Shurat HaDin — the Israel Law Center in Tel Aviv — has been in the forefront of the legal battle against terrorism for some time, instituting lawsuits in favor of the victims of terror throughout the world. Many of these suits have been successful and have broken new ground.
Recently they have turned their attention to the Gaza Flotillas in an attempt to place legal restraints on these enterprises, which are in reality anti-Israeli propaganda and Hamas terror supply operations, masquerading as relief ships for an “impoverished” and “blockaded” Gaza.
Another Flotilla has been planned for this summer. Shurat HaDin responded by sending letters to maritime insurance companies. These letters placed the companies on notice concerning the Gaza Flotilla and warned them that if they provide insurance (a necessary component in the effort to smuggle contraband to the terrorists) they themselves will be legally liable for any future terrorist attacks perpetrated by Hamas.
On Sunday Shurat HaDin announced that they have sent similar warning letters to Immarsat, the satellite company that provides guidance systems and communications services for these boats, including the flotilla flagship Mavi Marmara. They too would be liable for massive damages and criminal prosecution should terror result from contraband carried by these boats.
Watch PJMedia soon for more strategies by Shurat HaDin for stopping the Flotilla by legal means. Shurat HaDin’s press release on Immersat follows:
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(Tel Aviv, Israel) On Sunday June 5th, Israeli human rights group Shurat HaDin warned UK and US based global satellite company Inmarsat that it may be liable for massive damages and criminal prosecution if it provides communication services to ships used by suspected terror organizations in the Gaza flotilla planned for late June.
The legal warning, sent to both Inmarsat and its senior corporate officers in the US and UK, asserts that under US law, Inmarsat and is officers will be open to charges of aiding and abetting terrorism if it provides satellite services to the Gaza-bound ships.
The Gaza Strip is controlled by Hamas, an Islamist movement designated by the US, the UK, Israel and the European Union as a terrorist group, and is subject to an Israeli naval blockade. Inmarsat is one of the largest satellite telecommunications companies in the world and the main provider of maritime communication services. Ships such as the Mavi Marmara rely upon Inmarsat’s network to communicate with ports, naval authorities and other vessels and cannot sail without it.
The announcement, issued by Shurat HaDin, a legal center in Tel Aviv, is based on information available on Inmarsat’s website showing that the company is providing vital satellite communications services to the Mavi Marmara vessel, which took part in the May 2010 flotilla to breach the Gaza blockade. There was a violent battle on board between armed militants and Israeli SEALs, that resulted in numerous deaths and injuries. The Mavi Marmara will be leading another flotilla intending to breach the Gaza blockade in the coming weeks.
Attorney Nitsana Darshan-Leitner, the founder of the Israeli law center, said the point of the warning letter was to prevent the new flotilla of ships from approaching Gaza. “We don’t want bloodshed on the sea again,” she said. “The private legal sector can help the Government prevent terrorism. The law is very strict when it comes to aiding and abetting terrorism or politically-motivated violence and imposes severe criminal and civil liability.
Shurat HaDin, an Israeli human rights organization, asserts that if Inmarsat continues to provide communication services to the Mavi Marmara during the upcoming flotilla, Inmarsat and its corporate officers will be in violation of US criminal statutes prohibiting the provision of material support for acts of violence and terrorism (18 U.S.C. § 2339A and § 2339B) and the provision of material support for naval expeditions against U.S. allies (18 U.S.C. § 960 and § 962), and will also be held civilly liable for any damages or harm caused by participants in the flotilla.
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