Written by Free Gaza Team | 04 May 2012
Posted in News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(London, May 4, 2012) Last summer, “Omer” posted a video saying he had been turned down as a passenger on board one of Free Gaza’s boats because he is gay. Within a few days, he was discovered to be a fake, apparently recording his statement coordinated with the Israeli government press office.

Yesterday, Jon Ronson from the Guardian, followed up on this story. “Omer” (who turned out to be an Israeli actor named Mark and had no network of gays and lesbians) again spun his explanation about sending an email to us, then calling us on the phone. As he was pressed, he became more and more confused about the facts.

Like all good journalists, Mr. Ronson had already followed up, asking us if we had ever heard from this man,

Our colleague, Alex, running the London office was contacted. “We have never received an email or a phone call from this man, and we would not have refused his application,” she stated.

The only criteria we have for passengers is that they sign our points of unity. We have welcomed members of the LGBT community on board our boats over the years, and they have been welcomed in Gaza.

More importantly, the Free Gaza movement sees this story, made up by an Israeli actor, as another attempt to ‘pinkwash’ the occupation of Palestine,

Last year, the Tel Aviv tourism board spent $90 million to brand the city as “an international gay vacation destination. Their massive PR efforts are a deliberate strategy to conceal the continuing violations of Palestinians’ human rights behind an image of an open society signified by Israeli gay life.

According to Aeyal Gross, a professor of law at Tel Aviv University, “Gay rights have essentially become a public-relations tool,” even though “conservative and especially religious politicians in Israel remain fiercely homophobic.”

Pinkwashing not only ignores the hard-won gains of Israel’s gay community, it denies the existence of the emerging Palestinian gay movement, with three major organizations: Aswat, Al Qaws and Palestinian Queers for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions. These groups clearly state the oppression of Palestinians crosses the boundary of sexuality.

As Haneen Maikay, the director of Al Qaws, has said, “When you go through a checkpoint it does not matter what the sexuality of the soldier is.”

Our criteria for passengers have always been their desire to advocate for the rights of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and the illegally blockaded Gaza Strip. And passengers have included Christians, Muslims, Jews, as well as members of the LGBT community and people from over 34 countries.

Contact: Audrey Bomse 44 (0)7861560932.

Ewa Jasiewicz 44 (0) 7749 421 576

Greta Berlin 33 (0) 607 374 512

Written by Free Gaza Team | 13 April 2012
Posted in News

April 11, 2012

During the Israeli “Operation Cast Lead” in Dec. 2008 – Jan. 2009, Dr. Gilbert was one of only two outside doctors in Gaza. Last week the International Criminal Court, to the protests of Amnesty International and other groups, stated it would not issue prosecutions for the Israeli Operation. Recently Gilbert, co-author of “Eyes in Gaza,” returned to Gaza and is now on a 10-day speaking tour in the U.S.

Gilbert said today: “The Israeli Operation Cast Lead killed 1.400 people in Gaza, struck 58 mosques and 280 schools. I’m sad to say from my visit to Gaza earlier this year, the situation is now more dire than ever. The Israeli siege effectively prohibits the rebuilding of Gaza — the import of concrete, of window panes, the availability of travel for medical care for the population. I’ve worked in other desperate situations in other places and Gaza is unique in a number of respects. It’s a captive population — usually if civilians are being attacked, there’s a safe place they can take refuge and then come back to their homes when the fighting has stopped. That doesn’t exist for the people in Gaza since they are effectively imprisoned by the Israeli siege. It’s an incredibly young population and a very poor population with nearly 80 percent unemployment, largely because of the Israeli siege, which is an illegal form of collective punishment. Anemia and protein deficiency are widespread.

http://www.accuracy.org/news-releases/

Written by Free Gaza Movement | 30 March 2012
Posted in News

I spent the early afternoon at a demonstration attended by several thousand people. The Hamas authorities refused to allow the people to march to the border,  and clashes broke out with the police. .

When we finally found a way to get around the Hamas cordon, we found shabob (Kids from roughly the age of 12 to 25) at Erez Crossing. They were throwing stones at the Israeli side of the crossing. Tires were on fire and several kids were pulling the concertina wire away from the crossing. Ever so often, the Israeli soldiers in the watchtower would shoot one or two of them. So far, 1 dead, Mahmud Zakut, age 20 shot, several in critical condition. I put down my camera to try and help with casualties, but as each kid got shot a huge chaotic crowd formed around them as they were rushed to motorcycles which ferried them to the Palestinian side of the crossing and waiting ambulances.

The rock throwing continues, the casualties will go up. Thinking about oppression & resistance. Thinking about peace, Johnny Barber

Written by Free Gaza Team | 18 March 2012
Posted in News

We don't usualy post blogs, but this one from Audacity of Hope passenger, Johnny Barber, is eloquent and timely. He is currently in Gaza as a photojournalist and puts a face and a family to the murdered men, women and children from last week.

http://onebrightpearl-jb.blogspot.fr/2012/03/hey-will-never-beg.html