With deep anger, Mazdoor Ekta Lehar condemns the bloody Israeli commando attack on May 31 on six aid ships carrying humanitarian aid for the people of Gaza. We express our deepest condolences to the families of the ten precious lives lost through Israel’s criminal action.
With deep anger, Mazdoor Ekta Lehar condemns the bloody Israeli commando attack on May 31 on six aid ships carrying humanitarian aid for the people of Gaza. We express our deepest condolences to the families of the ten precious lives lost through Israel’s criminal action.
These ships were carrying hundreds of passengers from several countries, as well as medical, food and other relief supplies for the people of Gaza, who have been living through hell ever since Israel imposed a complete blockade on this territory of Palestine National Authority inhabited by lakhs of people 3 years ago. This blockade was imposed following the election of a popular government of HAMAS by the people of Gaza, which was not to the liking of Israel.
Israeli warships with masked commando forces armed with machine guns swooped down on the aid ships in a pre-dawn attack in international waters, in violation of every tenet of international law. They unleashed mayhem on the ships, killing innocent people and wounding scores of others.
International outrage over the attack was immediate and widespread. Turkey, the country from where this flotilla set forth and many of whose citizens were among the dead, has denounced the barbarism of the Israeli state in the strongest terms. Huge demonstrations have been held almost every day since then in Turkish cities.
The League of Arab States decided to sue Israel at the International Criminal Court. The United Nations Human Rights Council at Geneva passed a resolution to denounce Israel's interception of the Gaza-bound flotilla and called for an independent fact-finding mission to look into the events.
Greece has called off joint military exercises with Israel. The EU countries have unanimously condemned the Israeli action and called for “sustained and unconditional” lifting of the siege of Gaza.
In various cities around the world, mass protests have been held in front of Israeli embassies, denouncing the attack and calling for immediate lifting of the blockade of Gaza.
Already other ships with aid are heading for Gaza from Ireland. The sponsors of the flotilla that was attacked have said that they will organise another flotilla on the same lines.
The attack on May 31 is the latest of Israel’s series of bloody crimes against the Palestinian and other peoples in the region. These have exposed to the whole world the fascist, lawless nature of the zionist state of Israel. Only the sustained backing of US imperialism – seen in the latest incident as well – is allowing it to get away with its crimes.
The behavior of the Israeli state, both in this instance and on numerous earlier occasions, is exactly that of a terrorist state. The US imperialists, who do not hesitate to invade and attack any other country which it accuses of ‘sponsoring terrorism’, are notably silent about Israel’s terrorist actions. This shows that the US, far from being an opponent of terrorism, is in fact its chief patron and sponsor.
The Indian working class and people demand that Israel be hauled in front of the International Criminal Court and tried for war crimes. Anything less is unacceptable. The Indian working class and people express their profound solidarity with the people of Gaza and the occupied territories, and demand that the governments of all countries as well as the UN take effective action to see that the illegal and inhumane Israeli blockade of these areas is lifted immediately and unconditionally.