The flotilla to Gaza, which is set to sail in the coming days and attempt to break through Israel's naval blockade of the Gaza Strip, has encountered quite a few glitches. On Tuesday, organizers said that, "Hostile and well-trained divers have damaged the Juliano", anchored at the Piraeus dock in Greece. According to what the organizers told CBS news, a diver on a routine inspection of the Juliano, a participating ship waiting for approval to set sail, discovered that the propeller shaft had been cut. The ship was named after Juliano Mer (an Israeli Arab peace activist who was shot dead in Jenin by masked gunmen on April 4, 2011). The flotilla's organizers said that since discovering the damage to the ship - carrying 25 activists and four journalists from Sweden, Norway, and Greece - security at the dock has been tightened. "All the ships are under watch 24 hours a day," Dimitris Plionis, a lead organizer of the Greek ship said. Despite the situation, however, the organizers tried to express their optimism: "Upon first inspection, we believe we can repair the damage before the flotilla is to set sail this weekend." "The ships will not make it to Gaza"
Despite problems to the ship docked in Greece, at least two vessels, one French and one Irish, have already set sail for a meeting point in international waters, where they will await the arrival of other ships before setting off in the direction of the Gaza Strip.
"The damage to the propeller shaft was carried out expertly, in a way that would cause the ship to shut down mid-sea," flotilla spokesperson Professor Mattias Gardell said Tuesday. He added that such damage could have endangered the lives of passengers. "Someone is willing to take drastic measures to prevent the launch of the flotilla," Norwegian spokesperson Torstein Dahle said.
Israel defense officials did not confirm or deny the organizers' claims of sabotage. They did however state that the flotilla will not be permitted to sail to Gaza, and that "Israel would do anything it takes" to prevent that.
Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Lt.-Gen. Benny Gantz spoke of the flotilla at an event honoring reservists in Caesarea. "In accordance with the cabinet decision, I instructed the IDF to stop the flotilla if they do not heed our call to divert the ships to Ashdod or El-Arish," Barak said. "The planned hate flotilla is just one more example of the campaign to de-legitimize Israel and create provocations. The IDF is ready for this type of challenge as well."
In the past few days, military sources have warned that flotilla activists intend to attack IDF soldiers and kill them, using dangerous chemicals, such as sulfur, among other means. Security sources have also said that in accordance with information Israel has obtained, activists on the ships have conducted training sessions involving ways to harm IDF soldiers if they board the ships. The sources say that the ships are funded by Hamas, among others.
Dror Feiler, an Israeli among the flotilla organizers, denied the report of dangerous chemicals onboard the ships. "I know nothing about that. In fact, if Israel knows something about that, I would be glad to receive such information and check it out," he said. Feiler emphasized, "All activists on the ships signed an agreement to refrain from perpetrating violent acts."
Meanwhile, the organizers have encountered additional trouble. Less than 300 activists plan to participate, a number far below what they had hoped for. And the 48-hour general strike in Greece, which began Tuesday, is paralyzing activity at the ports, which will inevitably postpone the launch of the flotilla until Thursday at the earliest.
The organizers waiting at Piraeus openly expressed their anger at Israel. Aside from the general strike in Greece which is delaying the launch of the ships docked at Greek ports, the organizers claim that Israel is exerting diplomatic pressure on Greece. They believe that Israeli diplomatic pressure is causing Greek port authorities to carry out unusual and unnecessary checks on their ships.
So far, two ships have set sail for Gaza, one from Ireland and another from Corsica. Only the activists know when the ships docked at Greek ports will set sail and join those already at sea.
France has also expressed concern about the flotilla. In Paris, Bernard Valero, a French foreign ministry spokesperson, said, "This is a bad idea. We are worried about the impending launch of the flotilla, and the inclusion of French ships among them."
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