JEWISH BOAT TO GAZA
Glyn Secker’s Testimony
(Captain of the ship Irene)
October 1st, 2010
Getting to
Farmagusta was a long long trip, the longest passage we’d made – two
nights and three days, and having to manually helm every minute of the
way as we never managed to get the auto-pilot working. Usually after
such passages there’s the expectation of being able to catch up on
sleep, to relax a little and to re-charge ourselves. But we were only
too aware that as the last port of call this stop was going to be be the
most demanding of all: we had intentionally chosen a port which was not
set up for small craft and knew that even finding a berth was going to
be a challenge. Then we had an intensive schedule of press conferences,
loading the boat with the aid and the banners, re-fueling and watering
enough for double the length of the final passage (in case we were
forced to return), getting the passengers on board, and all this under
the watchful eyes of the port authorities whose attitude we were
uncertain of.
We arrived
as Sven-Y-Two as a tourist boat. A local fisherman allowed us to use one
of his berths and then amazingly organized fuel from the town which he
brought in jerry cans, and water, and helped me buy the outboard motor
for the Gaza fishermen, spending most of the afternoon driving me round
the town looking for a dealer open on the weekend. The port police were
friendly but of course bound by their own cumbersome procedures, then
surprised us by summoning other officials to come to us rather than us
having to find them in town.
Meeting up
with the London team and the passengers was straightforward and a
mixture of hugs and kisses and anxiety and frenetic action. The press
conference the next morning generated its own momentum and and it was
then that I really began to feel the whole project lifting off. And it
did so with a bang – the AP team were local Turkish Cypriots and as a
matter of routine sought permission from the port authority to film our
departure despite all the strictures to keep beneath the radar. Our
hearts sank when returning to the port we were greeted by the sight of a
police car. Not to arouse suspicion we had invented a story that we had
just met up with a group of friends on a separate holiday and that we
wished to take them for a spin around the bay. But we then discovered
that the regulations required the port police to hold the passports
until people return. At this point we realised the story may not hold,
and we were at a loss as to what to do. After more discussion between
the authorities it became clear that they had probably cottoned on to
whom we really were and simply stated ‘Look, if you all just want to
get on the boat and go and not return, that’s fine with us.’ ! So we
were then into a frantic scramble to get away before there were any
calls to higher authorities or they changed their minds. Hurriedly we
laid out all the aid to be photographed, got all the banners out, got
all passengers on board and within half an hour had cast off. The
friendly fisherman had invited the AP media on board and as we left the
port holding aloft the banners he cast off and circled us giving them
the shots which went around the world and which alerted the IDF to our
imminent arrival.
The weather
was still very kind to us and we made better progress than expected. Not
wanting to time the encounter with the IDF in the dark we slowed down
and when the morning had warmed up I suggested that a good way to
de-stress would be to stop the boat and for us all take a swim in the
sparkling deep blue water. We put out a long line with a fender on the
end and in we all plunged – a swim to remember. Reuvan was amazing,
confidently swimming away from the boat and me trying to keep him within
reach of the safety line! I think I was the only one who had any
breakfast – home made muesli (wonderful almond nuts).
And then
finally after all these days and weeks of anticipation we identified a
frigate on the horizon. It shadowed us for some considerable time,
keeping on our port side about five miles off. Then we saw a number of
smaller craft lined up and realized that the encounter was approaching.
We rehearsed our strategies and waited, with adrenalin levels slowly
rising. Shortly there came a call on Ch 16 over the VHF from the frigate
asking us our intentions and the flag of the boat. I informed them that
we were heading for Gaza port, that we were in international waters and
had no intention of entering Israeli waters. They replied that Gaza was
within a prohibited area and that we should change our course. I
responded by stating that that did not accord with international law,
that we were unarmed, had no materials which could be put to military
use, that we carried a consignment of aid for Gaza and that we expected
safe passage. They then warned us that they would intercept us, that
this could be dangerous for the crew and damaging for the boat. I
reiterated that as a British flagged boat they had no legal right to
intercept us and that we intended to maintain our course to Gaza. There
was no reply and we continued on our passage for perhaps another twenty
minutes – presumably they were waiting for us to cross the boundary of
their unilaterally declared prohibited zone.
There then
developed a sight which will remain with me for the rest of my life –
with the frigate in the background, two gunboats, two landing craft and
four high powered ribs spread out in a semi-circle speeding towards us
at perhaps 35 knots, with their bow waves and wakes flashing in the
sunshine. It was surreal, it was like an action movie, and entranced by
the sight I had to remind myself this was actually happening – this
overwhelming force for a 9.7 metre 40 yr. old boat, the majority of its
Jewish occupants over 60 years old, with no weapons and a publicized
policy of passive resistance.
The next we
knew there were two ribs very close alongside with the commander on a
megaphone again warning us of the dangers if they boarded us. I
reiterated our legal rights, and for what it was worth I accelerated,
just to make a point that outpacing them was fantasy. Then as planned
Itamar addressed the commandos in Hebrew and English, calling on them
not to obey the orders to take actions which are illegal under
international law. The ribs closed in, and the boarding commenced.
All the crew and passengers
(apart from myself as I was steering) held hands.They
boarded us simultaneously from both sides. At that moment we cut the
engines and sat over the access points to the cut offs to prevent them
restarting the engines. The wheel is on the starboard side of the boat.
I was surrounded by three commandos, I held on to the wheel as hard as I
could. It reminded me of being on violent picket lines with the police
trying to break through. One grabbed my left arm, another my right arm.
The third stood by with a Tazer gun.
After a struggle they managed
to prize my hands from the wheel and threw me down on the floor. I
managed to crawl behind them and remove the engine starter keys but one
of them saw me and prized the keys from my hands.
On the opposite side of the
cockpit Yonatan Shapira and his
brother Itamar had been identified by the IDF commander in charge. He
sought to separate them from the others. Yonatan clasped Rami in a hug
to prevent himself being removed. The senior officer then moved one
side Yonatan’s lifejacket covering his left breast, placed a Tazer gun in
contact with his clothing and fired it directly into his heart. Yonatan
let out a dreadful scream and the force of the Tazer caused him to lose
control of his muscles. He was pulled off Rami and across the cockpit to
the middle. He was then hit twice more by the Tazer gun, screaming out
again. Both he and Itamar were forcefully pulled off our boat onto the
IDF rib on port side.They were driven at very high speed over the
waters, which had now become moderately rough (the wind had increased to
a F4) and it would have been very uncomfortable especially for Yonatan
still recovering from the Tazer shocks. They were taken to the frigate
where they were treated normally, then to shore and released on bail
without charges.
Meanwhile I had
turned off the fuel supply to the engines. After some time (the engines
only burn 1 1/2 litres per hour) when the fuel in the pipes had been
used up the port engine started to fail. (The starboard fuel shut-off
failed to work). After many attempts to restart the engine the IDF took
the boat in tow.
The boat is designed to go through the water at a maximum speed of about
8 knots. They towed us through the rough waters at 12 – 14 knots. The
boat was bouncing about violently, it was dangerous for the remaining
passengers and crew, including Reuvan, our 82 year old holocaust
survivor. We all sustained bruises and the passage to Ashdod was
exhausting. There was something like eight commandos on the boat in
addition to ourselves so it was grossly overloaded. It was surprising
that the boat did not begin to break up, the whole structure was
groaning and making cracking sounds. It was clear that they intended to
seriously mistreat the boat. During the passage they tore down all the
banners and flags – including the red ensign (the UK flag) which legally
has to be displayed in all foreign waters.
As a gesture of
defiance I decided to cook lunch! Not easy in the circumstance but I
managed to produce omlett (with garlic) sandwiches which Reuvan, Lillian
and I think Eli and I shared. Whilst in the galley I took the
opportunity of chucking out of the window the carving knife, the bread
knife, a chisel and two hammers from the tool box, remembering that
similar items had been photographed as evidence of weapons on previous
boats.
I’d like to
point out that in the USA it is illegal for the police or the army to
fire Tazers directly into the heart as there have been a number of cases
of heart failure and death as a result of such targeting.
The fact
that Yonatan was released without charge makes it very clear that the
use of the Tazer on him was purely malicious.
Contrary to IDF
reports, there was therefore, considerable resistance, be it
non-violent, to the IDF’s illegal hijacking of our boat, and there was
considerable, unprovoked and very dangerous violence perpetrated by the
IDF.
On arriving
at Ashdod we were greeted by perhaps 100 people in uniforms of one sort
or another within an a secure area created by ships containers. We were
obliged to pass through a tent where we were subjected to detailed body
searches and luggage searches. I was the last out as I insisted on
making an inventory of the boat valuables, though I was unable to get
any officer to countersign it it, it was taken by a female officer from
I believe their foreign office, but this was not clear. Before I was
allowed back on the boat to do the inventory it was searched, including
the use of a dog. None of us of course had any illegal drugs, but I have
to admit of a nervous moment when someone asked me if any previous owner
might have stashed anything away – this hadn’t occurred to me. Whilst
waiting I was approached by a Major who stated that he was in charge of
Gaza boarder security and he offered to transport our aid to Gaza. He
arranged for us to go onto the boat, I extracted the aid from the
lockers and he placed it where he could find it later. The boat was in a
state of chaos, having been ransacked by those searching it. I don’t
suppose they intend clearing out the fridge and other food, so god knows
what it will be like after a few weeks in what is still a hot time of
year. Combined with the split bellows on the loo pump whoever goes on
the boat next will need a good face mask and a strong stomach.
I was taken to the Immigration
and Boarder Authority where I experienced a truly Kafkaesque moment.
We were presented with a form
to sign which stated that I was due to be deported being suspected of
residing in Israel illegally. When I pointed out that the only reason I
was in Israel at all was that the IDF had kidnapped me and forcefully
brought me into Israel on the orders of the government, the reply was
that it did not matter who had brought me in, but that now I was there I
was there without permission and so due for deportation. They were not
amused by my laughter.
The regulations
allowed for a rapid departure at their expense if I signed the form, but
I was anxious not to be seen to recognize the Israeli law creating the
blockade and therefore the basis for deportation.Then equally bizarrely,
they stated that I could add whatever statement I wished to the form and
could have a photocopy, so I added a clause stating that I did not
recognize the legal basis for the deportation as it had no basis in
international law, and duly signed.
Eventually
the lawyers then arrived – really great people. I checked that my
understanding of the law was correct and that if I had opted to go to
court to appeal the deportation the result would have been the same and
they confirmed I had it right. The IDF had smashed up the sat phone I
had hired in front of me. I hope they will explain to the insurance
company why they had not just taken it so that it could be returned
later.
I was then
taken to the detention centre at Ben Gurion airport. Again we and our
luggage were all subject to yet more detailed searches. The smallness of
the minds of those whose job it is day in and day out to carry out these
numbing tasks can only be guessed at. Then, I was alone with Vash,
banged up for the night – banged being a very appropriate word
describing the door slam behind you. Having many times visited clients
in detention or prison as a social worker it was odd indeed being on the
other end but my complete self confidence in the absolute correctness of
our principles and our understanding of international law never deserted
me.
Despite asking for water I was
left without a drink for 12 hours. When I asked again in the morning I
was told to drink the tap water – which was warm. Later they provided a
cup of tea and a roll and a towel, so I was able to shower.
The officers who were to take me to
the airport were Ethiopian Jews and were required to put me in ankle
cuffs for the journey. I told them it was not at all necessary – they
were rather embarrassed and apologized but said they were obliged to use
them. At least they carried my bag to the minibus.
I was taken directly to the plane on the tarmac and had to climb a metal
staircase up to the access, the cuff chain clanking on the steps –
reminded me of Winton Marsarlis’s song about the chain gangs.
They removed the
cuffs out of sight of the other passengers and then another Kafqeresque
moment when I am welcomed aboard by the chief steward as any other
passenger, informed that there will be a meal and drinks provided and
wished me a comfortable journey!
There was sophisticated inflight entertainment – it was a Boeing 777 –
but there was no news service at all, very odd, I was in an El Al
bubble.
I didn’t
think anyone at home knew of my flight arrival time as I didn’t know it
until I was on the plane, but the lawyers must have told Miri and it was
absolutely great, in fact overwhelming, to be greeted by Vanessa and a
welcome party of close friends – amazing, what a two days, never to be
forgotten.
Its fantastic
coming back to amazing support that’s buzzing. I’m overwhelmed with the
results I think it was really successful. We made our point to the
world very powerfully that there are probably hundreds of thousands of
Jews around the world who are appalled at the Israeli policies to the
Palestinians; the violations of their humanity and their human rights.
Glyn Secker,
Captain of the Jewish Boat to Gaza
http://jewishboattogaza.org/
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