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Last update - 10:51 29/10/2008
Protest boat arrives in Gaza, despite Israel's vow to block it
By Barak Ravid, Haaretz Corresponden and The Associated Press
Tags: Israel News, Free Gaza 

A boat carrying international protesters sailed into the Gaza Strip on Wednesday to bring attention to Israel's blockade of the Hamas-controlled territory, despite vows by the Israeli government to stop the ship.

The 27 passengers include Mairead McGuire, who won the Nobel Peace Prize for her work in Northern Ireland. The protesters - who also include Italians, Israelis, Palestinians and Americans - are scheduled to remain in Gaza for four days.

The 66-foot (20-meter) yacht Dignity, chartered by the U.S.-based Free Gaza group, sailed from the nearby island of Cyprus on Tuesday and arrived in Gaza in stormy weather Wednesday. They were greeted by Hamas policemen and a small group of Palestinian activists.
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"The government of Israel cannot cut off Gaza forever. We will come again and again," McGuire said after disembarking.

Two months ago, members of the organization sailed from Cyprus to Gaza under the slogan "breaking the blockade." The Prime Minister's Office and Foreign Ministry viewed the move as a provocative propaganda stunt, intended to provoke a confrontation with the IDF. A day before the boat was to arrive at the shores of Gaza, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and Defense Minister Ehud Barak held a consultation and decided to allow the boat to reach land - and thereby block the activists' plans to create an international incident.

Nevertheless, in discussions held over the past few weeks between the PMO, Foreign Ministry and the IDF, it was decided that this time the boat would not be allowed to reach Gaza. "The first time we wanted to prevent a provocation, but if it is to become a routine, then we will have to make it clear we will not allow it," said a senior official in Jerusalem.

Egypt also prevented the sailing of a similar ship a few weeks ago from Alexandria to Gaza.

"The Israel Navy will stop the activists' vessel once it reaches Israel's territorial waters, it was decided. If the ship turns around, then the IDF will not use any force. However, if the activists decide to sail on toward Gaza, the IDF will take control of the ship, by force if necessary, and tow it to Ashdod port. The activists will be arrested for illegal entry and will be deported to Cyprus or to their home countries."

The left-wing activists were scheduled to set sail Tuesday, but they were delayed by bad weather.

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      1.   What territorial waters? Israel has no borders, 10:57  |  Andreas 29/10/08
      2.   Peaceniks stare down Israeli navy 10:57  |  Natallie Durson 29/10/08
      3.   ANDREAS Exactly Arabs refused borders now reaping what they sowed 11:33  |  PETER SM 29/10/08
      4.   NATALIE Why didn`t Pals chose that instead of war and terror? 11:36  |  PETER SM 29/10/08
      5.   Olmert&Co`ll use the Israeli Navy to evacuate themselves 11:38  |  Absolute Sweden 29/10/08
      6.   Who is on the boat is what matters 12:21  |  isratinian 29/10/08
      7.   Re no 1 Andreas 12:27  |  Aron 29/10/08
      8.   #1 andraes pops out of the cuckoo clock to cheep 12:32  |  victor hardman 29/10/08
      9.   What happens when a fly falls into a coffee cup? 13:05  |  MazalUK 29/10/08
      10.   TO MazalUK - Good one!!! 14:00  |  Israel 29/10/08
      11.   to not look silly, it would be best 14:11  |  Mark Lincoln 29/10/08
      12.   Free gaza 14:14  |  Captain Zen 29/10/08
      13.   MazalUK required reading- great post 14:17  |  Joe Frazier 29/10/08
      14.   What happens ... (continued) 14:18  |  Andreas 29/10/08
      15.   Captain Zen,it`sa me who finances you,so shoo 14:27  |  Absolute Sweden 29/10/08
      16.   FOR ALL YOU CHEERING ANTI-ZIONISTS: 15:03  |  Brant 29/10/08
      17.   They choose spectacle and idiocy, not a State 15:05  |  Israeli citizen 29/10/08
      18.   MazalUK - very nice! 15:18  |  Dan 29/10/08
      19.   It is to laugh! 15:20  |  Jim 29/10/08
      20.   I thought Gaza was not part of Israel? 15:23  |  Ismail 29/10/08
      21.   Make-up your mind and stay with it 15:29  |  H.H.M. 29/10/08
      22.   #12captain zen and the $$$ is going up again 15:35  |  victor hardman 29/10/08
      23.   Wait till it is their families killed by terrorists. 15:36  |  Harvey 29/10/08
      24.   What happens (continued) 15:44  |  Hastaroth 29/10/08
      25.   They choose spectacle and idiocy, not a State 15:47  |  Israeli citizen 29/10/08
      26.   who is on that boat? 16:04  |  Daniel 29/10/08
      27.   TO NO 15. 16:19  |  DANNY. 29/10/08
      28.   MARK LINCOLN: ON THE CONTRARY... 16:22  |  Brant 29/10/08
      29.   Rather than the typical Israeli incompetence 16:23  |  David Teich 29/10/08
      30.   #1 Once Switzerland gives up its borders 16:35  |  Isac 29/10/08
      31.   Rainbow flag on ship(in photo)? Hey, if I`m not mistaken... 16:42  |  common sense 29/10/08
      32.   to Ismail #20 17:05  |  Northern 29/10/08
      33.   Gee Brant, that`s because we don`t support terror... 17:06  |  BBSNews 29/10/08
      34.   #31 Common sense 17:12  |  EZ 29/10/08
      35.   You first Daniel... 17:15  |  BBSNews 29/10/08
      36.   to all the gazan lovers 17:20  |  real vision 29/10/08
      37.   Andreas does not know how to read a map... 17:26  |  Jordan 29/10/08
      38.   #16 Brant misses the point! 17:29  |  Jim 29/10/08
      39.   Peace is enlightened Zionism. 17:30  |  Daniel Garcia 29/10/08
      40.   To BBS news, no thanks, just because you surrendered to Muslim... 17:33  |  Joe 29/10/08
      41.   #17 Israeli Citizen 17:39  |  Jim 29/10/08
      42.   "real vision", check your facts, Israel made Hamas... 17:40  |  BBSNews 29/10/08
      43.   Jim do more homework please 17:46  |  Israeli citizen 29/10/08
      44.   #26 Daniel The other side of the coin 17:54  |  Jim 29/10/08
      45.   #28 Brant 18:01  |  Jim 29/10/08
      46.   Hey Joe, that`s a nutty thing to say... 18:02  |  BBSNews 29/10/08
      47.   1%ers back down - AGAIN 18:21  |  Arie 29/10/08
      48.   "illegal entry"? Gaza still under occupation?! 18:26  |  Observer 29/10/08
      49.   TO BBC NEWS 18:38  |  Dani 29/10/08
      50.   Don`t they Give Up Looking like FOOLS 18:39  |  Gil 29/10/08
      51.   Daniel Garcia 18:42  |  lady from USA 29/10/08
      52.   no Brant, you are wrong again 19:05  |  David James Vickery 29/10/08
      53.   To David James 19:25  |  Dani 29/10/08
      54.   Is it Gay Pride day in Gaza? 19:53  |  Hannah 29/10/08
      55.   Its a topsy turvy world 20:11  |  Bitin Dawg 29/10/08
      56.   #50 Gil 22:30  |  Boycott 29/10/08
      57.   @Harvey 22:33  |  Ben 29/10/08
      58.   BBS NEWS AND REVEREND JIM 22:37  |  Brant 29/10/08
      59.   expensive symbolism 22:43  |  lola 29/10/08
      60.   No clear decisions because no clear national borders 22:54  |  Joe the Sailor 29/10/08
      61.   #50 She is a whole lot smarter than you will ever be 00:44  |  Labhras 30/10/08
      62.   Well Brant, you`re not quite a wingnut... 01:18  |  BBSNews 30/10/08
      63.   #61Labhras and her childish comeback Re 50 01:56  |  Nemesis 30/10/08
      64.   real vision 02:00  |  John 30/10/08
      65.   Dani 02:07  |  John 30/10/08
      66.   BBS AND WINGNUTS 03:07  |  Brant 30/10/08
      67.   In self defense 03:17  |  Great White North 30/10/08
      68.   A shlocky gimmick. Allowed by a wishy washy government. 03:40  |  Yoav Naor 30/10/08
      69.   I guess "wingnuts" is the latest word.. 03:44  |  Nemesis 30/10/08
      70.   Will this government ever get anything right? 03:45  |  Yossi Amihai 30/10/08
      71.   GARCIA you really should look up Zionism before pontificating 05:50  |  PETER SM 30/10/08
      72.   My bad Brant, I mistook you for rational... 05:54  |  BBSNews 30/10/08
      73.   Check res 242 GWN... 06:01  |  BBSNews 30/10/08
      74.   Boat people 10:39  |  The Teacher/Instruct 30/10/08
      75.   The kind of Navy that you don`t stare down 11:21  |  Avi Toren 30/10/08
      76.   62: But, you, BBS, are still a liar 14:35  |  David Teich 30/10/08
      77.   52: Vickery`s another that regularly runs from reality 14:40  |  David Teich 30/10/08
      78.   BBS TAKES UMBRAGE 17:46  |  Brant 30/10/08
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