On the morning of 20th October, the Israeli government put its threat into execution, by boarding its navy in international waters, the schooner "Estelle" with a Finnish flag, having on board twenty passengers, among them five members of Parliaments, and which goal was to reach Gaza with the aim of delivering medical and school materials, which are lacking in this blockaded inhumane and unjustified area for several years.

The ship and passengers were taken by force to Israel and according to the information we have they are currently imprisoned. This brutal and premeditated assault, committed, once again, in violation of international and maritime law must be denounced and condemned for what it is: a double act of piracy, because it was perpetrated in international waters, and that the destination was no Israel, but Gaza.

The Party of the European Left strongly condemns this new aggression which was Netanyahu government´s fault. He considers himself above the law. He has made a specialty of this kind of action because it is the third time that he has broken a peaceful and humanitarian effort by a completely illegal blockade maritime.

The Party of the European Left solemnly calls the European Union and its member states to condemn the Israeli government, to demand the immediate release of the ship and its passengers, to punish Netanyahu´s government and to refuse to strengthen the free trade agreement with Israel.Finally, we ask the EU to admit Palestine to the number of states which were recognized by the United Nations.

21 October 2012