(Ha'aretz) Shlomo Shamir - Israel warned the UN Security Council on Thursday not to allow a new flotilla to sail to Gaza, saying the flotilla organizers had "ties to Hamas and other terrorist organizations." Israel's UN Ambassador Meron Reuben said, "Numerous participants engaged in the planning of this flotilla have made very troubling statements expressing their willingness to become martyrs in this effort." Flotilla organizers aim at "political provocation and not to advance any humanitarian goal." U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice supported Reuben's statement, saying, "There are distinct mechanisms to deliver goods to Gaza and there are no justifications to sail directly to Gaza." Germany's Ambassador Peter Witting warned that the flotilla has the potential for escalating tensions and said, "We call on the organizations involved to find other ways to deliver aid to the people of Gaza."
2011-04-22 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive