Sunday, September 19: Dr. Paul Larudee on the Gaza Freedom Flotilla

On May 31 much of the world watched as a fleet of ships left Cyprus and sailed toward Gaza loaded with humanitarian aid and construction materials for the impoverished Palestinian population living there. The goal of the “Freedom Flotilla”, as it was called, was to break the blockade which Israel and Egypt have imposed on Gaza since 2007, following the Hamas organization’s takeover of the region after it had won Palestinian elections the previous year. This was the ninth in a series of such aid flotillas since 2008, sponsored in part by the Free Gaza Movement, to bring relief to the people of Gaza.
Israel has stated a need to keep out items that are categorized as humanitarian but could also affect Israel’s security – which it says has been undermined by rocket attacks on its southern region. However, its list of items subject to delays for getting in include shelter kits, health and pediatric hygiene kits, bedding, kitchen utensils, school textbooks, stationery and certain foods, including pasta.
May 31 became significant when Israel sent naval commandos to intercept the flotilla, resulting in violence when some of them descended upon one of the ships, the MV Mavi Marmara. The incident resulted in 9 deaths and dozens of injuries to flotilla participants, and 7 injuries among the Israeli soldiers. It also resulted in the detention in Israel for several days of the flotilla’s passengers. One other seeming result, following widespread international outcry about the violence and then renewed calls for ending the Gaza blockade – was that Israel took steps to ease the blockade.
One member of the flotilla’s U.S. delegation was Dr. Paul Larudee, an East Bay resident who is also a co-founder of both the Free Palestine and Free Gaza Movements. Dr. Larudee will be the guest at Peace Action of San Mateo County’s next meeting on Sunday evening, September 19, to recount the events of May 30-31 as he viewed them. His talk, entitled “Israel’s Self-defense Against the Gaza Freedom Flotilla”, will take place at 7 PM in Beck Hall of the Unitarian Universalists of San Mateo, 300 E. Santa Inez Avenue (at Ellsworth) in San Mateo. Admission is free.
Dr. Larudee spent 14 years in Arab countries as a student, teacher, Fulbright-Hays lecturer, and U.S. government advisor. He has been to Palestine a number of times since 1965. In addition to his affiliation with the above groups, he is also active with the International Solidarity Movement, a nonviolent resistance group supporting the Palestinian people. On Sunday September 19, Dr. Larudee will bring both his overall and his more recent experience with issues relating to the Gaza blockade.