LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
ِJune 22/2010

Bible Of the Day
Mark: 11/19-25: " When evening came, he went out of the city. 11:20 As they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away from the roots. 11:21 Peter, remembering, said to him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree which you cursed has withered away.” 11:22 Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. 11:23 For most certainly I tell you, whoever may tell this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ and doesn’t doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is happening; he shall have whatever he says. 11:24 Therefore I tell you, all things whatever you pray and ask for, believe that you have received them, and you shall have them. 11:25 Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone; so that your Father, who is in heaven, may also forgive you your transgressions. 11:26 But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your transgressions.”

Free Opinions, Releases, letters, Interviews & Special Reports
Cardinal Mar Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir, A voice in a dangerous wilderness/Now Lebanon/21 June/10

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for June 21/10
Sfeir Safe: Lebanon Apparently Spared Major Strife on Eve of Patriarch's Zahle Visit/Naharnet
Hizbullah's Mohammad Ali Hamadeh Killed in U.S. Attack in Pakistan/Naharnet
Lebanon Gives 'Julia' Green Light to Sail to Cyprus Amid Israeli Pressure to Stop Departure of Ships to Gaza/Naharnet
Jumblat: Israel's Expulsion of 4 Arab MPs from the Knesset is an Attempt to Judaize Whole of Jerusalem/Naharnet
Hariri Holds Talks with Jordan's Deputy PM, Syrian Ambassador/Naharnet
Organizers of Lebanon's Gaza flotilla make formal request to sail/Ha'aretz
Tension rises between Hizbullah, Christians/Jerusalem Post
Lebanon gives greenlights to Gaza-bound aid ship/Xinhua
Tensions rise between Hizbullah, Sfeir/Jerusalem Post
16 People Arrested Trying to Cross Border into Lebanon/Naharnet
Berri Slams Israeli Violation of 4 MPs' Rights to Reside on their Own Land/Naharnet
Hush-Hush Meeting between Mneimneh, Private School Teachers/Naharnet
New Electricity Plan Seeks to Save Lebanon from Power Crisis/Naharnet
Efforts to Redress Palestinian Civil Rights, End Bickering over National Dialogue/Naharnet
Ahmadinejad Says he Backs Lebanese People and Resistance/Naharnet
In Zahle, Sfeir is Presented Key to the City: Our Visit Affirms that Bkirki is for Everyone/Naharnet
Hizbullah's Raad Calls on Geagea, Gemayel to Quit National Dialogue/Naharnet

Cardinal Mar Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir, A voice in a dangerous wilderness
June 21, 2010
Now Lebanon
It is said that there are no coincidences in the Middle East. If this premise is to be believed, then the bomb that exploded in Zahle on Saturday night, killing one man and wounding another two, was a message to the Maronite Patriarch of Lebanon, Cardinal Mar Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir, who spoke so openly in Paris last week, urging the Lebanese government to take its own decisions on matters of state, especially on who has the right to bear arms in the name of the people.
Sfeir also reiterated that Lebanon should enjoy healthy diplomatic relations with Syria, but only as equal partners. Nothing new there, you might think, and this is why, if Sfeir is being singled out for special attention, we should be concerned.
In short, the 90-year-old cardinal, who has never minced his words, was criticizing both the recent behavior of Hezbollah, a party that is making no bones of the fact that it sees itself as subject to a different set of rules from the rest of us, and the recent thawing of relations between the March 14 bloc and Syria after nearly five years of decided frostiness. It is a thawing that many fear will return Lebanon to the role of servant to a regional master. They are issues that should concern all Lebanese who seek full sovereignty of all territories and state institutions, and Sfeir is rapidly becoming a voice in the Lebanese wilderness.
There is no doubt in many quarters, Christian especially, that the Zahle blast will be interpreted as the start of a campaign to muzzle those who would speak out against the renewed influence of Syria and the ongoing meddling of Iran in Lebanon’s internal affairs. There are those who will also point to the fact that a bomb detonated at night in a deserted industrial area has all the hallmarks of a similar campaign of fear that cast a shadow over a newly-liberated Lebanon from 2005 to 2006, one that took dozens of lives and which sought to stop the March 14 movement from consolidating the gains made during the 2005 Independence Intifada.
But if the blast was, as the security forces have hinted, an “own goal” – a blunder by the bombers in their factory – intended for a more ambitious purpose, then we should be very concerned. The local media is already implying that the premature blast spared greater discord in the Bekaa, a strong suggestion that Sfeir himself may have been the target. The consequences of such an event don’t bear thinking about, especially in light of the recent report by the Vatican claiming that the international community is ignoring the plight of the Middle East’s estimated 17 million Christians, who are threatened by what it called “Islamist extremists.”
There will be those who are already connecting the Zahle bomb and the mention of Salafist involvement to the vile pamphlets circulated in East Saida on Sunday, ordering Christians out of the city. So far, local politicians have condemned the incident but the state must be seen to do its job, both reassuring the local population that their safety is guaranteed and that it is doing its utmost to find out who is behind the campaign.
Sfeir went ahead with his visit, in spite of the blast. No doubt he wanted to reiterate that intimidation has no place in modern Lebanon. His example should be noted by the state, which should be redoubling its efforts to show the Lebanese they are serious about tackling internal sectarian threats.
It is worth noting that Sfeir left Zahle by helicopter. Did his security advisors know something we didn’t, or was it simply to avoid the summer traffic?
We hope it was the latter.

Hizbullah's Mohammad Ali Hamadeh Killed in U.S. Attack in Pakistan
/Naharnet/Lebanese citizen Mohammad Ali Hamadeh has been killed in Saturday's U.S. drone attack on al-Qaida hideout in Pakistan's North Waziristan, the German news agency DPA reported. Citing intelligence sources in Pakistan, DPA said Hamadeh, a Hizbullah member, was killed along with a group of followers. DPA has it that Hamadeh returned to Lebanon in December 2005 after being secretly released in Germany, where he was serving a life sentence for the 1985 hijacking of a TWA jetliner and killing of a U.S. navy diver. It had said Hamadeh had been released from a German prison in 2005 on bail after spending nearly 19 years in prison. DPA, citing intelligence information, said Hamadeh fought along Hizbullah before moving to North Waziristan where he joined "Islamic Jihad" which has links to al-Qaida. A U.S. drone attack on Saturday destroyed an al-Qaida hideout in North Waziristan, killing 11 militants in the tribal redoubt on the Afghan border, security officials said. Beirut, 21 Jun 10, 07:25

Sfeir Safe: Lebanon Apparently Spared Major Strife on Eve of Patriarch's Zahle Visit
Naharnet/Local media on Monday said preliminary reports point to "sabotage" behind the explosion in east Lebanon's city of Zahle on the eve of Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir's visit.
Zahle explosion could be much more dangerous, given both the substance used in the blast that is being analyzed by forensic specialists and the "big names" involved, some of whom belong to the Salafis in the Bekaa, As-Safir newspaper reported Monday.
"Devine intervention or mere miracle may have spared Lebanon a major strife" on the eve of Sfeir's Zahle visit, said a bold headline in the daily Al-Liwa on Monday.
The explosion on the eve of Sfeir's visit, the first by a Maronite patriarch to the Bekaa in 72 years, has been described as a "sabotage act" until this hypothesis is proven invalid, pan-Arab daily Al-Hayat said. Al-Hayat on Monday said Lebanese authorities have arrested three people in connection with the powerful explosion that ripped through a used car parts shop in the industrial city of Zahle shortly before midnight Saturday, leaving one person killed and two others wounded.
The shop belongs to Khaled Dallah from the eastern town of Bar Elias. Al-Hayat said Ziad Hussein, from Majdal Anjar, died as a result of severe burns sustained in the fire caused by the explosion. Al-Hayat said the wounded -- Khaled Hamzeh Hammoud and Amer Ajami, who also hail from Majdal Anjar – were taken to the Lebanese-French hospital in the Bekaa where they are kept under heavy police guard. Primary investigation said that the explosion took place while preparing a bomb.
Sources following up on the probe into the bombing had said that Hammoud, Ajami, and Dallah have been arrested.
Al-Hayat, citing high-ranking security sources, said the explosion occurred when Hussein, along with his friends Ajami and Hamzeh, went into the shop after he had obtained a key from Dallah who asked them to meet him in the industrial city while he got dressed. It quoted Bekaa figures who visited Hamzeh in hospital as saying that the fire engulfed the shop when Hussein turned on the generator placed in his car.(photo courtesy of Al-Hayat newspaper) Beirut, 21 Jun 10, 08:48

Jumblat: Israel's Expulsion of 4 Arab MPs from the Knesset is an Attempt to Judaize Whole of Jerusalem
Naharnet/Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat stated Monday that Israel's expulsion of four Arab MPs from its Knesset is an attempt to Judaize Jerusalem.
He said in his weekly editorial in the PSP-affiliated Anbaa magazine: "It's not enough that Israel is building tunnels under the Aqsa mosque, destroying houses, and expanding its Jerusalem settlements, but its decision to expel the four MPs affirms its plan to completely change the city politically, economically, socially, and demographically."Addressing local developments, the MP condemned the assault by security forces on Sudanese workers in Lebanon, demanding that they be held accountable and that a law protecting foreign laborers in Lebanon be approved. Beirut, 21 Jun 10, 16:31

Ahmadinejad Calls to Liberate America
by Maayana Miskin/Arutz Sheva
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad went on a tirade against the United States and the Jewish people in a speech given last week in Shahre-Kord in central Iran. The speech was printed in Iran's Fars media and translated by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI). Among other things, Ahmadinejad announced a new goal: “liberating” the US.  "I hereby announce that from this point forward, one of the Iranian nation's main aspirations will be to deliver the American people from [its] undemocratic and bullying government,” he said.
He also condemned Jews and Israel, saying “the West” had “gathered the filthiest and greatest of criminals, who only appear to be human from all corners of the earth... so that they would occupy the lands of Palestine.” Ahmadinejad's statements follow the imposition of a fourth round of sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program. The Iranian president said the sanctions do not concern him. “Why must I worry, when I have a plan to change the world... [to change] the unilateral and discriminatory world order?” he asked.

Tried to Boycott Israeli Ship, Blocked Chinese Ship Instead
by Hillel Fendel/Arutz Sheva
Some 500 anti-Israel protestors arrived at the Oakland, California port early Sunday morning, hoping to block an Israeli ship from unloading its cargo. However, the ship did not arrive, and the crowd prevented workers from unloading a Chinese ship instead. The protestors say they were protesting the recent Israel-Turkey flotilla incident, though they displayed great ignorance about what actually happened; one of them even compared barely armed Israeli Defense Forces troops with Somali pirates.
“My grandmother's Jewish. I'm not anti-Semitic," protestor Frank McClain told a local Oakland newspaper. "But what Israel's doing is murdering people. They staged a raid in international waters. If Somalis had done that, they'd be called pirates and we'd have punished and stopped them immediately.”
In fact, as videotapes have shown, Israeli soldiers warned the ships well in advance not to enter the waters under legitimate Israeli blockade; boarded the ship armed only with paintball guns and pistols in case of need; and were set upon and attacked as they rappelled down by lynch mobs armed with iron clubs, knives, and even their own pistols that the attackers took from them. Several of the soldiers were held captive for a while below deck. Ultimately, the Israelis were able to regroup, defend themselves, ward off the terrorist activists, tend to their wounded, and gain control of the boat that had been set on a near act-of-war course. Nearly all of the nine dead were identified as members of Turkish Islamist organizations, most of them of a radical and anti-Western nature. Four of them had previously declared their wish to die as martyrs.
"Free, free Palestine! Don't cross the picket line!" the picketers shouted – and in fact, the longshoremen chose not to clash with them, for fear of “getting into fistfights,” a union leader said. No one was arrested. The Israeli ship arrived only at 6 PM, more than 12 hours after the protestors, but by that time most of the latter had left. The local union decided not to order night shift workers to unload the Israeli ship, and it will be unloaded sometime on Monday. A Foreign Ministry official told Israel National News that the general practice is that ships that arrive towards evening are unloaded the next day, "such that the protestors did not actually accomplish much other than to block a Chinese ship... The police are planning to be on hand on Monday to ensure that all goes smoothly."
The Picture, Not the Facts
Asked about the fact that the anti-Israel protestors actually blocked a Chinese ship and not an Israeli ship, Israel’s Consul-General in San Francisco, Akiva Tor, said, “The protestors were basically interested in painting a certain picture, and they don’t generally get down to the exact facts…”Proving the extent of this phenomenon, protest organizer Richard Becker actually said, "This is the first time [that] an Israeli ship was blocked from unloading in a U.S. port… We consider this to be a huge victory and a historic moment.”Two pro-Israel protestors arrived on the scene in mid-protest, ensuring that not only pro-Arab scenes would be broadcast. "Israel is a democracy, just like America, and Israel is faced with a fight for its life," said Faith Metzer of El Cerrito. A third pro-Israel man arrived a bit later, after he saw the protest on television.

Lebanon Gives 'Julia' Green Light to Sail to Cyprus Amid Israeli Pressure to Stop Departure of Ships to Gaza
Naharnet/Transport Minister Ghazi Aridi confirmed that the ministry allowed organizers of a Gaza-bound aid flotilla to sail from the northern port city of Tripoli to Cyprus before heading to the Hamas-run territory. Aridi's remarks on the vessel "Julia" on Sunday night came as Israel's Haaretz daily reported that the Jewish state had initiated diplomatic efforts designed to prevent the departure of at least one ship, carrying 50 to 70 Lebanese women and food aid. Israel has been in touch with the U.N., U.S., France, Spain and Germany. It has also been speaking with the Vatican because "Mariam" is expected to include several dozen Catholic nuns, Haaretz said. However, according to Aridi the ship was not named "Mariam," stressing that the voyage was christened "Mariam" in honor of Virgin Mary. While confirming that "Julia's" first destination will be Cyprus and not Gaza, the minister stressed that he won't sign on any illegal sail. He said "Julia" was registered in Paris and would have Lebanese and foreigners on board. Aridi also stressed that "Julia's" voyage to Cyprus was not in violation of Security Council resolution 1701 and that the vessel would undergo a technical checkup before it sails from Tripoli. The Lebanese government is responsible of its decision, Aridi added. However, Israeli military sources warned that it would be very easy to take control of Iranian and Lebanese ships because they are from countries which are in enmity with the Jewish state. They told Haaretz that they would deal firmly with them. Two Iranian Red Crescent boats also plan to depart for the blockaded enclave. Beirut, 21 Jun 10, 08:17

UAE Shuts 40 Companies Violating Iran Sanctions
Naharnet/The United Arab Emirates has closed down 40 international and local firms as part of a crackdown on companies that violate U.N. sanctions on Iran, a newspaper reported on Monday. These companies have been dealing in "dual-use and dangerous materials banned under U.N. resolutions and the nuclear non-proliferation treaty," the Gulf News reported quoting an unnamed UAE official. "Operations of any company in the UAE proved to have connections with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, other entities or individuals subject to the U.N. asset freeze will immediately be shut down," the official said. "The UAE is committed to meet its obligations toward the global effort for non-proliferation," of nuclear weapons, the official added. On June 9, the U.N. Security Council slapped a fourth round of sanctions on Iran over its controversial nuclear drive, this time tightening the noose on military and financial transactions. The resolution bans the sale to Iran of eight new types of heavy weapons and applies new restrictions on Iranian investments abroad.
For years, Iran maintained active trade relations with Dubai, one of seven emirates making up the UAE, with the trade volume estimated at around 10 billion dollars a year, mostly of Iranian imports. A Western diplomat said last week that Dubai authorities succumbed to U.S. pressure on the federal government in Abu Dhabi to prohibit any goods bound for Iran that could have dual civilian and military use. About 400,000 Iranians are based in UAE. The fresh U.N. and U.S. sanctions were imposed after Tehran pressed on with uranium enrichment for a program that Iran insists is peaceful but the West and others suspect is aimed at making a bomb.(AFP) Beirut, 21 Jun 10, 11:09

Hariri Holds Talks with Jordan's Deputy PM, Syrian Ambassador
Naharnet/Prime Minister Saad Hariri held talks Monday at the Grand Serail with visiting Jordanian Deputy Prime Minister and State Minister Rajai al-Moasher, in attendance of Jordanian Ambassador to Lebanon Ziad al-Majali, and Hariri's advisor Mohammed Shatah. After the meeting, Moasher said: "I was honored to meet PM Hariri and conveyed to him the greetings of the Jordanian Prime Minister. We also discussed the bilateral relations, particularly in the economic field. PM Hariri expressed his satisfaction for the progress achieved in these relations, which came upon the instructions of King Abdullah II who puts Lebanon in his heart and urges us to build the strongest possible relations with Lebanon." "I also had the honor this morning to meet President Michel Suleiman and Speaker Nabih Berri and I felt, during these meetings, Lebanon's affection towards Jordan and Jordan's affection towards Lebanon. We hope to enhance these relations and develop them for the best." Asked whether he conveyed any political message to Hariri, al-Moasher said: "No, there is no political message. I am here in Lebanon at the invitation of the American University Alumni Club to participate in honoring Mr. Ghassan Tueni." Later Monday, Hariri received Syrian Ambassador to Lebanon Ali Abdul Karim Ali. Beirut, 21 Jun 10, 16:11

Ahmadinejad Says he Backs Lebanese People and Resistance
Naharnet/Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has reiterated Tehran's support for the Lebanese people and the resistance and called for the need to further bolster bilateral relations.
"Today, Iran supports the people of Lebanon and also the resistance as the policies of both countries are built on resisting bullying powers," IRNA quoted Ahmadinejad as saying during a Sunday meeting with Iran's new ambassador to Lebanon Ghazanfar Roknabadi. The Iranian president emphasized that under the present global circumstances colonial powers are doomed. "Today, Iran is emerging as a cultural power on the global scene. This powerhouse, due to its humanitarian ideals, has managed to withstand bullying powers, which merely seek material gain," said Ahmadinejad. Roknabadi, for his part, presented a report on bilateral economic and political ties between Iran and Lebanon. Beirut, 21 Jun 10, 08:57

Hizbullah's Raad Calls on Geagea, Gemayel to Quit National Dialogue
Naharnet/Hizbullah MP Mohammed Raad has called on both Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea and leader of the Phalange party Amin Gemayel, without naming them, to quit the national dialogue. He urged "those who take trips to foreign countries" to either "withdraw" from all-party talks or "correct" their stances in regards to Hizbullah in which they say the "Resistance in Lebanon does not make its own decision but that the decision is in the hands of other countries." Raad called on "everyone who charges that the Resistance does not make its own decisions to stop participation in the national dialogue and negotiate with decision-making countries.""It is impossible to neutralize Lebanon as long as there are those who consider Israel as a neighbor," Raad thought. Beirut, 21 Jun 10, 07:42

Walid Jumblatt
June 21, 2010
On June 21, the website of the Progressive Socialist Party, PSP.org, carried the following report:
Head of the Democratic Gathering Deputy Walid Jumblatt corroborated the strength of the alliance and relations with Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri. He also praised Al-Hariri’s position regarding the Palestinian cause, expressing relief toward relations with Syria which he indicated had started to acquire their institutional dimension. He assured that the arms of Hezbollah should be handled through dialogue, pointing out that these will be integrated in the army once local and regional circumstances are ripe. During a meeting with the cadres and committees of the Progressive Socialist Party in Iqlim al-Kharroub in Siblin, Jumblatt said that all hell broke loose when he issued a call in parliament to improve the living conditions of Palestinians blockaded in camps and grant them the right to work and the minimum level of social securities.
He indicated that Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri will propose an initiative in this regard within a month, as they promised that they will put the issue on the discussion table once again. In this context, while Jumblatt stressed the importance of a unified Palestinian position, he hoped Hamas’s decision would be autonomous of Iran and Syria.
“The insistence of some that [Hezbollah’s] arms are outside the context of the state and are illegitimate will not have any results. An outcome can only be secured through dialogue and no one is in a hurry. We want these arms to serve Lebanon’s defense and liberation of the land… until Lebanese and regional circumstances are suitable for the integration of these weapons in the Lebanese army, one way or the other. Those raising this issue wish to fight the others and are having fun because they have nothing to lose. They are trying to plant some sort of sectarianism among Muslims and I know that for sure. We are trying to convince them not to talk about this subject in public and outside the context of dialogue but they have political calculations. Saad al-Hariri does not address it. He only raises the topic in the context of the Arab-Israeli conflict.
“Someone around the dialogue table wondered why the Lebanese army was not given the same capabilities as Hezbollah in terms of rockets and equipment. I would not mind that, but let the French, Americans and Arab countries in the Gulf and outside the Gulf where weapons are being accumulated, support Lebanon and its army.
“I know that those concerned, at the head of whom is Sheikh Saad al-Hariri, are too wise and far-sighted to attack the perpetrator, if it is proven that he is the perpetrator, to spare the country a major tremor. I do not wish to talk about the tribunal any further because every time we raise this issue, we enter the labyrinth of Der Spiegel. We will give the situation the required amount of time, although others are talking about the tribunal and outbidding because they have nothing to lose.
“The budget will be ratified and we will stage a protest campaign. Debt is increasing… and has now reached $55 billion. Next year, it could reach sixty and we would become like Greece. What will happen to the poor and middle classes? In regard to the municipal issue, we were never in a competition with the Future Movement. When we feel that the Future Movement wishes to monopolize or rather accept the fact that the party has no place in the Iqlim, it is welcome to take it all. Parliamentary elections are underway. We were the only ones in Lebanon who lost in the name of plurality. We lost in Southern Metn and there is no problem with that, as we lost in the name of plurality in Mount Lebanon. I am not disconcerted by the loss and I do not want anyone, whether he is Sunni, Shia or Christian, to say there is monopolization... I say that in response to what was carried by As-Safir newspaper. I do not wish to hear talk of monopolization and those who wish to monopolize can come, ‘take what they can’ and handle the burden. This is not a problem. I know there is a wish to fight Alaa Terro and later on, Alaa and I will see if the time is right to open the door to everyone...
“Reclusion is serving Israel which is exploiting minorities. There are Druze in occupied Palestine and parts of them are forced to collaborate with the authority. Others are dealing with the authority and oppressing Arabs and Palestinians. However, this is only temporary and I fear for the latter from a bleak fate if they do not join Arabs and Palestine as a whole. Therefore, we are continuing to communicate with Azmi Bishara and Said Naffah. Nonetheless, when I saw the bigotry toward the other in Mount Lebanon, I got scared. Yes, I got scared for the minimum level of coexistence and for the Arab identity of the Druze. Consequently my battle was not as easy as yours and ours today. Still, we have hope, especially since Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri’s speech in regard to the Arab identity of Palestine was excellent, although it has no meaning on the ground in the absence of a mechanism.”

Challenging the blockade
Ana Maria Luca, Now Lebanon
June 18, 2010
Lebanese women pray a few days before setting off on the Mariam ship that will carry aid to the blockaded Gaza Strip. (AFP/ Mahmoud Zayat)
Mona Kayal is 22 and just graduated from the American University of Beirut with a triple major in Business, Economy and Finance. She will be the only Palestinian girl aboard Mariam, the Lebanese aid ship carrying 20 to 25 women that is setting off for Gaza from Beirut this weekend.
“I know I might not come back to Lebanon because I am Palestinian, and I might be sent to jail by the Israelis, but I still want to go,” Kayal told NOW Lebanon. “I know that this is the way to show the world the true face of Israel.”
Following in the footsteps of the Mavi Marmara, the Turkish vessel that was raided by the Israeli Navy en route to Gaza last month, two boats filled with journalists and female activists are scheduled to sail from Beirut this weekend with the aim of breaking the blockade imposed by the Jewish State on the beleaguered territory. The two ships, Mariam and Naji al Ali have already stirred controversy, especially since the Israeli government has warned that it would hold the Lebanese government responsible if any weapons are found onboard. They also said the boats would be seized by force if necessary and that the passengers will be interrogated and deported back to their countries if they attempt to break the blockade. But after the Mavi Marmara raid, when nine activists onboard were killed in a clash with the Israeli Defense Forces, the activists sailing to Gaza have more to fear than simple detention.
But they say they are not afraid.
“The most important purpose of this campaign is to show the true face of Israel because the media in the Western world does not know the truth about the situation in Gaza,” said Palestinian businessman Yasser Kashlak, the organizer of the convoy. “The Western press gives a bad image of the Palestinians, and we are trying to show the different side of the story,” he told NOW Lebanon.
This is not the first time Kashlak has organized a humanitarian aid shipment to Gaza. His Free Palestine organization has sent four other convoys to the Gaza Strip in the last four years. “Not one of them got through. I sent one through the Rafah [border crossing between Egypt and Gaza], and it got stopped. The others were boats; one of them was in the flotilla that got attacked two weeks ago. Every time the Israelis stopped the aid, we could never deliver anything,” he said.
In the meantime, another eight ships from different parts of the world are already sailing or are planning to sail toward Gaza to challenge the blockade. But the biggest concerns for the Israeli government are the Iranian ship that already left the harbor of Khorramshahr on June 12 and the two Lebanese boats set to sail on Sunday. According to the Israeli media, the government in Tel Aviv tried to discretely pressure Cairo into stopping the Iranian vessel before it travels through the Suez Canal, but the Egyptian government refused to intervene.
But according to Kashlak, the Egyptian government doesn’t do much to help the humanitarian aid convoys either. “I don’t believe Rafah is truly open. I think it’s just a story in the media,” he said.
The government in Tel Aviv approved on Thursday a plan to ease the blockade on the Hamas-run territory. Israel said it would "liberalize the system by which civilian goods enter Gaza [and] expand the inflow of materials for civilian projects that are under international supervision." Israel was also reported to have been considering a proposal for stationing EU and Palestinian Authority inspectors at the border to examine incoming goods, but the plan wasn’t included in Thursday's decision.
“I just don’t believe they are serious,” Kashlak said. “We’re still going through with our plan… The Israelis want to take the cargo and deliver it themselves, and the aid doesn’t reach the people of Gaza.”
Earlier this week, Kayal sat in the lobby of Hotel Safir in central Beirut with two other volunteers and accepted applications from women who want to leave to Gaza on the Mariam. A special booth was set up in order for them to interview the applicants. “We have around 30 applications until now, but there will be more,” Kayal said.
Mariam will carry eight Lebanese and up to 17 European women and two doctors, while the Najri al Ali will carry around 50 journalists and 25 European volunteers on board. The women’s ship will carry a large quantity of medical aid, while the press ship is to deliver food.
Mona Kayal said she is ready to sail at any moment, although her family does not support her entirely. “My mother is scared, of course. I am the only child, and after spending so much time in school, I might end up in an Israeli jail. Actually that is why I am the only Palestinian on the boat; they are not taking more because the Israelis might say that we’re bringing back the Palestinians to their land,” she said. “But we can’t predict anything yet. We’re just ready for anything.”