Ray McGovern: The Global Sumud Flotilla to Gaza

Ray McGovern participated in a flotilla for Gaza in 2011. Gaza flotilla activist: Ray McGovern

YouTube · Al Jazeera English
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Ray McGovern, former CIA officer, speaks to the situation on board the US flotilla ship, the Audacity of Hope, which activists hoped to ...

With the Gaza Aid Flotilla
The Nation
https://www.thenation.com › Article
Jun 24, 2011 — Despite the presence of former State Department official Wright and former CIA officer Ray McGovern, the US government has largely bowed to ...

“We Are Eager to Get to Gaza”: Democracy Now! Exclusive ...
Democracy Now!
https://www.democracynow.org › 2011 › we_are_eager_...
Jun 27, 2011 — organizer with the U.S. ship in the Gaza Flotilla. Ray McGovern. former senior CIA analyst and passenger on the U.S. ship in the Gaza Flotilla.

US flotilla passengers begin fast at US Embassy in Athens
Mondoweiss
https://mondoweiss.net › News
Passengers and U.S. boat organizers participating in the fast are: Medea Benjamin, Ken Mayers, Paki Wieland, Kathy Kelly, Ray McGovern, Helaine Meisler, Nic ...

US activists prepare to break Israel's blockade on Gaza
The Electronic Intifada
https://electronicintifada.net › content › us-activists-prepa...
Jun 10, 2011 — The organizing for an American boat to join the flotilla began a year ago. Ten days after Israeli forces killed nine activists aboard the ...

UPDATE Gaza flotilla captain arrives at court; activists reax | AP ...
AP Newsroom
https://newsroom.ap.org › editorial-photos-videos › detail
SOUNDBITE (English) Ray McGovern, Gaza activist: "We support him (Captain Klusmire) completely. He had great misgivings because he thought that there would ...

Flotilla Passengers Are Today's Freedom Riders
Truthout
https://truthout.org › Articles › Op-Ed
Jul 6, 2011 — ... Gaza, at a port near Athens, Greece, June 30, 2011. (Photo ... Ray McGovern, Gabriel Schivone and boat leader Ann Wright. Knowing ...

As Turkey stays out, Israel thwarts second Freedom Flotilla ...
Crescent International
https://crescent.icit-digital.org › articles › as-turkey-stay...
The flotillers included African American novelist Alice Walker, Code Pink co-founder Medea Benjamin, former CIA official and current dissenter Ray McGovern, al- ...

US Gaza flotilla activists stage hunger strike in Greece
The Jerusalem Post
https://www.jpost.com › World News
Eight of the passengers, including Code Pink co-founder Medea Benjamin and former CIA official Ray McGovern, were listed as those participated in the hunger ...

A voyage of solidarity
SocialistWorker.org
http://m.socialistworker.org › 2011/06/30 › voyage-of-...
The flotilla will carry badly needed humanitarian aid to Gaza, but its organizers also hope to focus the world's attention on the plight of Palestinians living ...

11,843 views Jul 2, 2011
Ray McGovern, former CIA officer, speaks to the situation on board the US flotilla ship, the Audacity of Hope, which activists hoped to bring to Gaza. On Friday, they were turned around by the Greek coast guard, and forced back into a port in Athens.

Google AI Overview

The "Audacity of Hope" was the US flagship vessel in the 2011 Gaza Freedom Flotilla, an attempt by activists to break Israel's naval blockade of the Gaza Strip and deliver aid. The effort failed after Greek authorities, reportedly under pressure from the US and Israel, prevented the ship and others from leaving port.

The 2011 flotilla and its failure

The ship: The Audacity of Hope was named after a book by President Barack Obama and carried dozens of American activists, including novelist Alice Walker and retired diplomat Ann Wright.

Prevented from sailing: The US vessel and others were repeatedly blocked from leaving Greek ports in early July 2011. The captain of the Audacity of Hope, John Klusmire, was arrested and charged with endangering the lives of passengers and leaving port without permission after a failed attempt to sail.

Accusations of sabotage and political pressure: Flotilla organizers claimed Israel sabotaged several ships, a claim Israel denied. Activists also accused the Greek government of bowing to US and Israeli pressure to prevent the fleet from sailing.

Ultimately abandoned: With most ships either damaged or blocked from leaving Greek ports, the flotilla's mission was abandoned, with organizers continuing their protests on land.

Context for the 2011 attempt

2010 precedent: The 2011 flotilla took place a little over a year after an Israeli raid on a similar aid mission resulted in the deaths of nine activists. Israeli officials had worked to prevent a repeat of that politically damaging incident by lobbying foreign governments and issuing threats to activists.

Ongoing blockade: The flotilla was organized in response to the Israeli economic blockade of Gaza, which began after Hamas took control of the territory in 2007.

People also ask

What was the freedom flotilla?

The ship was carrying humanitarian aid and more than 600 passengers. Freedom Flotilla II was launched in 2011 as a follow-up to the 2010 mission. Organised by a coalition of international activists and NGOs, it aimed to breach Israel's blockade on Gaza and deliver humanitarian aid.1 day ago

The Global Sumud Flotilla to Gaza: Everything you need to know
Al Jazeera
https://www.aljazeera.com
Audacity of Hope: Inside Report Aboard U.S. Ship

Democracy Now!
https://www.democracynow.org › audacity_of_hope_insi...
Jul 6, 2011 — Well, Democracy Now! has been covering the mission of the U.S. flagship in the new flotilla, dubbed The Audacity of Hope after President Obama's ...

Audacity of Hope Flotilla Blocked From Delivering Aid to Gaza
The World from PRX
https://theworld.org › stories › 2013/08/14 › audacity-h...
Audacity of Hope Flotilla Blocked From Delivering Aid to Gaza ... Activists are again trying to breach Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip. They're trying to sail ...

The Audacity Of Hope waits to sail for Gaza | Opinions
Al Jazeera
https://www.aljazeera.com › opinions › the-audacity-of-...
Jun 30, 2011 — ... flotilla – aptly named “The Audacity of Hope” – by issuing a travel warning to them rather than announcing any concern for their safety.

Flotilla To Challenge Israel's Blockade Of Gaza
NPR
https://www.npr.org › 2011/06/28 › flotilla-to-challenge-...
Jun 28, 2011 — The American vessel has been renamed The Audacity of Hope, after the title of President Obama's autobiography. But organizers won't reveal where ...

Veterans For Peace Supports the Audacity of Hope, Condemns ...
Veterans For Peace
https://www.veteransforpeace.org › news › 2011/06/29
THE AUDACITY OF HOPE. We call upon the U.S. government to take the necessary steps to guarantee the safety of all the activists on the Free Gaza Flotilla.

Why I Am On Gaza Freedom Flotilla 3 | By Ann Wright
Freedom Flotilla
https://freedomflotilla.org › 2015/06/27 › why-i-am-on-...
Jun 27, 2015 — I was an organizer for the U.S. Boat to Gaza, The Audacity of Hope, in the 2011 Gaza Freedom Flotilla and an initial organizer for Gaza's Ark. I ...

Google AI Overview

The USS Liberty and the "Audacity of Hope" flotilla are two completely separate maritime incidents that occurred decades apart. The only connection is that opponents of Israeli policy sometimes reference the 1967 USS Liberty attack to support the cause of the Gaza-bound flotillas.

The USS Liberty incident

What happened: On June 8, 1967, during the Six-Day War, Israeli fighter jets and torpedo boats attacked the U.S. Navy intelligence-gathering ship USS Liberty in international waters off the Sinai Peninsula. The attack killed 34 American crew members and wounded 174.

Cause of the attack: Israel apologized for the attack, stating its forces had mistaken the Liberty for an Egyptian vessel. Official inquiries by both the U.S. and Israeli governments concluded the attack was a case of mistaken identity.

Controversy: Despite the official findings, many survivors and critics of Israel have long maintained that the attack was deliberate. This enduring controversy has become a point of reference for those critical of Israeli actions, including organizers of the Gaza flotillas.

The Audacity of Hope flotilla

What happened: The Audacity of Hope was one of the vessels in the 2011 "Freedom Flotilla 2," a group of civilian boats attempting to break Israel's naval blockade of the Gaza Strip.

Mission: The flotilla's stated goal was to deliver humanitarian aid and letters from citizens around the world directly to the people of Gaza.

Interception: Before it could reach Gaza, Greek authorities, acting under pressure from Israel, stopped the flotilla and prevented it from sailing. This occurred a year after a deadly 2010 incident in which Israeli forces raided a different flotilla.

The point of comparison

Some activists and critics of Israel draw a parallel between the two events to frame Israeli policy as inherently hostile. They connect the controversial USS Liberty attack—which they portray as a deliberate assault on a U.S. ship—to the interception of a civilian aid flotilla. However, there is no direct relationship between the two events. The USS Liberty was a military vessel in a war zone in 1967, while the Audacity of Hope was a civilian vessel sailing for humanitarian purposes in 2011.

The True Story of the Gaza Freedom Flotilla
Washington Report on Middle East Affairs
https://www.wrmea.org › 2010-september-october › ne...
Aug 10, 2010 — ... USS Liberty Archive ... A member of the audience suggested it be named The Audacity of Hope, after the book by President Barack Obama.

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