Green Party Watch

In a statement published at the Green Party website, party leaders call on President Obama and the State Department, led by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, to demand the release of Cynthia McKinney and the rest of the Free Gaza 21 by the Israeli government. Pointing out that President Obama himself has called for an end to the blockade of Gaza, the Green Party called for action on behalf of those bringing just the sort of humanitarian aid to Gaza that the blockade is designed to keep out.

H/T to The Detroit Greens for the story.

The full statement can be read by clicking this article’s headline.

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Fox News, the first of the corporate media to begin covering the saga of the Spirit of Humanity, carries a piece by David Lewkowict titled “Cynthia Mckinney Does it Again”. Fox News is also carrying a legitimate news piece which points out, as reported here earlier today, that McKinney and the rest are free to leave if they sign a statement that they violated Israeli territorial waters.

Former U.S. Rep. Cynthia McKinney and several other human rights activists remain in an Israeli prison after refusing to sign a deportation form that they claim is self-incriminating.

An article by Kent A. Miles at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution quotes a Washington DC based Israeli spokesman Jonathan Peled saying that preparations are being made to deport the activists.

“It is taking slightly longer. Former congresswoman McKinney is not cooperating with the authorities” and refusing to sign a document acknowledging deportation, he said.

“It’ll take a couple more days before she is put on a plane and flown out of Israel,”

The piece, part of Akers’ series “The Sleuth”, ridicules McKinney for her efforts on behalf of the people of Gaza. Titled Where Are They Now: Cynthia McKinney Strikes Again, the piece gives scant information about the current detention of McKinney, but reaches back to 2002 to defame her.

The article does, however, provide a link to a fairly comprehensive report from 11 Alive. The article is down the page so you will have to scroll down to read it. Written by Chris Sweigart, the article includes the statement issued by the Consulate General of Israel in Atlanta.

Earlier today an Israeli Navy team boarded and took control of the cargo boat ‘Arion’ as the vessel illegally attempted to enter the Gaza Strip. In accordance with internationally recognized agreements between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, the waters along the Gaza Strip are under Israeli security control and foreign vessels are not permitted to sail into the territory. The Israeli Navy attempted to make contact with the ‘Arion,’ but its repeated warnings were ignored. No shots were fired during the boarding of the boat and the vessel was rerouted to the Israeli port of Ashdod. Humanitarian goods found aboard to boat will be transferred to the Gaza Strip, subject to authorization. We expect the vessel’s passengers to be flown home shortly.

Israel continues to make the humanitarian relief efforts in Gaza one of its top priorities. Humanitarian aid is shipped into Gaza regularly through multiple ground crossings and those who wish to transfer humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip can do so through these existing channels. In 2009 alone, the Gaza Strip has received over 300,000 tons of humanitarian supplies. Hundreds of aid trucks enter Gaza daily. In some cases, this has led to a surplus of humanitarian aid, with reports of Gaza civilians selling extra aid they possess.

Once again former Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney and her fellow travelers have taken it upon themselves to disregard their own safety, as well as the safety of the vessel’s crew, by leading a boat into restricted waters. Ms. McKinney ignored the available and legal means for the delivery of aid to the Gaza Strip and instead chose to make a reckless political stunt.

Fox News is reporting that the authorities in Israel plan to deport Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney after taking the ship she and 20 others were using in an attempt to deliver humanitarian air to the people of Gaza. The article implies that Israel intends to keep the ship, registered in Greece.

The article quotes Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor.

“Nobody wants to the keep them here. They will be released as soon as they are checked.”

The article says that McKinney and the others, including 1977 Nobel Peace Prize winner Mairead Maguire, are being held at Ben Gurion International Airport and will be deported from there. McKinney and the others were on board the Spirit of Humanity, operated by the Free Gaza Movement Referring to their captivity, Free Gaza Movement founding member Greta Berlin told Ynet news, an online publication based in Israel:

They simply kidnapped the passengers. I call on the Israeli occupation forces to release our people immediately. It’s funny. What are they going to do? Deport us? The last place we wanted to reach was Israel.

In an earlier report Fox News reported that Congresswoman McKinney was demanding the immediate release of the the crew of the seized ship.

“This is an outrageous violation of international law against us,” said McKinney. “Our boat was not in Israeli waters and we were on a human rights mission to the Gaza Strip. 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.”

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

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