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| The SS Dignity
arrives at the Gaza port, 29 October 2008. (FreeGaza)
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This morning I walked to the Indian Ocean and made salt in defiance of
the British Occupation of India. This morning I marched in Selma, I
stood down tanks in Tiananmen Square, and I helped tear down the
Berlin Wall. This morning I became a Freedom Rider.
The Freedom Riders of the 21st Century are sailing small boats into
the Gaza Strip in open defiance of the Israeli occupation and
blockade. This morning I arrived in Gaza aboard the SS Dignity, part
of a Free Gaza Movement delegation of 27 doctors, lawyers, teachers,
and human rights activists from across the world, including Mairead
Maguire, the 1976 Nobel Peace Prize laureate.
When I close my eyes, I still hear the crash of ocean waves, I still
feel the warm sun on my face, and I still taste salt from the sea
spray. When I close my eyes, I can still see the Israeli warship
that tried to intimidate us when we reached the 20-mile line outside
Gaza, and I can still see a thousand cheering people crowding around
our ship when we refused to be intimidated and finally reached port
in Gaza City. Today, there is no prouder boat, crew or passengers
than the SS Dignity.
Dr. Mustafa Barghouti, an independent member of the Palestinian
Legislative Council, sailed aboard the Dignity, along with six other
Palestinians from the West Bank, Israel, and countries in Europe.
What should have been a 90-minute drive from Ramallah to Gaza City
became a three day odyssey as he traveled from the West Bank to
Jordan, then flew to Cyprus, before finally coming onboard the
15-hour sea voyage to Gaza.
"We're challenging Israel in a manner that is unprecedented," said
Dr. Barghouti. "Israel has prevented me from visiting Gaza for more
than two years now. I am so pleased that we managed to defy Israel's
injustice so that I can see all the people I love and work with in
Gaza. Israel's measures are meant to divide us, but it is our
defiance and resistance which unite us."
This is a resistance which can and should light the fire of all our
imaginations, and bring hope not just to Palestinians, but to
peoples suffering the terrible tides of oppression and injustice the
world around.
After watching the Dignity's arrival, Fida Qishta, the local
coordinator for the International Solidarity Movement (ISM) in the
Gaza Strip, said "If Gaza is free then it's our right to invite
whomsoever we wish to visit us. It's our land and it's our sea. Now
more groups must come, not only by sea, but also the crossings at
Erez and Rafah must be opened. This second breaking of the siege
means a lot, actually. It's the second time in two months that
people have come to Gaza without Israel's permission, and that tells
us that Gaza will be free."
For over 40 years, Israel has occupied the Gaza Strip. Despite the
so-called "disengagement" in 2005, when they dismantled their
illegal settlements here, Israel still maintains absolute control
over Gaza's borders and airspace, severely limiting the free
movement of goods, services, and travel. Israel is still an
occupying power.
For over two years, Israel has maintained a brutal blockade of Gaza.
Compared to 2005, less than 20 percent of the supplies needed are
allowed in. This has forced 95 percent of local industries to shut
down, resulting in massive increases in unemployment and poverty
rates. Childhood malnutrition has skyrocketed, and 80 percent of
families are now dependent on international food aid just to be able
to eat. An hour after we arrived, I watched as a teenage boy dug
through the garbage looking for something he could use.
Israel's siege isn't simply illegal -- it's intolerable.
Renowned human rights activist Caoimhe Butterly also sailed aboard
the Dignity, and will remain in Gaza for several weeks as project
coordinator for the Free Gaza Movement. But, said Butterly, "My
feelings are bittersweet. Although we're overjoyed at reaching Gaza
a second time, that joy is tempered by the fact that the conscience
of the world has been reduced to a small boat and 27 seasick
activists. This mission is a reminder of not only the efficacy of
non-violent direct action, but also of the deafening silence of the
international community."
The first voyage of any international ship to Gaza in over forty
years in August demonstrated that it was possible to freely travel.
This second voyage shows that it is repeatable, and sets a
precedent: The siege of Gaza can be overcome through non-violent
resistance and direct action.
Today, the Free Gaza Movement has a simple message for the rest of
the world: What are you waiting for?
Ramzi Kysia is an Arab-American writer and activist, and one of
the organizers of the Free Gaza Movement. To find out more about
Free Gaza and what you can do to help support their work, please
visit FreeGaza.org.
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