| 07 June 2009
Dear Potential Passenger,
Thank you for your interest in traveling to the Gaza Strip aboard one of the Free Gaza boats. Currently, travel to Gaza is restricted by the Israeli government, and Gaza itself is suffering from a serious humanitarian crisis caused by the Israeli bombings and blockade. Our ships are an attempt to overcome Israeli violence and oppression through civil resistance and non-violent direct action, as well as an effort to maintain and build upon solidarity campaigns with the people of Gaza.
What you should know
" Traveling with us to Gaza may require a substantial commitment on your part, both in time and money. You will be responsible for all of your personal expenses (food, accommodations, et al). Because of potential and unpredictable problems stemming from the political situation, logistical issues, and the weather - we cannot guarantee an exact departure date from either Cyprus or Gaza. Even though we may only be in Gaza for a few days, we ask all passengers to plan for at least a 3-week commitment of their time. Additionally, please be aware that Free Gaza passengers who have chosen to remain in Gaza beyond our departure have had great difficulty in exiting on their own through either the Erez or Rafah border crossings. " Traveling with us to Gaza can be physically and emotionally strenuous. Depending on which ship you are on, we could be at sea for up to 30 hours in rough weather conditions. In the past, many of our passengers have suffered from extreme seasickness. " Traveling with us to Gaza is a potentially arrestable action. The Israeli government has previously threatened to stop our ships and arrest all passengers. We have no desire for this to happen, but we could be arrested by Israel at any time during our journey. " Traveling with us to Gaza is potentially life-threatening for several reasons:
- Despite our requiring that all passengers sign a pledge of non-violence, the Israeli military has publicly stated that they feel "justified" in using force to stop our unarmed ships. On 30 December 2008, Israeli navy gunboats physically rammed the Dignity, a Free Gaza ship. Thankfully, no one was injured in this attack, but it was and is an extremely dangerous situation.
- Members of our organization have received anonymous threats in the past, including threats against our family members.
- Israel has a history of violence in the region and may bomb Gaza at any time.
- There have been periods of civil violence in Gaza between the Hamas government and members of Fatah. This could happen again.
- There are extremist groups in Gaza, some loosely associated with Al-Qaeda, that have threatened violence against Westerners. This has not happened to date, and the extent of these threats is not clear.
" Despite these risks, there are more people who want to travel to Gaza than we could possibly take on our small ships. As a consequence, we have very limited space for potential passengers.
If you are still interested in sailing with us to Gaza, please fill out the following application. Thank you for your interest, and we will let you know as soon as we can.
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