#Flotilla2 Has Regained Its Dignity (In A Manner Of Speaking)

The action of Dignité is not a mini-version of Freedom Flotilla 2, but a first wave that will be followed by others. It is a message to the Israeli government, to the international community and to the besieged people of Gaza: The Free Gaza Movement and the coalition of Freedom Flotilla II are not giving up, until the inhumane and illegitimate blockade of Gaza is lifted.
The Free Gaza Movement, July 16, 2011

That would be the French boat “Dignité/Karama”, which left the Greek island Kastellorizo and started heading south on Saturday night with 10 passengers.

According to the article:

The ten passengers onboard view themselves as representatives of the whole Freedom Flotilla II – Stay Human

Israellycool notes the Dignite/Karama may be the only ones who see them as representing the whole Flotilla:

The decision to carry on the mission of sailing to Gaza was not automatically welcomed by other delegations or by the steering committee of the flotilla. Some preferred to officially end the current campaign. Karama’s [Dignite-Al Karama] participants spent long hours negotiating and convincing the others.

I suppose that would explain the closing paragraph in the Free Gaza Movement press release above:

The action of Dignité is not a mini-version of Freedom Flotilla 2, but a first wave that will be followed by others. It is a message to the Israeli government, to the international community and to the besieged people of Gaza: The Free Gaza Movement and the coalition of Freedom Flotilla II are not giving up, until the inhumane and illegitimate blockade of Gaza is lifted.

So the Dignite is not meant to be a replacement for the original flotilla--instead, it marks the beginning of a whole new series of flotillas.

Oddly enough, that is the same sort of spin that is being used to describe the next Spiderman movie.

I guess then that the Dignite is not supposed to remind everyone that the flotilla has shrunk from its original 1,500--down to 350-350--down to 10.

Technorati Tag: Israel and Gaza Flotilla.