Dear Ms Mogherini, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy,

Between the 27th and the 29th of September the two sailing ships that form the Women Flotilla to Gaza left from the ports of Messina and Barcelona.

It is yet another initiative against the illegal Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip that intends to denounce the dramatic situation of the Palestinian population in the area and draw attention to the humanitarian crisis the population keeps suffering since 2006.

In the Flotilla there are women from thirteen different nationalities, including European citizens such as the Irish Nobel Peace Prize Mairead Maguire, the Spanish photographer Sandra Barrilaro, and Swedish and British citizens.

If the State of Israel does not stop them, the Flotilla should reach Gaza this week, but Benyamin Netanyahu’s Government has already ordered the Israeli army to approach the boat and stop it from reaching Gaza to show the solidarity of millions of citizens around the world. This threat seriously endangers the physical integrity of these women. It must be remembered that the first flotilla that tried to reach Gaza by sea in 2010 ended with the assault on the Turkish ship Mavi Marmara by the Israeli army, which resulted in the death of ten Turkish activists.

For all this, we are writing to demand that the necessary arrangements and conversations with the Government of the State of Israel are started in order to protect the integrity of these women and to allow the free navigation of the boat until it reaches the Gaza Strip.

Best regards,

Marina Albiol, MEP
Xabier Benito, MEP
Javier Couso, MEP
Tania González, MEP
Josu Juaristi, MEP
Paloma López, MEP
Ernest Maragall, MEP
Lola Sánchez, MEP
Jordi Sebastià, MEP
Lidia Senra, MEP
Josep-Maria Terricabras, MEP
Estefanía Torres, MEP
Miguel Urbán, MEP
Ernest Urtasun, MEP
Ángela Vallina, MEP