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Israel stops Jewish activist yacht on way to Gaza

28 September 2010 19:47 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. The Israeli navy boarded a yacht in the Mediterranean Tuesday to prevent 10 Jewish activists sailing to Gaza to protest against Israel’s blockade of the Palestinian enclave, APA reports quoting Reuters.

Israel’s Gaza policies came under scrutiny in May after its marines killed nine Turkish activists in boarding one ship in a flotilla of six vessels trying to reach the Palestinian enclave. The boarding occurred in international waters at night.

A military statement Tuesday said the catamaran Irene, flying the Union Jack, was taken over without incident well off the Gaza Strip, within the 20-mile nautical zone that Israel defines as Gaza waters.

Navy video shot from above showed two navy speedboats closing alongside the catamaran and marines clambering aboard.

Reuters Television filmed the yacht sailing for the port of Ashdod under its own power, led by a small naval escort vessel. But it was docked out of sight of the media.

The group of 10 activists -- from Israel, Britain, Germany and the United States -- set sail from Cyprus Sunday, intent on defying the Israeli blockade of Gaza and highlighting the suffering of 1.5 million Palestinians who live in the territory.

"Israel doesn’t have moral borders," said activist Reuven Moskovitz before setting sail from Cyprus Sunday. The Holocaust survivor, 82, said he was taking part "because I am a survivor. When I was in a ghetto and almost died I hoped there would be human beings who would show compassion and help."

The Irene’s campaign attracted relatively little international attention. Israel dismissed it as a provocative stunt wasteful of time and resources.

A handful of supporters waited outside the gates of Ashdod port for news of the campaigners, whose mobile phones had apparently been confiscated. They carried signs saying "Stop the Siege" and "No More Occupation."

A spokeswoman for the group said the boat had docked and the activists -- including foreign nationals -- were being taken off one by one for processing by Israeli authorities. Their lawyer and representatives of their embassies were also seeking access.

SURREAL MISSION

Israel Defense Forces’ (IDF) chief spokesman Avi Benayahu deplored the fact that "naval forces and fighters are being diverted from our main mission" to "a surreal assignment" of intercepting a boatload of activists.

"Its entire intention was to generate media attention and (stage) a provocation. This matter is especially regrettable as we are talking about a group of Jews and of Israeli citizens, and even someone who has worn an IDF officer’s uniform."

He was apparently referring to activist Yonatan Shapira, a former IDF pilot and now a member of Combatants for Peace.

International condemnation of the May action persuaded the government to relax restrictions on what Gaza can import. But Israel maintains the naval blockade in what it says is an effort to stop arms being smuggled to the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas, which has controlled the Gaza Strip since 2007.