By Kenneth J. Theisen
On Tuesday Israel added to its crimes by attacking a medical relief boat trying to reach Gaza. An Israeli navy ship attacked and rammed a boat attempting to deliver three tons of medical supplies to Gaza. The boat, called the Dignity, was also carrying political activists. The boat was reportedly forced to go to Tyre, Lebanon instead of Gaza due to the attack.
One of those aboard the Dignity was former American Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney, who stated, “Our mission of solidarity and humanitarian relief was deterred by the Israelis purposefully to keep us from delivering the medical supplies to Gaza…I wouldn’t call it accosting. I would call it ramming. Let’s call it as it is. Our boat was rammed three times, twice in the front and once on the side…We are on a humanitarian mission… All we want to do is deliver medical supplies… This is the first time that I am aware of that a vessel was attacked for no reason by Israelis.”
The Dignity’s captain, Denis Healey, stated that the Israeli navy ship had made no contact attempts with the rammed boat before its attack. Despite this, an Israeli foreign ministry spokesman maintained that Israel attempted to contact the Dignity and that the collision was merely an accident. According to Healey, “Two Israeli gunboats were on our port side distracting us with their bright lights when another Israeli gunboat with its lights turned off rammed us from the front. I think they were distracting us from the port side. The boat initially took in a lot of water.”Paul Larudee, one of those behind the medical relief attempt, claimed the Dignity was surrounded by naval vessels. “They ordered the boat to stop, and we didn’t. They began firing over our boat and into the waters next to the boat. When the boat wouldn’t turn back, one of the naval vessels rammed the boat…”
Medical supplies are urgently needed in the besieged Gaza area. Over 350 people have been killed in the Israeli attack, with hundreds more being wounded.
Medical facilities in the area have been overwhelmed. This blocking of medical relief is just one of many crimes against humanity perpetrated by the Israelis.
As of this writing no spokesperson for the U.S. government has condemned the attack on the Dignity, but then again no one in the U.S. government has condemned the overall attack on Gaza and its inhabitants either. Instead, in a bi-partisan show of support, both Republicans and Democrats have been supporting the attack by Israel.
A U.S. State Department spokesman did comment on the ship attack though by saying, “When you enter a zone of conflict, then you have to realize that it’s very, very dangerous.” In other words, the medical relief boat was just more “collateral damage” in Israel’s ongoing state terrorism and that is just fine with the U.S. government.
Although Israel portrays its latest actions as a “war,” it is actually a war crime. Not only is it killing and wounding Gazans, but now it is also depriving them of medical supplies. When will Americans begin to massively protest the support that the U.S. government gives to Israel? How many more atrocities must occur before we say stop?