On Monday, Israeli commandos boarded ships in the “Freedom Flotilla” attempting to bring humanitarian aid to residents of still-blockaded Gaza. The aggressive response by Israel turned deadly, with at least nine activists killed. The international community has reacted with shock and outrage; protests have erupted around the world outside Israeli embassies, with protesters even teargassed in Paris. Benjamin Netanyahu has canceled a long awaited meeting surrounding peace talks with President Obama and headed back to Israel to do damage control, and Turkey, from where the flotilla departed, has recalled its ambassador and issued a travel warning to its citizens.
Huwaida Arraf was on one of the ships; she joins us via phone from Ramallah, along with Norman Finkelstein, to tell us what happened to her and offer some analysis on the situation.
(Via GRITtv)
Huwaida Harraf, Free Gaza Chair, talkes about the Freedom Flotilla, already on its way to Gaza. Track the progress of the boats at Witness Gaza.
(Via Free Gaza Movement)
An in-depth interview with Attorney Arraf, giving special attention to her experience being illegally kidnapped and arrested from the boat “Spirit of Humanity” in international waters heading for Gaza. She is a co-founder of the International Solidarity Movement and a co-founder of the Free Gaza Movement. She was on the first historic voyage of the Free Gaza Movement consisting of 2 wooden boats: the “Free Gaza” and the “Liberty.”
This program was produced by This Week in Palestine for July 19, 2009.
For more information, visit:
http://truthandjusticeradio.org
Israel has intensified its attacks on Gaza in the third week of its war, pushing closer to the capital, Gaza City. Foreign journalists are still being barred from entering Gaza to report on what is really happening on the ground. With fatalities closing in on the 1000 mark, Israel has come under severe international criticism for its relentless attacks. Tens of thousands of people demonstrated against Israel over the weekend in cities across the world, including here in Los Angeles. Meanwhile, as we speak, the Free Gaza Movement is sailing yet another ship containing humanitarian supplies to the shores of Gaza. “The Spirit of Humanity,” which departed from Larnaca, Cyprus is the second attempt by the organization of international activists to breech the Israeli naval blockade since the start of Israeli war on Gaza on December 27th, 2008. An earlier attempt was made by activists in a boat called “the Dignity,” which was rammed repeatedly by Israel’s naval ships diverting it away to Lebanon. Ahead of the “Spirit of Humanity’s” departure, the Free Gaza Movement has alerted Israeli authorities of their intention saying their cargo of medical supplies and crew of physicians do not in any way constitute a threat to Israel’s security.
This program was produced by Uprising Radio.
For more information, visit:
http://uprisingradio.org
http://freegaza.org
The US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is back visiting the region within the framework of US efforts to resolve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, while Israeli forces continue to close all the Gaza border crossings, as they have done for more than two years. These stories and more in this week’s update.
This program was produced by the International Middle East Media Center.
For more information, visit:
http://imemc.org
Huwaida Arraf of the Free Gaza Movement and co-founder of the International Solidarity Movement discusses the situation in Gaza and the effort of international peace and justice activists to break the Israeli siege. Ranaan Gissin, former advisor to the Israeli Prime Minister, argues that Hamas is the party at fault.
This program was produced by Inside Story for Al Jazeera English for August 24, 2008.
For more information, visit:
http://english.aljazeera.net
http://freegaza.org
http://palsolidarity.org
Huwaida Arraf of the Free Gaza Movement and co-founder of the International Solidarity Movement discusses the situation in Gaza and the effort of international peace and justice activists to break the Israeli siege. Ranaan Gissin, former advisor to the Israeli Prime Minister, argues that Hamas is the party at fault.
This program was produced by Inside Story for Al Jazeera English for August 24, 2008.
For more information, visit:
http://english.aljazeera.net
http://freegaza.org
http://palsolidarity.org
Two converted fishing boats set sail from Cyprus today carrying more than forty activists and humanitarian workers who are part of the Free Gaza movement that is trying to break the Israeli blockade on the Gaza Strip. The Israeli foreign ministry said in an open letter to the participants, “We assume that your intentions are good but, in fact, the result of your action is that you are supporting the regime of a terrorist organization in Gaza.” We speak with three of the activists at sea: Huwaida Arraf, co-founder of the International Solidarity Movement; Lauren Booth, a journalist and sister-in-law of former British Prime Minister Tony Blair; and Israeli anthropology professor Jeff Halper of the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions.
This program was produced by Democracy Now! for August 22, 2008.
For more information, visit:
http://democracynow.org
http://freegaza.org
http://icahdusa.org
The Free Gaza Movement has set sail from Cyprus on their way to Gaza. Reports vary as to whether the Israeli government will allow the two boats, the S.S. Free Gaza and the S.S. Liberty, to pass through the naval blockade and reach the Gazan coast. The boats are sending out video updates periodically during their trip. This report was posted from the deck of the S.S. Liberty (named after the U.S.S. Liberty which was fired upon by Israel during the 1967 war killing scores of American crewman) at 7pm GMT on August 22, 2008.
For more information and to donate to the Free Gaza Movement, visit:
http://freegaza.org
Crossing The Line host Christopher Brown speaks with attorney and activist Huwaida Arraf. Arraf, co-founder of the International Solidarity Movement, speaks about the victory for the residents of Bil’in village. The Israeli high court on 4 September ruled that the apartheid wall must be rerouted near the town. Every Friday for the past two years residents of Bil’in, as well as Israeli and international peace activists, have staged nonviolent protests against the wall. The Israeli occupation forces almost always used rubber-coated steel bullets, sound grenades and teargas against the crowd. Brown speaks with Arraf about the use of non-violent resistance in the context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Later, Brown speaks with Caoimhe Butterly, a journalist and activist who has documented the events in Lebanon since the fighting in the Nahr al-Bared Palestinian refugee camp began in May. Butterly speaks with Brown from Baddawi refugee camp about the current living conditions of the displaced Palestinians and how the Lebanese and other governments are addressing the issue.
As always, Crossing the Line begins with “This week in Palestine,” a service provided by The International Middle East Media Center.
This program was produced by Crossing The Line for September 14, 2007.
For more information, visit:
http://ctl.libsyn.com
http://bilin-village.org
http://palsolidarity.org