Monday, June 21, 2010

Israeli MP: Gaza blockade to fall soon


Press TV

(Left: Haneen Zou'bi; What a role model and a class act! Go Haneen!)

"A Palestinian member of the Israeli parliament, who was onboard the attacked Gaza aid convoy, has vowed resistance against Tel Aviv's "scare campaign," saying the blockade of Gaza will soon collapse.

Israeli Knesset lawmaker, Hanin Zuabi accompanied the aid convoy which came under a deadly attack by Israeli navy commandos on May 31, and was accused of treason by angry fellow Knesset members upon her return to Israel.

"I have already said I would not be deterred by political persecution and the scare campaign launched against me," the lawmaker for Balad party told Israel's Ynet news website on Sunday.

Zuabi went on to criticize Tel Aviv's recent decision to ease its years-long closure of the Gaza Strip and allow civilian goods into the impoverished territory, saying the move "proves that it is not a security blockade, but a political one." Zoabi said the mission carried out by the Gaza Freedom Flotilla was only "the beginning of the blockade's collapse," adding that "the objective of the flotilla and of the future struggle…is to completely break the blockade."

The Israeli Arab lawmaker said the aid flotilla "succeeded in undermining the blockade's legitimacy" by encouraging more aid convoys and forcing Israel to review and consequently change the conditions of the Gaza siege.

Despite harsh criticism from her colleagues in the Knesset and death threats from certain Israeli groups, Zuabi said she planned to take part in the upcoming aid flotillas.

"Israel thinks the whole world ends at its borders…Israel is under siege as far as (global public opinion) is concerned…because Israel is applying its own moral code and does not adhere to the universal code," she stated. "

No comments: