Medea Benjamin, co-founding kook of Code Pink, has sent an email to Aaron Lerner of IMRA (and doubtless to many others as well, but she'll get no sympathy here):
Anyway, enough. She goes on, though, so click through if you if you'd like to read the whole thing. And as Dr. Lerner suggests, you may want to use those phone numbers to call and say thanks.
From: Medea Benjamin info@codepink.orgYes, of course it has, sweetie. Just keep telling yourself that. With successes like this, who needs failure?
Sent: Tuesday, July 12, 2011 11:24 PM
To: imra@netvision.net.il
Subject: SOS: Help Free US Boat to Gaza from Greek Military Dock!
July 12, 2011
Dear Aaron,
I'm writing to you from the deck of The Audacity of Hope. But we're not on a lovely Greek island, sipping ouzo and taking dips in the cool, clear Mediterranean. We're stuck in a dusty, barren military port outside Athens. Ten days after we tried to break free from the Greek authorities and sail to Gaza, our boat continues to be impounded. The eight of us still on board are living in dismal surroundings, enclosed by gates and razor wire, baking in 95-degree heat. Press are not allowed in; visitors are restricted and must be pre-approved. Our Embassy has refused to help us. Worse yet, when we try to protest at our Embassy, the Greek police detain us and take us to jail - on orders, they tell us, from the U.S. Embassy. Our captain was put in jail for four days. He was finally released, but still faces bogus charges of endangering the passengers and disobeying a police order to keep the ship at dock.
The Greek authorities continue to enforce a ban on all travel to Gaza, and have imposed even more bureaucratic obstacles to prevent us from moving our boat. They say we must make some adjustments to pass inspection, but have not yet given the approval for workers to come on board to get the work done. Our travails, together with the obstacles the other boats are facing, are clearly a shameful reflection of the Greek government's decision to do Israel's dirty work in stopping the Freedom Flotilla from sailing to Gaza.
While we are suffering under miserable conditions, Greek President Karolos Papoulias is in Israel, being feted and thanked by President Shimon Peres for Greece's role in thwarting the flotilla.
Please call the Greek Embassy and State Department and tell them to FREE OUR SHIP FROM THE MILITARY DOCK! Hillary Clinton will be visiting Greece later this week. One word to her Greek counterparts and our boat would be free.
Greek Embassy: 202-939-1300
US Sec. of State Hillary Clinton: 202-647-5291
Despite this debacle, the flotilla has been a huge success, ...
Anyway, enough. She goes on, though, so click through if you if you'd like to read the whole thing. And as Dr. Lerner suggests, you may want to use those phone numbers to call and say thanks.
