Green Party Watch

First, I got a return call from the Israeli consulate in Atlanta and the consulate employee told me that the Israeli Defense Force and Israeli Foreign Affairs office has released information he read which says that Cynthia McKinney is not being detained by the Israeli government. He said that she “had done this sort of thing before” and that she does so “to get in the papers”.

He said that the humanitarian aid onboard the ship will be delivered to Gaza via a land route. He explained that delivery via water was forbidden but land routes have been authorized. He said the ships were boarded without any shots fired and taken to an Israeli port.

Below is the most recent news from the national office:

(Forward widely)

Breaking news: Associated Press story “Israeli navy commandeers Gaza aid boat” says that Cynthia McKinney and the other human rights activists on the Free Gaza relief boat will be released as soon as they’re “checked”

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jx1nZQxJbxcsg8CKOJLVLVWTnybAD99557M80

Read Cynthia McKinney’s latest statement here: http://www.freegaza.org/en/home/hope-fleet-news/970-call-off-your-attack-dogs-cynthia-mckinney

See also: “Tell Israel to Free Humanitarian Workers Aboard Free Gaza Boat!”
US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation

http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/641/t/2439/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=27540

* * * * *

From John Judge (who will be interviewed live on blogradio tonight: see below)….

Friends,
Please see the story below. Israeli Defense Forces surrounded, attacked boarded and confiscated a boat carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza, in international waters, with a large group of human rights workers including former Rep. Cynthia McKinney. Please do what you can to spread this to your networks and to contact the numbers below and demand White House and State Department intervention and condemnation of this illegal act and release of all people confined. For updates and more details see http://www.freegaza.org or contact:

Greta Berlin
F.G. Human Rights Projects, Ltd (Free Gaza Movement)
c/o Centaur Trust
122 Athalassis Avenue, POB 28779
2082 Nicosia, Cyprus
Tel. +357 99 081 767
friends@freegaza.org

PLEASE CALL ALL OR SOME OF THESE NUMBERS TODAY:

State Department: 202-647-4000 or 1-800-877-8339
White House: Comments: 202-456-1111, Switchboard: 202-456-1414
Congress 202-225-3121 (ask for your representative)

US Embassy in Tel Aviv, Israel
011-972-3-519-7575
011-972-3-517-3227 fax

http://www.telaviv.usembassy.gov

Mr. Richard Jones, Ambassador

US Consulate General in Jerusalem, Israel
011-972-2-622-7230
011-972-2-671-5742

http://www.jerusalem.usconsulate.gov

Mr. Jacob Walles, Consul General

CALL or FAX Major Liebovitz from the Israeli Navy at:
Tel + 972 5 781 86248 or +972 3737 7777 or +972 3737 6242
Fax +972 3737 6123 or +972 3737 7175

CALL Mark Regev in the Prime Minister’s office at:
Tel +972 2670 5354 or +972 5 0620 3264
mark.regev@it.pmo.gov.il This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

CALL Shlomo Dror in the Ministry of Defence at:
Tel +972 3697 5339 or +972 50629 8148
mediasar@mod.gov.il This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

http://www.freegaza.org/en/home/hope-fleet-news/976-israel-attacks-justice-boat-kidnaps-human-rights-workers-confiscates-medicine-toys-and-olive-trees

* * * * *

Forwarded by Rosa Clemente….

From: Nancy Leigh
Date: June 30, 2009
Subject: Emergency Demo @ Israeli Mission -Protest Israeli Piracy and Kidnapping of Cynthia McKinney – Wed.

EMERGENCY DEMONSTRATION
Against Israeli Piracy & Kidnapping
Free Cynthia McKinney and all kidnapped human rights workers!

WEDNESDAY 4-6 PM

at the

ISRAELI MISSION
800 Second Avenue
(Second Avenue @ 43rd St.)
[New York City]

Last night, Israeli Occupation Forces attacked and boarded the Free Gaza Movement boat, the SPIRIT OF HUMANITY, abducting 21 human rights workers from 11 countries, including Noble laureate Mairead Maguire and former U.S. Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney. The passengers and crew are being forcibly dragged toward Israel.

The seizure of humanitarian supplies and abduction of human rights workers is an act of piracy, a crime under international law. When the boat was attacked, it was not in Israeli waters and was on a human rights mission to Gaza. Israel’s deliberate and premeditated attack on an unarmed boat in international waters is a clear violation of international law. Join us tomorrow from 4 to 6 pm at the Israeli Mission to demand an immediate and unconditional release of the SPIRIT OF HUMANITY, all 21 human rights workers, and the humanitarian supplies.

According to an International Committee of the Red Cross report released yesterday, the Palestinians living in Gaza are “trapped in despair.” Thousands of Gazans whose homes were destroyed earlier during Israel’s December/January massacre are still without shelter despite pledges of almost $4.5 billion in aid, because Israel refuses to allow cement and other building material into the Gaza Strip. The report also notes that hospitals are struggling to meet the needs of their patients due to Israel’s disruption of medical supplies.

Let the Humanitarian Aid through!
Free Cynthia McKinney and all kidnapped human rights workers!
Stop the blockade of Gaza!

* * * * *

Forwarded by Nancy Allen….

John Judge on blogtalkradio tonight on the McKinney kidnapping

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/your-world-news

Please Join us tonight LIVE for a special report concerning breaking news from the Middle East Region of the World. Within the last 48 hours the Israeli Defense Forces surrounded, attacked boarded and confiscated a boat carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza , in international waters, with a large group of human rights workers including former Rep. Cynthia McKinney. We will be joined tonight by Cynthia McKinney’s Press Secretary, Mr. John Judge, to explain to us all of the details concerning this most recent injustice. www.blogtalkradio.com/your-world-news.

Tonight’s show will air at 11:00PM EST. If you cannot catch the show LIVE tonight please listen to it on archive simply by visiting: www.blogtalkradio.com/your-world-news. Please send this show out to all of your networks, friends and family. This is extremely important that we get the word out to raise awareness and support for these human rights workers! We cannot rely on the mainstream corporate media to carry this story in its proper context. Please do what you can to spread this to your networks and to contact the website below and demand White House and State Department intervention and condemnation of this illegal act and release of all people confined. For updates and more details see www.freegaza.org

You may catch the show on archive simply by visiting: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/your-world-news.

GREEN PARTY OF THE UNITED STATES

http://www.gp.org

For Immediate Release:
Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Contacts:
Scott McLarty, Media Coordinator, 202-518-5624, cell 202-904-7614, mclarty@greens.org
Starlene Rankin, Media Coordinator, 916-995-3805, starlene@gp.org

Green Party: President Obama and the US State Dept. must demand release of Cynthia McKinney and 20 other human rights activists on Free Gaza relief boat seized by Israeli gunboats

• The Free Gaza’s ‘Spirit of Humanity’ was delivering medical and other supplies following Obama’s call for relief to wartorn Gaza; the boat was in international waters

WASHINGTON, DC — Green Party leaders are calling on the White House and US State Department to intervene and demand the immediate release of 21 human rights activists, including former US Rep. Cynthia McKinney and Nobel laureate Mairead Maguire, who were taken prisoner by the Israeli navy after gunboats surrounded and seized the Free Gaza Movement relief boat ‘Spirit of Humanity’ on Monday.

“This is an outrageous violation of international law against us. Our boat was not in Israeli waters, and we were on a human rights mission to the Gaza Strip,” said Cynthia McKinney, the Green Party’s 2008 candidate for President of the United States. “President Obama just told Israel to let in humanitarian and reconstruction supplies, and that’s exactly what we tried to do. We’re asking the international community to demand our release so we can resume our journey.”

Read Cynthia McKinney’s latest statement here.

Ms. McKinney had earlier sent appeals to President Obama and the State Department for assurances of protection for the relief mission. The Spirit of Humanity was sailing in international waters when it was seized. Greens stressed that the relief boat represents no threat to Israel and must be allowed to continue its voyage to Gaza.

For more information and updates, see the Free Gaza Movement web site, including the latest release on the seizure of the relief boat

For communications and updates from Cynthia McKinney, visit her Green Party page and blog.

The Spirit of Humanity was carrying medical supplies, cement, olive trees, and childrens toys to Gaza after the Israeli invasion in December and January damaged or destroyed 50,000 homes, 800 industrial properties and 200 schools damaged or destroyed, 39 mosques, and two churches. The supplies were confiscated by the Israeli navy.

The Green Party of the United States condemned the invasion and massacre of Palestinians and has endorsed the call for boycott, divestment, and sanctions against Israel until the Israeli government
guarantees full human rights, including political rights and democracy, for all Palestinians and non-Jewish Israelis.

MORE INFORMATION

Green Party of the United States http://www.gp.org
202-319-7191, 866-41GREEN
Fax 202-319-7193
• Green candidate database for 2008 and other campaign information:

http://www.gp.org/elections.shtml

• Green Party News Center http://www.gp.org/newscenter.shtml
• Green Party Speakers Bureau http://www.gp.org/speakers
• Green Party ballot access page http://www.gp.org/2008-elections
• International Committee of the Green Party: http://www.gp.org/committees/intl

Green Party releases:
• “Breaking news: Cynthia McKinney aboard detained Free Gaza Movement
relief boat,” June 25, 2009

http://www.gp.org/press/pr-national.php?ID=228

• “Greens join Global Day of Action for Boycott, Divestment and
Sanctions on March 30 to end the Israeli occupation,” March 26, 2009

http://www.gp.org/press/pr-national.php?ID=192

• “Green Party: Israel-Palestine truce must include end of Israeli
occupation and observance of international law or violence is likely
to resume,” January 19, 2009

http://www.gp.org/press/pr-national.php?ID=169

2009 Annual National Meeting of the Green Party, Durham, NC, July
23-26 http://www.gp.org/2009-ANM
• North Carolina page http://ncgreenparty.org/2009-ANM.html
• Media credentialing page http://www.gp.org/forms/media

Green Pages, Vol. 13, No. 1
The official publication of record of the Green Party of the United States

http://gp.org/greenpages-blog

~ END ~

In an appeal to supporters across the globe, Congresswoman and 2008 Green Party presidential nominee Cynthia McKinney has called for phone calls and email messages to Israeli leaders to demand an end to what are described as illegal actions to prevent her and others from reaching Gaza with humanitarian aid. The full text, from Free Gaza, follows.

FROM FREE GAZA @ 826PM EST 6/29/09

We just spoke to the passengers. Everyone is OK, but the situation is still very tense. They continue to be surrounded by Israeli warships which are threatening to open fire. The Israeli Navy is actively jamming all navigation systems in violation of international maritime law, endangering the people on board.

Former U.S. Congresswoman, Cynthia McKinney, speaking from on board the SPIRIT, stated, “I am extremely angry. We demand that the Israeli government call off their attack dogs. We are unarmed civilians aboard an unarmed boat delivering medical and reconstruction aid to other human beings in Gaza. Why in God’s name would Israel want to attack us and threaten our safety and welfare. I call on President Obama and the international community to intervene now to prevent this situation from escalating with potentially drastic results to the civilians on board.”

Since the boat’s navigation equipment is being jammed, it has turned westward in order to stay in international waters.The Captain and crew are working from the most ancient of navigation equipment…the compass to stay clear of Israeli waters.

CALL or FAX Major Liebovitz from the Israeli Navy at:
Tel + 972 5 781 86248 or +972 3737 7777 or +972 3737 6242
Fax +972 3737 6123 or +972 3737 7175

CALL Mark Regev in the Prime Minister’s office at:
Tel +972 2670 5354 or +972 5 0620 3264
mark.regev@it.pmo.gov.il

CALL Shlomo Dror in the Ministry of Defence at:
Tel +972 3697 5339 or +972 50629 8148
mediasar@mod.gov.il

Free Gaza Movement
357 99 081 767

http://www.freegaza.org

http://www.flickr.com/photos/29205195@N02/

This was posted to Free Gaza even more recently:

Tuesday, 30 June 2009 03:03 Written by Free Gaza Movement
Dear Friends,

We just spoke again with our people aboard the Spirit of Humanity. The Israeli Navy is continuing to try and intimidate the ship, and is actively jamming its radar, GPS, and navigation systems in direct violation of international maritime law. This jamming is extremely dangerous and directly threatens the welfare and safety of everyone aboard our civilian ship.

Because their instrumentation is being jammed, they are using compass & paper to attempt to navigate. They are in international waters & they believe their location is approximately 110km off of the town of Hadera. Everyone is tired but determined. They are not being deterred by the Israeli aggression & are continuing toward Gaza. Please help them.

Breaking news: Cynthia McKinney aboard detained Free Gaza Movement relief boat

• Boat with 33 international human rights activists is acting on Obama’s call for medical supplies and cement to be delivered to Gaza

WASHINGTON, DC — 2008 Green presidential nominee Cynthia McKinney is participating in a second campaign to deliver goods to Gaza in defiance of an Israeli blockade.

According to recent news reports, port authority officials in Cyprus have detained a multi-national Free Gaza Movement boat in Lanarca under pressure from Israel. The boat is carrying 33 human rights activists, including Ms. McKinney, and shipments of medical supplies and cement.

See Ms. McKinney’s June 25 blog post for an update (http://dignity.ning.com/profiles/blogs/they-denied-us-so-they-wouldnt).

Ms. McKinney notes that President Obama himself has called for medical supplies and cement to be sent to Gaza. Despite the Obama statement and a request from Ms. McKinney to the White House for an assurance of safety, the US State Department has warned the boat against sailing to Gaza.

Cynthia McKinney, a former six-term Democratic member of the US House from Georgia, was aboard a Free Gaza Movement boat delivering medical supplies to Gaza that was rammed by Israeli naval forces in January, 2009. Ms. McKinney and running mate Rosa Clemente were nominated for President and Vice President at the Green Party’s 2008 national convention in Chicago, Illinois.

For news on the unfolding situation, see:

• Communications and updates from Cynthia McKinney:
http://www.gp.org/cynthia/index.php
http://dignity.ning.com

• Special report on Gaza featuring Ms. McKinney and Greta Berlin of the Free Gaza Movement (audio and text):
http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-281664
http://www.sendspace.com/file/7veibj

• Free Gaza Movement: http://www.freegaza.org

• “Cyprus halts aid boats bound for Gaza Strip: US-based Free Gaza Movement planned to take 33 activists to Gaza with medical supplies and cement; Cypriot shipping officials cited inspection requirements for stopping the two vessels from leaving port”
Reuters/Israel News, June 25, 2009
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3737002,00.html

• “Activists plan to send Gaza cement, in violation of Israel blockade”
Reuters and Haaretz Service, June 18, 2009
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1093988.html

From the Green Party:

• “Greens join Global Day of Action for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions on March 30 to end the Israeli occupation,” March 26, 2009 http://www.gp.org/press/pr-national.php?ID=192

• “Green Party: Israel-Palestine truce must include end of Israeli occupation and observance of international law or violence is likely to resume,” January 19, 2009 http://www.gp.org/press/pr-national.php?ID=169

• International Committee of the Green Party: http://www.gp.org/committees/intl

Cynthia McKinney has a piece published on OpEdNews.com, a short excerpt here:

Statement on Obama Actions Thus Far re: Gaza

“It is time that the United States negotiate in good faith with Hamas, the legitimate representative of the Palestinian people. It is also time that the U.S. government tell Israel to release the Hamas Parliamentarians it illegally arrested. President Obama, please say something about Gaza. You have been roundly condemned for your continued silence in the face of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by Israel in Gaza. Silence is complicity. Not one more bomb for Israel.”

Israeli action in Gaza has outraged the world. Starting with Israel’s inhumane blockade of Gaza when it didn’t like the 2006 election results that put Hamas officially into power. In September 2007, Israel declared Gaza an “enemy entity.” Of course, Israeli efforts to isolate the Gaza Strip can be traced back to Ariel Sharon as early as 2005. In carrying out its military Operation Cast Lead, Israel not only committed war crimes and crimes against humanity, it also carried out a long-standing goal of Gaza isolation. The President’s continued silence on Gaza and the Palestinian right of self-determination is unacceptable.

I would like to commend President Obama for recognizing that peace is the imperative and that the United States can play a constructive role in its attainment. However, placing a phone call to an irrelevant “leader” in an attempt to revive his political standing is not a route to peace: it is a journey down the same road that we’re already on, that is massacres, genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, torture–all with U.S. weapons, paid for by U.S. taxpayers.

Read the rest here.

Green Party: Israel-Palestine truce must include end of Israeli occupation and observance of international law or violence is likely to resume

• Mounting Israeli atrocities require immediate US pressure on Israel, say Greens in a challenge to President-elect Obama

• The key to peace: ensuring democracy, equality, and human rights for all in Israel-Palestine

WASHINGTON, DC — Green Party leaders said today that President Obama must press Israel to end the occupation as part of any lasting truce in the siege of Gaza.

“For a truce to hold, Israel must not only end the siege of Gaza but also take steps to end the occupation of Palestinian lands, obey international law, and ensure the safety of every Palestinian and Israeli civilians. But Israel is unlikely to take these steps without pressure from the US. President Obama, after his inauguration, has the power to persuade Israel to abandon its military goals and guarantee human rights and equality,” said Hajja Romi Elnagar, a member of the Green Party of Louisiana.
read more »

The Suburban Journals report that the entire Board of Alderman (City Council) in St. Louis are Democrats, excepting a lone Republican. In this year’s elections only the Green Party is challenging these incumbent Democrats, proving again that the Green Party is America’s second party.

The website Free Gaza carries an article written by Cynthia McKinney titled “We Lived to Tell the Story; Lebanon Rescued Us”. She makes it clear that she and the rest of the folks aboard the Dignity would have died in icy Mediterranean waters if their boat had been made of different materials.

The Examiner also offers coverage of McKinney’s attempt to carry humanitarian aid to Gaza. In addition, Black Agenda Report carries a piece in which McKinney calls on President Elect Obama to address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, and calls on Congress to stop sending weapons of mass destruction to the area.

McKinney is not alone in her calling for peace and justice in Gaza, as this article in The Southern shows. Greens and other peace activists in Carbondale, IL hit the streets to show their displeasure at Israeli attacks in Gaza.

As has been noted here earlier, an elected Green in California is giving serious thought to a run for Governor in California. If he does run, hopefully he’ll have an ally in the state legislature in the person of Alex Walker. As noted at California Greening, Walker is an active Green, a regular blogger, and a wonderful person to boot. Start setting aside those pennies…he’ll be taking donations soon I hope!