OUSMAN NOOR, ousman@palenergyembargo.com, @ousmannoor
ADRIENNE PINE, adrienne@quotha.net
Noor is coordinator for the Global Energy Embargo for Palestine. Pine is coordinator for the International Coalition to Stop Genocide in Palestine.
Pine said today: “The Overseas Santorini and the Overseas Sun Coast are tankers with an exclusive U.S. government contract to carry military fuel refined by Valero Corporation in Corpus Christi, TX to Israel. Their cargo includes Israel’s entire supply of JP-8 fuel, which powers its AH-64 Apache attack helicopters, its F-15 and F-16 fighter/bombers, as well as its Merkava tanks. These tankers are now in Greece.”
Noor said today: “States have a legal obligation to use their influence to prevent genocide. By giving harbour to these two ships, the Greek government is failing and is instead helping facilitate the devastation in Gaza.
“All UN Missions with Mediterranean ports were formally advised on August 6 in a letter signed by dozens of top international legal experts that permitting these vessels to transit through their territorial waters or to provision them at ports within their jurisdiction amounts to complicity in grave violations of international law, including apartheid and genocide. This advice was substantiated with reference to recent rulings made by the International Court of Justice, actions taken by the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court and statements made by U.N. Special Rapporteurs.”
The legal experts’ initiative is part of the No Harbour for Genocide campaign, coordinated by Global Energy Embargo for Palestine in coalition with Disrupt Power, the International Coalition to Stop Genocide in Palestine, Progressive International, La Via Campesina, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition and dozens of other organizations, social movements and labor unions.
Pine added: “Despite the warning from legal experts, and after going dark for a period of 11 days in response to protests and mobilizations across the Mediterranean Sea in Spain, Gibraltar, Italy, Malta, Cyprus and France, the Overseas Santorini has reappeared in the Greek Port of Piraeus, see video. Its twin ship, the Overseas Sun Coast, is anchored at a separate port in Greece.
“On Tuesday morning in Piraeus, where the Overseas Santorini is anchored, there were protests organized by the Labour Center of Piraeus, with local seafarer and maritime workers unions, and local anti-war groups. They have called upon all Greek trade unions and port authorities to refuse refueling and other services to the two vessels and join the #NoHarbourForGenocide campaign.”