The emotional brother of a Dundee man missing after Israeli commandos intercepted a flotilla of aid ships bound for Gaza has led a 200-strong protest in City Square.
Khalid El-Awaisi’s 21-year-old brother Ali was on board one of the boats that was boarded by Israeli troops early on Monday morning, with nine people reported dead.
On Monday night Khalid addressed local politicians, friends and activists who had gathered outside City Chambers to demonstrate against the Israeli action that has provoked international concern.
He said, “Thank you all for having the heart to come out and say to Israel no, enough is enough.
“Israel is now attacking international civilians in international waters and it thinks it can get away with it. This is what’s been happening for the last 40 years of the life of Palestine.”
He added, “We have to say no to Israel, our governments have to move. They have to stop people killing innocent people.”
Ali El-Awaisi is the only participant from north-east Scotland on the boats which were carrying about 10,000 tonnes of aid including around £30,000 of goods from Dundee.
It is understood the Israeli navy boarded the Turkish ship the Mavi Marmara from the pro-Islamic aid group IHH and Free Gaza’s Challenger 1 in international waters 80 miles off the coast of Gaza early on Monday.
Supporters of the aid mission said the Israelis then opened fire on some of those on board the ships.
Back in Dundee Khalid watched the action unfold on live footage from the boat his brother was on.
He said, “I’m continuously watching it. I heard the news at 2.30 this morning I could hear the screaming and the shouting and the shooting.
“All of a sudden I saw my brother walking down so that was uplifting but then they cut the live feed so no-one knows about the other ships.”Prepared for worstAli, who was taking a year out from studying history and politics at Dundee University to work for Jamal Property World in the city’s South Tay Street, had been with the aid mission for eight days when the boat was boarded.
Khalid is now preparing himself for the worst and when he spoke to The Courier he believed his brother would already have been interrogated by the Israeli troops.
He said, “They probably by this time have been interrogated. The Israelis have promised to deport them or take them to one of the most notorious prisons in the desert.”
On Monday Israel claimed its troops had been attacked and had returned fire in response, but at the protest Dundee-based MSP for North East Scotland Marlyn Glen condemned their actions.
She said, “Hopefully now we have visible proof of what’s happening, something can be done.
“I’m shocked at this outrage it’s an indefensible attack. These ships were attacked in international waters by armed commandos.”
She added, “There’s international condemnation of the atrocity. Our hope now lies with the UN Security Council.”
Dundee Lord Provost John Letford also showed his support for the El-Awaisi family at the demonstration.
Ali and Khalid are the sons of Professor Abd al-Fattah El-Awaisi, founding principal of the Al-Maktoum Institute for Arabic and Islamic Studies in Dundee.
Professor El-Awaisi left the institute in 2008 to establish cultural engagement in the Arab and Muslim worlds and now works in Syria but he was friends with Mr Letford while in Dundee.
Speaking at the vigil, Mr Letford said, “We used to go on business trips together and ever since I’ve been lord provost I’ve had the pleasure of accompanying the sons on the Peace Walk from Dura Street mosque.”
He added, “There’s no indication it (the aid flotilla) was anything but a humanitarian incident. This is an affront.
“Terrorism is unacceptable in any description.”Condemning “atrocity”The demonstration was hastily organised by activist group Tayside For Justice In Palestine.
Paying testament to the hundreds-strong crowd that thronged the city centre, group member Edith Constable said, “It’s very short notice but it’s a credit to Dundee that we can do this sort of thing.
“This was a massacre of innocent people taking aid to Gaza. The UN states that only a quarter of what they need in Gaza actually gets through the blockade.”
Ms Constable was joined by Tayside For Justice In Palestine founder Nadia El Nakla, who implored people to pray for those missing or feared dead from the flotilla.
She said, “A mother, a father, a sister, a brother has died for what? The aid didn’t get through. The Israelis are killing innocent people every night.”
Dundee Trades Council representative Mike Arnott said, “We come here to join in our dozens, even hundreds, in condemnation of the events we saw reported this morning, made even more acute for us in Dundee knowing Ali is on that convoy.”
The demonstration in Dundee was mirrored across Scotland in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Perth, Aberdeen and Banff.
The demonstrators will hold a public meeting in Dundee University’s Tower Building at 6pm on Tuesday to discuss further action and buses will be organised to take activists to a nationwide demonstration in Edinburgh on Saturday.
Protesters will march from the Mound to the first minister’s residence to incite Alex Salmond to act.
Dundee West MP Jim McGovern contacted the foreign secretary William Hague, urging the UK Government to take “every possible action” to ensure the safe passage of Ali El-Awaisi.
Mr McGovern said, “I will also be raising this matter in parliament. Condemnation of this atrocity cannot be strong enough.”
Dundee West MSP Joe FitzPatrick spent time with Khalid El-Awaisi and his sister Alla at the Central Mosque in Brown Street on Monday, trying to assist with the flow of information from the Foreign Office.
He said, “Right now this family want to know what’s happening to their brother Ali. The problem is there is no information about who has been killed or injured.”
(Note: update was posted at 14.43 on Tuesday)