Al-Manar : Lebanon Rejects Threats; Hezbollah Denies LinkIn the statement, the Resistance party reiterated its praise for all human moves aimed at breaking the siege of the Gaza strip and hailed the courage of all participants in Gaza-bound aid missions and ships.
However, Hezbollah believed that the success of such initiative depends on its popular and civil nature. Thus, the Resistance party has decided to remain distant from this human move at all levels whether at the cooperation level or logistically or even humanly, the statement added. This decision comes to oblige the enemy to lose the opportunity of fabricating any pretext to attack the participants, Hezbollah statement concluded.
Earlier, Lebanese and Egyptian premiers Saad Hariri and Ahmed Nazif condemned the new Israeli threat against Beirut, saying it "might have dire consequences” for Tel Aviv.
Hariri and Nazif took the stance after Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak warned the Beirut government against allowing an aid ship to depart Lebanon for the besieged Gaza Strip. "I say clearly to the government of Lebanon: You are responsible for the boats leaving your ports, which have the clear and stated intention of trying to break the naval blockade on Gaza," he said in a statement.
"The Israeli government continues to threaten Lebanon," Hariri said at a news briefing with visiting Nazif in Beirut on Thursday. "There are fleets coming from Europe," Hariri said, wondering whether the Israeli defense minister would attack and threaten Europe or other countries sending aid to Gaza?
"Enough lies ... Israel's actions are not humanitarian and are rejected by all human rights treaties," the Lebanese prime minister went on to say.
Nazif, for his part, warned Israel against consequences of a similar assault on the women activists' aid ship. The Egyptian premier said that an Israeli attack on the ship "might have dire consequences as we saw with the Turkish Freedom flotilla."
"The region is facing a crossroads between the will for peace, which all Arab states voice and the international community supports, and Israel's reluctance and intransigence," Nazif said.
Last week a group of female Lebanese activists announced a plan to send an aid ship loaded with medical supplies to Gaza. The organizers of the aid convoy say 50 Lebanese and foreign activists would be aboard the ship.
In addition to the initiative of the Lebanese women, two non-governmental organizations - the Free Palestine Movement and the Beirut-based Journalists Without Limits – had also announced their intention to send ships to Gaza soon.
Israel threatens to arrest and try passengers of international ships bound for Gaza
Israeli authorities have warned that they will arrest any peace activists who participate in international aid convoys bound for the Gaza Strip and put them on trial.
According to Maarif Hebrew newspaper, "Israel sent a clear warning to the international community with the announcement that it plans to arrest, conduct a thorough investigation and prosecute any person on board the ships that are expected to arrive soon."
This was a reference to Lebanese and Iranian ships allegedly being sent to break the illegal blockade of Gaza, and a second Freedom Flotilla later in the year.
A spokesperson for the Israeli Foreign Ministry said, "We have asked foreign ambassadors to send a message to the citizens of their countries asking them to reconsider being on board similar aid ships given that the treatment they will encounter will vary from that used with the last flotilla that sailed from Turkey." Any ships sailing from Lebanon would, the spokesperson said, face the possibility of hostile treatment. "Turkey is not defined as an enemy country", the spokesperson added, whereas Lebanon is regarded as such by Israel.
Israel is apparently keen to send threatening letters explaining that passengers detained will not be deported after 24 hours at the expense of taxpayers in Israel, as with the Freedom Flotilla, "but will stand trial and will be jailed".
MEMO
Lebanese aid ship 'Miriam' christened
JNOUBIYEH | 9:27 AM |
Bethlehem - Ma'an - A group of Lebanese women on Thursday christened the boat on which they hope to arrive in Gaza the "Miriam" in honor of the Virgin Mary, Agence-France Presse reported Friday.
"Mariam has begun to achieve its goals and aims, as Israeli officials expressed fear and sent out warnings and threats before deciding to ease the blockade on Gaza," a spokeswoman from the group, Rima Farah, told the French wire service, adding that faith would be the only weapon on board the ship.
The group of women, made up of Christians and Muslims, gathered in the southern Lebanese town of Maghdushe and prayed together for the safety of the ship set to sail later in June along with European activists and journalists.
Israeli officials expressly warned ships coming from Lebanon and Iran that their boats would be stopped by force if they attempted to enter Gaza waters and dock at the Gaza City Port.
The women told AFP they are not affiliated with any political party, and only hope to bring aid and medicine to Gaza. "The ship is now ready," organizer Samar Al-Hajj told AFP. "We are not afraid."
Bethlehem - Ma'an - A group of Lebanese women on Thursday christened the boat on which they hope to arrive in Gaza the "Miriam" in honor of the Virgin Mary, Agence-France Presse reported Friday.
"Mariam has begun to achieve its goals and aims, as Israeli officials expressed fear and sent out warnings and threats before deciding to ease the blockade on Gaza," a spokeswoman from the group, Rima Farah, told the French wire service, adding that faith would be the only weapon on board the ship.
The group of women, made up of Christians and Muslims, gathered in the southern Lebanese town of Maghdushe and prayed together for the safety of the ship set to sail later in June along with European activists and journalists.
Israeli officials expressly warned ships coming from Lebanon and Iran that their boats would be stopped by force if they attempted to enter Gaza waters and dock at the Gaza City Port.
The women told AFP they are not affiliated with any political party, and only hope to bring aid and medicine to Gaza. "The ship is now ready," organizer Samar Al-Hajj told AFP. "We are not afraid."
Uprooted Palestinian
I notice that a lot of Americans were eager to join the Mariam. If you really want to attract the support of the American public, why isn't the ship being crewed solely by these Americans? Think of the publicity if the Israelis were stupid enough to attack an American ship!
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