Jews Against the Occupation ’48: Labor must protect Sumud Flotilla participants |
The following letter was sent to the Labor government and all MPs on May 9.
Article 87 of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea explicitly codifies the Right to Freedom of Navigation on the high seas — international marine waters outside the jurisdiction of any country.
Israel’s interception of vessels taking part in the Global Sumud Flotilla in international waters; its destruction, damage and seizure of vessels; and its detention, abuse and torture of participants, including Australian citizens, is a clear act of piracy.
The Australian government’s response, or rather the lack of it, is a dereliction of duty.
Foreign minister Penny Wong’s pathetic prevarication that “it is difficult to help civilians in a war zone”, completely ignores the fact that Israel committed these crimes far from any war zone.
This rogue state intercepted the flotilla in international waters off the western coast of Crete. To be precise, more than 600 nautical miles from Gaza’s territorial waters, which Israel unlawfully declared a no-go-zone as part of its 19-year-long unlawful siege.
Pictures of the kidnapped and abused humanitarians, who were dumped by their Israeli captors on Crete’s beaches, showed signs of severe beating. Australians Ethan Floyd and Zack Schofield ended up in hospital, yet neither Wong nor Albanese uttered a word.
They did not approach the men’s anxious families, nor did they return their calls. When other citizens call the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFAT),........