But for these demonstrators, being black listed by ISrael is a sharp reminder of the Second World War.
Iranian Press TV, Flytilla blocked in Europe, July 8, 2011
Just how many members of the Flytilla have been successfully blocked from entering Israel?
If you ask Iranian Press TV, they will tell you 600.
The BBC has a more moderate number of Flytilla members blocked in Europe:
Palestinian groups have criticised Israel after activists planning to visit the West Bank were barred from flying and others were deported.
Israeli officials said airlines blocked some 200 blacklisted travellers from flying to Tel Aviv.
The Welcome to Palestine group says the action shows restrictions on access to Palestinian areas.
According to the BBC account, a group from Switzerland was expected to be expelled from Israel while airlines in France, Germany and Switzerland had already prevented some people with tickets from boarding their flight based on being told by Israel that they
A group from Switzerland was also expected to be expelled.
Airlines with flights from France, Germany and Switzerland prevented ticket-holders from boarding planes after being notified by Israel that they would be refused entry.
Swissinfo.ch reports on the flytilla:
Dozens of pro-Palestinian protesters trying to reach Israel were prevented from embarking on flights from Geneva and Zurich airports on Friday.
Some 600 people from around Europe are trying to visit the town of Bethlehem at the invitation of a Palestinian group in a solidarity operation dubbed "Welcome to Palestine". Israel says the visitors are persona non grata.
That might explain where the Iranian news got the number 600--that is the total number of Flytilla members in Europe, not the number of people who were grounded.
More people were grounded in France:
Nearly 100 French activists en route to Israel have been stopped from boarding their flights by French authorities in Paris.
Stranded at Charles De Gaulle Airport, the activists have staged a protest denouncing the French authorities' action.
"They have staged a noisy protests at the airport, shouting 'Collaborators, collaborators!' to condemn the French authorities for their action," our correspondent said on Friday.
The Iranian paper reported similar anger, to the degree that some members of the Flytilla claim they are going to take up the issue with the UN.
It appears that just as protesters refused to understand Israel's right to blockade Gaza and their right under international law to intercept ships trying to break the blockade while they are still in international waters--in the same way protesters of the Flytilla refuse to accept that a country can control who is allowed or not allowed into the country.
The Flotilla and Flytilla are where the righteous indignation of self-proclaimed humanitarian activists meets international law.
So far, international law seems to be winning.
Technorati Tag: Israel and Flytilla and International Law .
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