Flotilla militants traveling to Gaza promise nonviolent resistance



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The Al Awda (Return) flotilla was less than 150 miles off the Gaza Strip coast Saturday night and could theoretically reach its destination on Sunday afternoon.

But even militants abroad understand that they could be arrested in the coming hours by the Israeli navy, which will prevent them from "breaking" the naval blockade on Gaza.

In an interview with Ynet from far off, activists pointed out that they would withstand the non-violent takeover of the IDF on the boat.

There are 22 activists from different countries aboard Al Awda, who is only days away from another boat heading for the gang to try to break the blockade.

"We want and plan to reach the Gaza Strip," said Zohar Regev, an Israeli living in Spain who is on board the ship. "But if we are stopped by the army, we will resist their taking the boat in a non-violent way, that means we will not invite them to board, but we will not try to to hurt them or create a situation in which we are a threat to them. "

The flotilla approaches Gaza as part of Hamas' March of Return campaign, but Regev insists that there is no connection between the flotilla and the campaign.

"This flotilla was scheduled even before the" March of Return "campaign, but as soon as we saw that there was a growing civilian campaign, it gave us momentum and a motivation". "There are people in the flotilla coalition with links to the Gaza campaign, but this flotilla was planned before that and with no connection to the campaign."

It is the fourth flotilla in which participates leftist activist Yonatan Shapira. But in a conversation with Ynet, he admitted that there was some truth in the claim that the fleets are a form of protest that has run its course.

"Our goal is to lift the blockade on Gaza When a civilian group is fighting a larger body as a state, it must develop creative ideas to succeed, and I would be happy to hear such ideas from people, "he said.

The international activist Charlie Anderson, who was in the Gaza Strip before and who is now aboard the ship, agreed. "I am aware of the fact that mainstream media did not cover this flotilla, but we receive a lot of comments on social media, and this helps keep the Gaza siege issue on the agenda. ", did he declare.

Activists on board refuse to believe Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman's proposal to build a naval port for Gaza in Cyprus
in exchange for the return of the IDF soldiers' bodies and live Israeli citizens detained by Hamas.

"I do not believe that a word from Lieberman, he should be in jail," Shapira said. "We believe that the way to lift the siege on Gaza is to use international pressure."

Shapira said the boat was carrying medical equipment for Gaza, but pointed out that it was a nominal amount and that the main objective of the flotilla is to raise public awareness of the blockade.

According to Shapira, there are no activists from the Turkish IHH organization aboard the boat, as there were on the Mavi Marmara.

Experience shows that the Navy supports all fleets while they are several dozens of kilometers away from the Gaza Strip coastline. After the takeover, the boats are towed to the port of Ashdod, where militants on board are detained for questioning and then expelled from Israel soon after by Ben Gurion Airport.

"I know that the Israeli public does not support us, but I only have one request from every Israeli: Try to imagine, only for a few seconds, that you were born in Gaza and that you can not leave it for 12 years, "said Shapira. "How would you behave, and what would you think of those who prevented you from leaving?

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