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US Boats to Gaza Ambulance in Service in Gaza

January 26, 2022 No Comments

We are excited to see the ambulance US Boats to Gaza purchased with other Freedom Flotilla Coalition members and coordinated by member Kia Ora Gaza from New Zealand! Thank you to Miles of Smiles whose people were responsible for making this extremely complex process of getting vans converted into ambulances and transported to and allowed into Gaza. And thank you to all who donated to US Boats to Gaza to make this dream become a reality!

More information in The Palestine Chronicle.

Ambulances Arrive in Gaza!

November 14, 2021 No Comments

Congratulations to Miles of Smiles and MEDICs Worldwide on such a monumental task of outfitting 37 ambulances and getting them across the Sinai, through the Rafah border crossing…and finally into Gaza!!!

We are so glad our US Boats to Gaza and other FFC national campaigns were a part of this!!

Thank you to all who contributed to this important effort!

Following are some pictures of the ambulances as they arrived.

Unloading the 27 ambulances on the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing.

The 1st ambulance passes through the Gaza border control.

The ‘Peace Train’ of ambulances head to their respective health care providers to serve the pressing needs of the people in the Gaza Strip.

WANN accepting certificate — We Are Not Numbers accepting the certificate of thanks for the Freedom Flotilla Coalition.

Certificate of thanks to the Freedom Flotilla Coalition

A Little Perspective

November 12, 2021 No Comments

With the recent uproar over the US Border Patrol treatment of Haitian refugees on the US-Mexico border, US Boats to Gaza deemed it appropriate to highlight how much worse the treatment is on the separation fence between Israel and Gaza. As Americans who support the Israeli military with over $3.8 billion per year, we are unfortunately complicit in not only the abuse but also the murder of innocent civilians. We decided to create a short video clip with a lot of help from our Canadian Freedom Flotilla Coalition partner to help Americans understand what we are supporting and protecting. Here is the video clip:

Contact Congress to Reject Criminalization of Civil Society Orgs

October 29, 2021 No Comments

Israeli Defense Ministry’s military order issued October 19th designates six Palestinian civil society organizations as “terrorist” groups,” effectively outlawing their work. The organizations are…

These are groups that have been working for decades to protect and advance Palestinian rights for children, women, prisoners, farmers and more. They are groups that many of us and our friends have worked with through the years. Al Haq, for example, has an internship program named for Rachel Corrie, and our friends Cindy and Craig Corrie have visited their office in Ramallah when they launched this.

Twenty-three Israeli human and legal rights organizations have called the Israeli government action a “Draconian measure against human rights.” Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have called this an “appalling and unjust decision” and “an attack by the Israeli government on the international human rights movement.” They further say that how we, as part of the international community, respond will be a true test of our resolve to protect human rights defenders.

It’s critical that we act now! Representative Betty McCollum (MN) introduced a House Resolution condemning the Israeli government action, and calling for a response from the State Department. The original House cosponsors are Rep. Rashida Tlaib (MI-13), Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Rep. Raúl Grijalva (AZ-03), Rep. Andre Carson (IN-03), Rep. Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Rep. Marie Newman (IL-03), Rep. Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Rep. Cori Bush (MO-01), and Rep. Chuy Garcia (IL-04).

It’s critical that many of us contact our representatives in the U.S. House and ask (demand) that they sign on to this resolution. We recommend that you call your House member’s DC or district office and/or email to them through their websites. Alternatively, you may respond in a message through JVP-Action.

The information you may want and need about Rep. McCollum’s resolution and about the organizations targeted by Israel can be found in this press release from Rep. McCollum’s office and in the newly introduced resolution itself. Also, read Rep. McCollum’s statement issued when the resolution was introduced today.

Tell your Representative to cosponsor the House Resolution introduced by Rep. McCollum “Condemning the repressive designation by the Government of Israel of six prominent Palestinian human rights and civil society groups as terrorist organizations.”
Tell your Representative how you feel about the Israeli government’s action against these Palestinian organizations.
Tell your representative to reject Israel’s criminalization of Palestinian civil society organizations as “terrorists” and to pressure Israel to revoke the designation.
Leave your contact info and ask for a response from your representative.

While there’s no similar measure in the U.S. Senate, there’s still a need for our Washington Senators to hear from us on this matter. So please find the time to call and/or email their offices, too, telling them that they must reject Israel’s criminalization of Palestinian civil society organizations as “terrorists” and must pressure Israel to revoke the designation.

Please let WAPR know if you have questions: Email: WAPalestinianRights@gmail.com

It’s also heartening and helpful if you shoot them an email to let them know you’ve taken action and about any response you receive.

Thank you!

FFC Ambulance Purchase !

July 23, 2021 No Comments

July 2021: Miles of Smiles is preparing 25 new ambulances Ambulance bound for Gaza in Egypt to travel together soon as an international solidarity convoy to boost Gaza’s severely crippled health services devastated by Israel’s repeated bombardments and 14 year siege.

This $2 million humanitarian aid mission, the 39th convoy organized by Miles of Smiles, is supported by organizations from 15 countries, including the Freedom Flotilla Coalition and US Boats to Gaza. The first stage, Dr Mustafa in ambulance comprising a fleet of large trucks packed with urgently needed medical supplies and equipment, is on its way to Gaza. The 25 ambulances are due to follow starting in late July.

The convoy organizers thank supporters around the world, including FFC and US Boats to Gaza who made the ambulance purchase possible.

The ‘Peace Train’ and the ‘Miles of Smiles’ solidarity convoy of 27 new, fully-equipped ambulances arrived in Gaza on November 8th, 2021. Here is a video compilation of the ambulances arriving at the Egyptian-Gaza border.

Following are some pictures of the ambulances as they arrived.

Help Send an Ambulance to Gaza!

June 24, 2021 No Comments

20 modern, fully-equipped ambulances are now being prepared in Cairo for the 2021 ‘Miles of Smiles’ international convoy to Gaza. These ambulances will give a huge boost to Gaza’s struggling medical services seriously devastated by Israel’s heavy bombing raids last month.

US Boats to Gaza is raising funds towards sponsoring one of these ambulances, which costs $45,000 fully-fitted.

Please support our urgent appeal for this important practical solidarity mission, and share this post.

How to donate: PLEASE CLICK HERE TO DONATE NOW

Thank you!