Gaza's Ark
Gaza's Ark is an international grassroots civil society campaign challenging the Israeli naval blockade of the Gaza Strip (which was found to be legal by the UN's Palmer report,[1] but which has been declared illegal by the International Committee of the Red Cross[2] and by a number of other international bodies[3][4][5][6]) through nonviolent direct action, by sailing from Palestine with export products.[7]
The campaign's goals include empowering Palestinians through a focus on the export economy and trade rather than a dependency on aid.[8] The campaign funded the rebuilding of a former fishing boat in the port of Gaza to enable it to undertake a sea voyage from the only Mediterranean port closed to commercial navigation. At the same time, Gaza's Ark arranged sales contracts for Palestinian export products, whereby buyers in Europe, North America and Australia paid Palestinian producers in Gaza for their export products.[9]
The initiative includes participation from Palestinian civil society in Gaza as well as international solidarity activists from Free Gaza Australia,[10] the Canadian Boat to Gaza,[11] and Americans affiliated with the organizing committees for the US Boat to Gaza and the Gaza Freedom March. Gaza's Ark is part of the ongoing international Freedom Flotilla Coalition,[12] which sends boats to challenge the blockade of Gaza from the outside.
Accordign to Gaza's Ark, their actions have been endorsed by a number of internationally prominent figures including Alice Walker, Desmond Tutu, Vandana Shiva and Noam Chomsky[13] as well as hundreds of other individuals and organizations.[14]
History and timeline
- May 2012 Gaza's Ark campaign launched,[15] began raising funds and awareness.[16]
- Summer 2012 campaign endorsed and adopted by Freedom Flotilla Coalition
- November 2012 Campaign launched publicly in Gaza
- April 2013 former fishing boat purchased in Gaza
- November 2013 Mini Arks project
- Spring 2014: Gaza's Ark announced it would be ready to sail by mid-2014
- April 2014: Palestinian producers begin to receive payments for Gaza Ark exports.[9]
- April 2014: Gaza's Ark sabotaged by an underwater bomb attack. Sailing postponed until fall 2014 to allow for repair work.[17][18]
- July 11, 2014: Gaza's Ark targeted and destroyed by a navy shelling during an attack on the port of Gaza.[19]
- September–November 2014: Payments continue to producers for export products ordered via Gaza's Ark.[20]
- December 2014: Foodstuffs worth more than $14 000, purchased via Gaza's Ark export contracts, are donated and distributed to needy Palestinian families in Gaza[21]
- 2015: Gaza's Ark was one of the international civil society initiatives which was involved in organizing Freedom Flotilla III
References
- ↑ Agence France-Presse/Jiji Press (3 September 2011). "Deadly Israeli strike on flotilla 'excessive': U.N.". The Japan Times. p. 5.
- ↑ "ICRC says Israel's Gaza blockade breaks law". BBC News. 14 June 2010.
- ↑ "U.N. envoy Tutu calls Gaza blockade illegal". Reuters. 28 May 2008.
- ↑ "Maan News Agency: UN rights chief urges Israel to end 'illegal' Gaza blockade". Maannews.net. 18 November 2008. Retrieved 27 March 2011.
- ↑ Gray-Block, Aaron (5 June 2010). "Gaza blockade illegal, must be lifted-UN's Pillay". Reuters.
- ↑ Amnesty International Israel's Gaza blockade continues to suffocate daily life 18 January 2010
- ↑ Gaza's Ark Products 16 December 2014
- ↑ Gaza's Ark Mission Statement 16 December 2014
- 1 2 Building hope: Palestinian producers receive payments for Gaza Ark exports 7 July 2014
- ↑ Free Gaza Australia 16 December 2014
- ↑ Canadian Boat to Gaza16 December 2014
- ↑ Freedom Flotilla Coalition 16 December 2014
- ↑ Prominent Endorsers 16 December 2014
- ↑ Endorsers 16 December 2014
- ↑ Gaza Ark launched 16 May 2012
- ↑ "Gaza-Built Boat to Sail from Gaza". 18 May 2012. Retrieved 16 December 2014.
- ↑ "Gaza's Ark Attacked: Organizers Remain Determined to Challenge Illegal Israeli Blockade". 30 April 2014. Retrieved 16 December 2014.
- ↑ About attack on Gaza Ark 16 May 2014
- ↑ "Israeli attack destroys Gaza Ark". 28 July 2014. Retrieved 16 December 2014.
- ↑ Support for Gaza exports: Product payments & ongoing solidarity 9 October 2014
- ↑ MECA Distributes Local Food Packages in Gaza 19 December 2014 Archived December 23, 2014, at the Wayback Machine.