Swede Witnesses Attack on Ships by Israeli Forces

2010-06-03 07:03

At noon on Tuesday Ulf Carmesund landed at Stockholm’s Arlanda Airport after being deported from Israel. He was one of 11 Swedes that took part in an aid mission to the Gaza Strip.

Israeli commando forces raided six ships heading for the Palestinian Gaza Strip on Monday.

[Ulf Carmesund, International Secretary of the Swedish Christian Democrats]:

“It was a surreal experience of a commando pirates and entering our ship with black hood in front of their faces with armed guns, running everywhere as if I was appearing in an American stupid film.”

The fleet was on its way from Cyprus to Gaza when they were attacked on international waters, off the coast of Israel.

[Ulf Carmesund, International Secretary of the Swedish Christian Democrats]: (English, male)

“We had prepared ourselves for this unlikely event we thought. We had prepared non-violently to stand like this, holding each others arms, to try to stop them to enter our wheelhouse on the boat. However we failed because they were very well armed and trained on doing what they did so they pushed us aside. They threw sound grenades which made people feel fear and leave the place. They shot us with paintball guns. So they entered this wheelhouse, knocked our captain with a rifle butt, so he fell to the floor.”

Sources say at least ten people died and dozens were wounded in the violent incident.

The people of the Gaza Strip are in need of aid. And ships bring them over.

[Peter Weiderud, President of the Swedish Christian Democrats]:
”There is two reasons. One is humanitarian. There is a lack of a lot of supplies since the blockade and this was a way for individuals and organizations all over Europe to show solidarity with the people of Gaza bringing this kind of supplies that they don´t have by boat directly. The other of course was a political aim. By doing this, there was way to highlight the necessity to end this.”

The Gaza Strip has been blockaded by Israel since the Hamas took control in June 2007.

[Peter Weiderud, President of the Swedish Christian Democrats]:
“Due to the decision from United Nations, that was a decision by the international community together to create a state of Israel, after the Second World War suffering that the Jewish people had gone through. With that comes the responsibility to follow up and make sure that the decision is implemented, because one result of this implementation was that the Palestinians became homeless and the way Israel carries out their policies particularly after 1967 war with the occupation of the westbank in Gaza. It has really made it necessary for the international community to take the responsibility that they once started with the decision in UN, so our commitment is for the two states to be able to exist, Israel and Palestine together with secure borders.”

The incident has shocked the inter
national community and strained diplomatic relations between Israel and Turkey. Sources say Turkey unofficially supported the Gaza Strip aid mission.

Activists from around the world are protesting while some European countries have condemned Israel.

NTD Stockholm, Sweden

Theologian Ulf Carmesund back from Israel

Aftonbladet Michael Stengård direct reports

He was imprisoned for two days.

At 13, on Wednesday landed the fourth Swede In Gaza – theologian Ulf Carmesund (S).

- They played a captain with a rifle butt in the head, “he told Aftonbladet’s reporter who is on site at the airport.

It was a tired and ratings included Ulf Carmesund who met his family and the press at the airport today, after two days in Israeli prison.

Ulf Carmesund, international secretary of the Swedish Christian Social Democrats, was on board one of the six ships, ship Sfendonh, which was consummated by Israeli troops on Monday morning.
Masked and armed

He went to bed sihg to sleep at half past three o’clock in the morning.

- Shortly thereafter, I was awakened. Between 15 and 20 masked troops stormed on board, he says right after he landed at a press conference at the airport.

The soldiers were armed with automatic weapons, rubber bullets and tear gas.

- We tried to use non-violence that we have learned, but we did not have time to take our positions, “he says.

Did captain

The Israelis knew what to do. They quickly took control of the wheelhouse.

- They played a captain with a rifle butt in the head, “says Carmesund.

The other board was forced out since the deck where they were forced to sit still. The other five boats in the convoy ship was already lost.

- The only thing that was seen was a military craft, “says Carmesund.
No violence

He says that the Israeli soldiers did not use excessive force.

- They behaved correctly towards us, except that they knock down our captain.

When they landed, they were of all his belongings and was separated out from each other.

Carmesund was late with an ultimatum – or deported to face trial in Israel.

- Since I wanted to get home to my children, I chose to write directly over the deportation, there was no question of anything else ..
“Like sitting in a kennel”

He was then accompanied by an American in a small transit bus for transportation to the airport in Tel Aviv.

- There was no air conditioning, I got the feeling of sitting in a kennel.

All the time they got questions about what they did on the vessels. When he asked where his luggage was accounted soldiers all the time that it would come.

- I still have not seen this, “he says.
No information about the other Swedes

He has no information on how the other Swedes were doing or they have been detained.

- I saw Henry Ascher and Amil Sarsour last time on the boat. Only when I was transported to the airport I learned that people had died.

Ulf Carmesund says he never felt scared, but anxious to sit in detention. He now flies home to Gothenburg with his family.

Ulf’s wife, Ulrica Englund, is overjoyed at having her husband home safely.

- It was terrible during the twelve hours I did not know whether he survived or not. Now we are going home and rest up ourselves and meet friends and family, “she says.