Sir, – Councillor Richard Humphreys’ characterisation of the Freedom Flotilla II to Gaza as “an ill-advised Mediterranean cruise” is misleading, as is his attack on his fellow Dún Laoghaire Councillor Hugh Lewis and Paul Murphy MEP (World News, June 27th) both of whom are welcome passengers on board the MV Saoirse.
Mr Humphreys urges the Irish passengers of the MV Saoirse to listen to the advice of, among others, Hillary Clinton, who has in fact publicly defended Israel’s alleged right to attack the flotilla. His reference to the statement from his boss Éamon Gilmore, where he notes that “all sides must avoid the completely unjustified violence” is completely misleading.
What Mr Gilmore claims he told the Israeli ambassador is that “Israel must exercise all possible restraint and avoid any use of military force if attempting to uphold their naval blockade” and that “any interception of ships is conducted in a peaceful manner.” Mr Humphreys’ obfuscation fails to acknowledge that both Mr Gilmore’s amber light and Ms Clinton’s green light to the Israeli authorities to attack the flotilla are potentially putting the lives of Irish citizens at risk and are in serious breach of international and maritime law.
The San Remo Manual of International Law Applicable to Armed Conflicts at Sea (1994), the one Israel likes to refer to in order to justify its horrific attack on last year’s flotilla, is quite clear on the illegality of a general blockade when applied to an entire population as is the case in Gaza.
The UN Security Council’s resolution 1860 of January 2009, that calls for a lifting of the blockade to allow humanitarian assistance, also confirms that Israel’s blockade of Gaza is illegal. The illegality of the siege has also been reiterated by various human rights organisations including Amnesty International, the International Committee of the Red Cross and Human Rights Watch and by Navi Pillay, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, who has stated that “the blockade is illegal and must be lifted”.
If Israel still seeks to control Gaza, as its blockade clearly implies, then it has a duty of care to the Gazan citizens under the terms of the Fourth Geneva Convention. In addition, the principle of freedom of navigation is enshrined in international law including the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, under which any attempt to board the ship of another flag-state is considered a breach of that state’s sovereignty. Any attack by Israel on the MV Saoirse would therefore be an attack on the Irish State.
For these reasons, and against the conspiracy of silence by the governments of the world, hundreds of human rights activists from around the world have organised the Freedom Flotilla II to bring vital humanitarian aid and hope to the besieged people of Gaza in an attempt to break the illegal four-year-old siege. Our mission is necessary, humane, entirely peaceful, is of no threat to the Israeli state and we believe has substantial support from the Irish population as has been evidenced by the wonderful response to our fund-raising.
Instead of attempting to score cheap domestic political points, the ultra-right politician Councillor Humphreys should instead try to persuade his boss Mr Gilmore to call very clearly on the Israeli authorities to allow free passage of the MV Saoirse and the entire flotilla and to withdraw its threats of violent intervention. – Yours, etc,