May 31
JCRC Statement on Mavi Marmara Flotilla Operation
2010 at 17:23 pm posted by admin
Minneapolis, MN – Steve Hunegs, Executive Director of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas (JCRC) issued the following statement today in response to the flotilla operation in the Mediterranean Sea:
“The JCRC offers its condolences to the loved ones and families of any innocent people who were killed aboard the Mavi Marmara in connection with Israel’s military operation. Like so much of the loss of life before this operation, this current situation is directly related to Hamas’ ongoing war against Israel. Hamas’ determination to destroy Israel and use Gaza as a launching pad for terrorist operations leaves Gazans as hostages to Hamas’ rejectionism. We must remember that Hamas’ primary supporter, Iran, continues to seek nuclear weapons and is determined to destabilize the entire region.
“Israel’s maritime operation must be seen in the context of Gaza’s recent history. In 2005, the Israeli government decided to completely disengage from the entire Gaza Strip and turned the area over to Palestinian Authority (PA) control. At that point, Israeli civilian and military presence in Gaza ended completely. The hope was that this action toward peaceful co-existence would restore stability and provide opportunities for advancing the peace process. Instead, Hamas has continued to attack Israel. Despite Hamas’ intent, Israel continues to acknowledge that the residents of Gaza have humanitarian needs that must be met. Israel has continued to supply fuel, food, medical supplies, and other humanitarian assistance to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, despite Hamas attacks on Israeli civilians.
“According to the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in 2009 alone, more than 738,000 tons of food and supplies entered Gaza. In a typical week the IDF coordinates the transfer of hundreds of trucks containing about 15,000 tons of supplies. During the week of May 18, 2010, there were more than 100 truckloads of animal food; 65 trucks of fruit and vegetables; 22 truckloads of sugar; approximately 27 truckloads of meat, poultry and fish; and 40 trucks of dairy products.
“As is true with all sovereign nations, Israel has a right to defend herself from threats to her national security. Rockets are still flying into southern Israel. For this reason, Israel has maintained a blockade of the Gaza strip to prevent weapons from entering Gaza. The IDF boarded the flotilla in order to inspect the ships in an effort to ensure that no weapons would be brought into Gaza. These inspections, which are legal under international law, help Israel ensure that terrorist organizations do not receive weapons to aid their attacks on Israeli civilians. Indeed, this deadly raid could have been avoided had those aboard the flotilla followed Israeli direction to dock their ships at Port of Ashdod to allow Israeli officials to review the cargo onboard. If this had occurred their humanitarian efforts would have proceeded without any incident.
“The Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs notes that Israel publicized the existence of the maritime blockade and its precise coordinates by means accepted by international professional maritime standards. Israel also provided appropriate notification to the affected governments and to the organizers of the Gaza protest flotilla. Moreover, in real time, the ships participating in the protest flotilla were warned repeatedly that a maritime blockade was in effect. Nevertheless, the flotilla sought violent confrontation on the high seas and aboard the Mavi Marmara. This speaks volumes about the nature of the flotilla.
“We look forward to the resumption of negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians and must redouble our efforts to ensure that a lasting and durable peace, benefiting all people, is achieved in the Middle East.”
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