Netanyahu to Flotilla Activists: 'You Must've Gotten Lost'

JERUSALEM, Israel -- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked naval commandos who prevented nearly 50 pro-Palestinian activists aboard a four-vessel flotilla from breaching Israel's naval blockade of the Gaza Strip.

When the Swedish flagship Marianne of Göteborg refused to change course early Monday morning, Israeli naval commandos boarded the vessel without incident, inspected it and then began escorting the ship to the Ashdod port, which the IDF said could take up to 24 hours.

Despite claims of bringing medical supplies and other humanitarian aid to Gaza residents, no such supplies were evident.

"I would like to commend the sailors and commanders of the Israel Navy for their determined and efficient action in detaining the passengers on the ship that tried to reach the Gaza coast in contravention of the law," Netanyahu's statement began.

"This flotilla is nothing but a demonstration of hypocrisy and lies that is only assisting the Hamas terrorist organization and ignores all of the horrors in our region. Preventing entry by sea was done in accordance with international law and even received backing from a committee of the UN Secretary General," he continued.

Netanyahu said Israel is "not prepared to accept the entry of war materiel to the terrorist organizations in Gaza as has been done by sea in the past," referencing last year's attempt to smuggle hundreds of weapons to Hamas by sea and reiterating that Gaza is not under siege.

"There is no siege on Gaza. Israel assists in transferring goods and humanitarian equipment to Gaza -- approximately 800 trucks a day that have recently brought into Gaza more than 1.6 million tons of goods. Moreover, Israel assists in hundreds of humanitarian projects, through international organizations, including the building of clinics and hospitals.
 
"Israel is a state that seeks peace and acts in accordance with international law so that its people can live in safety and its children grow up in peace and quiet," the statement concluded.

When the Marianne arrives in Ashdod, passengers will be questioned before being transported to Ben Gurion International Airport for deportation.

Among the ship's 18 passengers were Israeli Arab MK Basel Ghattas and former Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki. The three vessels accompanying the flagship reportedly turned around and headed home.

Before boarding the Marianne in Athens, Ghattas referenced the 2010 flotilla incident aboard the Turkish flagship Mavi Marmara, where 9 activists were killed after attacking and critically injuring several naval commandos.

In a letter Sunday, Ghattas advised Netanyahu to "command the security forces to allow us to enter Gaza and avoid the use of force," YNet reported.

MK Haneen Zoabi, also a member of the Balad Party, joined pro-Palestinian activists aboard the Mavi Marmara. For her participation, some of her parliamentary immunity was temporarily revoked.

Meanwhile, Israeli Education Minister Naftali Bennett said the flotilla served as another reminder that the Palestinian chance for statehood has "also sunk to the depths."

"From flotilla to flotilla, the Palestinians remind us they are not a partner for peace but rather a partner for terror, whether from the sea, sky or land," he said.

Below is the letter Netanyahu issued Sunday evening to flotilla participants.

"Welcome to Israel,

You seem to have gotten lost. Perhaps you meant to sail to a place not far from here -- Syria, where Assad's army is slaughtering its people every day and is supported by the murderous Iranian regime.

Here in Israel we face a reality in which terrorist organizations like Hamas try to kill innocent civilians. We defend our citizens against these attempts in accordance with international law.

Despite this, Israel transports goods and humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip -- up to 800 trucks a day. In the past year we enabled the entry of over 1.6 million tons of products, an average of one ton per person in the Gaza Strip. By the way, these supplies are equivalent to 500,000 boats like the one you came in on today.

Israel provides assistance to hundreds of humanitarian projects through international organizations, including the building of clinics and hospitals.

However, we will not allow the terrorist organizations to transfer weapons into the Gaza Strip by sea. Only one year ago, we thwarted an attempt to smuggle hundreds of weapons into the Gaza Strip by ship. These weapons were meant to target innocent Israeli civilians.

There is no siege on the Gaza Strip, and you are welcome to transfer any humanitarian supplies for the Gaza Strip through Israel.

Barring the entrance of boats and ships into the Gaza Strip is in accordance with international law and was even backed by a committee commissioned by the United Nations Secretary General.

If you were truly concerned about human rights, you would not be sailing in support of a terrorist regime which summarily executes citizens in the Gaza Strip and uses children as human shields.

If you were to travel around in Israel, you would see for yourself that the only stable democracy in the Middle East guarantees equality for all its citizens and freedom of worship for members of all religions; it is a country that upholds international law so that its people can live in safety and its children grow up in peace and quiet."