Thu, June 17, 2010 Tammuz 5, 5770 Organizer of German Jewish flotilla: We aren't betraying Israel
German Jewish Voice organization plans to send an aid ship to break the Israeli blockade of Gaza in July.
By DPA Tags: Israel news Jewish world Gaza flotillaAn organization of German Jews that wants to send an aid ship to break the Israeli blockade of Gaza says that its intentions are no betrayal of the Jewish people.
In an interview with the German Press Agency dpa in Berlin, Kate Katzenstein-Leiterer, a leader of the German Jewish Voice organization said instead that they wanted to help preserve the state of Israel by showing that its current policies were wrong.
 | Israel Navy forces approach one of six ships of an aid flotilla bound for Gaza on May 31, 2010. |
| Photo by: Reuters |
"We want Israel to behave in a way that it can be recognized as a democratic state. Now it is recognized as a criminal state. That is not what we want," she said.
On May 31 nine people were killed when Israeli naval forces boarded ships in a flotilla carrying aid and activists - some of whom Israel says were armed - bound for the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip.
The event caused international outrage, and has prompted Iran to say it will send its own fleet, threatening more confrontation in the Mediterranean.
"Some see what we are doing as a betrayal. But the question is, what do they really know about the whole thing. Some people don't want to be educated," Katzenstein-Leiterer said.
Jewish Voice plans to fill at least one vessel with educational materials donated by German schoolchildren for Gazan kids, and sail it from a Mediterranean port in mid-July.
"We don't want any confrontation with the Israeli navy. We have informed the (Israeli) ambassador in Berlin, and if they find it necessary to stop and check us, we will let them do that."
"And when they don't find any material that could be a security risk, we want them to let us go into Gaza. We won't unload our cargo in any Israeli or Egyptian port," she says.
Katzenstein-Leiterer grew up in the former East Germany, to where her committed Communist parents returned after fleeing Hitler's regime in World War II.
Her organization is part of the European Jews for a Just Peace movement, a ten-country peace-activist network.
Jewish Voice in Germany says that it has gathered the funds for its aid ship project from personal donations, loans, and a donation from the Left Party, a small political grouping with strong support in the former East.
"Normal people here don't understand very much what is going on in Israel and Palestine," Katzenstein-Leiterer says.
"The German press doesn't show what is going on. People think all Gazans are terrorists, like West Germans used to think that all East Germans were informers for the Stasi (secret police).
Katzenstein-Leiterer says that her group's stance has caused them to be ostracized by the mainstream German-Jewish community, which numbers a little over 100,000.
"Most of the Jews in Germany are immigrants from the former Soviet Union, and they are not on our side. The other members of the community are not on our side either. They say that everything that Israel does is OK, and they close their eyes to what is going on."
A senior activist in the Jewish Voice movement, Rolf Verleger, was reportedly expelled from his position in the Central Council of Jews in Germany because he initiated a petition saying the 2006 Israeli invasion of Lebanon was "not in our name."
However, Katzenstein-Leiterer says that there are now a small group of German Jews who, despite the weight that Germany's history places on the Jewish community, want to speak out against a Israeli blockade policy - brought in after Hamas took control of the sliver of territory in 2007 - that they see as wrong.
"The whole blockade, the whole siege of Gaza is illegal. It is against international law and human rights," she says.
"We want to deliver musical instruments and school material. The children and deprived of every kind of school material; clothes, shoes, candies. We don't see that that is any kind of safety risk."
On Thursday the Israeli cabinet was expected to make a decision on scrapping the so-called "positive" list of items that they allow into Gaza in favor of a more relaxed "negative" list of prohibited items that could be of use to militants.
"We just see that a Jewish state is occupying Palestine, laying a siege, and depriving children of the things that they need. We as Jews are saying, 'not in our name.' We want to show that there are Jews in the world that are on the side of these deprived people," she says.
News: Diplomacy and Defense | National | International | Opinion | Sports | Features | Elections
Jewish World: News | Features | Diaspora Culture: Travel | Books | Food and Wine | Arts & Leisure
Print Edition: News | Opinion | Business | Real Estate | Sports Magazine: Friday | Anglo File | Week's End
Haaretz.com Blogs: Focus U.S.A. | MESS Report | A Special Place in Hell | Strenger than Fiction
Contact us | Employment Opportunities | Advertise on Haaretz.com | People and Departments
UI by Netcraft | Design by Design Factory | Accelerated by cotendo
The Jewish World edition of Haaretz.com and Haaretz Newspaper offers extensive coverage of Jewish life in Israel and the Diaspora, Jerusalem, Sephardic and Ashkenazi Jews, European Jewry, British Jewry, French Jewry, American Jewry, synagogues, Jewish museums, Kashrut, kosher food, Reform, Orthodox and Conservative communities, the Holocaust, Jewish conversion, circumcision, marriage and intermarriage.
#Quelle http://www.haaretz.com/jewish-world/organizer-of-german-jewish-flotilla-we-aren-t-betraying-israel-1.296724 
These German Jews who want to organize a new aid-carrying flotilla to Gaza are very courageous.
"Normal people here don't understand very much what is going on in Israel and Palestine," Katzenstein-Leiterer says. And neither does Ms Katzenstein-Leiterer. It is not a wonder that most Jews in Germany are not on their side. Any organization which advocates boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) against Israel and is funded by deceitful and pro Palestinian organizations, is not to be trusted.
Misguided? They must be out of their minds. It is a disgrace. What makes them such experts. How much time have they spent in Israel and where were they when Hamas was sending thousands of missiles against innocent Israelis. They disgust me.
Interesting, isn't it, that these people are so concerned to get educational materials into Gaza but not at all concerned about the "education" the children will receive.
"We as Jews are saying, 'not in our name." no one is doing anythingin the name of Jews. we are dongt his in the name of the people of israel who are tired of running to shleters from gaza rocket fire maybe just maybe you need to look up what is actually going on here before you stick your nose in it
Where was your organization when rockets were raining at Sderot?
Where was your organization when rockets were raining at Sderot?
The building up of a real war started from a foundation, the utterly false Goldstone Report. This was predicted clearly by the US as lots of countries were playing around with Hamas's lies, blindly accepted by Goldstone. A lot of good Israeli people couldn't see their own contribution to a future human disaster. Yet, it moves straight in that direction. How could that be that no one understood the US thinking? At least now, can you see where we stand after the Goldstone report? Can you extrapolate this line into the future? Not even now? Maybe you would be so kind and listen to Joe Biden,.... PBS interview aired on Wednesday, June 2, 2010, American VP Joe Biden explained what really happened towards and during the flotilla incident: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGvx7FarInQ
AMAZING!!! Do you have no memory??????? I live in Europe and feel the hate every day...
It is ashame that jewish in the diaspora specially from Germany give opinion about Israel. It is easy to talk anddo when you are not in the place suffering. Just to reminder to the jewish in Germany the holocaust.
For some time I have been thinking, which of the flotilla supporting organisations I should support financially. Now I think the "German Jewish Voice organization" is one of them, that is worth to be supported for the aim of breaking the evil Gaza siege.
The same said their capos grandfathers in the Nazi camps
To these brave people. They are the ones who will save Israel from itself while the rest stick their heads in the sand and won't admit how wrong Israel's policies towards the Palestinians are.
The reason for the blockade is to ensure that no aid gets into gaza unchecked. The German Jews say they are prepared to have their ships checked and do not seek confrontation. So what's the point of their action?
Great to witness this as a German citizen. I am happy to see this happening in the German jewish community. The blockade is a shame to every sane human.
Thank you for rating
Do you wonder why your political group is shrinkinking? Do yourself a favour and take up knitting. Run along now little girl.
Icant imagine this is done by Jews! betraying thier owne brothers, the german jews leave in germany they dont no what their brothers are gioing through, even if they think that israels current policies were bad, this not the way they should go about it. let them think twice before they take any move.
Until the dark days of the Holocaust, many German Jews trusted they were German citizens with all their rights. Now again, some trust amalek. Luckily, not all of them are so naive.
Stay in Germany we don't want you here, go visit Auschwitz instead and see how many were slaughtered because of there illusion … How sad that you still didn’t learn anything and I will not stand by you bringing harm to my country and our children…
Thank you for rating
YES ...YOU ARE!
Thank you for rating
in reality what now starts to take world wide proportions is the blockade against the state of israel,this state is the victim of herself,of her fanatic religious-nationalist majority it is like the six-day war results were much more a curse than a blessing.
Thank you for rating
most gazans agree & side with the terrorists,confirmed by their majority vote for the terrorist orgainization hamas.
Thank you for rating
Or in other words, sometimes your "very best friends" (U.S Congress/Christian Right) are in fact your very worst enemies......
Sure, we understand. First of all: Good German citizens, and then, of jewish parents. Just like my grandparents now in Auschwitz, formerly in Berlin. "Nobody knows...." "Everybody thinks..." Deja' vu?
..for keeping the true jewish way alive..... this is what israeli jews have forgotten.
Only difference is now it is completely voluntary and no way to claim that they were forced into it.
Misguided souls
on the way. HAMAS IS A TERORIST ORGANIZATION AND NOT SOME MOTHER TEREZA
common sense is not so common in israel. being jewish doesnt mean that i will be with israel policies forever..
Thank you for rating
Do explain why those trying to act humanly as possible, even to non-Jews, are misguided souls, no really DO explain!
It is really frustrating to read comments like Sky's. Since when was it established that all Jews must agree with Israel's policies and actions? When will the day come when the voice of Jews from all over the world - whether agreeing with Israel's policies or rejecting them - will be heard and not discounted as Sky so naively pointed out they are nothing more than misguided souls. And the souls of people who blindly accept and support everything Israel does are well-guided? I think not. Wake up people! Israel makes mistakes, and unjust decisions, and crimes. To keep blindly applauding everything Israel's government is doing will only lead to more and more isolation from the world. Complacency is going to be the end of Israel. The worldwide Jewish voice does matter. One must always accept the fact that Jews living outside of Israel can offer a new perspective on how to come clean. Go back in your safe, dark and reassuring cocoon Sky. Don't forget your blindfolds and ear plugs. Sweet dreams.
Thank you for rating
They are Humanitarians and good on them. Obviously Sky is a dark cruel and mean Sky
Thank you for rating
wunderbar http://www.mideast.co.il/p-2_a-333/