We Will Set Sail for Gaza Again

By Richard Levy, Truthout Op-Ed

Truthout
July 10, 2011

http://www.truth-out.org/we-will-set-sail-gaza-again/1310146210

As you probably know from press reports, our efforts to sail
the US boat "The Audacity of Hope" to Gaza fell short of its
mission. We expected to be confronted by the Israeli Defense
Forces (IDF) in Gazan or international waters. Instead, we
were confronted with Greek commandos in the waters near
Pireaus. As one passenger put it, "Israel has outsourced the
blockade to Greece, Turkey and other countries." It gained
their cooperation through heavy diplomatic pressure from its
allies (most significantly the United States) and economic
threats. Presently, eight boats headed for Gaza carrying
passengers from 22 countries are locked down in Greek and
Turkish ports.

While the intended mission was not accomplished, the stories
of the boats' attempts to sail gained considerable
international press coverage and shined a light, once again,
on Israel's morally and legally indefensible imprisonment of
the Palestinian people in Gaza.

Israel's claim - that its blockade is for security only - is
utterly belied by the fact that it blocks building materials
(much needed, since thousands of homes and hundreds of
schools were destroyed during the Operation Cast Lead
bombardment two years ago) and refuses to allow students to
study abroad or people to visit families, seek medical
services or export their goods outside of the zone. Plainly,
this is not about security. It is the collective punishment
of 1.6 million Gazans because some voted for Hamas.

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Israel says that it is now allowing more goods into Gaza (a
direct response to the challenge of this and the last
flotilla, which cost nine lives), but the flow is in fact a
tiny proportion of what is needed, and doesn't begin to ease
the estimated 25-45 percent unemployment in Gaza, or a living
standard of less than $2 per day for most Gazans.

But the Palestinians in Gaza who asked our boats to come were
not calling for material aid. They want their freedom. The
challenge is to lift a heavily armed, brutal military siege
that not only cost 1400 lives and destroyed the
infrastructure of Gaza during the IDF attack of 2009, but
suffocates the people day in and day out.

On a personal note, the experience allowed me to work with
some of the most dedicated and caring people from all over
the country, of all ages (22-86), representing different
backgrounds and experiences. When our boat broke out from its
port and we set sail in violation of Greek orders, there was
a moment of elation and excitement that defies description.
The shouts, songs and tears amidst the banners of hope and
love will not be forgotten.

So, we will sail for Gaza again. We will stay in the struggle
until Israel stops its apartheid policies, its land and water
seizures in the West Bank, its destruction of homes and olive
farms, its encroachment by walls, barbed wire and
checkpoints. We will stay at it until Palestine is free.
There will be failures along the way. But, as a boat
passenger, quoting the writer Samuel Beckett, urged, we will,
"Try. Fail. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." Eventually,
we will succeed.

Get involved if you can.

[Richard Levy is a labor and civil rights attorney and a
passenger on "The Audacity of Hope."]

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