Ali El-Awaisi addresses city council on Gaza flotilla raid
The Dundee activist who was on a ship taking aid to Gaza when it was boarded by Israeli forces, and nine people killed, has given a first hand account to Dundee councillors.
Ali and Khalid El-Awaisi under the Palestinian flag before the meeting of the council.
- By Brian Allison
- Published in the Courier : 15.06.10
- Published online : 15.06.10 @ 01.56pm
Ali El-Awaisi was on the Mavi Marmara and was invited to give his version of events by Lord Provost John Letford.
While many of the passengers were at prayers, he said, Israeli helicopters had appeared and started firing live ammunition. The flotilla was surrounded by warships which launched small boats carrying Israeli commandos who boarded the Mavi Marmara.
Ali said the soldiers had hurled smoke and gas grenades and fired ammunition including dum dum bullets at the passengers. One man had been killed as he prayed.
"We had nothing to defend ourselves with (and) we waved a white flag to surrender," he said. But the soldiers kept on shooting and four other people were killed and around 50 wounded.
"People were getting shot in the chest, in the legs — they showed no mercy," Ali said.
He said the passengers were kept under siege on the boat for several hours and more people died from the injuries they had received.
After being taken to Israel, Ali said, the passengers were "bullied, hit and tortured."
While in prison he had spoken to the British Consul who told him it might be up to two months before they were released.
However, within days they were taken to an airport and put on a plane to fly them out of Israel.
Call for boycatt
Ali called for the council to support a boycott on Israeli goods and to express official support for the next aid flotilla to sail to Gaza.
He also asked for the Palestinian flag to be flown from the City Chambers until the occupation of Gaza has ended.
His brother Khalid also addressed the council and recalled that Dundee had been in the forefront of recognising the plight of the Palestinian people by deciding, in the face of severe pressure, to fly the Palestinian flag some 30 years ago.
He said the city had been "extremely brave" to do that then and should do so again to bring pressure to bear for justice and peace in Palestine.
Mr Letford then put a motion calling on the council to add its voice to condemnation of the violence against ships carrying aid to Gaza and to press for an international inquiry.
"Dundee City Council supports the view that an international solution is vital to try and solve the ongoing problems in the area and calls on the UK and Scottish governments to bring pressure to bear for renewed international efforts to find a lasting and peaceful solution, leading to an end to the blockade," he said.
Mr Letford said the council should also distribute the motion among the other local authorities in Scotland and seek their support for its terms.
SNP administration leader Ken Guild said people around the world had been appalled by the action taken by the Israelis in international waters.
He said the action was "disproportionate, ill-conceived and had disastrous consequences" but there now needed to be a period of calm.
Labour group leader Kevin Keenan said he also condemned the attack on international aid workers.
Rod Wallace, leader of the Conservative group, said he had been horrified to see the events unfold on the news programmes.
Lib Dem group leader Fraser Macpherson said the Israeli government must stop flouting international law over Gaza.
Depute Lord Provost Ian Borthwick said there was no justification for humanitarian aid to Gaza, or anywhere else where it was required, to have been impeded.
The council unanimously approved the lord provost's motion.
Outside the City Chambers a group of protesters also called for the Palestinian flag to be flown over the building until the blockade has been lifted.
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