The Government was very clear in its disapproval of the Israeli actions which ended in such heavy and tragic loss of life.  You may also be interested to know that on the day after the interception, Nick himself called for the “unjustified and untenable” blockade of Gaza to be lifted.

First and foremost, the Government needed to make sure of the safety of the British nationals who were involved.  We immediately pressed Israel to provide full information on British nationals detained during their operation.  This was made more difficult by the fact that many of those on board the boats did not have passports.  However, British consular staff visited the prison where the flotilla passengers were being detained, provided consular support to British detainees and pressed for their release at the earliest possible opportunity.  At the time of writing, all except one dual Israeli-British involved have left the country.  The one dual national was released to their family in Israel.

We have underlined the need for a full, credible, impartial and independent investigation into the events of 31 May.  We have made clear that we want to see a process that ensures full accountability and commands the confidence of the international community, including international participation.  

Israel’s announcement of an inquiry headed by former Supreme Court judge Yaakov Tirkel is an important step forward.  We welcome the appointment of Lord Trimble as an international observer.  Clearly it is very important that this is a truly independent inquiry and a thorough investigation that the international community can respect.

These events have captured the world’s attention, but they should not be viewed in isolation.  They arose from the unacceptable and unsustainable blockade of Gaza, which is a cause of public concern here in the United Kingdom and around the world.  It has long been the view of the Government that restrictions on Gaza should be lifted – a view confirmed by UN Security Council Resolution 1860, which called for the sustained delivery of humanitarian aid and called on states to alleviate the humanitarian and economic situation persisting there. 

It is essential that there is unfettered access – not only to meet the humanitarian needs of the people of Gaza, but to enable the reconstruction of homes and livelihoods and permit trade to take place.  The Palestinian economy, whether in Gaza or the West Bank, is an essential part of a viable state of Palestine which we hope will one day exist alongside Israel in peace and security.

A solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict is firmly in the national interests of the UK, as well as those in the region.  We want the new generation of Palestinians to grow up in hope, not despair, and believing in a peaceful settlement with Israel, not impoverished and susceptible to terrorist recruitment.  We want the next generation of Israelis to live free from the fear of rocket fire and able to enjoy peaceful relations with their Arab neighbours.  Whilst we cannot deliver this for either side ourselves, as friends to both Israelis and Palestinians we will seek to buttress the diplomatic initiative of President Obama’s Administration and the proximity talks that are underway.

Thank you once again for emailing.

Best wishes,

Bess Mayhew

Office of Nick Clegg MP

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Rceived by: Ibrahim Safa

Aljazeeratalk Correspondent – JORDAN

وأشار نائب نقيب المهندسين الأردنيين المهندس ماجد الطباع إلى أن اللجنة التوجيهية العليا لإعمار قطاع غزة وفي إطار سعيها المتواصل لدعم الأهل والأشقاء في القطاع المحاصر ستقوم بتسيير هذه القافلة التي ستحمل عشرات الاطنان من المساعدات الإنسانية الضرورية لأهالي القطاع مشيراً إلى حاجة القطاع الماسة للمساعدات الإنسانية في ظل الحصار الصهيوني الذي يمنع إدخال كافة الاحتياجات الضرورية ويضيق على أهالي القطاع.

وأشار الطباع إلى وجود نية لدى العديد من النقابات المهنية للمساهمة والمشاركة في هذه القافلة التي يتم تجهيزها من تبرعات الشعب الأردني لأشقائه في القطاع داعياً المواطنين بعامة والنقابيين بخاصة إلى مضاعفة جهودهم في دعم هذه القافلة لتسييرها بكل نجاح.

وبين الطباع إلى أن القافلة ستكون برية حيث يتم في المرحلة الحالية اتخاذ كافة الإجراءات الرسمية والتنسيقات المطلوبة مع السفارة المصرية في عمان للسماح لها بعبور معبر رفح المصري دون اي معيقات وإشكاليات داعياً الحكومة المصرية إلى تخفيف الخناق على الشعب الفلطسيني من خلال الفتح الدائم والكامل لمعبر رفح والسماح بدخول مواد الإعمار التي يحتاجها القطاع من أجل إعادة بناء ما دمرته آلة الحرب الصهيونية.

وأشار الطباع إلى  الظروف الإقليمية والدولية المواتية لفك الحصار ونجدة الأشقاء ومساندتهم , خاصة بعد حالة التضامن الدولي التي أفرزتها جريمة العدوان الصهيوني على اسطول الحرية الشهر الماضي .

يذكر أن اللجنة التوجيهية لإعمار قطاع غزة شكلت عقب العدوان الصهيوني على قطاع غزة وتبنت عدد من المشاريع الكبرى لإعادة اعمارها كما حملت على عاتقها بناء أكثر من ألف وحدة سكنية جرى تدميرها خلال الحرب الصهيونية . كما أقامت اللجنة مؤخراً حفلاً خيرياً عرضت خلاله ما أنجزته من مشاريع الإعمار وما تنوي تنفيذه خلال الفترة القادمة واستطاعت جمع تبرعات لهذا الشأن.

المصدر: نقابة المهندسين الأردنيين

مقابلة قصيرة مع “حسن نوارة “

فلسطيني حامل للجنسية البريطانية

كان من المتضامنين في أسطول الحرية

مقابلة جرت معه في مدينة جلاسكو – اسكتلندا بعد عودته من الأسر

The blockade in Gaza is an ongoing humanitarian catastrophe, as its continuation prevents vital produce getting into the area, for instance building materials needed to repair the thousands of homes shattered.

I deeply deplore the loss of life on the flotilla, and support the recent statement made by the Foreign Secretary, William Hague, calling on the government of Israel to open the crossings to allow unfettered access for aid to Gaza and for a transparent and independent investigation into the recent flotilla incident.  I have written to the Foreign Secretary expressing the concerns raised by many of my constituents such as yourself on this matter.

I have signed the Early Day Motion 127 ”Israel and the Gaza Flotilla” which endorses the call of the United Nations Secretary General for a prompt, impartial, credible and transparent investigation conforming to international standards.  I encourage those of you who live outside my constituency of Manchester Withington to write to your Member of Parliament urging them to sign this early day motion.

I hope this is of interest, and in the meantime if I can be of assistance in this or any other matter, please do not hesitate to contact me again.

Kind regards,

John Leech MP  

Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament for Manchester, Withington

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By: Ibrahim Safa

Aljazeeratalk Correspondent – JORDAN

The Palestinians’ boat was attacked by Israeli gunboats at the sea of Al-Zahra area in the middle of Gaza Strip, Palestinian sources said.

The Director of Emergency Services at Al-Shefa Hospital, Dr. Muawiya Hassanein, said that the martyrs are Hamed Thabet, 20, Ibrahem Al-Wahidi, 25, Mohammed Quider, 34, and Fayez Al-Firi, 21.

The al-Aqsa Martyr’s Brigade, the armed wing of Fatah movement, said in a leaflet sent to the media that the four killed had been on a training mission.

مرة أخرى يسطو الاحتلال الإسرائيلي على سفن الحرية ، فبعد قرصنتها على قافلة أسطول الحرية واحد والتي تجمع ما بين متضامنين من أكثر من 40 دولة عربية وأوروبية، ها هي اليوم تسيطر وتقرصن على راشيل كوري بمن فيها من المتضامنين دون أن تعبأ بكل القوانين الدولية ومن هنا فإننا في حملة كتاب يكسر الحصار نؤكد على مايلي:
أولا/ نستنكر استمرار الاحتلال الإسرائيلي في فرض سياسة التعنت والحصار والقرصنة على سفن كسر الحصار، وضربها لكل القوانين الدولية في عرض الحائط.
ثانيا/ نحمل الاحتلال الإسرائيلي المسؤولية التامة عن سلامة جميع منهم على متن هذه السفينة من متضامنين.
ثالثا/ نتمنى على جميع من شارك في قافلة أسطول الحرية وجميع أحرار العالم عدم الرضوخ للتعنت الإسرائيلي وإعادة المحاولات مرة أخرى بقوافل مستمرة حتى فك الحصار عن غزة.
رابعا/ نكرر دعوتنا إلى الكتاب والأدباء والمثقفين بفضح الممارسات الإسرائيلية بحق المتضامنين مع غزة إلى جانب فضحهم للممارسات الصهيونية لما يحدث في كافة مدن وقرى فلسطين وخاصة في مدينة القدس .
خامسا/ ندعو كافة وسائل الإعلام العربية والدولية بالاستمرار في الدعوة لكسر الحصار على غزة وفضحهم للممارسات الإسرائيلية ، والتنديد بمحاصرة مليون ونصف مليون فلسطيني.

الحملة الدولية ” كتاب يكسر الحصار”

اللجنة الإعلامية
5/6/2010 م

 قلبي مع الأحرار ألف تحيةٍ *** لشراع حبٍ سيّر الإنسانا

 قلبي مع البحار ألف تحيةٍ *** للسندباد يصارع الشيطانا

عجباً رأينا في ظلام زماننا *** سربَ النوارس يهزم القرصانا

ولقد شهدنا- لم يكن حلم الكرى – *** كيف السفينة تغرق الطوفانا

حام وسامٌ معْ أخيهم يافثٌ *** فوق السفينة إذ دعوا كنعانا

جبل الصلافة سوف لن يعصمكم *** لن تجدوا عبر المدى شطآنا

فلتركبوا معنا لشاطئ (عزةٍ) *** كي ننقذ الطفل الذي كم عانى

كي نرفعَ التابوت فيه سكينة *** لضميرنا ونضمّدَ الأبدانا

كي نقرأ الألواح ندركَ مالذي *** صوتُ الضمير بعشره وصّانا

كيما تغيضَ الأرضُ من دمنا الذي *** ملأ الوهاد وسيّل الوديانا

كي تقلعَ الأجواءُ فوق رؤوسنا *** أن تمطرَ الأحقاد والنيرانا

كيما على الجوديِّ ترسو فلـْكـُنا *** ونقولَ: بعداً للذي (أشقانا)

يا أيها الإنسان فلتحيا كما *** ولدتك أمك – يا أخي – إنسانا

حسن يوسف كمال

5 يونيو 2010

البحرين

Arab politicians today (only rarely) they look like those people I mentioned above…beating the law thousands times per seconds…with people oppressed and who is forced to hold them and they remember the law and (International obligations of the holy), only when it comes entity to…America and Zionist.

Once a disaster happen which we have been promised by the Zionist…the rise of blood in the veins of popular currents from all sides…the rebellions turn to politicians to see their reaction…to look at them (that is if they look)…in a calm voice which is soon disappeared to be replaced by a voice barely heard, dripping freshness and sweetness of the people almost scream after the end of his statement..please promising..or greatness to the greatness of despaired.

The one of them look behind to take one of the law books, which nest by spider on the shelf ..he doesn’t need it in his daily life..as people are managed and controlled automatically..to catch a book of law and start reading the numbers of the legal materials..of course..the public doesn’t know the meanings of those numbers..to say on page 48 of the International Act 4018 in paragraph (a)..passenger of a convoy of freedom to prove (and this is difficult) that the killing was motivated by loss of spirit and exterminated, not with a view to sending them to paradise …if confirmed, the second part of Israeli soldiers to claim against the victims because they denied their goodness as these want them to go to heaven.

The voice of peace rose…the addict of the voice of peace ferry, even if humiliation…peace, even if there is no right and just uninterrupted harmony with Israeli politicians, along with the leaders of some European countries..who they don’t know only one song…sitting at the tables..the politicians in Israel and Europe have sensitivity of standing…they always say…sit…let us sit down…forgetting that we are sometimes like to solve our issues while we are standing.

But…it seems that Gaza and the blood of the Turkish people had another impression..I am not claiming that victory has been achieved…but I hope the west open his eyes both (not to be seen as a blind to Holocaust only)…and forgetting that it taste the pain of Holocaust…was created after a holocaust of the people of Middle East was resolved on curse on the region in 1948..some western cannot recognise the justify peace and peace…and many of them did not understand that the intellectual is to feel the truth and justice…not only read tones of books.

The intellectual who did not ask himself one day…does he have to discuss the rapist to his home, parents and wealth…prior to re-right…I asked them once…imagine that your home has been taken, and they killed your children…then they tell you come sit on the bed to negotiate may be I will give you the bathroom to sleep in!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What logic is this?

Sometimes I say may be it is ignorance, I would say they did not know…as they are busy with their daily life…their weekend evenings…concern for the rights of dogs and cats and fear of the consequences of extinction type of rabbits…they don’t know that every day they kill innocent people when they are giving their voices in the election box and they don’t care that innocent will pay blood instead of that.

Instead of Arab politicians devise ways to deliver information to the west…I mean the people who does not have enough information about what is going on…Instead of direct our Media to explain for the good people there…We do not want anything only justice….because injustice will come to all of you after us…Instead of educating people on the deficit comes from disability…and that right has a voice…the politicians are in harmony between the sweetness of their voices and they are playing on the machine of International Law…

Laith Mushtaq