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One of the two boats from the Free Gaza protest group (c) arriving from Cyprus while Palestinians ride boats to welcome it. (Getty Images)
Last update - 15:26 24/08/2008
Arab League chief praises activists who challenged Gaza siege
By Barak Ravid
Tags: blockade, Gaza Strip, Israel 

Arab League Secretary General Amr Mussa on Sunday praised pro-Palestinian peace activists who sailed from Cyprus and successfully broke through an Israeli blockade on the Gaza Strip.

"These Palestinian supporters who have endured hardship to deliver their message to the world and to express their objection to the harsh siege on Gaza deserve every support and appreciation," Mussa said in a statement.

Despite an Israel Defense Forces plan to halt boats bearing left-wing activists on their way to Gaza, the government decided to permit the boats to reach Gaza shores in order to avoid a public relations disaster.
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Senior political sources in Jerusalem said that the fact that Israel allowed the boats to reach Gaza "took the wind out of the sails of the left-wing activists who were seeking to create a provocation."

Several discussions were held last week on this matter. At the time, the IDF raised the idea of forcibly preventing the boats from reaching Gaza. The army officers suggested stopping the boats at sea and towing them to the Ashdod port for inspection, where the activists on board would be detained for interrogation.

However, after further consultation, it was decided on Friday to avoid a confrontation and to allow the boats to reach the Gaza Strip. In the wake of that decision, urgent directives were sent to Israel's embassies around the world regarding the stance they should take concerning this event.

"These are professional provocateurs and we did not want to cooperate with that on the open seas," a senior political source in Jerusalem said. "Instead of letting the entire international press obsess about this for a week, the boats received almost no coverage, simply because there was no confrontation."

Haaretz has learned that before the boats sailed, Israel attempted dialogue with the organizers. After the activists said their goal was to bring medical equipment to Gaza, the Foreign Ministry sent them a letter offering to help transfer the humanitarian aid if the boats would not sail.

Discussions will be held in the next few days on whether to stop the boats for inspection once they leave Gaza. Israeli officials are worried they might be used to smuggle wanted Palestinians out of the coastal strip. "They've got a reputation for protecting terrorists and acting as human shields," the political source said.

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      1.   Fair enough - but check on way out 03:46  |  Aussie Michael 24/08/08
      2.   They are bankrupt 03:54  |  idf_sergeant 24/08/08
      3.   how i envy them; there is no boat service between Greece & Israel 04:40  |  z, the monarchist 24/08/08
      4.   check the boats 05:05  |  Rabbi Yakov Lazaros 24/08/08
      5.   # IDF_Sergeant. Those who are morally bankrupt... 05:16  |  Maureen Ann 24/08/08
      6.   Well documented 05:21  |  utagawa 24/08/08
      7.   Bad Press VS National Security? 05:51  |  massaraksh 24/08/08
      8.   Fly Back From Israel? 06:01  |  Douglas Fireman 24/08/08
      9.   idf_sergeant 06:04  |  Ben Alofs 24/08/08
      10.   Make sure Shalit is on the return trip 06:29  |  Great White North 24/08/08
      11.   Here`s to the Provocateurs!!! 06:52  |  Tzfonit 24/08/08
      12.   Success! The world press is covering this in droves... 07:17  |  BBSNews 24/08/08
      13.   We should ignore the abject condemnation of the Jew-haters. 07:17  |  Jean Van Daem 24/08/08
      14.   Bravo, dear friends! 07:31  |  Gila Svirsky 24/08/08
      15.   @7 if there only were a few terrorists 08:07  |  s 24/08/08
      16.   @5, Jeff Halper is a joke 08:09  |  S. 24/08/08
      17.   they must leave the way they came - by boat! 08:23  |  redmike 24/08/08
      18.   #10 - the story will be dead in days and not in weeks . 08:27  |  redmike 24/08/08
      19.   #12 - "non-violent resistance" - I thought you meant Israel 08:30  |  redmike 24/08/08
      20.   sticks and stones.... 08:31  |  Mark 24/08/08
      21.   bbsnews.net/ Click Tool 08:34  |  John 24/08/08
      22.   Gila Svirsky Gaza not the news of the Day 08:55  |  John 24/08/08
      23.   There is a comedian 09:07  |  rick 24/08/08
      24.   BBBSNEWS #10 09:07  |  Beth 24/08/08
      25.   If 09:08  |  Edifice 24/08/08
      26.   To 10--world press 09:19  |  Ofer 24/08/08
      27.   Good but be ware of history 09:21  |  Eini 24/08/08
      28.   NO Press? Kidnap Them!f 09:23  |  FOX 24/08/08
      29.   rick what are you proud of? qassams? mortars? 09:23  |  x-ray 24/08/08
      30.   A BEGINNING OF THE END OF 40 YEARS OCCUPATION 09:24  |  indrajaya 24/08/08
      31.   Israeli government impotence 09:38  |  Moshe 24/08/08
      32.   BBS you are so full of it 09:57  |  ChanahS 24/08/08
      33.   Moron Ann and occupying oppressors 10:05  |  ChanahS 24/08/08
      34.   BBS NEWS AND "SUCCESS!!!" 10:05  |  Brant 24/08/08
      35.   23 - you are unintentionally the well meaning `comdian` .. 10:05  |  redmike 24/08/08
      36.   TO Jean Van Daem #13 10:09  |  Steve Beikirch 24/08/08
      37.   redmike 19 - I beg to differ re BBSNews 10:11  |  ChanahS 24/08/08
      38.   Eini 27 10:15  |  ChanahS 24/08/08
      39.   BBS.They are not "peace activists"they are a Pal front. 11:15  |  PETER SM 24/08/08
      40.   Clever but the problem is still there 11:30  |  V 24/08/08
      41.   MAUREEN"Moral bankruptcy"The Islamofascist Hamas Govt.charter 11:31  |  PETER SM 24/08/08
      42.   Israel: We let protest boat reach Gaza to stymie bad press? 11:36  |  Natallie Durson 24/08/08
      43.   #37 - you could well be right .. 11:43  |  redmike 24/08/08
      44.   ChanahS re:BBSNews 11:57  |  TonyL 24/08/08
      45.   GILA Hamas is the elected govenment NOT "just a few" 12:06  |  PETER SM 24/08/08
      46.   #38 12:07  |  Eini 24/08/08
      47.   B>ALOOFFS when is your side going to take some"wise decisions"e.g 12:17  |  PETER SM 24/08/08
      48.   bad press 12:19  |  Ralph 24/08/08
      49.   BBS How many times will the same stunt attract attention? 12:49  |  PETER SM 24/08/08
      50.   maureen ann 12:58  |  scallywag 24/08/08
      51.   jean van daem 13:04  |  scallywag 24/08/08
      52.   Maureen Ann #5 -- Your hysteria is tiresome 13:09  |  bbl 24/08/08
      53.   stymie bad press? 13:26  |  ravi 24/08/08
      54.   #11 Tzfonit....the US has pulled their visas 13:29  |  Lynn 24/08/08
      55.   IDF Sargeant...well connected 13:39  |  Palestinian Brit 24/08/08
      56.   Fly back from Cairo. 13:40  |  Palestinian Brit 24/08/08
      57.   To Channah & TonyL, BBS Noise 13:40  |  FOX 24/08/08
      58.   No Skinny Dipping Kids! 13:46  |  FOX 24/08/08
      59.   These peace activists stared down Israel 13:50  |  Labhras 24/08/08
      60.   Good news 13:54  |  Outsider 24/08/08
      61.   Bully gets it,s come uppance 14:04  |  Labhras 24/08/08
      62.   57 - you have checked up on which site? 14:18  |  redmike 24/08/08
      63.   Re Good News 14:19  |  Palestinian Brit 24/08/08
      64.   #54 Lynn can spell but not think 14:23  |  Labhras 24/08/08
      65.   #52 bbl on Maureen and her hypocrisy 14:25  |  Lynn 24/08/08
      66.   Need more support! 14:26  |  Super Cynic 24/08/08
      67.   35 Maureen....pay your debt to the aborigines 14:28  |  Lynn 24/08/08
      68.   Ben Alof # 9 14:41  |  Sabra 24/08/08
      69.   #23 rick....two hours of Al Jazeera coverage 14:41  |  Lynn 24/08/08
      70.   Let`s not forget continuous terrorism is reason for Gaza blockade