The Gaza blockade has entered its fifth year. The anti-authoritarian movement that is sweeping the region is forced to grind to a halt at the border to the occupied Palestinian territories. However, the question is not whether, but rather when the Palestinian people will also be granted human and national rights. A first step towards peace and justice would be to lift the Gaza blockade, which is illegal, inhuman and destructive for all parties involved.

There is no doubt that the blockade is a crime against international law. The United Nations, the European Union, most of the international community and unanimous legal opinion has reiterated time and time again that this is the case.

Equally undisputed is the fact that the blockade is having devastating consequences for the 1.5 million-strong population of the little strip of shore between the Mediterranean and the Negev desert that is a quarter of the size of Öland. Reports from UN agencies, international aid organisations, Palestinian and Israeli human rights organisations - yes, even the Israeli army's own statistics - tell the same story. On 16 June the health authorities in Gaza City declared a state of emergency owing to the acute shortage of life-sustaining medicines.

The blockade makes it impossible to rebuild the hospitals, homes and water purification plants that were destroyed by the comprehensive bombings over Gaza in the winter of 2008/2009. This has led to unemployment in Gaza amounting to an inconceivable 45 per cent according to the UN today.

The export ban prevents Gaza residents from supporting themselves and forces almost total dependency on aid. Young people are denied the opportunity of further studies at the Palestinian university in Jerusalem and on the West Bank. Family members living in Gaza and on the West Bank are denied the right to meet their nearest and dearest.

What the blockade most of all stands in the way of is a sustainable and just peace. Respect for human and civil rights are a prerequisite for achieving peace and reconciliation. If, despite all the important speeches that are delivered, to all intents and purposes in practice the surrounding world accepts collective punishment, this merely feeds political extremism on both sides. If, on the other hand, there is hope for the future, then violence does not stand out as a solution. The blockade not only deprives people in Gaza of their human rights, it also exposes Israel to increasing threat.

The destitution in Gaza is not the result of any natural disaster, but of politics. The blockade is decided in political assemblies and can only be maintained by force of arms. This means that political decisions are required both in Israel and in the international community to lift the blockade. But clearly the politicians’ drive is not sufficient for them to live up to their own proud declarations concerning human rights and international law. They need a helping hand from us citizens.

This is the help that the Freedom Flotilla 2 – Stay Human is providing. The idea itself is simple. The blockade flies in the face of just about everything the international community says that it stands for. To break the blockade, to refuse to support this continuing crime against international law, is to send a clear signal to the world's leaders: it is time for politicians to live up to the ideals they embrace in their speeches.

The Freedom Flotilla 2 – Stay Human is also sending a message to the people of Gaza, "the world's largest open-air prison": you are not alone; there is a world out there that cares, and is doing something.

We, the signatories to this article, want to express our deep concern for, and solidarity with, the imprisoned population of Gaza, who for more than four years have been subjected to an illegal and inhuman blockade by the Israeli government that is destructive for all parties concerned.

We want to express our support for peaceful acts of solidarity like the Freedom Flotilla 2 – Stay Human, an initiative some of us are going to participate in as passengers, and others as engaged sympathisers on shore.

We also want to challenge the Israeli government and defence force not to repeat last summer’s tragic mistake when the attack on the first Freedom Flotilla resulted in nine people’s deaths and injuries to many. Blockades, occupation and military violence do not lead to a lasting and just peace. Finally, therefore, we want to challenge both the Israeli government and the Palestinian people's elected representatives to renounce confrontation in favour of the path of dialogue.

 

Georg Andersson, ex minister of communications in the Swedish government

Michael Azar, historian

Faraj Bayrakdar, poet

Bengt Berg, member of Parliament

Eva Bergman, director

Ulf Bjereld, professor in political science

Thomas Bodström, lawyer, former minister of justice

Eva Brunne, bishop in Stockholm

Haideh Daragahi, literary historian

Maud Edgren-Schori, sociologist

Anna Ek, chairman Swedish Peace and Arbitration Society

Gösta Ekman, actor

Gustaf Fridolin, leader of the Green Party in Sweden

Bo G Forsberg, general secratary of Diakonia, a Christian development organisation

Johan Galtung, peace researcher

Göran Greider, poet, editor-in-chief

Kajsa Grytt, musician

KG Hammar, former arch bishop in Sweden

Jan Hjärpe, professor

Peter Hultqvist, member of Parliament, social democraratic spokesperson in defense matters

Helle Klein, journalist and priest

Ulrika Knutson, cultural journalist, chairman of Publicistklubben, association of publishers

Sven-Eric Liedman, professor emeritus history of ideas

Martin Lind, bishop emeritus

Hans Linde, spokesperson in foreign affairs for the Left Party

Lars Lindgren, chairman Union of the transport workers

Henning Mankell, writer

Fred Nilsson, local council leader in the city of Härnösand

Hans-Olof Nilsson, chairman IUL, International Union of Food Workers

Suzanne Osten, director

Veronika Palm, member of Parliament

Mårten Palme, professor in economics

Sineva Ribeiro, chairman Swedish Association of Health Professionals

Janne Rudén, chairman SEKO, Swedish union for service and communication

Arne Ruth, publisher, former editor-in-chief Dagens Nyheter

Nawal El-Saadawi, writer

Pierre Schori, diplomat

Gudrun Schyman, fomer leader of the Left Party and the Feminist Initiative

Stellan Skarsgård, actor

Maria Stenberg, member of Parliament

Joakim Thåström, musician

Desmond Tutu, arch bishop, Nobel prize laureate

Jonas Wallin, chairman Union of electricians

America Vera-Zavala, dramatist

Mikael Wiehe, musician

Sven Wollter, actor

Ruben Östlund, film director

 

(To be published in Svenska Dagbladet 110626 and then in international media. For questions or remarks, contact Mikael Löfgren media@shiptogaza.se)