AJC Hails Greek Ban on pro-Hamas Flotilla Departure

[Ari Gordon <gordona@ajc.org>]

AJC Hails Greek Ban on pro-Hamas Flotilla Departure

July 1, 2011 - New York - AJC hailed Greece's decision today to ban the planned 
flotilla of ships to Hamas-ruled Gaza from leaving its ports.

"We express our admiration and deeply-felt gratitude for this courageous, 
principled step by Greece," said AJC Executive Director David Harris. "By 
preventing the flotilla from leaving for Gaza, Greece has taken a major step in 
preventing a serious challenge to Israel's legal maritime blockade of Gaza, the 
sole purpose of which is to prevent a Hamas regime sworn to Israel's 
destruction from importing weapons. The international community should follow 
Greece's lead in ensuring that the flotilla campaign, a Hamas solidarity 
movement disguised as a humanitarian enterprise, is no longer able to carry out 
its provocations."

The announcement by C. Papoutsis, the Greek Minister for Citizen Protection, 
followed the welcome decision by Cyprus to prevent Gaza-bound ships from 
leaving its shores. 

Late on Friday evening, the US boat slated to participate in the flotilla, The 
Audacity of Hope, was turned back to a Greek port after it was intercepted by 
the Greek authorities. Greece has pledged to police the wider maritime area to 
prevent flotilla ships from approaching Gaza.

>Posted by:
>Ari M. Gordon
>Special Advisor, Interreligious
>and Intergroup Relations
>American Jewish Committee
>165 E56th Street
>New York, NY 10022
>(212)891-6717
>www.ajc.org