Ackerman and Lowey Warn Flotilla Participants of Potential Prosecution

Jordan Rohde — June 30, 2011 – 1:12 pm | Democrats | Foreign Policy | Israel Comments (1) Add a comment

Representatives Gary Ackerman (D-NY) and Nita Lowey (D-NY) took a firm stance against the Gaza flotilla during their current visit to Israel. They said that participants in the flotilla aimed at breaching Israel’s maritime blockade of the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip are subject to serious legal ramifications from the U.S. as well as Israel and other nations. According to Bloomberg:

Two members of Congress said U.S. citizens who join a flotilla planning to break Israel’s embargo of the Gaza Strip should face prosecution.

‘Israel’s blockade of terrorist territory is absolutely legal,’ Congressman Gary Ackerman said during a visit to Jerusalem today with a fellow Democratic representative from New York, Nita Lowey. ‘And the people who would run an international legal blockade are subject to the legal ramifications of all countries, including the United States.’

The two Democratic Representatives understand that because Israel’s blockade against the threat of terrorism is “absolutely legal,” any attempt to breach the blockade would be a dangerous and serious threat to Israel’s security.

In addition to the legal ramifications of participating in the flotilla, Ackerman and Lowey also stressed that the flotilla is not at all useful or necessary.

Lowey stated:

The materials on the flotilla can be brought to the areas that they are needed in the legal way. There is no reason for this flotilla to get such worldwide attention.

Ackerman said:

This is really a flotilla of fools who have been duped by people who are thugs and terrorists, who are promoting a political cause trying to destroy the state of Israel.

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