Dr. from Omak needs to get out of Gaza ASAP. Call our senators.

[eridani]

PLEASE FORWARD THIS ALERT TO OTHERS WHO MIGHT BE INTERESTED

Please call Representative Cathy McMorris (WA, District 5) and Senators Murray and Cantwell to urge them to use their influence to help Dr. Bill Dienst, a physician and human rights worker from Omak, WA, get out of Gaza.

DR. BILL DIENST AND OTHER HUMAN RIGHTS WORKERS FROM THE FREE GAZA MOVEMENT TRAPPED IN GAZA

BACKGROUND:
Earlier we asked you to write to the Seattle PI in support of Dr. Bill Dienst’s op-ed (http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/371366_firstperson21.html) explaining why he and other international human rights workers were going to sail from Cyprus to Gaza—to break the inhumane siege of the occupied territory, under which 1.4 million people are being denied exit and almost every kind of basic good and service.

Subsequently, the Free Gaza Movement's boats, the "Liberty" and the "Free Gaza", successfully sailed to and from Gaza, returning to Cyprus last week with Palestinian passengers aboard. Israel monitored, but did not interfere with, the human rights workers' activities, which included delivering needed medical supplies and accompanying fishermen out to sea so that they could fish in their own waters without being shot by the Israeli navy.

Now that the boats and the press are no longer around, crackdowns are occurring. Nine of the Free Gaza Movement human rights workers remained behind in Gaza when the boats departed, in order to do more human rights work and in order to make space aboard the boats for the departing Palestinians.

Five of those internationals, including two Americans, have been continuing to accompany Gazan fisherman on fishing expeditions in Gazan waters. Israeli naval vessels are now firing live ammunition at the fishing boats, and four Gazan fisherman have been arrested (www.freegaza.org).

Meanwhile, four other internationals from the Free Gaza Movement, including Dr. Bill Dienst of Omak, WA, have attempted to leave Gaza by land on three occasions, both through Israel and through Egypt, and have been prevented from doing so. They are now effectively trapped in Gaza--like the other 1.4 million people who live there--and are calling for help from their respective governments (which include the US, the UK, Ireland and Australia). We need to put pressure on our Congress people to help Dr. Dienst get out of Gaza.

An official statement by the Israeli Defense Ministry on August 25th declared that the Free Gaza Movement did not violate any laws, and that the Movement's sailing two ships from Cyprus to Gaza posed no “security threat” (Ha’aretz). Israel did not intervene in the sailing by the "Free Gaza" and "Liberty", or in their return to Cyprus. However, officials from Egypt are today adopting Israel's subsequent (and contradictory) position that the Free Gaza participants entered Gaza “illegally”. Cypriot authorities approved the sea voyage, a journey that did not need approval from Egypt or Israel under international law.

The politically motivated decision on the part of the Egyptian government appears to be intended to punish the participants in the Free Gaza Movement for lawfully bypassing Israeli and Egyptian restrictions, restrictions that make travel to and from Gaza virtually impossible.

ACTION REQUESTED:

Contact Representative Cathy McMorris (Dr. Dienst’s Congresswoman) and Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell, and let them know that you expect them to help get Dr. Dienst, a courageous and nonviolent human rights worker, safely out of Gaza so that he can return to his job as an emergency room physician in Omak, WA.

START DATE FOR ACTION:
Tuesday, September 2

TIME BY WHICH ACTION SHOULD BE TAKEN:
as soon as possible and until further notice

BACKGROUND:
Gaza stands on the brink of humanitarian catastrophe, with its population confined in a crowded area to which land, sea and air entry are all controlled by the Israeli military. Israel claims Gaza is no longer occupied, yet it denies the vast majority of the population access to jobs, travel, visitors, commerce, education, medical care and basic necessities.

Since last fall, in a form of collective punishment of Gaza's entire civilian population, Israel has tightened the screws on the territory by restricting the importation of food, fuel and medicine. This cutoff has resulted in a desperate situation, as Gazans are unable to pump water, run hospital equipment or even process sewage, which is now being dumped into the Mediterranean by the millions of gallons.

The California-based Free Gaza Movement is made up of nonviolent human rights activists and workers from 17 countries including Israel, and has been endorsed by Desmond Tutu of South Africa and the Carter Center, among many others. (For more information, see www.freegaza.org.)

The purpose of the Free Gaza Movement’s extremely successful sailing from Cyprus to Gaza and back was to call the world’s attention to the ongoing and illegal Israeli siege of Gaza by defying Israeli restrictions and breaking that siege. Given the huge amount of international media attention that the unprecedented sailing received, the Israeli government was apparently afraid to detain or fire on the boats during the sailing. Now that the boats have returned to Cyprus, Palestinians and international human rights workers left behind in Gaza are being punished individually for the bold actions of the group.

The cash-strapped Free Gaza Movement states that this is only the first of many sailings that ought to occur between Cyprus and Gaza in order to ensure the free flow of goods and people to and from the beleaguered territory. Through intimidation, the Israeli government is clearly trying to ensure that nothing of the sort happens in the future and that the siege of Gaza is maintained.

TALKING POINTS:

--Dr. Bill Dienst, along with the eight other international human rights workers who sailed to Gaza with the Free Gaza movement and will now have to leave by land—have done nothing illegal under international law and are not criminals. In fact, they are model citizens of the world who have been working to save 1.4 million Gazans from the horrific living conditions they are experiencing under Israeli military siege. Dr. Dienst has volunteered his services to medical agencies in Gaza on numerous occasions over the years and, in fact, on August 29th, attempted to assist a number of Gazans with severe medical conditions cross into Israel for specialized medical treatment.

--It is the responsibility of our Congress people to assist American citizens abroad who are in trouble. Our Congress people must apply diplomatic pressure on the Israelis and Egyptians in order to ensure safe passage for Dr. Dienst back to his homeland.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Congress people are likely in their districts right now.

Representative Cathy McMorris in Spokane:
509-353-2374

Senator Patty Murray in Seattle
[phone]

Senator Maria Cantwell in Seattle
206-220-6400

[eridani]

1. Update 9/3

This is an update regarding our recent action alert asking for help in getting Dr. Bill Dienst out of Gaza.

We have been successful in our efforts to get Dr. Dienst's Congressional representative Cathy McMorris involved.

But calls are still needed to Murray and Cantwell's offices, as well as to the State Department, which you can reach at 1-888-407-4747.

Thanks for your help. Below is the alert from the other day.

*

PLEASE FORWARD THIS ALERT TO OTHERS WHO MIGHT BE INTERESTED

Please call Representative Cathy McMorris (WA, District 5) and Senators Murray and Cantwell to urge them to use their influence to help Dr. Bill Dienst, a physician and human rights worker from Omak, WA, get out of Gaza.

DR. BILL DIENST AND OTHER HUMAN RIGHTS WORKERS FROM THE FREE GAZA MOVEMENT TRAPPED IN GAZA

BACKGROUND:
Earlier we asked you to write to the Seattle PI in support of Dr. Bill Dienst’s op-ed (http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/371366_firstperson21.html) explaining why he and other international human rights workers were going to sail from Cyprus to Gaza—to break the inhumane siege of the occupied territory, under which 1.4 million people are being denied exit and almost every kind of basic good and service.

Subsequently, the Free Gaza Movement's boats, the "Liberty" and the "Free Gaza", successfully sailed to and from Gaza, returning to Cyprus last week with Palestinian passengers aboard. Israel monitored, but did not interfere with, the human rights workers' activities, which included delivering needed medical supplies and accompanying fishermen out to sea so that they could fish in their own waters without being shot by the Israeli navy.

Now that the boats and the press are no longer around, crackdowns are occurring. Nine of the Free Gaza Movement human rights workers remained behind in Gaza when the boats departed, in order to do more human rights work and in order to make space aboard the boats for the departing Palestinians.

Five of those internationals, including two Americans, have been continuing to accompany Gazan fisherman on fishing expeditions in Gazan waters. Israeli naval vessels are now firing live ammunition at the fishing boats, and four Gazan fisherman have been arrested (www.freegaza.org).

Meanwhile, four other internationals from the Free Gaza Movement, including Dr. Bill Dienst of Omak, WA, have attempted to leave Gaza by land on three occasions, both through Israel and through Egypt, and have been prevented from doing so. They are now effectively trapped in Gaza--like the other 1.4 million people who live there--and are calling for help from their respective governments (which include the US, the UK, Ireland and Australia). We need to put pressure on our Congress people to help Dr. Dienst get out of Gaza.

An official statement by the Israeli Defense Ministry on August 25th declared that the Free Gaza Movement did not violate any laws, and that the Movement's sailing two ships from Cyprus to Gaza posed no “security threat” (Ha’aretz). Israel did not intervene in the sailing by the "Free Gaza" and "Liberty", or in their return to Cyprus. However, officials from Egypt are today adopting Israel's subsequent (and contradictory) position that the Free Gaza participants entered Gaza “illegally”. Cypriot authorities approved the sea voyage, a journey that did not need approval from Egypt or Israel under international law.

The politically motivated decision on the part of the Egyptian government appears to be intended to punish the participants in the Free Gaza Movement for lawfully bypassing Israeli and Egyptian restrictions, restrictions that make travel to and from Gaza virtually impossible.

ACTION REQUESTED:

Contact Representative Cathy McMorris (Dr. Dienst’s Congresswoman) and Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell, and let them know that you expect them to help get Dr. Dienst, a courageous and nonviolent human rights worker, safely out of Gaza so that he can return to his job as an emergency room physician in Omak, WA.

START DATE FOR ACTION:
Tuesday, September 2

TIME BY WHICH ACTION SHOULD BE TAKEN:
as soon as possible and until further notice

BACKGROUND:
Gaza stands on the brink of humanitarian catastrophe, with its population confined in a crowded area to which land, sea and air entry are all controlled by the Israeli military. Israel claims Gaza is no longer occupied, yet it denies the vast majority of the population access to jobs, travel, visitors, commerce, education, medical care and basic necessities.

Since last fall, in a form of collective punishment of Gaza's entire civilian population, Israel has tightened the screws on the territory by restricting the importation of food, fuel and medicine. This cutoff has resulted in a desperate situation, as Gazans are unable to pump water, run hospital equipment or even process sewage, which is now being dumped into the Mediterranean by the millions of gallons.

The California-based Free Gaza Movement is made up of nonviolent human rights activists and workers from 17 countries including Israel, and has been endorsed by Desmond Tutu of South Africa and the Carter Center, among many others. (For more information, see www.freegaza.org.)

The purpose of the Free Gaza Movement’s extremely successful sailing from Cyprus to Gaza and back was to call the world’s attention to the ongoing and illegal Israeli siege of Gaza by defying Israeli restrictions and breaking that siege. Given the huge amount of international media attention that the unprecedented sailing received, the Israeli government was apparently afraid to detain or fire on the boats during the sailing. Now that the boats have returned to Cyprus, Palestinians and international human rights workers left behind in Gaza are being punished individually for the bold actions of the group.

The cash-strapped Free Gaza Movement states that this is only the first of many sailings that ought to occur between Cyprus and Gaza in order to ensure the free flow of goods and people to and from the beleaguered territory. Through intimidation, the Israeli government is clearly trying to ensure that nothing of the sort happens in the future and that the siege of Gaza is maintained.

TALKING POINTS:

--Dr. Bill Dienst, along with the eight other international human rights workers who sailed to Gaza with the Free Gaza movement and will now have to leave by land—have done nothing illegal under international law and are not criminals. In fact, they are model citizens of the world who have been working to save 1.4 million Gazans from the horrific living conditions they are experiencing under Israeli military siege. Dr. Dienst has volunteered his services to medical agencies in Gaza on numerous occasions over the years and, in fact, on August 29th, attempted to assist a number of Gazans with severe medical conditions cross into Israel for specialized medical treatment.

--It is the responsibility of our Congress people to assist American citizens abroad who are in trouble. Our Congress people must apply diplomatic pressure on the Israelis and Egyptians in order to ensure safe passage for Dr. Dienst back to his homeland.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Congress people are likely in their districts right now.

Representative Cathy McMorris in Spokane:
509-353-2374

Senator Patty Murray in Seattle
[phone]

Senator Maria Cantwell in Seattle
206-220-6400

Thank you for your urgent attention to this matter.