Israel Murders Human Rights Workers Delivering Humanitarian Aid

UPDATE here 21 year-old activist Henochowicz lost her left eye after being shot directly in the face with a tear gas canister

The Huffington Post May 31, 2010

BY Marjorie Cohn

Professor at Thomas Jefferson School of Law
(San Diego, California USA)
Posted: May 31, 2010 03:02 PM Pacific Standard Time (California/USA)

On Sunday, Israel murdered human rights workers who were attempting to deliver 10,000 tons of humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza, because Gaza has been virtually cut off from the outside world by Israel. At least 19 people were reportedly killed and dozens injured when Israeli troops boarded the six-ship Freedom Flotilla convoy in international waters and immediately fired live ammunition at the people on board the ships. The convoy was comprised of 700 people from 50 nationalities and included a Nobel laureate, members of parliament from Ireland, Germany, Sweden, Turkey and Malaysia, as well as Palestinian members of the Israeli Knesset and a Holocaust survivor.

Israel's armed attack on these human rights workers constitutes a clear breach of international law. The human rights workers should be released immediately, medical treatment should be provided for the wounded, and all humanitarian aid materials should be immediately transferred to Gaza.

Human rights organizations and bar associations, including the International Association of Democratic Lawyers, the National Lawyers Guild, the American Association of Jurists, the International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network, MADRE, the European Association of Lawyers for Democracy, World Human Rights, the Palestinian Center for Human Rights, and the governments of Britain, France, Germany and Turkey have condemned the Israeli assault. The U.S. government has not yet spoken out in opposition to the assault by Israel, the largest recipient of U.S. aid.

There should be an international investigation of crimes committed during and after Israel's armed attack on the Freedom Flotilla and prosecution of all Israeli officials and soldiers responsible.

Israel must end its illegal blockade of Gaza, which constitutes unlawful aggression under General Assembly Resolution 3314 (1974). When the Security Council convenes, it should order Israel to cease its acts of aggression.
END Cohn article

Find original post: here

Earlier article with 7,000 COMMENTS: here

UPDATED article on Veterans Today with 45 COMMENTS here

From fellow-activist, Chuck Fager Director of Quaker House, Fayetteville, in my state: North Carolina USA:

Following the Israeli attack on the Gaza flotilla, we're planing a vigil/rally in Fayetteville at the Market House for Friday afternoon.

Besides the Gaza flotilla incident, the fact that this past week saw US casualties in Afghanistan pass 1000 will also be a focus of the vigil.

Apropos of all that, some of you may know that Ann Wright was with the flotilla. We just saw a YouTube video from today that showed her being led off the boat in Ashdod Israel, in custody. So she's all right; figures about actual casualties during the raids are still uncertain.

Here's the YouTube link:
here

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NOTE from One Heart blogger:

I am not an historian yet am wondering if there are any correlations between current and past somewhat similar events such as following?

USS Liberty Incident here