To: President Donald Trump, The United States House of Representatives, and The United States Senate

.@JohnKerry: Ensure Safe Passage of #FreedomFlotilla III

Secretary of State John Kerry should press Netanyahu not to attack the Freedom Flotilla III sailing from international waters to the port of Gaza.

Why is this important?

On Saturday, June 27 at 4AM Gaza time, international peace advocates aboard the Freedom Flotilla III announced their departure from European ports to the port of Gaza via international waters to protest the illegal blockade of 1.8 million human beings in Gaza. [1] Former US Army Col. Ann Wright and USS Liberty veteran Joe Meadors are on board. [2] The UN recently called for the end of the Gaza blockade. [3]

Retired IDF Major General Shlomo Gazit, who was head of IDF military intelligence, has called on the Netanyahu government to leave the flotilla activists alone. [4] Haaretz – the “New York Times of Israel” – has defended the right of Knesset Member Basel Ghattas to participate in the flotilla as a nonviolent political protest against the Gaza blockade. [5]

Urge Secretary Kerry to stand with General Gazit and Haaretz and press Netanyahu to let the flotilla pass from international waters to Gaza unmolested, by signing our petition.

You can follow the flotilla on twitter on #FreedomFlotillaIII and @GazaFFlotilla.

References:
1. https://www.freedomflotilla.org/coalition-statements/19-freedom-flotilla-iii-sets-sail-nextportgaza
2. https://ff3.freedomflotilla.org/sailors-to-gaza/
3. http://www.defensenews.com/story/breaking-news/2015/06/22/un-gaza-war-report-skewers-israel-on-targeting-ops/29109875/
4. http://www.haaretz.com/opinion/.premium-1.662626
5. http://www.haaretz.com/opinion/1.662903