Photo: freegazaorg

Israel issued a statement saying that the boat had attempted to break the blockade of Gaza and therefore seized it after the crew ignored a radio warning to stay out of Gaza waters. Israel’s purpose was to stop the ship because of “security risks in the area.” It views the group’s campaign as propaganda against Israel.

Israel seized the boat, its cargo, and the crew’s cell phones, then imprisoned the crew in Israel. On board the ship were citizens from many countries, including Britain, Ireland, Bahrain, and the United States. Former U.S. Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney, Irish Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Mairead Maguire, a Palestinian-American lawyer, and many journalists were among the crew. In total 21 people are being detained in a prison in Ramla, Israel. Ironically, the crew has been charged with illegally entering Israel when they had no intention of entering Israel.

“They simply kidnapped the passengers,” Free Gaza Movement founding member Greta Berlin told Ynet news, an online publication based in Israel. “I call on the Israeli occupation forces to release our people immediately. It’s funny. What are they going to do? Deport us? The last place we wanted to reach was Israel.”

All detainees were unarmed civilians.

They were carrying food, medicine, olive trees, and children’s toys for people in Gaza.

This was the eighth journey of the Free Gaza Movement and it is not their first encounter with the Israeli Navy. When their ship attempted to deliver medical aid following Israel’s 22-day attack on Gaza this last winter, Israeli gunboats rammed it and wrecked the ship.

Gaza has been subjected to a crippling blockade for two years. The movement of people and goods in and out of Gaza has been severely restricted. Since last winter’s assault by Israel, the people of Gaza face even more severe shortages of medicine, food, and materials that are necessary for rebuilding schools and homes.

During his recent speech in Cairo, President Obama stated that the continuing humanitarian crisis in Gaza is unacceptable, that it devastates families and does not serve Israel’s security.

Reuters reported on Thursday that Richard Falk, the United Nations special rapporteur on human rights in the Palestinian territories, said the seizure of the ship and crew was part of Israel’s “cruel blockade of the entire Palestinian population of Gaza” in violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention prohibiting any form of collective punishment against “an occupied people.” Such a pattern of continuing blockade under these conditions amounts to such a serious violation of the Geneva Convention as to constitute a continuing crime against humanity.

This event will perhaps shine a spotlight on the situation in Gaza. It also raises the questions of how other humanitarian missions will be received. As I wrote last month on MatadorChange, the Viva Palestina convoy departs on July 4 for Egypt to bring much needed aid and supplies to the people of Gaza.

We will be closely following the story of the detained crew of Spirit of Humanity and the Viva Palestina convoy throughout July.

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Photo: rbreve

Early Sunday morning the soldiers of the Honduran army arrested and exiled President Jose Manuel Zelaya.

The context for the arrests is the conflict surrounding a national referendum that was to take place Sunday on the presidential term limit. Following the lead of other leftist leaders in Latin America, Zelaya and his supporters sought the referendum in order to extend his administration for another term. The Honduras Supreme Court earlier ruled the referendum was unconstitutional.

One of the coup leaders is allegedly School of the Americas graduate and head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Romeo Orlando Vasquez Velasquez, whom Zelaya had dismissed after he refused to cooperate with the national referendum. Zelaya was reportedly arrested in his pajamas and then taken to an airbase outside the capital to be flown to Costa Rica.

While events are unfolding, several heads of state and organizations from around the world have already condemned the coup, calling for a restoration of democracy and the return of President Zelaya. Many Latin American countries–including Brazil, Argentina, Venezuela, Chile, and Ecuador–have issued strongly worded statements.

Ecuador’s foreign ministry said it “will not recognize any government that is not that of President Manuel Zelaya.” Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez has put his military on alert.

Bolivian President Evo Morales has said, “What is currently happening in Honduras is an adventure of a group of the military who have assaulted democracy.”

U.S. Secretary of State Hilary Clinton has also weighed in, condemning the coup:

“The action taken against Honduran President Manuel Zelaya violates the precepts of the Inter-American Democratic Charter and thus should be condemned by all. We call on all parties in Honduras to respect the constitutional order and the rule of law, to reaffirm their democratic vocation and to commit themselves to resolve political disputes peacefully and through dialogue.”

Europe has also been watching closely. The French Foreign Ministry said, “France firmly condemns the coup that has just taken place in Honduras. The arrests and expulsions of diplomatic envoys are a grave breach of the Vienna convention. They are unacceptable.”

Honduras is a member of ALBA, the Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas, which is an alliance of leftist countries in Latin America. The alliance’s mission is to build an economic and social alternative to what member nations see as unfair free-trade agreements dominated by the interests of the United States and multinational corporations.

Zelaya is now in Costa Rica, where he calls for peaceful resistance to the military coup. The government of Costa Rica also calls on the international community to condemn the coup.

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To learn about other recent political developments in Latin America, read “El Salvador Leans to the Left.”