COMMON DREAMS– 235 years after the American colonies declared independence from Britain, the passenegers on the U.S. Boat to Gaza call for a new American Declaration of Independence, this time from Israel.

The passengers issued their call from the decks of the U.S.-flagged boat, The Audacity of Hope, which is currently confined to a Greek military pier near Athens, while its captain sits in jail.

Like the Founders in Philadelphia, the passengers in Athens recognize that “When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bonds which have connected them to another, a decent respect for the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separataion.”

Just as the Founders cited “a long train of abuses and usurpations” committed by the British, The Audacity of Hope passengers detailed the Israeli abuses motivating their call for U.S. independence:

*For generations Israel has engaged in a systematic campaign to disposess Palestinians of their lands and drive them from their ancestral homes.

*Since 1967 Israel has occupied East Jerusalem the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and the Golan Heights in open defiance of U.N. Security Council resolutions and the Geneva Conventions. Residents of these occupied territories have been subjected to numerous forms of mistreatment, including military attacks, arbitrary arrests, home demolitions, and the confiscation of vast areas for the construction of illegal Jewish-only settlements and roads.
    
*Since the mid-1990s Israel has imposed an ever-tightening regime of economic strangulation on the Gaza Strip. Since 2006 in particular the 1.5 million people of Gaza have been kept in isolaton and under siege, with severely limited access to medical care, clean water, and construction materials needed to rebuild after Israeli military attacks. They have been prevented from fishing in their coastal waters, growing crops on much of their farmland, or exporting almost anything.
   
*Israel has used its powerful influence inside the U.S. to secure Washington’s backing for these illegal and counterproductive policies. In addition to more than $3 billlion per year of U.S. taxpayer dollars in military aid, Israel has gained uncritical American diplomatic support, including repeated use of the American veto in the Security Council to stymy any U.N. effort to enforce international law and to hold Israel accountble for its crimes.
   
*In recent years Israel has reacted with brutal violence against international as well as Palestinian and Israeli activists who have dared to step in where the U.S. and the U.N. have feared to tread. On May 31, 2010, Israel’s vicious assault on the Gaza Freedom Flotilla in international waters caused the deaths of nine unarmed human-rights volunteers, including the 19-year-old American citizen Furkan Dogan.
   
*This year Israel, in collusion with the U.S., has deployed a variety of economic, diplomatic, and other pressure tactics to undermine the sovereignty of Greece, Turkey, and other nations and force them to obstruct the Gaza Freedom Flotilla II in defiance of their own maritime regulations and procedures. In addition, Israel has carried out a campaign of unbridled distortion and defamation against the organizers and participants in this year’s flotilla. When that failed, Israel’s agents resorted to life-threatening sabotage operations against at least two of the flotilla’s ships.

“In light of this long – but still very partial – list of abuses and usurpations committed by Israel, it’s past time for the U.S. to end its ‘special relationship’ with Israel and declare its independence from that country,” said a letter that the passengers will deliver to the U.S. Embassy in Greece on July 4. “Just as the original American Declaration of Independence inspired popular sturuggles for independence and democracy all over the world, we humbly call on other countries that have been subjected to Israeli pressure and manipulation, particularly Greece and Turkey, to join us in our campaign to rid our country of this scourge.”

© 2011 Common Dreams

Photo by Flickr user gitsul

HAARETZ– The Greek government issued a statement on Friday, saying that the departure of ships with Greek and foreign flags from Greek ports to the maritime area of Gaza has been prohibited. The statement explained that this is in a bid to prevent a breach of Israel’s naval blockade.

The Greek government stressed that local Hellenic Coast Guard Authorities must take all appropriate measures to implement the decision. It also warned that the broader maritime area of the eastern Mediterranean Sea will be continuously monitored by electronic means for tracking the movement of ships trying to participate in the flotilla.

Naval authorities have already implemented the order, blocking both an American and Canadian ship planning to participate in the pro-Palestinian Gaza flotilla set to take place next week.

However, in light of Greece’s decision to block all ships heading to the strip, the flotilla has been delayed further.

American activists attempted to set sail from Greece toward Gaza on Friday aboard a boat dubbed “The Audacity of Hope”, defying calls from Israel to cancel and the ban by Athens.

Read full article about  Greece Blocks Departure of all Gaza-bound Ships.

© 2011 Haaretz

Photo by Flickr user Poster Boy NYC

THE NATION– Amid the economic and social upheaval of Greece’s beleaguered capital city, where demonstrators have been protesting government-imposed austerity measures, forty activists from across the United States began training this week to nonviolently confront the Israeli military blockade of Gaza. The Americans are part of a flotilla of ten ships—from France, Ireland, Canada, Norway, Greece, Sweden and other countries—planning to set out for Gaza’s main seaport in the next week to relieve the siege.

With an age gap of sixty years between the youngest and oldest passenger, the diverse group of Americans have taken over a hotel in a trendy Athens neighborhood for days of nonviolence training and preparation.

Israel has stated that it will enforce its naval blockade by any political, military and economic measures at its disposal. This week it submitted an urgent request to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon asking for international cooperation in stopping the flotilla. Ban embraced the Israeli government’s position, arguing in a public statement that aid should be delivered to Gaza only through “legitimate crossings and established channels,” all of which are controlled by Israel. Ban added that the flotilla is not helpful in assisting the economy of Gaza and encouraged organizers to cancel their voyage.

Read the full article about Israel Attempts To Shut Down Humanitarian Gaza Aid.

© 2011 The Nation

Photo by Flickr user Zingaro

JERUSALEM POST– There is a increasing chance for war on multiple fronts in 2011, according to the IDF’s new multi-year plan, called Halamish, which is in the final stages of approval.

The plan outlines Israel’s current strategic standing in the Middle East amid the ongoing upheaval in the region and particularly the regime change in Egypt and the impact it will have on the IDF and its buildup.

The plan, which will cover at least five years, is not expected to include major changes due to the Egyptian developments.

Under the plan, Israel will increase the number of Arrow interceptors it currently has in its arsenal and begin to receive the first battery of David’s Sling – made to intercept medium-range missiles – by 2013.

The IDF is also working with Rafael about the possibility of moving up the planned delivery of a third battery of Iron Dome to the end of 2011. Another three will be delivered by the end of 2012.

The threats that Israel will face over the coming years are topped by Iran and followed by Hezbollah and Syria and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

Read more about IDF: War Possible on Multiple Fronts

© 2011 Jerusalem Post

Photo by Flickr user farshadebrahimi

JERUSALEM (AFP) – Israel is to approve 1,400 new settler homes in east Jerusalem, media and the local council said on Sunday, defying pressure to halt settlement building that has stalled peace talks with the Palestinians.

The massive construction project will add homes to the annexed east Jerusalem settlement neighbourhood of Gilo and is expected to receive final approval from the district planning commission within days.

The project is likely to spark condemnation from the international community, which has repeatedly called on Israel to avoid new building projects in mainly Arab east Jerusalem.

Jerusalem’s municipal council in a statement confirmed the project, but said it was part of a long-standing policy to expand housing availability for the city’s Jewish and Arab residents.

“There has been no change in the policy towards construction in Jerusalem for the last 40 years,” it said. “The Jerusalem municipality continues to promote both Jewish and Arab construction in the city.”

Click to continue reading about settlement project in East Jerusalem.

© COPYRIGHT AFP, 2011

Photograph by flickr user moty66ipernity