June 30, 2009

Former Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney held by Israel

The Muslim Public Affairs Council today called on President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to call for the immediate release of a former U.S. Congresswoman and 21 human rights workers by Israeli naval forces.

SEE: Cynthia McKinney Demands Immediate Release After Her Gaza-Bound Boat is Seized by Israeli Navy (Fox News)

Earlier today, Israeli naval forces intercepted and captured a small boat called "The Spirit of Humanity," which was carrying medical supplies, cement, olive trees and children's toys to Gaza. Former U.S. Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney and Noble laureate Mairead Maguire are among the two dozen people captured by Israeli forces.

"This is an outrageous violation of international law against us. Our boat was not in Israeli waters, and we were on a human rights mission to the Gaza Strip," McKinney said in the statement, released today by the Free Gaza Movement, which owns the humanitarian boat. "President Obama just told Israel to let in humanitarian and reconstruction supplies, and that's exactly what we tried to do. We're asking the international community to demand our release so we can resume our journey."

The 1.5 million residents of the Gaza Strip have been under an intense and crippling blockade for nearly two years. The humanitarian crisis has reached desperate levels. Today, three-quarters of Palestinians are unemployed and rely on U.N. and other humanitarian groups for their daily sustenance.

President Obama, Secretary Clinton and our Congress should also demand an immediate end to the crippling blockade on Gaza.

ACTION REQUESTED (requires 5 minutes of your time):

1. Call the office of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at (202) 647-5291 to urge the State Department to demand:

• the immediate release of former Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney and the other 21 human rights workers on board "The Spirit of Humanity" when it was captured.
• that Israel ends its brutal and crippling blockade of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

2. Click here to contact your members of Congress directly to call for the release of McKinney and the humanitarian workers, and to apply pressure on Israel to end the blockade.