The Rachel Corrie aid ship docked in Israel on Saturday after being prevented from reaching Gaza, with no repetition of the bloody violence that erupted when commandos stormed another aid boat earlier in the week. The Irish-owned 1,200-ton vessel was escorted into the southern port of Ashdod by two naval launches some five hours after being commandeered by Israeli forces when it ignored orders not to head for Gaza. Pro-Palestinian organizers accused Israel of “hijacking” the ship. Israel has faced mounting international pressure to lift the blockade since Monday's deadly confrontation aboard a Turkish aid vessel headed for Gaza. But it stood by the embargo – which it says is needed to prevent the “militant group” from getting weapons – even as the Obama administration called the current restrictions “unsustainable.” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended the blockade in remarks following the takeover, saying it was meant to keep weapons out of the hands of Hamas and he would “not allow the establishment of an Iranian port in Gaza.” The vessel, which was carrying 11 pro-Palestinian activists, nine crew and hundreds of tons of aid, was intercepted in international waters, about 30 km from Gaza's shore. The military said Saturday's takeover began at 12.15 P.M. Israeli time (0900GMT) and took just minutes. Footage provided by the Israeli military showed three small navy vessels pulling up to the Rachel Corrie. In a second segment, footage from an Israeli aircraft hovering about the cargo ship showed the activists sitting down in the middle of the top deck. Military spokeswoman Lt. Col. Avital Leibovich said the ship's captain had gathered the passengers in one area of the vessel, presumably to avoid violence. She said commandos clambered onto the boat by sea, instead of descending from helicopters as occurred Monday when nine activists were killed. Communications to the Rachel Corrie had been cut earlier in the day, so satellite phones weren't operating during the takeover and activists weren't reachable. Israeli warships had tailed the boat since early morning, determined not to let it reach Gaza despite the international outrage over Monday's deadly raid. Greta Berlin, a spokeswoman for the Free Gaza group that organized the trip, described the takeover as “another outrage to add to the nine murdered” and denied Israeli claims that troops had been invited aboard. Berlin, who spoke from the group's Cyprus office, said her organization would send more ships to Gaza, and that it has been contacted by four captains volunteering for the next mission. The Rachel Corrie, whose passenger list included Nobel peace laureate Mairead Corrigan, had hoped to breach a 3-year blockade that has plunged Gaza's 1.5 million residents deeper into poverty. But activists on board the Irish boat had insisted they would not resist if Israeli soldiers tried to take over their vessel. The Israeli navy established radio contact with the vessel four times, before boarding it, and urged it to sail to Ashdod. The outcry over the aid ships has been a public relations nightmare for Israel, while giving Hamas a welcome boost and vastly improving prospects of at least easing the closure of the territory.
