30 June 2011
The Communist Party of Ireland condemns the sabotage of the Irish ship Saoirse, most probably by agents of the Israeli state, while docked in Turkey preparing for its voyage to break the illegal siege of Gaza.
The deliberate cutting of the propeller shaft, which would have broken off while the ship was in the open sea, could have resulted in its sinking and the loss of the lives of many courageous Irish citizens and solidarity activists. This was a deliberate and callous action by a rogue state and its terrorist institutions.
We salute the decision of the Irish activists to continue their journey of solidarity with the gallant Palestinian people of Gaza on the Italian ship.
We demand that the Irish Government condemn in the strongest possible terms this breach of international law and the endangering of the lives of Irish citizens. The time for pious words and platitudes when dealing with the rogue state of Israel is long past.
