There will be 36 passengers, 4 crew members, and 10 people from the media. The only cargo will be 3000 letters of peace and friendship written by Americans all over the country. The passengers come from 14 states plus the District of Columbia. 58% are women and 42% are men, their ages go from the 20’s to the 80’s, they represent 29 occupations, 28% of them are Jewish, and 22% are people of color. There will be a medical team made up of 3 EMTs and a registered nurse. They were chosen through an anonymous on-line process. The application committee looked for geographic balance. People were interviewed, had to present references, and many were turned down.

3 participants were then introduced and asked to tell the press why they were going. Kathy Kelly spoke first and said that causing a civilian population to suffer greatly in order to force them to make a political change is “an act of state terrorism.” When Israel assaulted Gaza during Operation Cast Lead no nation intervened to stop the slaughter. The flotilla represents an act of conscience on the part of many thousands who are saying, you can’t do this. And for the Americans, you can’t do this in our name. Our country is supplying Israel with the tools to destroy the Palestinian people and the US is acting as Israel’s enablers in the UN.

Gabe Schivone, a student at the University of Arizona spoke next. He is a member of Jewish Voice for Peace and of Students for Justice in Palestine and he works to promote the Boycott, Divest, Sanction campaign. He spoke of the injustice in him, as a Jew, being welcome to go to Israel with full rights and citizenship while the Palestinians born there can have neither.

The next speaker, Richard Levy, a lawyer, began by explaining that he grew up in a family that was very supportive of Israel. He was taught that when the Jews came to establish Israel there were no people there. No one ever said that over 700,000 people were violently expelled. During Israel’s Operation Cast Lead 1,400 people were killed, almost all civilians – children, workers, women, farmers. The US government raised no objections. Jews around the country are supporting the American boat. We have to let congress and Obama know that we don’t support AIPAC’s policies or a blockade that keeps 40% of the population unemployed, kids without getting food or an education, or homes that cannot be rebuilt.

At that point the other passengers present introduced themselves and a Q & A period for the press began with all participants answering questions.

Q. Israel said that they have eased the sanctions – what are the conditions like in Gaza now?

A. Israel lied. Gaza is a prison. What it needs most is freedom.

Q. There is a humanitarian crisis in Syria now, are you planning to stop there too?

A. We support all the struggles for democracy in the Middle East but we are going to Gaza because the US government, our government, is supporting what Israel is doing. We have a special responsibility there. This policy is not only destructive to the Palestinians, but to this country as well because much of the tension in the Middle East has roots in the relationship between the US and Israel and Palestine.

Q. What is the practical goal of the flotilla?

A. Changing policy doesn’t happen quickly – we are on a tedious, hard road. Hopes are that the flotilla will inform a larger number of people and make them aware of what is going on there so that they may become active and take what steps they can. All members of congress and the Obama Administration should be made aware that the boat is sailing and that we expect them to do what they can to protect US citizens. Hundreds of thousands of people from across this country have worked and sent donations to make this trip possible. The flotilla is part of a long term effort.

Q. Have you communicated with the State Department?

A. Yes, we met with them last week. We explained what we were doing and why and asked for their protection. The next day they discouraged our participation explaining that Israel is expecting to use force.

Q. Some of you may not return, you may be killed. Are you prepared for that?

A. This final question was answered by Ray McGovern, a former CIA analyst,

“ I’ve been asked this question many times over the past few days. ‘You’re asking for it, why are you provoking? Don’t you know you can be killed?’ I stand in the tradition of people I regard as models. They said the same thing to Jesus of Nazareth in Jerusalem, they said the same thing to Gandhi just about everywhere he went, and they said the same thing to Martin Luther King Jr. when he insisted on going to Memphis to help the marginalized garbage collectors. So I feel I’m in very good company. I feel buoyed up. If something happens to me, I’m not a martyr, I don’t want to be martyred, but neither did those 3 gentlemen that I just mentioned.”