Volunteers struggle to support flotilla for Gaza aid

The Free Gaza Movement, a flotilla of five boats that embarked for the Israeli-occupied shores of Gaza on a fateful mission in 2010 to deliver humanitarian aid, resumes its controversial mission this year. A group of 50 activists is embarking for Gaza on the ship called The Audacity of Hope — a poke at President Obama’s campaign theme and book of the same name. Last year, boats were met in international waters by the Israeli navy. Commanders boarded the ships and accused the humanitarians of terrorism for their attempts to provide aid. When the activists resisted, a fight broke out on the MV Mavi Marmara and seven Israelis were injured and nine of the passengers were killed. This year, The Audacity of Hope will join 15 other vessels from various countries, totaling up to 1,500 humanitarian aid workers. The passengers on America’s boat include 10 members of the press, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Alice Walker, former government officials and Hedy Epstein, a Holocaust survivor. Also included are two passengers from Connecticut, Gale Courey Toensing of Falls Village and Libor Koznar of New Britain. This trip is not the first for Toensing. She has been studying Palestine and its hardships since the 1990s and is a member of the Middle East Crisis Committee as well as an editor of The Corner Report (an online blog that posts Middle Eastern news that does not get covered by the mainstream media) and a former reporter with the Waterbury-Republican American newspaper.She commented that  “this was what Palestinians — and their children — had to live with every day of their lives,” referring to her own experience with being shot at by Israeli troops.Koznar grew up in the Czech Republic, where he received a degree in operational engineering. He attended Central Connecticut State University and co-founded Art and Struggle. Currently residing in New Britain, Libor also serves as vice chair of the Middle East Crisis Committee.With more than 40 other brave Americans, these activists travel under the nonviolent principals of Martin Luther King Jr. and started with nonviolent peace training and orientation in Greece. Aware that it is illegal to bring material aid to the people of Gaza, they are bringing the principle of hope with them in the form of thousands of letters written by concerned Americans, communicating support for the Palestinian people.          The United States government, however, is not supportive of this initiative. Before The Audacity of Hope set sail, a travel advisory was issued by the government, urging activists not to participate in the Free Gaza flotilla. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has demonstrated disapproval for this boat of peacemakers, commenting at the State Department on June 23, “We think that it’s not helpful for there to be flotillas that try to provoke actions by entering into Israeli waters and creating a situation in which the Israelis have the right to defend themselves.” Greek officials have delayed the departure of The Audacity of Hope due to an anonymous complaint alleging the ship is not seaworthy. Suspecting political interference, The Audacity of Hope participants pressured the Greek government for more information regarding the complaint and it was discovered that the delay tactic was actually filed by an Israeli law group, the Shurat HaDin, known for harassing the Free Gaza movement in the past.   Despite criticisms and challenges, many Americans support the flotilla’s safe passage into Gaza, and the message that its passengers carry with them — one of peace, support and hope. If you are among these concerned citizens, call or email Sen. Lieberman (202-224-4041, www.lieberman.senate.gov) or Blumenthal (202-224-2823, www.blumenthal.senate.gov) or the U.S. State Department to show your support and encourage further media coverage of the atrocities occurring in Gaza. The flotilla can be tracked at www.UstoGaza.org, where you can also send a message. Sage Hahn is a recent graduate, with high honors, of Northwestern Regional High School in Winsted. She is attending Bennington College in Vermont in the fall.  She has worked as an intern in the Office of the Community Lawyer for the past three years.

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