[These are the latest releases from SS. Dignity which has now arrived in Gaza apparently without incident. Ed]

Eliza onboard SS Dignity
For Immediate Release
October 29, 2008
For More Information, Please Contact:
Greta Berlin (Cyprus) +357 99 081 767 / iristulip@gmail.com
Osama Qashoo (Cyprus) +44 (0)78 3338 1660 / osamaqashoo@gmail.com
Angela Godfrey Goldstein (Jerusalem) +972 (0)54 736 6393 / angela@icahd.org
LARNACA – The Free Gaza Movement is delighted to announce that their third boat, the SS Dignity carrying 27 crew and passengers arrived in Gaza at 8:10 Gaza time, in spite of Israeli threats to stop them. In the pouring rain, the boat pulled into port amid cheers from the people of Gaza and tears from the passengers.
David Schermerhorn, one of the crew members called an hour before the boat entered the waters of Gaza and said, “There is a rainbow stretching across the Mediterranean from where we are right now.”
Yesterday, The Israel Navy said they would stop the stop our vessel once it reached Israel’s territorial waters. Apparently to save face, they said they would harm our boat, arrest us and tow us IF we entered Israeli waters. The problem for Israel is that the SS Dignity had no intention of getting anywhere near those waters.
One of the organizers, Huwaida Arraf cheered, “Once again we’ve been able to defy an unjust and illegal policy while the rest of the world is too intimidated to do anything. Our small boat is a huge cry to the international community to follow in our footsteps and open a lifeline to the people of Gaza.”
For the second time, the Free Gaza Movement has demonstrated that the might of the Israeli navy is no match for a small boat of human rights activists determined to call to the attention of the world the occupation of the people of Gaza.
Dr. Mustafa Barghouti, member of the Palestinian Legislative Council added, “Despite the injustice against the Palestinian people, we believe in justice and will keep on trying to break Israel’s siege. The occupation has divided the Palestinians, but our nonviolent resistance has united us.”
Osama Qashoo, one of the organizers of the Free Gaza Movement, overjoyed for the second time in three months, “We are all capable of leading a nonviolent and effective movement to end the Israeli Apartheid and expose the injustice that has been meted out to the Palestinians. We in the FG movement have provided the new dictionary, it’s up to the Palestinians and the Israelis and the Internationals to add the words.”
—
Greta Berlin
Media Team
Free Gaza Movement
357 99 08 17 67
http://www.freegaza.org
http://www.anis-online.de/office/events/FreeGazaSong.htm
http://www.flickr.com/photos/29205195@N02/
29 October 2008 05:41:34 GMT
We are in constant touch with David S. on the Dignity. He’s just calling right now. There is one Israeli patrol boat in front of our boat as they get closer and closer to Gaza. The Israelis are also interfering with our radar and the sat phone. But the Israeli boat behind the Dignity has gone. They are about a half hour from Gaza.
29 October 2008 04:31:17 GMT
Osama is on the phone with David on the boat. They are 25 miles away from the coast of Gaza and there are no ships in sight. The Dignity has slowed down in order to get to Gaza at 8:00 am. They are actually early, and the boat has performed well.
David will try to update us every 15 minutes as they get nearer to Gaza.
They are so close….. let’s hope Israel has come to their senses once again and will let them back into Gaza. The weather is calm, and the seasickness is gone. Israel says they will arrest the passengers and tow them to Ashdod when they get to Israel’s territorial waters, but the Dignity has no intention of getting anywhere near Israeli territorial waters.
—
Greta Berlin
Media Team
Free Gaza Movement
357 99 08 17 67
http://www.freegaza.org
http://www.anis-online.de/office/events/FreeGazaSong.htm
http://www.flickr.com/photos/29205195@N02/
29 October 2008 03:17:51 GMT
If any of you reading these updates can put pressure on your governments, here are the names of the crew and passengers and their countries.
Denis Healey, Captain, UK
George Klontzas, First Mate, Greece
Derek Graham, Crew, Ireland
Nikoals Bolos, Crew, Ireland
Ali Al Jabar, Al Jazeera, Qatar
Ghazi Abourashad, Holland
Dr. Mohammed Alshubashi, Germany
Huwaida Arraf, attorney, US
Dr. Mustafa Barghouti, Palestine
Audrey Bomse attorney, US
Renee Bowyer, Australia
Caoimhe Butterly, Ireland
Rod Cox, UK
Guisippe Fallisi, Italy
Marco Giusti, Italy
Dr. Ibrahim Hamami, UK
Ramzi Kysia, US
Alan Lonergan, Ireland
Mairead Maguire, Ireland
Lubna Masarwa, Israel
Vilma Mazza, Italy
Theresa McDermott, UK
Amir Siddiq, Al Jazeera, Sudan
Gideon Spiro, Israel
Dr. Jock McDougall, UK
—
Greta Berlin
Media Team
Free Gaza Movement
357 99 08 17 67
http://www.freegaza.org
http://www.anis-online.de/office/events/FreeGazaSong.htm
http://www.flickr.com/photos/29205195@N02/
29 October 2008 02:54:30 GMT
David S just called us from the Dignity. They are about an hour and a half away from where they think Israel will attack/board/stop the boat. Everyone is fine and most people are sleeping. Many have been seasick, but the sea is calmer now, thunder and lightening off the port side. The captain and crew are doing well, and at least one sat phone is working. David is trying to send us the SPOT update, letting us know where the boat is.
I’ve just finished uploading the photos from the launch yesterday. You can all access them by clicking on the link below for http://www.flickr.
—
Greta Berlin
Media Team
Free Gaza Movement
357 99 08 17 67
http://www.freegaza.org
http://www.anis-online.de/office/events/FreeGazaSong.htm
http://www.flickr.com/photos/29205195@N02/
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