Nobel Peace Laureate Mairead Maguire Sets Sail For Gaza

Israeli attack on aid boat, the Dignity, recalled

Six months after the Israeli army massacre in Gaza, on 24 june 2009, Mairead Maguire will again visit the people of Gaza, travelling with other human rights activists in an effort to help the besieged people regain health, rights and dignity

PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate release:

On Thursday 24th June, 2009, Nobel Peace Laureate, Mairead Maguire will join the Free Gaza movement to sail 240 miles from Cyprus to Gaza, a 30 hours sea journey.

This will be Maguire’s second visit to Gaza and the Free Gaza Movement's eighth mission to break Israel’s draconian siege on l.5 million Palestinians there. Maguire will travel on the Free Gaza fishing boat, while the sister boat ‘Spirit of Humanity’ will carry tons of cement, suitcases full of toys and medical aid, - all items banned by Israel’s Government.

The 36 participants come from 16 countries, and many of them have travelled previously to Gaza, with the free Gaza boats. The Free Gaza Movement, a human rights group, sent two boats to Gaza in August 2008. These were the first international boats to land in the port in 41 years.

Since August, four more voyages were successful, taking Parliamentarians, Human Rights workers and other dignitaries to witness the efforts of Israel’s draconian policies on the civilians of Gaza. On December 20th, their boat, the Dignity, was rammed three times while 90 nautical miles out, in international waters, on its way to deliver emergency medical supplies to the people of
Gaza, while they were under the infamous Israeli siege.

Maguire said: ‘We sail to Gaza to break this cruel siege of Gaza, by the Israeli Government and to show the people of Gaza that the World does care what is happening to them. It is appalling that in this the 2lst century, the Israeli Government is allowed to carry out its policy of collective punishment of an entire people and continue through its illegal and immoral policy to keep borders closed and refuse the people of Gaza basic necessities for living, food, medicines, cement, building materials. These are indeed crimes against humanity and we citizens of the world are acting by sailing to Gaza, and also calling upon the International Community to do likewise and help the people of Gaza by demanding that Israel open the borders, lift the siege and uphold Human Rights and Freedom for the Palestinian people.”

Mairead Maguire

www.peacepeople.com

Tel: M.0773 614 7713

Peace People, 224 Lisburn Road, Belfast. BT9. Northern Ireland.