Israeli Navy kidnaps 21 activists, including former U.S. Congresswoman and Nobel Laureate

Yesterday, the Israeli Navy boarded the ship Spirit of Humanity and kidnaped the 21 passengers attempting to bring humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.  The 21 passengers included Cynthia McKinney, a former U.S. Congresswoman and Maired Maguire, a Nobel laureate.  FreeGaza, the group attempting to help the Palestinians released a press release stating the following:

"This is an outrageous violation of international law against us. Our boat was not in Israeli waters, and we were on a human rights mission to the Gaza Strip," said Cynthia McKinney, a former U.S. Congresswoman and presidential candidate. "President Obama just told Israel to let in humanitarian and reconstruction supplies, and that's exactly what we tried to do. We're asking the international community to demand our release so we can resume our journey."...Thousands of Gazans whose homes were destroyed earlier during Israel's December/January massacre are still without shelter despite pledges of almost $4.5 billion in aid, because Israel refuses to allow cement and other building material into the Gaza Strip...Just before being kidnapped by Israel, Huwaida Arraf, Free Gaza Movement chairperson and delegation co-coordinator on this voyage, stated that: "No one could possibly believe that our small boat constitutes any sort of threat to Israel. We carry medical and reconstruction supplies, and children's toys.