Teddy Katz and Adam Keller, members of Gush Shalom, were among dozens of Jewish and Arab peace activists whose sailing to Gaza was prevented this morning by the police raid on the port of Jaffa. "An Israeli citizen can board a boat and sail away for Greece or Italy, or even to America or Tahiti, for any imaginable destination. Only one destination is utterly forbidden – the Port of Gaza, a few hours' sailing away. Even the sailing of a boat carrying to Gaza a cargo of vital life-saving medicines is considered a criminal offence in the Israel of late 2008. This is a manifestly unreasonable and anti-democratic situation" said Katz to a large crowd gathered on the Jaffa Port wharf, from where the police had dragged by force the boat in which they had intended to sail to Gaza.

"Since 2005 we are being repeatedly told that the State of Israel had 'disengaged' from Gaza, than what is the Israeli Navy doing blockading the shores of Gaza? What is the Israeli Police doing on board a Gaza-bound boat? It is not Israel's business who sails to or from Gaza, as it is not the Palestinians' business which ships sail to Haifa or Ashdod" said Keller.

"This morning the media published about 215 Qassam missiles shot on Israel in the past month. There was no reference to the fact that these missiles are in fact the gift of the government of Israel to its citizens in Sderot, Ashkelon and the communities of Gaza Border. It is the government of Israel which took the decision to violate the cease-fire which held for five months, to carry out a whole series of invasions into the Gaza Strip resulting in the death of twenty Palestinians, and in this way cause the shooting of missiles into the southern part of the country. The cease-fire must be resumed forthwith, in order to give once again quiet both sides of the Gaza border. The shameful siege, pushing the Gaza inhabitants to suffering and terrible poverty on the edge of starvation must be ended forthwith.

Contact: Adam Keller adam@gush-shalom.org