The Guardian: Still Spinning the Flotilla

July 6, 2011 10:42 by Pesach Benson

The flotilla movement never made it a secret that its second convoy was a political stunt to embarrass Israel. Pretentions of delivering humanitarian aid were always secondary.

And yet The Guardian implies otherwise:

Although some vowed to continue with their quest, no new date has been set for departure of the flotilla, which was supposed to be taking medicines, food, gifts and building materials to Gaza.

Let’s see how that statement matches up with the reality of the intentions expressed by the flotilla movement:

1. In a letter to President Obama, organizers of the Audacity of Hope said they would carry nothing but letters:

We will carry no goods of any kind for delivery in Gaza.

2. At least the American audacity of hype bothered with the letters. The Irish ship, MV Saoirse carried absolutely nothing:

Unlike the other ships in the flotilla, the Irish one will not be carrying any cargo or humanitarian aid.

3. Adam Shapiro, a prominent flotilla figure, told the Jerusalem Post:

He said the Rafah crossing “is not about aid, but then neither is our flotilla. It’s about raising awareness of the ongoing occupation in Gaza and the freedom of the Palestinians. The aid has always been secondary to the message of challenging the [Israeli] policy.”

4. Another prominent flotilla organizer, Greta Berlin, told the Irish Times:

This [effort] is not about delivering goods but breaking the illegal siege of Gaza,” said Greta Berlin, founder of the parent organization that made several successful voyages in 2008.

Need I go on?

While other ships did carry assorted items, The Guardian doesn’t need Israeli sources to figure out this convoy’s primary goal was never about the delivery of humanitarian aid. NGOs already in Gaza — Gisha, most notably – went so far as to say the flotilla’s deliveries weren’t needed, describing the kind of spin The Guardian fell for as “infuriating and misleading.”

Have the editors stopped reading Free Gaza’s own statements?

Category: Backspin Tags:Adam Shapiro, Audacity of Hope, Flotilla 2, Free Gaza Movement, Gaza flotilla, Gisha, Greta Berlin, Saoirse, The Guardian
3 Comments