Eight months after the ‘Irene’ was raided by the Israeli navy, passenger Edith Lutz visits Gaza
On 14 May, eight months after the Jewish boat to Gaza was raided by the Israeli navy on its way to Gaza, one of its passengers arrived in Gaza.
Edith Lutz, co-organizer and passenger on the Irene, brought a photo-collage of the boat to Gaza. “We are still waiting for the return of the real boat”, she says, “but it’s the arrival of the message that’s most important. Our message is that there are many Jews opposing the Israeli politics of oppression.”
Edith Lutz joined vik2gaza, a group of friends of Vittorio Arrigoni, whose murder in Gaza last month devastated many Palestinian and international friends. These friends came together to commemorate Vittorio’s work in Gaza and to assure its people of their solidarity.
According to Lutz, Vittorio Arrigoni, along with people in Gaza, had been waiting for the Irene. She said that some weeks before the boat’s furtive departure from Famagusts, Vittorio had emailed her, writing “Yallah, when is the Jewish boat coming?”
Nizar Aiyash, chairman of the Fishermen’s Syndicate, spoke to Edith Lutz, saying “We support your mission and thank you very much for your intention to sail to Gaza. We strongly wish and hope that the next Jewish Boat will be able to arrive.”
Emad Naserallah, of the Gaza Music School, Qattan Foundation, said “When living under these harsh conditions there are moments of desperation and hopelessness. When you come, we know that we are not alone, and we feel stronger.”
Dr. Eyad AlSarraj, founder of the Gaza Community Mental Health Programme, said “I believe that the symbolic arrival of the boat of “Jews for Justice for Palestinians” and Jews working for peace generally is a very significant development. I hope that this symbolic arrival will be followed by an actual arrival of Jews working for peace and justice for Palestinians to achieve this noble goal of peace.”
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