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Israel fears European ship may sail to Gaza to 'break siege'
By Barak Ravid
Tags: Free Gaza Movement 

Israel is worried by reports that a group of left-wing activists from Europe plans to set sail for Gaza from Cyprus on August 5 under the slogan "breaking the siege."

The activists will reportedly include three members of the European Parliament.

It is still not certain how serious the plans are. However, Israel fears that if the ship does sail, it will create a provocation that would at best cause public relations damage, and could even result in violence.
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The ship is being organized by the Free Gaza Movement and the International Solidarity Movement. Many of the latter's members have been barred from entering Israel on security grounds.

The organizers have reportedly raised almost $300,000 to finance the operation and recruited 60 people to sail on the ship. These include activists from several countries as well as journalists.

According to the Free Gaza Movement's Web site, the activists will include a Holocaust survivor, a survivor of the Palestinian Nakba, as Palestinians call Israel's creation in 1948, and other members of the Palestinian diaspora, in addition to the European parliamentarians.

According to the Web site, the plan is for the boat to enter Gaza's territorial waters - and, more specifically, the "special security zone" that the Israel Navy has declared off-limits to all boats. The organizers thereby hope to provoke a clash with the navy that will end with them being forcibly arrested.

An Israeli government source said that Israel still has little information about the plan, and it is not clear whether it will ever come off. A year ago, he noted, Israel received reports of a similar plan, but due to logistical difficulties, that initiative never got off the ground.

In conversations with their Israeli counterparts, Cypriot officials have expressed concern about the boat departing from their shores, but say they can do nothing to prevent it. According to the information that has reached Israel, however, Cyprus is not the only point of departure under consideration; the ship might also sail from Turkey or from Alexandria in Egypt.

Israel is still trying to discover the ship's exact identity and more details about the organizers' intentions. It is also trying to decide how to respond. One option that has been raised in official discussions is to simply allow the ship to reach Gaza, thereby foiling the organizers' apparent desire for a clash.
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  1.   tist plan to break Gaza blockade 07:10  |  Jor Kramer 28/07/08
  2.   British had the same problem when Jews broke blockade 07:12  |  Ibn Musa 28/07/08
  3.   Good luck to them! They are among the 07:27  |  Che Vive 28/07/08
  4.   `SNEAK`???? 07:41  |  Llyn 28/07/08
  5.   C`mon, just disable the prop with nets, tow 50 miles out to sea. 07:58  |  Dr. L. Brnd 28/07/08
  6.   ibn musa 08:20  |  scallywag 28/07/08
  7.   che vive 08:22  |  scallywag 28/07/08
  8.   Call to action 08:35  |  Boris 28/07/08
  9.   Lets them come and fine them for illegal entry. 09:03  |  Dr. Jack 28/07/08
  10.   #1 Agreed!! eom 09:06  |  Gabrielle 28/07/08
  11.   Nakba SURVIVOR: A question of Semantics..merely Academic? 09:09  |  Meir Gush Etzion 28/07/08
  12.   No problem at all 09:56  |  Shlomo from Tel-Aviv 28/07/08
  13.   Good bye Comrade Che!! 10:05  |  Dr. Jack 28/07/08
  14.   There will be Nakba and Holocaust survivors aboard! 10:27  |  Maureen Ann 28/07/08
  15.   A. Classic. Last. Paragraph. 10:38  |  Johnboy 28/07/08
  16.   dont just sink it.. 10:41  |  shocked 28/07/08
  17.   Where are the Leftists calling for "Rule of Law"? 10:52  |  Binyamin Dissen 28/07/08
  18.   sailing to gaza 11:08  |  Stella Westwell 28/07/08
  19.   Che #3 11:09  |  Stella Westwell 28/07/08
  20.   no mention of Hedy Epstein 11:16  |  raymond deane 28/07/08
  21.   What law? Israel has left Gaza, hasn`t it? 11:16  |  Andreas 28/07/08
  22.   Blockade, what blockade? 11:17  |  Observer 28/07/08
  23.   IBN Mussa. Pals can go to Gaza now! They have an elected Islamist 11:19  |  PETER SM 28/07/08
  24.   WHY not just ask Hamas to accept peaceful coexistence? 11:30  |  PETER SM 28/07/08
  25.   9: JB gets there, and then goes away 11:38  |  David Teich 28/07/08
  26.   Let em IN, and let `em stay there for some time... 11:43  |  Inyaki 28/07/08
  27.   #23 Ah, but David, there is a little jurisdictional problem.. 12:20  |  Johnboy 28/07/08
  28.   #26 That`s what they want Israel to do, Inyaki 12:27  |  Johnboy 28/07/08
  29.   David Teich 12:34  |  Stella Westwell 28/07/08
  30.   Then Israel will need to defend its territory and arrest those 12:42  |  awesome 28/07/08
  31.   Let them go for a nice vacation in Gaza 12:47  |  Brian 28/07/08
  32.   Let them go - stay! 12:51  |  Allon 28/07/08
  33.   Shocked - an old proverb? 12:55  |  Allon 28/07/08
  34.   Stella - go in peace - stay as long as you like. 12:56  |  Allon 28/07/08
  35.   Agreed Mier, the term "Nakba survivor" is ridiculous 12:56  |  Hannah 28/07/08
  36.   If the ship sinks in Israeli waters. should Israel rescue them? 13:00  |  Hannah 28/07/08
  37.   Bravo Free Gaza Movement! israel has no business in Gaza waters! 13:06  |  lakshmi 28/07/08
  38.   Ship to GAZA, Free Gaza Movement 13:10  |  Guenter Schenk 28/07/08
  39.   It`s all going horribly pear-shaped for Israel 13:11  |  Clickfool 28/07/08
  40.   Che Vive 13:11  |  rich 28/07/08
  41.   The Good Ship "Lollipop"..! 13:14  |  Stephen. 28/07/08
  42.   will hollywood make a movie of it?? 13:15  |  Rob of melbourne 28/07/08
  43.   CHE Why not pick a handle from some really well known lefties 13:23  |  PETER SM 28/07/08
  44.   They want to visit Gaza...let them go 13:39  |  Yaakov 28/07/08
  45.   Yes Cfool, and here`s the worst news for you. 13:54  |  Allon 28/07/08
  46.   IT`S ALL GOING FINE FOR ISRAEL 14:03  |  Brant 28/07/08
  47.   Advice to the organizers: guard your ship around the clock!!! 14:04  |  Ben Alofs 28/07/08
  48.   #39 Clickfool 14:06  |  Sarah 28/07/08
  49.   They will try to provoke a confrontation when searched for weapon 14:07  |  PETER SM 28/07/08
  50.   Damn good idea, like the "Exodus" 14:11  |  Gray 28/07/08
  51.   Why the hell in a ship? 14:13  |  Utopian suckers 28/07/08
  52.   Intercept the ship and give them gifts 14:21  |  Joe Sittizen 28/07/08
  53.   BEN ALOFS AND THE REFUGEES 14:26  |  Brant 28/07/08
  54.   GRAY Jews died blocked from Palestine by Brits to appease Arabs 14:32  |  PETER SM 28/07/08
  55.   Let them sail in and out - treat the as nobodies .. 14:44  |  redmike 28/07/08
  56.   European parliament 14:45  |  Serge 28/07/08
  57.   USS LIberty is coming back to the MIddle East.... 14:49  |  POP 28/07/08
  58.   Recognize the Free State of Gaza! 14:54  |  Yonatan 28/07/08
  59.   Stella W, you are very confused 14:56  |  jewish Grandma 28/07/08
  60.   Wrong again Stella 15:01  |  mf 28/07/08
  61.   The Journey of peace 15:15  |  Hassan saleem 28/07/08
  62.   #9 Dr. Jack 15:20  |  * BEN JABO 28/07/08
  63.   #14 Maureen Ann - Hedy doesn`t have to be there 15:24  |  * BEN JABO 28/07/08
  64.   Best of Luck Stella 15:25  |  El Caro 28/07/08
  65.   Peter: A publicity stunt, sure. 15:26  |  Gray 28/07/08
  66.