Free Gaza Movement

This page is subject to the extended confirmed restriction related to the Arab-Israeli conflict.This page is subject to the extended confirmed restriction related to the Arab-Israeli conflict.The Free Gaza Movement (FGM) is a coalition of human rights activists and pro-Palestinian groups formed to break Egypt and Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip and publicise the situation of the Palestinians there.

[4] The activists participating in the effort include Jeff Halper, Hedy Epstein, Lauren Booth, and members of Christian, Jewish, and Muslim religious organizations.

[6] The Free Gaza Movement was founded in 2006 by Mary Hughes-Thompson, Greta Berlin, and Paul Larudee, all Californian peace activists.

[1][10] The Israeli Navy did not stop them but both boats had great difficulty with their communications, a problem they blamed on jamming by Israel in an attempt to prevent them from getting to Gaza.

[1] When the boats left Gaza they took seven Palestinians, including a teenage boy who had lost a leg to an Israeli tank shell.

The boy could not be fitted with an artificial leg in Gaza as the Israeli siege had created shortages of medicine and medical equipment.

[12] Lauren Booth, sister-in-law of Tony Blair, was refused permission to cross from Gaza into both Egypt and Israel after her arrival.

Among the passengers were 1976 Nobel Peace Prize winner Mairead Corrigan and Palestinian Legislative Council member Mustafa Barghouti.

[14] In July 2009, four citizens of the United Kingdom who had decided to stay in Gaza were turned away at both the Israeli and Egyptian border crossings over a period of several weeks when they attempted to leave.

On December 29, 2008, Dignity set sail from Cyprus, headed for Gaza, attempting to deliver 3.5 tonnes (3.9 short tons) of medical supplies to its residents.

[17][18][19] The boat, which was boarded by Caoimhe Butterly, Cynthia McKinney, journalists from Al Jazeera and CNN, three surgeons including Dr. Elena Theoharous, was forced to turn back after being intercepted by Israeli naval vessels off Gaza.

Israel states that the boat had failed to respond to Israeli naval radio contact and was attempting to outmaneuver the warships when the vessels collided.

The 21 Free Gaza activists, among them several doctors, abandoned their journey after the ship encountered Israeli warships who warned them to leave the area.

[23] Greece had informed the Israeli government on its transfer of humanitarian aid days earlier, but also warned the leaders of the expedition about its dangers.

[26] According to Haaretz, "The IDF said that troops found about 150 bottles of mineral water and a few dozen kilograms of food and medicine on board... plus 10,000 units of human blood plasma which requires constant refrigeration.

[29] Greta Berlin, a representative of the Free Gaza Movement in Cyprus, said: "We are outraged, they just stole our boat and kidnapped our people.

Passengers included members of Parliament from around the world, U.N., human rights and trade union activists, as well as journalists to document the largest coordinated effort to directly confront Israel's blockade of Gaza and take in basic supplies.

According to Attorney Nick Kaufman, who approached the Free Gaza Movement on behalf of the kidnapped soldier's family the offer was refused.

[45] On May 27, 2010, The Jerusalem Post reported that participants included Mahmad Tzoalha and Sahar Albirawi, whom it called Hamas activists, although neither man was on any of the passenger manifests, as well as Sheikh Raed Salah, leader of the Northern Branch of the Islamic Movement in Israel.

[46] Also some 700 pro-Palestinian activists were on the boats, including 1976 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Mairead Corrigan Maguire of Northern Ireland, European legislators and Holocaust survivor Hedy Epstein, 85.

She wrote she intended to post the video and comment in a private Facebook group where she had been participating in a discussion of similar propaganda.