO–CRAYONS!
“We were in international waters on a boat delivering humanitarian aid to people in Gaza when the
Israeli Navy ships surrounded us and illegally threatened us, dismantled our navigation
equipment, boarded and confiscated the ship.
John Judge (Press Secretary during the 2008 campaign) sent this tonight:
I just got a call from former Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney from inside
an Israeli prison at Ramale where she and 20 other humanitarian aid workers from
9 different countries are still being held by Israeli authorities.
US Embassy officials have spoken to Ms. McKinney and are aware of the situation.
Four of the group are US citizens. Among them is Mairead Maguire, from Ireland,
a Nobel laureate and renowned peace activist. They have named themselves the
“Free Gaza 21.” They are demanding their release.
All those aboard were taken off the ship and into custody, and brought into Israel
and imprisoned. Immigration officials in Israel said they did not want to keep them,
but they remain imprisoned.
State Department and White House Officials have not effected their release or taken a
strong public stance to condemn the illegal actions of the Israeli Navy, enforcing a
blockade of humanitarian assistance that has been condemned by President Obama.
Green Party: President Obama and the US State Dept. must demand release of Cynthia
McKinney and 20 other human rights activists on Free Gaza relief boat seized by
Israeli gunboats – 2009-06-30 Washington, DC http://www.gp.org/press/pr-national.php?ID=230
Barghouthi condemns Israeli attack on Free Gaza ship
Cynthia McKinney Demands Immediate Release After Her Gaza-Bound Boat is Seized by Israeli Navy
Former U.S. lawmaker and Green Party leader Cynthia McKinney, a longtime activist for the Palestinians,
says her boat, the Spirit of Humanity, was carrying medical supplies, cement, olive trees and
children’s toys to Gaza when it was seized by an Israeli navy ship.
Cynthia McKinney Aboard Boat Headed for Gaza, Intercepted by Israeli Naval Force
The ex-congresswoman and long-time activist for the Palestinians was among a group of individuals turned back after their boat tried to enter Israeli waters in an attempt to land in Gaza to distribute medical supplies.
FOXNews.com – Tuesday, December 30, 2008 http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2008/12/30/mckinney-aboard-boat-headed-gaa-intercepted-israeli-naval-force/
Israeli Navy takes control of aid boat headed for Gaza
Small ferry carrying medical supplies that set sail from Cyprus Monday with
21 peace activists, medical supplies intercepted off Strip’s shore;
passengers say army jammed boat’s radio signals
Ali Waked, Anat Shalev – 06.30.09, 16:18 / Israel News
Collateral damage? – AlJazeeraEnglish – Inside Story – 30 June 09
Details of the Human Rights Watch Study “Precisely Wrong” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWYkGFuDpOk
COMMENTS
Richard Goldstone and UN delegates hear testimonies of
Gaza Strip residents as part of UN Human Rights Council’s
investigation of Operation Cast Lead. According to Goldstone,
goal of hearing is to bring story of victims to world -06.30.09, 21:33
Gazan police struggle to operate after the war – 2 Feb 09
“about 120 (police) were killed on the first day of air strikes”
“lately we have been targeted” “specifically targeted”
“the central jail has been flattened”
(Israel blows up jails and police stations first,
then holds them responsible for not stopping the rocket attacks) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWYkGFuDpOk http://www.youtube.com/user/AlJazeeraEnglish
“the Jewish religion forbids the Jewish people from having a state, the Jewish people are exiled”
“it’s against the Jewish beliefs, and all the actions that emanate from Zionism,
the oppression of a people, the stealing the land, and even the oppression of the orthodox people …
that’s all against God, against the Torah, and they, they do this all in the name of the Torah and the name of Judaism.
So we want the world to know”
ideally we would hope that the United States government stop supporting Isreal,
they think they’re doing them a favor,
but basically zionism is the main cause of antisemetism in the world”
Anti-Zionist Jewish Protestors 3:22
“athieistic, nationalistic, movement; extremely opposed to the basic faith of Judaism”
an eloquent defense by a Zionist, “you morons, you deserve to die, and your children should piss on your bones”
Zionism versus Judaism Part 1 of 6 9:57
Zionism is not a religion. Zionism is secular nationalism for reformed jews. Zionism versus Judaism Part 2 9:59
the covenant: to be holy people, emulate Allness, or be rejected by the land Zionism versus Judaism Part 3 9:59
the oath “you shall not rebel against any nations, you shall not go back in mass to israel, you shall not try to end the exile” Zionism versus Judaism Part 4 9:59
Zionists prevented the buying of hungarian jewish lives from hitler (whoa!). Zionism versus Judaism Part 5 9:59
“Zionists terrorized the Jews.” “We are forbidden by God to have a state, we are forbidden to oppress a people.” Zionism versus Judaism Part 6 9:59
“it is a problem with a movement that has nothing to do with God.” “we must pray to God
for the speedy and peaceful dismantling of this illegal state”…
“God is the one who accomplishes; the USSR also disappeared overnight”
this is a list of Lebanese targets hit in the first week of
“restricted pinpoint attacks” to ‘defend’ Israel from Hezbollah
all three runways at airport,
airport fuel tanks
road to the airport,
roads,
hwy linking Beruit and Damascus,
bridges, 46
tunnels,
lighthouse,
port facilities,
electrical pylons,
power plant fuel tanks,
generators,
water mains,
pumping stations
fuel depots,
gas stations,
houses,
milk factory,
ambulances,
an ambulance caravan from Syria,
procter and gamble warehouse,
countless apartment buildings,
shops,
stalls,
way disproportionate number of cars,
empty seafront restaurant,
mobile television relay stations,
comm networks,
cellphone towers,
glass factory,
U.N. peacekeepers’ main headquarters in the south,
Christian suburb on the eastern side of Beirut,
truck-mounted water well drill,
the office of PLO foriegn minister,
barracks of Lebanese logistics unit
(some members of which had just shown Robert Fisk
what they thought was a fallen piece of wing and
burning fuel from an f-16; they are now dead),
another Lebanese barracks,
multiple army bases,
schools
Grain Silos
is thier aim amazingly bad, or thier lies?
and then there’s the blockade
Israeli Air Force General Ido Nehushtan says, “The targets chosen are connected either directly or indirectly with terrorism,”
Israeli Vice Premier Shimon Peres, “no civilian life will be hit, that no civilian infrastructure will be destroyed.” “Israel didn’t start the war. Israel didn’t attack anybody.”
“There has also been widespread destruction of public infrastructure.”
International Committee of the Red Cross
“Since the start of the month, Israeli forces have killed nearly 50 Palestinians, the majority of them being innocent civilians. In May, the killing of more than 40 Palestinians by Israeli forces was scarcely reported in the US media. The recent artillery barrage on Gaza left many children under the age of ten dead. The number of Palestinian children killed in the last three weeks by Israeli forces is equal to the number of Israeli children killed by Palestinian groups over the past two years.”
July 04, 2006, http://poeticremi.blogspot.com/
Found a pic of men in Beirut watching Hizbullah leader
Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah, while the Isrealis claim to think
the explosions behind are hitting him
(they did nab some apartments and houses though).
btw, the CIA has closed the book on Osama Bin Laudin.
h u b r i s ZIONAZIS
Israel still holds nearly 10,000 abducted Palestinians, including many members of the Palestinian government. Ali Abuminah, co-founder of ElectronicIntifada.net, Israel explicitly introduced the tactic of hostage taking for the purpose of prisoners exchangesin the early 90s. Today, Israel holds many Lebanese prisoners and occupies the Shebaa Farms. When did Israel every respect the sovereignty of any of its neighbors. Israel occupies southwest Syria. There are 30,000 Israeli settlers living in southwest Syria cultivating wine and enjoying the Golan Heights and claiming God gave it to them. Israel is establishing new settlements everyday throughout the Occupied Territories. Israel has been violating the airspace and territorial waters of Lebanon continuously and consistently ever since it was forced to withdraw its forces and its collaborator army, the South Lebanon army, in May 2000.
