Organizers: Gaza Flotilla Era May Be Over

By Mya Guarnieri

A Greek decision to block ships from sailing to the Gaza Strip has prompted some organizers to rethink the flotilla movement that for years challenged Israel’s blockade of the coastal enclave.

But US activists remained upbeat Friday as they discussed alternative ways to get to Gaza.

The activists said they felt that they had accomplished their goal of bringing attention to the Israeli blockade of Gaza, which has been in full effect for five years after previous restrictions under a policy of closure.

Passengers said the bureaucratic delays, physical blockages and threat of violence were “just a little taste” of the restrictions on freedom of movement faced by the 1.6 million Palestinians who live in Gaza.

Other organizers, who asked not to be identified, were less upbeat.

Speaking to Ma’an late Friday in Athens, the flotilla organizers remarked that this year’s embattled effort to sail to Gaza likely spelled the end of the Freedom Flotilla movement.

The act of sailing to Gaza is “a tactic,” one of them said. “Maybe it’s run its course.”

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