Athens - With the shafts of two mysteriously damaged ships, the Greek authorities of the other ships in port on the orders of Government and an American boat pushed by Coast Guard Greek 20 minutes off the coast Friday, the international flotilla to Gaza is at a standstill.
According to the organisers, they see the long arm of Israel behind their unlikely misfortunes, and while Israeli officials have dismissed these accusations as so significant plot, they refused to deny their pure and simple.
A year after Israeli commandos killed nine Turkish activists on board the Mavi Marmara during a previous flotilla organizers hoped to challenge once more the blockade of the Gaza Strip to open sea, off the coast of Gaza. It seems less likely, however, that the eight boats prepares currently navigate can never or allowed to leave the port.
Echoing a view of the majority of the participants here, Johnny Leo Johansen, a photographer Norwegian ponytailed and activist, expressed in these words: "It is as they moved the blockade of Gaza in Greece."
The Coast Guard stopped the American boat, "the audacity of hope", about a mile over sea, setting aside the initial enthusiasm of the passengers, who were surprised to have been allowed to leave the port to all the.
"We could see the writing on the wall, that they would try to stop all ports throughout the Mediterranean world," said Ann Wright, the main organizer of the American boat.
After a complaint about the desired documents filed by a group of Israeli defence, the vessel took place in port outside Athens on the orders of the police. Inspectors visited last week Friday, but the results of their inspection had not yet be provided. Without them, the ship could not legally set sail.
Last Friday, the Greek Ministry of citizen Protection decreed that all vessels in the Greek ports have been banned from sailing to "the maritime zone of Gaza". No explanation was given, and officials of the Department could not be reached for further comment.
The Americans decided to abandon even. After their low chasing, a smile, Captain of the young guard was considered by his window and called documents of inspection of the vessel. Passengers leaned on the railing upper-deck of the boat, singing, "navigate us to Gaza." Others held a sign Board asking, "is Poseidon or Netanyahu." (That is, a passenger says, "Who is the King of the Aegean Sea?")
"The probability that the Greek Government has already taken a decision do not leave us out of the port is probably very high, I think", said Ms. Wright earlier this week. "It is not surprising, in a way, that the Greek Government has succumbed to the pressure." In addition, it was suggested that the Greece, a prolonged sovereign debt crisis, could join an Israeli "diplomatic offensive".
The Israeli Government, it noted, had held meetings of the cabinet on the fleet, and several series of military exercises have been conducted for a confrontation. "I am shocked that they would be spending so much time, money, energy", added Ms Wright, but in some ways, she was pleased by the Israeli attention. "We couldn't have dreamed for something better." Usually, the Governments cooperate with us this way! »
Thursday, the Irish organisers announced that they had fired their moored boats to the Turkish fleet after the crew discovered the damage to the propeller shaft, the result of what they assume was sabotage by underwater divers. Organizers said that the damage was discovered on a test, but which otherwise the ship would have sunk by sea, endangering passengers and crew.
Activists damage almost identical to a discovered Greek-Swedish-Norwegian passenger vessel earlier this week. The vessel now rests for repairs, which should not be completed before next week, organizers.
Three boats primarily from the Canada, Spain passengers and the Netherlands was waiting for clearance to sail Friday, and a cargo ship hoped to be allowed to load his cargo. All ships have apparently met the requirements of the Greek authorities, according to Adam Shapiro, a flotilla Organizer and spokesperson.
But on Thursday, officials banned harbor a French supply vessel, he said, an indication that Greek officials could find other justifications for retaining the other ships in the port.
Friday morning, after more than a week in the port through the Greece, no single ship appeared to have the explicit permission by the Greek authorities to set the sails; as the American boat, a Greek-Swedish-Norwegian freighter was under police order to remain in port.
Organizers said the delays are not totally unexpected, although they hoped to meet with less resistance. If vessels should be allowed to sail, or if their departure not authorized, organizers hope to go week next to a fixed location in the Mediterranean. But it is known when the ships more could set sail, or what might look like a potential fleet.
"We're going to do something," promised Mr. Shapiro. Still, he added: "it seems we do already something, given the kind of response that we received."
Asked about the allegations of the activists that Israel was behind the apparent sabotage, Mark Regev, a spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said: "these militants are not the reputation of being an objective information source."
"These people tend to blame to Israel to see the hand of Israel behind every calamity," he went. "And of course, this may be true." But when asked to deny their claims more categorical, he refused.
Thursday, Prime Minister Netanyahu said in a speech that "sometimes, we not only need to deflect physical attacks of our enemies, but also to deflect the attack on our right to protect ourselves." Speaking at the graduation ceremony of the Israeli air force flight school, Mr. Netanyahu thanked world leaders who, these days, had delivered and acted "against the fleet of provocation" and specifically commended the Greek Minister George Papandreou, who said he worked closely with Israel by coordinating travel related to the fleet.
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