European Jews condemn Israel's harassment of peace activists

European Jews for a Just Peace condemn the actions of Israel and her collaborators against peace activists

European Jews for a Just Peace congratulates the humanitarian activists of the Free Gaza flotilla for bravely withstanding the acts of sabotage, the illegal boarding and capture of their boats, and personal vilification. Their efforts to throw a public lifeline to the imprisoned people of Gaza may in some instances have failed. However the activists have succeeded in exposing the fact that Israel continues its illegal blockade of the people of Gaza, whose human rights are forfeit, while too many governments scramble to collude with Israel’s continued depredations, and in so doing operate a policy of appeasement.

EJJP further congratulates all those activists who flew in to Ben Gurion airport to visit the occupied territories of Palestine. The full might of the Israeli police, government, media and public was mobilised against people whose only ‘crime’ was to state honestly the purpose of their mission. We note too the craven complicity of commercial airline operators in preventing people from flying to their destinations. In its denial of the right of Palestinians to invite guests openly into their homes, and in demonising those guests, Israel exposes itself as callous and racist in its attitude to those over whom it holds dominion. The effect of criminalising tourists in this way shows how distant Israel is from any idea of democratic behaviour and how occupation has eroded any moral compass it may once have professed.

July 10, 2011