Greece Offers to Transfer Aid From Detained Flotilla to Gaza

[Purveyor]

July 3 (Bloomberg) -- Greece told organizers of a flotilla being detained at its ports it was willing to transfer any aid on the ships to the Palestinians rather than having activists try to break Israel's naval embargo of the Gaza Strip.

"Greece declares anew its willingness, and proposes to undertake itself, with Greek ships or other appropriate manner, the transport of humanitarian aid through existing channels, as requested by the UN Secretary General," the country's Foreign Ministry said in an e-mailed statement today.

Israel said it won't allow the vessels to violate its naval embargo of Hamas-controlled Gaza. A previous flotilla's attempt to arrive in Gaza by sea ended in violence on May 31 last year when Israeli naval commandos dropped from helicopters onto the deck of the Mavi Marmara, part of the six-boat convoy, and opened fire after the ship refused to stop. Nine Turks were killed.

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http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2011/07/02/bloomberg1376-LNRKXM0D9L3501-54ASV9P95FFKUCRL9RFCHG2I8D.DTL

[oberliner]

1. Israel accepts Greek offer to transport flotilla’s aid to Gaza

Israel has agreed to the Greek government's offer Sunday to send the flotilla’s humanitarian aid to Gaza with Greek diplomats, under UN supervision. The offer is intended to serve as a compromise in order to end the flotilla affair.

According to a separate report, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas also expressed support for the Greece government’s offer.

According to the Greek initiative, the humanitarian aid aboard flotilla ships will be loaded onto watercraft of the Greek government and transferred to Gaza via the organized channels, as was requested by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon two weeks ago. This means the aid would go through either the Ashdod port or Arish, and from there be taken to the Gaza Strip under the supervision of Greek and UN authorities.

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/israel-accepts-greek-offer-to-transport-flotilla-s-aid-to-gaza-1.371136

[tootrueleft]

2. Good idea.TheGreeks should bring it directly to the port of gaza to acknowledge their opposition to

the blockade instead of cowtoeing to the demands of the blockaders.

[hack89]

3. No - Greece is cooperating with the UN

the aid will go through the legal crossings.

[tootrueleft]

4. The UN rights chief calls the blockade illegal therefore the direct route to gaza breaks no legal b

blockade.

Greece is only cooperating with the people mounting the illegal blockade.

[hack89]

5. The head of the UN might disagree with you

According to the Greek initiative, the humanitarian aid aboard flotilla ships will be loaded onto watercraft of the Greek government and transferred to Gaza via the organized channels, as was requested by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon two weeks ago. This means the aid would go through either the Ashdod port or Arish, and from there be taken to the Gaza Strip under the supervision of Greek and UN authorities.

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/israel-accepts-greek-offer-to-transport-flotilla-s-aid-to-gaza-ships-due-to-depart-monday-1.371136

[tootrueleft]

7. The head of the UN called for the blockade to be lifted.He's trying to avoid israel executing more

people delivering aid.

[Violet_Crumble]

8. I didn't spot anything in that article showing that he thinks the blockade is legal...

In fact, he and the UN have consistently been opposed to the blockade. Suggesting a compromise that all parties can accept is in no way an acknowledgement that the blockade is legal...

[hack89]

9. But the blockade is legal so his compromise is actually the only solution. nt

[Violet_Crumble]

10. While you may think it's legal, the UN and Ban Ki-moon don't....

And you appeared to be saying in yr earlier post that Ban Ki-moon believes the blockade is legal...

[hack89]

11. I could care less what the UN thinks

that is an organization that can go away as far as I am concerned - any organization that grants legitimacy to every despot and authoritarian regime that comes down the pike cannot be seen as a source of freedom and justice. They should limit themselves to global health issues and disaster aid until they reform themselves and make a strong stand for true progressive values.

[Violet_Crumble]

12. I already guessed that. Multilateralism is such an annoying thing...

And the way the UN acts as though it knows more about matters of international law than people posting on discussion forums! The nerve of it!

One thing I do agree on is that the UN needs to reform. It should start with the Security Council, where the US regularly abuses its veto power. It's time for the five permanent members to be replaced so that all seats on the Security Council are temporary with a rotation that allows all members to sit on the Security Council equally...

[oberliner]

13. He has asked that the flotilla not sail

Do you agree with him about that? Or just about this?

[Violet_Crumble]

18. It would depend on why he asked them not to sail

If someone were to ask because they don't want the blockade ended, I'd strongly disagree.

[oberliner]

19. He wants the blockade ended

Has stated so on numerous occasions.

Despite that, he still is opposed to the flotilla.

How do you reconcile those two positions?

[Violet_Crumble]

20. I think it's easy to reconcile a position like that...

It could be out of concern that Israel will respond with deadly force as it did before, or it could be that's not seen as an effective way to end the blockade. There's possibly more reasons, but they're the two that come immediately to mind...

[hack89]

14. No - what it needs is a true commitment to democracy and freedom

the idea that every country should have an equal vote is nonsense - there should be a sliding scale taking into account things like free and open elections, commitment to basic civil rights like freedom of speech, religion, and due process. A commitment to equality.

The higher a country is on the scale, the more votes it gets. Countries like North Korea should have a single token vote.

I agree with you about the security council as long as each country that serves is very high on my proposed scale. Think what an incentive for democracy that would be.

[tootrueleft]

15. You cared what he thinks when you mentioned him before anyone else did.

until you find out he doesn't agree with you, then he's not worth listening to...LOL!!

[hack89]

16. No - I was just pointing out that perhaps the UN did not have a uniform view on the issue

The UN was useful in this particular instance because they undercut Hamas and their band of useful idiots. But I still feel that in general the UN is not worth a bucket of warm spit.

[tootrueleft]

17. By mentioning the guy who you now say you ignore cos you found he contradicts what you say. Good un!

[King_David]

6. Port of Gaza can not handle it.

It is better off going through Egypt or Israel.