By Jamal Elshayyal
Aljazeera
June 6th, 2010
Al Jazeera producer Jamal Elshayyal recalls the Israeli assault on the Gaza
aid convoy.
Firstly I must apologise for taking so long to update my blog. The events of
the past few days have been hectic to say the least, and I am still trying
to come to grips with many of the things that have happened.
It was this time last week that I was on the top deck of the Mavi Marmara,
and first spotted Israeli warships at a distance, as they approached the
humanitarian flotilla. Little did I know how deadly and bloody the events
that soon unfolded would be.
What I will write in this entry is fact, every letter of it, none of it is
opinion, none of it is analysis, I will leave that to you, the reader.
After spotting the warships at a distance, (at roughly 11pm) the organisers
called for passengers to wear their life vests and remain indoors as they
monitored the situation. The naval warships together with helicopters
remained at a distance for several hours.
At 2am local time the organisers informed me that they had re-routed the
ship, as far away from Israel as possible, as deep into international waters
as they could. They did not want a confrontation with the Israeli military,
at least not by night.
Just after 4am local time, the Israeli military attacked the ship, in
international waters. It was an unprovoked attack. Tear gas was used, sound
grenades were launched, and rubber coated steel bullets were fired from
almost every direction.
Dozens of speed boats carrying about 15-20 masked Israeli soldiers, armed to
the teeth surrounded the Mavi Marmara which was carrying 600 or so unarmed
civilians. Two helicopters at a time hovered above the vessel. Commandos on
board the choppers joined the firing, using live ammunition, before any of
the soldiers had descended onto the ship.
Two unarmed civilians were killed just metres away from me. Dozens of
unarmed civilians were injured right before my eyes.
One Israeli soldier, armed with a large automatic gun and a side pistol, was
overpowered by several passengers. They disarmed him. They did not use his
weapons or fire them; instead they threw his weapons over board and into the
sea.
After what seemed at the time as roughly 30 minutes, passengers on board the
ship raised a white flag. The Israeli army continued to fire live
ammunition. The ships organisers made a loud speaker announcement saying
they have surrendered the ship. The Israeli army continued to fire live
ammunition.
I was the last person to leave the top deck.
Below, inside the sleeping quarters, all the passengers had gathered. There
was shock, anger, fear, hurt, chaos.
Doctors ran in all directions trying to treat the wounded, blood was on the
floor, tears ran down people’s faces, cries of pain and mourning could be
heard everywhere. Death was in the air.
Three critically injured civilians were being treated on the ground in the
reception area of the ship. Their clothes soaked in blood. Passengers stood
by watching in shock, some read out verses of the Qur’an to calm them,
doctors worked desperately to save them.
Several announcements were made on the load speakers in Hebrew, Arabic and
English - "This is a message to the Israeli army, we have surrendered. We
are unarmed. We have critically injured people. Please come and take them.
We will not attack."
There was no response.
One of the passengers, a member of the Israeli Parliament, wrote a sign in
Hebrew, reading the exact same thing; she held it together with a white flag
and approached the windows where the Israeli soldiers were standing outside.
They pointed their laser guided guns to her head, ordering her to go away.
A British citizen tried the same sign - this time holding a British Flag
and taking the sign to a different set of windows and different set of
soldiers. They responded in the same manner.
Three hours later, all three of the injured were pronounced dead. The
Israeli soldiers who refused to allow them treatment succeeded where their
colleagues had earlier failed when they targeted these three men with
bullets.
At around 8am the Israeli army entered the sleeping quarters. They
handcuffed the passengers. I was thrown onto the ground, my hands tied
behind my back, I couldn’t move an inch.
I was taken to the top deck where the other passengers were, forced to sit
on my knees under the burning sun.
One passenger had his hands tied so tight his wrists were all sorts of
colours. When he requested that the cuffs be loosened, an Israeli soldier
tightened them even more. He let out a scream that sent chills down my body.
I requested to go to the bathroom, I was prevented. Instead the Israeli
soldier told me to urinate where I was and in my own clothes. Three or four
hours later I was allowed to go.
I was then marched, together with the other passengers, back to the sleeping
quarters. The place was ransacked, its image like that of the aftermath of
an earthquake.
I remained on the ship, seated, without any food or drink, barring three
sips of water, for more than 24 hours. Throughout this time, Israeli
soldiers had their guns pointed at us. Their hands on the trigger. For more
than 24 hours.
I was then taken off the ship at Ashdod where I was asked to sign a
deportation orde. It claimed that I had entered Israel illegally and agreed
to be deported. I told the officer that I, in fact, had not entered Israel
but that the Israeli army had kidnapped me from international waters and
brought me to Israel against my will; therefore I could not sign this
document.
My passport was taken from me. I was told that I would go to jail.
Only then were my hands freed, I spent more than 24 hours with my hands
cuffed behind my back, with nothing to eat, and barely anything to drink.
Upon arrival at the prison I was put in a cell with three other passengers.
The cell was roughly 12ft by 9ft.
I spent more than 24 hours in jail. I was not allowed to make a single phone
call.
The British consulate did not come and see me. I did not see a lawyer.
There was no hot water for a shower.
The only meal was frozen bread and some potatoes.
The only reason I believe I was released was because the Turkish prisoners
refused to leave until and unless the other nationalities (those whose
consulates had not come and released them) were set free.
I was taken to Ben Gurion airport. When I asked for my passport, the Israeli
official presented me with a piece of paper and said "congratulations this
is your new passport". I replied "you must be joking, you have my
passport". The Israeli official's response: "sue me".
There I was asked again to sign a deportation order. Again I refused.
I was put on a plane headed to Istanbul.
Masked Israeli soldiers and commandos took me from international waters.
Uniformed Israeli officials locked me behind bars.
The British government did not lift a finger to help me, till this day I
have not seen or heard from a British official.
The Israeli government stole my passport.
The Israeli government stole my lap top, two cameras, 3 phones, $1500 and
all my possessions.
My government, the British government has not even acknowledged my
existence.
I was kidnapped by Israel. I was forsaken by my country.
_________
More: A survivor of the 1967 Israeli attack on the USS Liberty was also on the Gaza relief ship.
Video: http://www.brasschecktv.com/page/859.html
_____
Published for the First Time
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Please explain how we, the defenders of the Mavi Marmara, are not the modern example of Gandhi's essence?
