AMP condemns seizure of 'Marianne'; calls for end to siege

Israel must be held responsible for safety and well-being of passengers

(Washington DC, 06/292015) – The American Muslims for Palestine, a national education and advocacy organization, condemns the Israeli seizure of the Freedom Flotilla III vessel, the Marianne, and calls upon President Barack Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry to hold Israel responsible for the safety and well-being of the detained passengers.

The Marianne was the lead vessel of the flotilla, an international effort to break Israel’s siege on Gaza and deliver life-saving medical supplies and solar panels. Passengers included former Tunisian president Al-Moncef Al-Marzouki, Palestinian member of the Knesset Basel Ghattas and at least one member of the European Parliament.

This is not the first time the Israeli navy has violated international law and seized a humanitarian ship in international waters. In 2010, commandos boarded the Mavi Marmara and killed 10 unarmed activists on board, including American Furkan Dogan, several of them ‘execution style,’ according to a United Nations investigation. And in 2012, passengers aboard the Estelle were tasered and clubbed by Israeli commandos, according to Flotilla organizers.

“Israel’s actions, once again, show the world it does not want peace and that its right-wing leaders are not interested in the welfare and well-being of Palestinians,” said AMP Chairman Dr. Hatem Bazian. “The Palestinians in Gaza are enduring absolutely inhumane conditions and it is time for the United States to pressure Israel to lift the siege and end the occupation.”

 The Free Gaza movement and, later, the Freedom Flotilla voyages began nearly a decade ago in response to Israel’s blockade of the Gaza Strip. In addition to the siege, Israel has waged three major military assaults on the 1.8 million Palestinian residents there since 2008. Last summer, Israeli forces killed more than 2,200 Palestinians, including 547 children, destroyed more than 18,000 homes, several hospitals and medical facilities and dozens of schools, including seven belonging to the UN Relief and Works Agency, which were housing people seeking refuge.

An independent investigation, commissioned by the United Nations Human Rights Council and released last week, found that the Israeli military used Palestinians as human shields, and may have directly targeted civilians and civilian structures, all in direct contravention of International law. The report found that the military frequently violated several internationally accepted protocols of war, including the principles of distinction, proportionality, and the prohibition on indiscriminate attacks.

The siege, which amounts to collective punishment, and successive military assaults that destroyed manufacturing facilities, water treatment plants and power plants, has rendered the Gaza Strip nearly uninhabitable. More than 90 percent of the water is not fit for consumption and most Palestinians there have less than six hours of electricity a day. UNRWA and UNICEF have reported that all children in Gaza have been impacted by these violent attacks and that tens of thousands are in need of psychosocial treatment to alleviate symptoms of trauma. A May 2015 World Bank report said Gaza’s economy is on the “verge of collapse” and unemployment there is the highest in the region. The siege has slashed Gaza’s gross domestic product by 50 percent, the World Bank found.

AMP continues to call upon the White House and State Department to hold Israel accountable for its flagrant and continual violation of Palestinian human rights and international law. AMP also repeats its call for an end to the siege on Gaza and to the occupation of Palestinian lands.

Furthermore, AMP calls upon the United Nations to condemn Israel’s latest act of piracy and to enforce the protocols and articles of the Fourth Geneva Conventions to afford Palestinians their internationally guaranteed human rights.