Friday, December 12, 2008

EUCSG Slams Abbas for Describing Solidarity Ships as a “Ridiculous Game”


"The European Campaign to End the Siege on Gaza (EUCSG) slammed a statement from Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, who described the ships that sail to Gaza to break the unjust Israeli siege and deliver humanitarian supplies, as a “ridiculous game

The campaign added that these statements indicate that Abbas does not really want the siege to end as he expressed his skepticism of the role of these ships and their effectiveness.

Dr. Arafat Madi, head of the EUCSG in Brussels, said on Thursday, that the statements of Abbas describing the ships as a “ridiculous game” indicates that Abbas is part of the unjust siege, as such statements are considered a public call to stop the ships in spite of these ships delivering aid to 1.5 million Palestinians living in poverty in the besieged Gaza Strip.

Dr. Arafat also said that Abbas' claim that the Israeli Embassy in Cyprus is checking the passports of the activists who board the ships and is also examining the aid supplies on the ships, are false and are a contradiction to the truth.

Furthermore, Dr. Arafat added that the activists who sail to Gaza do not ask for permission from the Israeli embassy, and that only the authorities in Cyprus examine the ships before they depart from the harbor. He also added that the ships sail to Gaza via regional waters and Israel violates international law and is conducting piracy when they intercep the ships.

The EUCSG apologized to the international activists who risk their lives in expressing their solidarity with the Palestinian people “while Abbas doubts their intensions". These statements do not represent the Palestinian people, especially since the Palestinians respect and value the campaigns that are meant to help them and ease their suffering”, the EUCSG reported. "

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