Ehad Lotayef and David Heap were detained for six nights in Israel. According to Latayef his arrest was not legal and the conditions of the detention were psychologically difficult, *”we were isolated, we didn’t know what was happening, we had no contact with the external world, nothing to read and no one to talk to. When I was arrested on November 4th, I signed a deportation paper, speculating that I would be deported right away to Canada, but they kept me in detention for six nights.”*
Ehad maintains that the blockade is not legal, *”the UN Human Rights Commission experts said so after the Palmer Commission report came out, it’s clear now that the blockade is not legal, it’s not justified and it’s inhuman, it’s denying the people of Gaza a normal life and denying them the possibility of life as normal world citizens. We, people of the world, don’t accept this situation, we don’t accept that the blockade is needed nor that it’s the only solution to the problem.”*
The Palmer Commission Report, published by The New York Times on Thursday concluded that Israel faces *”a real threat to its security from militant groups in Gaza. The naval blockade was imposed as a legitimate security measure in order to prevent weapons from entering Gaza by sea and its implementation complied with the requirements of international law.”* But UN Human Rights Commission experts also stated that according to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights every human being has the right to freedom of movement both within and between all countries; yet for more than four years Israel’s siege of Gaza has denied Gazans their right to leave this crowded, impoverished territory.
The flotilla movement is a peaceful way to expose this injustice and the blockade of Gaza. Occupy Montreal is denouncing the Israeli military raid on the Freedom Waves Flotilla to Gaza and will organize a protest on Sunday November 13.
Rally: Solidarity for Palestine at Occupy Montreal!
Emergency Palestine solidarity rally in collaboration with Occupy Montreal/Occupons Montréal to denounce Israeli military raid on Freedom Waves flotilla to Gaza.
Sunday, November 13, 13h
La Place du Peuple
Occupy Montreal/Occupons Montréal
Métro Square-Victoria
Montreal, Quebec